Locke and Key is an interesting series. The broad overview of the world is simple: there are magic keys associated with Locke House and the Locke family, turn them in the right way and the magic happens. Of course, in the detail, what the keys do and how you have to use them, it’s quite a lot more nuanced. They handled this really well, it was always interesting and pretty much always carried through well and in depth. Characters, likewise, are pretty well handled and while there are some choices I probably wouldn’t have made there were none that felt so off I truly hated them, just questioned them.
That brings us to the dialogue. There are moments where, no hyperbole, it rivals Shakespeare. It’s so on point it could move you to tears for its exquisite beauty. Then, possibly in the next scene, it’s so clunky you could cry from the pain.
Last and very much least, that brings us to the plot. Oh the plot. When the plot gets it right it can be great. There is one plot twist moment that ranks right up there among the best I can remember. The trouble is, there are so many other plot moments that are super clunky, super predictable that it became first a race to guess the episode outline, then a joke and finally a tired motif that out wore its welcome. The plot doesn’t have big holes although it does have a few places where it’s not really clear, it just grinds along in blatantly obvious clunky mode all the time.
Despite these reservations I enjoyed season one. I’m a whore for good world building and I can live with the clunky plot. I engaged with enough of the characters that I wanted to see more of them. They nearly always did smart things about how their world and magic keys interacted with the characters too, which is basically impossible to talk about without spoilers but, for example, we have one of the most mature ways to handle a possible love triangle I’ve ever seen (from kids in high school no less) and it feels totally reasonable and that it grows naturally as an effect from the keys.
If you don’t insist on clever plot and enjoy clever plot tokens in what is a modern horror-fantasy setting then this could be right up your street.
Bechdel Test: Pass. We have a plethora of named female characters and, although they don’t all talk in every episode, not every Kinsey and her mum, several combinations do in each episode. Some of those conversations are about boys but lots aren’t.
Ko Test: Pass. Dodge and Ellie are the the obvious people here, although in some episodes Zadie also steps up. Jackie, the girl Tyler fancies is also a WOC with a sufficiently large speaking part to pass in some episodes at least.
Russo Test: Fail. Uncle Duncan is, from what I heard in a throwaway line, gay. (This is confirmed in s2.) He appears to be the only one “I’m the only gay in the village!” and he’s not in anything like all of the episodes.
