Locke & Key Season 2 Ending & Future Setup Explained

Netflix’s Locke & Key season 2 came to a dramatic ending, with the Locke family defeating Dodge at last, while potentially unleashing a far more dangerous threat for the future: Captain Frederick Gideon. When the Locke family moved into their ancestral family home, the Keyhouse, they had no idea they were about to become the Keepers of the Keys, who are sworn to prevent magical keys falling into the wrong hands, protecting this entire world from the threat of demonic invasion.

The threats escalated in Locke & Key season 2, with the demonic Dodge taking on the role of Kinsey’s boyfriend Dodge. This gave them unrestricted access to the Keyhouse and the opportunity to learn how to create keys of their own. Dodge was then able to force Duncan to create the Demon Key, which could be used to turn a person into a demon sworn to the service of the one who had used the key. Dodge’s plans were complicated by their growing obsession with Kinsey, their burning desire to win her love and control her life, which led to a sinister final confrontation between the Keepers of the Keys and Dodge’s demon army.

The aftermath of Dodge’s defeat brought about a dramatic change in the Locke family’s status quo, with some fateful decisions made that will profoundly affect the family dynamic. Meanwhile, the Lockes have no idea Dodge is now the least of their worries, as an ancient demon has been unleashed upon the Earth and will undoubtedly target the Lockes in particular.

Locke & Key Season 3 Villain: Captain Gideon

Locke & Key season 2 introduced viewers to Captain Gideon, the British soldier who discovered the portal in the sea cave back in 1775. Captain Gideon arrived in Matheson, Massachusetts because he had heard rumors the Locke family had been storing weapons and forging ammunition for revolutionary forces. The rumors were true, and soon a firefight ensued between British forces and the revolutionaries. Captain Gideon retreated with his few surviving forces, and they eventually sought to hide in the sea cave. There, a portal to the demon world opened and a demon possessed Captain Gideon, transforming him into a monstrous killer possessed with supernatural strength. Captain Gideon was eventually captured and executed, and in the aftermath the Locke family forged the first keys, including one for the Black Door, which they placed over the portal to seal it, locked shut with the Omega Key.

These flashback scenes seemed to serve principally as historical curiosities, revealing the backstory of the Locke family. In reality, however, they turned out to be a prelude to Locke & Key season 3, because in Locke & Key season 2, episode 10 the demonically possessed Eden Hawkins headed used the stolen Echo Key to summon a supernatural echo of Captain Gideon’s spirit. She had learned the history of Matheson and realized that Captain Gideon was the demon who had somehow opened the portal in the first place. To her surprise, she recognized the demon she had summoned as one of the greatest figures in their dimension. Eden foolishly believed she could control it, but Captain Gideon simply dropped her head first down the well, presumably killing her. As an echo, this version of Captain Gideon will be more dangerous than ever before, because he will be far harder to kill.

Why Bode Restores Nina’s Memory

Meanwhile, Locke & Key season 2, episode 10 signaled a major change in the Locke family’s status quo. Adults are unable to remember magic, but the Locke children’s mother Nina had experienced too much magic in her life, and she was beginning to suffer psychological trauma from the fact she couldn’t make sense of the world. Fortunately, as season 2 came to a close, Bode decided he didn’t want to keep the magic he loved secret from his mother any longer. He first gave Nina a taste of magic by using the Head Key to allow her to revisit memories of her late husband, Bode’s father. When Nina told him she wanted to retain memories of magic, he used the Memory Key on her. The Lockes had already used the Memory Key on Uncle Duncan, meaning now all the adults associated with the Keyhouse know about magic.

Will Tyler Use The Memory Key? Why He Hasn’t Yet

Locke & Key season 2 ended with another change to the Locke family status quo, though. Tyler, approaching his eighteenth birthday, decided he didn’t want to use the Memory Key. Instead, he wanted to forget all about magic. Tyler had spent much of season 2 attempting to find a way to let his girlfriend Jackie remember magic, but she had not wanted to use the Memory Key, because she believed magic could be both wonderful and terrible. Tragically, Tyler only came to understand Jackie’s perspective when she was possessed by one of Dodge’s demons, and an attempt to free her using the newly-created Alpha Key went badly wrong, killing her. It seems the experience of being freed from a demon is too traumatic for the human brain. Unwilling to live with memories of the pain of Jackie’s loss and with the guilt for having created the Alpha Key and used it on her, Tyler decided he wanted to forget it all.

Tyler has gone on a road-trip, staying away from Matheson until he has passed the age eighteen and forgotten the magic. Actor Connor Jessup is confirmed to return in Locke & Key season 3, so presumably the story will pick up months later when his character returns; in which case, it remains to be seen whether Tyler will be allowed to forget everything he has experienced. Captain Gideon is on the loose, and the Lockes may need to use the Memory Key to get his help and advice.

How Lucas Returned: Is Dodge Really Dead?

Tyler probably wouldn’t have left had he not believed Matheson was safe. The final spectacular battle with Locke and Key‘s demonic villain, Dodge, had culminated in his using the Alpha Key upon Dodge. The demon was apparently killed. This unexpectedly freed Dodge’s host Lucas, one of the original Keepers of the Keys, from their control. It was possible because, although ordinary human beings seem to be unable to survive the experience of being freed from a demon using the Alpha Key, Lucas is an Echo summoned from the Keyhouse’s well house. Now, one of the original Keepers of the Keys is on hand to help the Lockes, along with his old girlfriend Ellie, who was freed from the demon realm on the other side of the Black Door.

Ellie’s Return Might Have Bigger Consequences

The Lockes had accidentally banished Ellie into the demon realm back in Locke & Key season 1, unaware Dodge had used the Identity Key to change Ellie’s appearance. They thought they were casting Dodge itself into that sinister dimension, but the Black Door was affected by a cave collapse during season 2, opening enough for Ellie to escape. It’s unclear whether the Black Door is still able to close: its hinges seem to have been affected by the collapse, meaning there is now an active portal to the demon realm. Fortunately, the cave continued to collapse, apparently burying the Black Door behind rubble, which hopefully means its threat is over. Less fortunately, the demon possessing Captain Gideon was apparently the one to create that portal in the first place, so other portals could well be opened in Locke & Key season 3.

Locke & Key season 2, episode 10 avoids revealing exactly what happened to Ellie on the other side of the Black Door. The demons didn’t possess her, presumably because they only take hosts in an attempt to escape to this dimension, but she did exist in the demon realm for months (assuming time works the same way there). Still, Ellie appears emotionally unscathed, and she’s picked up her son, Rufus, and brought him back to their house. Like Lucas, she is now on hand to help the Lockes against Captain Gideon.

Eden’s Death Means One Key Is Missing

Locke & Key season 3 will inevitably introduce some more new keys, but Locke & Key season 2 has apparently written one out – for now. Although Captain Gideon took the Anywhere Key from Eden before killing her, he was unaware of the Echo Key’s existence, and it now lies at the bottom of the well with Eden’s body. This means the well house is now open, and anyone can walk in, say a name, and trigger the magic that lies within. The Lockes may well come to wish they still had the Echo Key in Locke & Key season 3.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4894 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

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A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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