Season 1 Episode 6
Whilst watching Locke & Key, I spent some time scrolling through tweets. Some of the funniest ones included stanning Dodge, because they couldn’t stand the Lockes (with the exemption of Bode). The well lady, who introduced herself as Dodge in this episode, was the high point of an otherwise frustrating series of choices both by Tyler and Kinsey. Sure, Dodge threatened young Bode and gave Sam the means to release himself from prison, but she was goal oriented and she looked like she was constantly having fun. If I weren’t already pledged to Bode, I’d be Team Dodge, at least for this episode, too.
Could Kinsey's choice of leading her friends down the dangerous sea cave with the assurance that she had been there before (she had not) be explained by the absence of fear inside her? Kinsey knew well enough that it was not safe for her to explore the sea cave alone; this is why she initially asked Tyler to go with her. After he said no, Kinsey then manipulated the Savini Squad by playing into their desire, particularly Scot’s, to make a good film.
Initially, everything was fine. The sea cave was a perfect location for the monster scene. But Kinsey wanted to go deeper into the cave. They did, though Scot protested, and again, the location looked amazing. Scot was already practising his Oscar speech inside his head. The sea cave awoke in these young would be filmmakers their imagination. They were eager to get to work.
Kinsey, no longer pretending that she cared an iota about the movie, left the Savini Squad and explored deeper into the cave. The whispers were there. She found a door with a glowing blue light. She looked through the key hole. When Gabe later found her, as the cave started to fill with sea water, Kinsey was struggling to force open the door.
Why was Kinsey so determined to go to the sea cave? Was it because she refused to have her memories of her father be sullied by the thought that Rendell, once upon a time, may have violently murdered his best friend Lucas? Lucas was supposed to have drowned in the sea cave, along with two others. Perhaps Kinsey wanted to find proof that would exonerate her father in her eyes and Tyler’s, but that was no excuse for putting her friends’ lives on the line. Fear may no longer be with Kinsey but recklessness and particularly, a reckless disregard for others outside of her pursuit of what she wanted, thrummed within her.
This is why I am so suspicious of Gabe. All the members of the Savini Squad were skeptical about the sea cave idea, given that that place was part of local lore due to a horrible tragedy. It was Gabe who backed Kinsey. All the members of the Savini Squad, especially Scot, was content with shooting at the mouth of the cave. It was Gabe who rallied everyone into supporting Kinsey’s desire to go deeper inside the cave. When the water started to rise, Gabe insisted on being the one left behind to look for Kinsey. Gabe saw the glowing door. Gabe stayed by Kinsey’s side after the others angrily left. Gabe comforted Kinsey, made it seem as though what she did was not as big a deal as it was. When someone feeds into the worst part of you, run away. They’re bad news. Gabe has been pinging all the warning bells in my head since the previous episode.
Another Locke who did not have an instinct against danger was Tyler. Upset over what they discovered about their father, and later, likely over the death of Joe Ridgeway, too, Tyler started self sabotaging. First, he threw the head key at Kinsey and declared that he wanted nothing to do with it anymore. Then he skipped the 5k fundraiser, fully aware that his girlfriend Jackie was counting on him. Instead, he went to a party with Javi and Brinker. There, Dodge aka the well lady found him.
It wasn’t just that Dodge was quite possibly the most beautiful woman young Tyler has had the fortune of speaking to. It was also that Dodge knew how to talk to Tyler. ‘You deserve a night off from your self loathing’, Dodge told him, words which must have been a relief to Tyler, who has been struggling under the weight of what he perceived to be his responsibilities. There was Tyler, alone with Dodge whilst Bode was freaking out about the threat she issued.
Dodge came to see Bode one last time before Sam escaped from prison, and issued all manner of threats that were rather disturbing given how young Bode was. Bode may have been scared, but he did not budge. He refused to give Dodge the keys.
Adults may not be able to see magic, but Nina was convinced that something was wrong. Nina insisted to the Detective in charge of Joe’s case, Daniel Matuko, that Joe would not have committed suicide. He was murdered. The police, however, could find no evidence of foul play, and in the end ruled the death as a suicide.
Nina was also suspicious of the lady who tried to be her friend when she first got to Matheson, Ellie. Nina knew that Ellie had been lying to her. Ellie claimed to have been home the night Joe was killed, but Nina, who spoke to Rufus that very night, knew this was not true. Ellie also lied about the source of the scar she had that was identical to the one Rendell had. Ellie later told Nina that the scar came after all of them pressed a hot poker to their chests as a way to remember their friends who died.
Nina now had the box of photos from Joe’s house, and was determined to find some clue on what, exactly, was going on around her. Nina had also begun to notice what the kids already figured out, that there were large gaps in Duncan’s memory of his childhood. And so the episode ended on a chilling note: Duncan drove back to Boston. Nina was in her room trying to figure out a mystery she had not yet even identified. Bode was helping Kinsey get her things from the basement. Tyler was about to get into a vehicle with Dodge. Sam, out of prison, walked into the darkened grounds of Key House.
Strays
🗝Kinsey showed Duncan the glowing paint jars with his memories. Duncan appeared fixated on one particular memory, Rendell and his friends going down the sea cave, and a blue light inside. Duncan forgot all about the memory paint jars as soon as Kinsey closed the bag holding them. All Duncan was left with was a bad headache that oddly lasted a long time.
🗝Bode found another key in a sewing machine. He used it on the cabinet Nina found in the basement, but since nothing happened, he figured there was nothing magical about it. He gave it to Nina.
🗝Sam used the matchstick key to get out of jail.
🗝Was that an omega symbol on the keyhole of the door inside the sea cave?
🗝I feel for the Savini Squad, who lost all their equipment because of Kinsey's lie.
🗝It did not escape my notice that Gabe asked if Kinsey had a key to open the door in the sea cave. I really, really don't trust Gabe.
🗝Kinsey, don't kiss Gabe. Scot is the one you want.
🗝Keys roundup, where they were found and where they were at the end of the episode 🗝🗝🗝Anywhere key - on the bracelet Rendell gave to Kinsey. Currently with well lady aka Dodge
🗝🗝🗝Mirror key - in the drainage of the sink. With Bode.
🗝🗝🗝Head key - inside the vacuum cleaner. With Kinsey. 🗝🗝🗝Ghost key - on the portrait of Chamberlaine Locke. With Bode. 🗝🗝🗝 Matchstick key - taken by the well lady from a kid who found it in the burnt house. With Sam. 🗝🗝🗝Music box key - inside the piano. With Kinsey. 🗝🗝🗝Plant key - in a vase in the cemetery. Likely with Kinsey. 🗝🗝🗝Mending key - in a sewing machine. With Nina.
Director: Mark Tonderai-Hodges
Writer: Brett Treacy & Dan Woodward
Original Release Date: 7 February 2020