Sumith Prasad
In Netflix’s supernatural series ‘Dead Boy Detectives,’ Imperial Pacific Cannery is the “kingdom” of the Cat King. Right before Edwin, Charles, and Crystal meet him, they notice the cannery’s board. Esther’s confrontation with the Cat King invites the viewers back to the cannery, filled with vacant cans. In the shut-down cannery, the Cat King remains a powerful ruler, awaiting Edwin to count all the cats in the real city of Port Townsend. Although the region exists in real life, we cannot find the Imperial Pacific while visiting Washington. Still, the abandoned factory reminds us of a major landmark in the city!
The Inspiration Behind Imperial Pacific Cannery
Imperial Pacific is a fictional cannery conceived by the supernatural drama’s writers for ‘Dead Boy Detectives.’ In reality, an old, closed-down cannery with the same name doesn’t exist in Port Townsend. However, the establishment can be a nod to the 1885 Clam Cannery, located at 111 Quincy Street in Port Townsend. Even though the establishment was built as a Waterman & Katz storage unit in 1885, it was eventually transformed into a seafood cannery. The vintage architecture of the building reminds us of Imperial Pacific, and like the latter in the show, the former cannery is situated at the edge of Port Townsend.
The (former) Clam Cannery is now a major tourist spot in the city. Rather than cats, humans live in the establishment, which is currently a private residence. After its renovation in the 2000s, its owners maintain the property well, with no cans carelessly scattered around like Imperial Pacific. The Clam Cannery is not the only Washington establishment we remembered while watching the detective comedy. Point No Point Lighthouse in the fourth episode reminds us of the lighthouse in Hansville, which has the same name. The writers seemingly pay homage to these local attractions by having their fictional counterparts in the series and making the narrative more rooted in reality.
Even though Imperial Pacific reminds us of the Clam Cannery, the first season of ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ was not shot on the latter property. The series is filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. Since the production team leased a warehouse located at 20146 100a Avenue in Langley for filming purposes, it may not be a surprise if the cannery we see in the show was set up on this property. Considering that the primary residents of the shut-down factory are cats, it makes sense to create a cannery with cans of seafood around the place.
Read More: Is Shallow Sound Memorial a Real Cemetery in Port Townsend?
