Locke & Key creators unlock Season 2's magical keys and hint what keys we may see in Season 3

The second season of Locke & Key is about to drop on Netflix, and it's not much of a spoiler to say we'll be introduced to a bunch of new keys as the episodes unfold.

SYFY WIRE had the chance to talk with the show's creators about both the Lockes and the magical keys we'll see in Season 2 and beyond. Read on to learn how the creators decided what magical keys to introduce this season, both brand new ones as well as ones from the Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez comics the show is based on. We also have some hints on what keys we may see in Season 3, which just finished filming last month.

Locke & Key wouldn't be Locke & Key without the Lockes and, well, keys. Season 1 introduced a slew of magical keys to viewers, and Season 2 is no different. With so many keys to choose from, both from the comics and from the writers' imaginations, the process for deciding what keys make their way on screen is surprisingly organic.

"It's an intuitive process for us," show co-creator Carlton Cuse said. "There are certain keys in the comics that we love that we knew we wanted to get to. [Co-creator Meredith Averill and I] also had a lot of conversations between ourselves and with the other writers about what keys we might want to see in this house and what we would imagine being there that would be really cool."

Magical keys are definitely cool, but the writers also made sure that the keys served a purpose within the show's overall narrative. Without getting too much into spoiler territory, one theme of Season 2 is the pain associated with growing up and/or moving on, and certain keys are brought in to bring that theme to a head.

There are still lots of keys out there for the creators to unlock, so to speak, as the series progresses. Season 3, for example, will reveal even more keys. And while Cuse and show co-creator Meredith Averill were coy on what those Season 3 keys may be, some intrepid fans might spot some clues in the upcoming episodes. "There's Easter eggs throughout Season 2," Averill said. "I think the comic fans, if they look very closely, they might see some Easter eggs in Keyhouse that could give them some clues as to some keys that they might see moving forward."

As if to demonstrate the potential keys viewers might expect, Cuse then asked Averill if we'll see the Animal Key in Season 3, which we saw on the map Mark Cho burned in Season 1. Averill demurred to answer her co-creator's question, but the hint was strong between the two of them.

Season 2 of Locke & Key premieres on Netflix on Oct. 22, 2021. There's no news yet on when Season 3 of the show will arrive.