Locke & Key Has One Core Focus For Its Final Season

"Locke & Key" is almost back, y'all. The third and final season is dropping on August 10, which means that we'll get one last trip to Matheson — and one last adventure with the Locke family's magical keys. But despite the terrifying new villain teased at the end of season 2, the upcoming season has a single core focus: family.

Since the third season of "Locke & Key" finished filming before the second one premiered, showrunners Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill were able to drop some hints about the show's final season during season 2's promotions last year. They were understandably vague when talking about the third season (there's no point in spoiling the second season just as it's released), but Averill did provide a key quote when speaking with Collider that shines some light on the upcoming episodes. "The third season focuses much more heavily on the family," she said. "They're gonna face the greatest threat they've had to face yet. That really bonds them in a way that we've never seen before. I can't say more than that."

While we can't say it's encouraging that new levels of adversity will force the Locke family closer together (haven't they been through enough already?), we aren't surprised that their interpersonal relationships will take center stage.

"Locke & Key" has always been defined by family: it's a show where the main characters can only really trust their siblings — where a significant other can turn out to be a shape-shifting demon. It's a show that kicked off with a father's murder and a mother's descent back into alcoholism, leaving the Locke siblings to fend for themselves. Even the latest villain ties neatly into the family lore, having targeted the Lockes in the 18th century.

While it's fitting that the final season of "Locke & Key" will come full circle by returning to one of its original themes, it also seems noteworthy that a few of Netflix's recent supernatural TV shows are bringing family and close interpersonal relationships to the forefront. "The Umbrella Academy" fits the bill best, as the Hargreeves siblings may have stopped three apocalypses so far, but the show has always prioritized their family dynamic. That being said, it's far from the only recent example. Just take the latest season of "Stranger Things," where the conflicts and bonds between families (and the core friends, who have turned into a family in their own right) take center stage. 

While we wouldn't be surprised if Netflix's focus on family is a strategy to keep viewers invested in each new season (and subscribed to the platform), it's an interesting pattern nevertheless — and one that makes for compelling stories.