This article contains spoilers for Locke & Key season 3.Locke & Key season 3 brings an end to the magical story of the Keepers of the Keys. Based on the comics by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key is a unique adaptation in which a family moved into their ancestral home, the Keyhouse, after suffering a tragedy. The three children - Bodie, Kinsey, and Tyler - discover they have inherited the role of Keepers of the Keys, protecting an ancient magic from those who would misuse it.
Seasons 1 and 2 focused on the battle between the Lockes and the demon who calls itself Dodge. This conflict came to a head in Locke & Key season 2, in which the children learned to harness the power of the keys as weapons in a spectacular confrontation. Unfortunately, in Locke & Key season 2, episode 10 the demonically-possessed Eden Hawkins used the Echo Key to restore a powerful demon who had possessed the body of a twisted British soldier, Captain Gideon, during the American War of Independence. The end of Locke & Key season 2 saw the children begin to relax, believing their problems were over, unaware Gideon had returned.
Locke & Key season 3 builds upon this plot, and avoids a rinse-and-repeat in which the Lockes learn to combine the power of the keys. Rather, it builds on a theme that's been running in the background throughout the show; that the keys are in fact a curse, not a blessing. Locke & Key season 3 ends with the most powerful key of them all discovered, and then with the curse of the keys broken forever. Here is a full explanation of what the Locke & Key season 3 ending means, as well as its implications for the future.
The Creation Key Is The Most Powerful Key Of All
Gideon learned he could combine the power of the keys to create a new rift to the demon world, but doing so would require all the keys from the Keyhouse. One had been missing, hidden long ago; the Creation Key, the most powerful of them all, which is more like a pen than a standard key. Anything drawn with the Creation Key becomes real; there's a slightly meta touch to this key, because Locke & Key is of course a comic book adaptation brought to life on the small screen. It had been hidden years ago inside the mind of Gordie Shaw, an old friend of the original Keepers of the Keys. The Lockes managed to retrieve the Creation Key before Gordie's passing.
The Lockes initially try to use the Creation Key to force Gideon into the Well House; passing through the gate of the Well House destroys any Echo. They underestimate Gideon's strength, however, and he breaks free, proceeding to destroy the Well House. Fortunately, while he does this the Lockes realize the true power of the Creation Key; it can be used to work around the magic of every other key. Kinsey uses the Creation Key to create a way into the magical chest containing the other keys. This includes the Alpha Key, which possesses the power to destroy any demon. All this highlights the Creation Key's significance to the Locke & Key story, as well as its power.
The Heroes of Locke & Key Escape the Curse of the Keys
Kinsey uses the Alpha Key on Gideon, beginning the process of destroying him, and Nina shoves him into the portal he has summoned in the floor of the Keyhouse. To their surprise, the portal begins to close; they realize this was because Gideon held two keys when he was pushed into the portal, and by casting all the keys into the demon dimension they will close it once again. Gideon has unwittingly offered the Lockes an opportunity to break the curse of the keys forever, because throwing them back into the demon realm they originate from will break Earth's tie to it.
Locke & Key has increasingly portrayed the keys as a curse, with Tyler paying a fearsome price after Jackie's death in Locke & Key season 2. This is perhaps the darkest aspect of the keys' magic; this magic can only be remembered by children, who will naturally focus on it as a source of wonder, while adults who would recognize its darkness and danger will forget it. The Memory Key circumvents this, allowing people to remember magic after their 18th birthday, and its use has gradually allowed the Lockes to understand how dangerous the keys really are - and how much damage they have done to their lives. The Lockes decide to destroy the keys, bringing the story of Locke & Key to a conclusion.
Locke & Key's Story Goes Full Circle Thanks to the Timeshift Key
The Locke family moved to the Keyhouse after the murder of their father, Randall, one of the original Keepers of the Keys. Bodie insists on one last trip with the Timeshift Key, with the family getting a chance to share a final farewell to their father. He will forget this encounter - that's part of the magic of the Timeshift Key, which is carefully designed to prevent a paradox happening - but the Lockes will always remember it. It means the main characters of Locke & Key gain a final moment of wonder before they destroy the Timeshift Key, and it gives every one of them closure. This is particularly poignant for his wife Nina, who feels free to pursue her budding relationship with Josh.
The children use the Memory Key on one another to ensure they will always remember the magic, and this final moment with their father. It's all done at speed, though, meaning only they are affected by it; Kinsey's boyfriend Scot Cavendish will forget it, as will Bodie's friends as they grow older. Only the Keepers of the Keys will remember, deepening their bond and making for a poignant moment.
Locke & Key Season 3 Teases Magic is Still Out There
Locke & Key season 3 ends with a hint the magic is still out there, however. Bodie jokes he can still hear a key whispering to him, initially panicking his family, and he's delighted they fell for the gag. But as the episode ends, viewers hear that familiar magical whispering around the Keyhouse's door. It's a hint the magic is still out there, and the story of Locke & Key could be resumed should Netflix choose to do so.
Netflix is not renewing Locke & Key, with showrunners Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill explaining, "Once we began working on the series, we felt three seasons was the ideal length to bring the story of the Locke family and their Keyhouse adventures to a satisfying conclusion." Given that's the case, this final scene should be seen as a touch of dramatic humor, rather than an indication Locke & Key will return. The show has come to a logical conclusion, the story is over, and the Locke family can face the future with confidence.