The Ending Of Locke & Key Season 3 Explained

As the oldest Locke sibling, Tyler had always taken the lead when it came to magic, the keys, and making plans. But when he left Matheson at the end of the second season, he entrusted all the keys to Kinsey and Bode. Tyler's absence, coupled with the fact that Duncan isn't around as much, really changes the dynamic at Keyhouse in "Locke & Key" Season 3. It essentially forces Kinsey to take the lead and become the magical protector of the family, a role she never expected to play.

This development is really emphasized in Episode 1, when Kinsey is out with her friends filming the second installment of "The Splattering" movie franchise. At home, Nina finds a snow globe with a model of Keyhouse she is convinced is magical. Bode dismisses her, but of course, she's almost immediately proven right when Bode finds the Snowflake Key, which activates the snow globe. They hesitate on their next action and suggest waiting for Kinsey, which is an interesting dynamic given Nina, not Kinsey, is the parent. But Nina's experience with magic is limited and Bode is often a little too keen to use magic, so it makes sense for Kinsey to take the lead on all things related to keys and magical safety.

This new dynamic continues even after Tyler returns. Even though she's happy to have him back, Kinsey has gotten used to taking charge and making the plans. It shows in Episode 8 when the siblings both come up with different plans to defeat Gideon — Kinsey wants to put him in the Well House while Tyler wants to use the Creation Key to draw some weapons. However, they end up doing both. By the end of the episode, the family act more like a democracy.