'Locke & Key' Ending Explained: Who is the real Dodge and what exactly happened to Ellie, Eden and Gabe?
Spoiler alert for 'Crown of Shadows': Episode 10 of 'Locke & Key'
The battle over the Omega Key leads to decisions that can't be undone — and a dangerous door promises plenty of trouble ahead. Yes, the Locke siblings are stuck in a vicious cycle at the end of the series and the identity-swapping and magic key whispering will boggle your mind.
Adapted from the comics by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, 'Locke & Key' revolves around Tyler Locke, Kinsey Locke and Bode Locke's adventures while trying to unlock the mysteries of the Key House after their father's death. Towards the end, there is a big twist. And if you couldn't wrap your head around, here's a breakdown of that complex conclusion.
The make-believe end
Clasping the Crown of Shadows on her head, Dodge returns to Key House and petrifies the Locke siblings into giving her the Omega Key. While they were ready for a battle, they are stumped when they don't seem to know how to kill her. They call for help and Scot Cavendish, Gabe, Jackie and Eden show up.
The bunch of friends find Dodge unconscious in the entryway of Key House and toss her into the Black Door of the Drowning Cave. Proud after accomplishing the mission, the siblings congratulate themselves on a job well done. They also tell little Bode that everything's back to normal. Aww. But was the dark magic defeated so easily? Turns out, Dodge surpassed them with a master plan.
While Kinsey and Tyler head to the cave, Bode runs to Ellie’s house to find Rufus knocked out. Moreover, his mother Ellie Whedon is nowhere to be seen. How could she vanish in thin air? Did Dodge kill her or is she in hiding? That's the first hint. Not everything is as hunky-dory as it seems.
The real end
The final six minutes lend insight into Dodge's real plan. There's a flashback to the scene when Gabe speaks to Kinsey about the door and the cave in an earlier episode. His interest in the cave seems eerie. Back in the present day, Gabe joyfully rides his bike through the town. And it takes little time to understand that Gabe is the real Dodge.
In another scene, Ellie is panic-stricken to see Dodge use the Identity Key to turn herself into Ellie. The Dodge who lay unconscious on the floor was Ellie. So the Locke siblings get rid of Ellie instead of Dodge? Well, that's not all. While Ellie was imprisoned, Eden was hit with one of the glowing bullets in the penultimate episode 'Echoes'.
In the last scene, Gabe asks Eden how she is feeling and she says, “So hungry”. So, is Eden the new demon? If we look back at the events in the cave, Lucas was hit by a similar bullet and soon after, he started demanding those keys. Eden is dealing with a similar problem but only time will tell how vicious it makes her.
Verdict
In all, the finale tries hard to tie up as many loose ends as possible, but it only makes it more complex with no reason whatsoever. While it does manage to keep the element of suspense, what trumps the fun is how there is no real motive for the villain in the series. With no rhyme or reason for being on the dark side, 'Locke & Key' seems a little too pretentious and illogical. If the makers are really planning a Season 2, a little backstory for Dodge would help ignite more interest in the magical tale.