Locke and Key Delivers The Weakest Chapter Yet In Its Final Season
It’s the end of an era as Locke & Key debuts its third and final season on Netflix.
I’ve been a Locke and Key stan since the first season came out. It’s such an underrated show, but time and time again continues to blow me out of the water when it comes to their storytelling and the Easter eggs they plant throughout the show. In the third season, the Locke family uncovers more magic within Keyhouse while a new threat — the most dangerous one yet — looms in Matheson with plans of his own for the keys.
Unfortunately, the third season is the weakest yet. The first half of the season falters when it comes to the story’s direction and the introduction of pointless characters. It was way too soon to introduce a new love interest for Tyler, and there are awkward musical moments for actress Emilia Jones that don’t make sense for the context of the show and feel like a way to capitalize on her Coda success. The new villain Frederick Gideon is also unimpressive, especially compared to the looming energy of Dodge.
However, things pick up in the second half of the season when the family finds the time travel key and Dodge returns for a bit. The best episode has to be “Curtain” where they go into Goldie’s head. It had excellent design and high stakes and energy that help us learn more about the past. While the season is inconsistent, they end is a satisfying way that highlights the magic of family and the memories you share. The heart of the series is about battling through grief and addictions in order to come together as a family and they succeed there.
When it comes down to it, the final season of Locke and Key was very uneven, but ended in a heartfelt place. I recommend going back and checking out the entire series. Not only is there a lot of magical fun with the keys, but they develop a powerful and important story about family that ended on its own terms in a world where it’s rare for a good show not be cancelled before getting a chance to finish out their story.
Locke & Key season 3 is streaming on Netflix.
