Why Edwin's Classmates Call Him Mary Ann In Dead Boy Detectives Episode 1's Flashback

Summary Edwin's dark past in Dead Boy Detectives led to a unique clerical error in the afterlife, resulting in 70 years of cruel punishment in Hell.

Edwin's internalized shame about his sexuality influenced his time in Hell, reflecting the negative attitudes towards homosexuality in early 20th century England.

Overcoming his internalized homophobia and accepting his sexuality was key for Edwin to finally escape Hell and find a brighter future in Dead Boy Detectives.

In episode 1 “The Case of Crystal Palace”, Dead Boy Detectives delves into Edwin Payne’s past, where he was called a “Mary Ann” repeatedly by his classmates as he was sacrificed to a demon. The result of Edwin’s death in Dead Boy Detectives was a clerical error in the afterlife that had previously never been seen before. However, this meant Edwin had to endure cruel punishments in Hell for 70 years, despite doing nothing wrong.

For Edwin, Hell is a dark presence that looms over him in Dead Boy Detectives. Edwin constantly makes references to his dark past as a means to win an argument, though the real details of what happened to him in Hell and why it was so terrifying often lurk beneath the surface. However, his classmates’ insults may have had more to do with Edwin’s stay in Hell than it first appears, thanks to the rules of The Sandman universe.

Related Dead Boy Detectives 12 Easter Eggs & DC Comics References Explained The Netflix mystery series Dead Boy Detectives includes multiple Easter Eggs and DC Comics references, such as the cameos by Despair and Death.

Mary Ann Was A Derogatory Term In Edwin's Era

Homosexuality Was Illegal in 1910s England

In 1910s England, homosexuality was illegal. In fact, homosexuality would not be decriminalized in England until 1967, with attitudes towards homosexuality still wholly negative. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the term “Mary Ann” was popularized as a derogatory term for an effeminate or queer man, which is what Edwin’s classmates believed he was. Though this is not made clear in Dead Boy Detectives, Edwin’s suspected queerness likely played into the reason for his sacrifice and eventual death, as many in England at that time were religious and believed that homosexuality was a sin that would send people to Hell. In particular, the students of an all-boys prep school back then (or even now) would not have been particularly kind in this regard.

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How His Past Shame Held Edwin Back Even In Death

Edwin's Views Reflect His Time Period

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Throughout Dead Boy Detectives, Edwin constantly expresses resentment toward the technicality that left him in Hell. Edwin did nothing to deserve his gruesome punishment, where a creature would chase him and rip him apart for eternity. The demon who took Edwin even apologized, further solidifying how unfair Edwin’s situation was. Yet, Edwin’s sense of internalized shame about his repressed sexual orientation is echoed throughout Dead Boy Detectives, as it is suggested that even though Edwin knows a technicality landed him a fate worse than death, a small part of him thinks that being in Hell was a result of his sexuality. Thus, there's a part of Edwin that believes that if he comes out, he'll be treated as cruelly as he was all those years ago.

Edwin’s attitudes reflect the period he lived in as he deeply represses the feelings he has harbored for decades.

Hell works differently in Dead Boy Detectives compared to the traditional Catholic values that Edwin had been taught throughout his life. People can instead go to Hell if they either: believe in Hell, believe that they deserve Hell, violate their core beliefs, or feel guilt about a mistake they have made in life. This flawed system leads good people, such as Edwin, to fall through the cracks and spend eternity there, with Edwin feeling that he deserved a place in Hell due to his homosexuality, and the fact this was a reason for his sacrifice in the first place.

Even after escaping, Edwin’s attitudes reflect the period he lived in as he deeply represses the feelings he has harbored for decades. At the beginning of Dead Boy Detectives, Edwin cannot conceive the idea that two men could be able to like one another in a romantic sense. This is not until a discussion with Niko in episode 3, “The Case of the Devlin House”, where Niko gently opens up the idea to him through her love of manga. Though Edwin is initially curt about the situation, he is more open to the idea than before. However, Edwin remains cautious.

Related Why Cats Can Talk In Dead Boy Detectives Season 1 In the world of Dead Boy Detectives, cats can speak. The talking cat motive is one seen throughout Neil Gaiman's extended Sandman universe.

Why Edwin's Dead Boy Detective Season 1 Character Arc Is So Tied To Accepting His Sexuality

Punishments Don't Just Exist in Hell

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In order to escape Hell, Edwin had to overcome his internalized homophobia and accept his sexuality so that Hell’s strange rules could no longer bind him. However, as a stubborn figure who firmly sticks to his beliefs, Edwin’s season 1 character arc was needed to help him explore his feelings at his own pace, while also processing the trauma he had experienced due to his time in Hell. Though his friendship with Niko and relationships with the Cat King and Monty pushed Edwin in a new direction, it would be an unlikely reunion that finally reaffirmed Edwin’s feelings.

In episode 7, titled “The Case of the Very Long Stairway”, Edwin reunites with Simon, one of the boys who had sacrificed him. Simon reveals that he bullied Edwin so mercilessly because he also struggled with his repressed queerness and internalized homophobia, and was annoyed that Edwin had ignored him. Simon then asks if being gay has to be torture, with Edwin replying: “If you punish yourself, everywhere becomes hell,” suggesting that Edwin’s own internalized homophobia had been punishing him even outside the realm of Hell. However, it also showed just how much Edwin’s attitude had changed.

Edwin finally decides to stop torturing himself and accept who he is.

When Edwin finally escapes with Charles in Dead Boy Detectives, it is very significant that he confesses his love to him just before the final moments of their escape. Edwin finally decides to stop torturing himself and accept who he is. Though Charles does not feel the same for him, Edwin can feel confident in the part of himself he has always been ashamed of as they return to the land of the living. Now that Edwin is no longer burdened by comments from the past and the looming threat of Hell, Edwin’s future in Dead Boy Detectives season 2 looks brighter than ever.