In Locke & Key Season 2, viewers visited the Locke family’s home in the lovely little town of Matheson and Keyhouse once more. This time, the main protagonists had relocated to their new hometown and thought Dodge (Laysla De Oliveira), their greatest menace, was no longer there. They were unaware that she was standing directly in front of them, as deceitful Gabe explained (Griffin Gluck).
The Locke siblings Tyler (Connor Jessup), Kinsey (Emilia Jones), and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott) had to find additional keys—and even make their own—to thwart Dodge/efforts Gabe’s to make a new key. The second season of the Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez graphic novel adaptation on Netflix departed from the original work to create a totally different narrative. The magical keys in Keyhouse were one of the aspects that did not change. Each episode’s title card highlighted the key that would serve as, well, the episode’s key component, as observant viewers would have noted. More keys than anticipated made the transition from the page to the screen; nearly every episode of the second season added a new key.
What new keys did Locke & Key Season 2 feature, then? Let’s examine what each key can achieve and how well it was utilised on the episode, in order of appearance.
Alpha Key
Where there is an Omega, an Alpha must follow soon after. The Omega key in Locke & Key prevents demons from getting into Matheson. The Lockes had to figure out a means to halt the demons as Gabe began using the Demon Key to make his own monsters. Tyler finally develops the Alpha Key because none of the other keys are powerful enough to combat them.
The Alpha key functions virtually same to how it does in the books. The demon is turned back into a human by inserting the key, but they die as soon as that happens. Tyler discovered this the hard way after using the key on Jackie; at first, both he and Jackie thought everything was OK before Jackie passed away in his arms.
How this key is activated is one of the main issues with the show’s adaptation. Tyler must turn the keyhole it creates in Jackie when he uses it on her to destroy the demon. But towards the conclusion, Tyler essentially stabs and kills every demon in his path. The activation of the Alpha Key ought to have been more reliable.
Angel Key
The Angel Key actually grants you wings because they materialise out of a harness on your back. When Kinsey fights Gabe in the finale and carries Tyler and herself to safety, it is evident that wearing the harness and turning the key also grants the wearer birdlike power. The wings serve as useful extra appendages. Kinsey strikes Gabe with the wings to remove the Crown of Shadows from his head.
The biggest difference between the Angel Key and its comic book counterpart is that the keyhole is located on the front of the harness rather than the rear, which makes perfect sense. This kind of key is useful in challenging circumstances. The Angel Key was not overused because it was first introduced virtually at the conclusion of Season 2. The creators of Locke & Key will need to take care to prevent the key from turning into a handy Chekov’s Gun in every circumstance if it returns in later seasons.
Chain Key
The adaption on Netflix is very different from the original. This key is only used in the graphic novels to open the Great Lock, which secures a portion of Keyhouse. The Chain Key is employed in the programme to shackle characters. In the maze at the Winter Fest, Erin Voss (Joy Tanner) makes an effort to chain Gabe, and later in the climax, Dodge almost strangles Kinsey with the chain.
The Chain Key is a quite heavy instrument; it is packed with a padlock of its own. The user can then bind anybody they like with chains after inserting the key into the padlock. The key was a creative addition to the show’s mythos, but the magic’s novelty has long since passed.
Demon Key
The second season of Locke & Key’s promotional artwork featured The Demon Key prominently. This was the key that would undoubtedly hurt a lot, and it did. Three keys were displayed to the audience: two flawed keys and one that, regrettably, worked as intended.
The idea of harnessing the Whispering Iron from the caves to make his own demons consumed Gabe. However, Gabe’s first two attempts to make the Demon Key failed and he dissolved his targets since the Whispering Iron only beckons to Lockes. Under duress, Duncan constructed the third Demon Key, which Gabe was able to use to transform several residents of Matheson into demons, including Javi (Kevin Alves), a classmate, and Detective Daniel Matuku (Martin Roach), a friend of Nina Locke (Darby Stanchfield).
The key could have easily been used to build an army, but it had a much more catastrophic impact on the plot and the Locke family. Jackie’s magical memories returned after Gabe transformed her into a demon, but at a horrible price.
Hercules Key
The Hercules Key delivers on its promise of giving its possessor superhuman strength, as demonstrated in “The Premiere” when Bode lifts a couch in an effort to fit it through a small door. In the comics, placing the Hercules key into the chain of the titular hero activates it. The necklace becomes a belt in the Locke & Key television series, though. Given that carrying big objects can be hazardous for your back, this actually makes a lot more sense from a practical one.
In the Lockes’ conflict with Gabe’s demon armies, the Hercules key plays a crucial role. Demon strength cannot be matched by the key, but it does slow them down.
Memory Key
In the world of Locke & Key, adults are not allowed to remember magic. When Rendell Locke and his pals were teenagers on the cusp of maturity, they decided to make a key to ensure that they would remember magic. Consequently, the Memory Key.
The Memory Key was hinted at in Season 1, but it isn’t revealed until well into Season 2. The Netflix series was the sole purpose for the creation of this key. Except when severely drunk, the adult Keepers of the Keys in the books still have no memory of magic. The Memory Key was created by Rendell’s brother Duncan Locke (Aaron Ashmore) in the programme, and as an adult, it was essential to his comprehension of magic.
The Memory Key is crucial to the second season since it aids in the recovery of Duncan’s magical memories, making him a vital ally in the battle against Gabe. The introduction of the Memory Key also gave Tyler and Jackie Veda’s (Genevive Kang) relationship a dramatic undertone. We have a sneaking suspicion that the Memory Key will continue to appear on the show.
Secrets of the Keys
The keys utilised in Season 1 were the subject of some fresh revelations for viewers. Gabe clarified in the first episode of Season 2 that the Identity Key could only be used to create an imaginary person and could not be used to replicate real individuals. Eden (Hallea Jones) was unable to change into Kinsey as a result. The writers’ decision to steer clear of several popular misidentification tropes was fantastic. Because of the key’s power, if someone’s identity was altered, they may use the key to regain their original identity. Dodge, who was Felix Mallard’s Lucas Caravaggio at first, could afterwards transform into him. Ellie Whedon (Sherri Saum), who returned from the realm of the demons in the finale, was likewise able to change back into her natural person.
The history of the first key, the Omega Key, was also revealed to us. A British soldier named Captain Frederick Gideon (Kevin Durand) made an effort to acquire the Locke family’s weapons during the Revolutionary Wars. Despite being halted, Gideon eventually found himself at the sea caverns that contained the demon realm entrance. Gideon transformed into an uncontrollable demon in the eyes of Benjamin Locke (Carson MacCormac). Benjamin made the Omega Key, which slid into the Black Door and sealed the realm, to stop more demons from coming into the world. The Omega Key’s beginnings on the programme are extremely similar to those in the original work, and they will probably continue to be relevant in upcoming seasons.
Small World Key
The showrunners used this key, which was hinted to in the trailer, to recreate the enchantment of the comic version in the show. The Small World Key, also known as the Miniature Key by some comic book fans, is used to open Keyhouse’s dollhouse replica. The dollhouse was eventually expected by readers, but not in the way it did in the second season of the show. The dollhouse is owned by newcomer Josh Bennett (Brendan Hines), and when Bode presents it to his daughter Jamie (Liyou Abere), she assumes the role of de facto keeper of the key.
A “small world” version of Keyhouse is essentially activated once the key is put into the dollhouse. The first time Bode and Jamie use the key, they find a miniature Tyler in his room. Items added to the dollhouse—like the spider crawling inside—then become enlarged copies in the real Keyhouse while items removed from the dollhouse vanish from the actual Keyhouse.
The key wasn’t utilised frequently over the season, but it did advance the understanding of magic without being absurd. Even during a frontal encounter between the Lockes and Eden, the Small World Key was involved, heightening the tension and drama.
