This recap of Locke & Key contains spoilers, so reader discretion is advised. Welcome back to another recap of season two of Locke & Key, the show based on the comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez. In the last episode, I pretended I chopped a whole lot of onions while watching. 

Related: Locke & Key  Recap: (S02E04) “Forget Me Not”

“I had no idea he was so into that car.”

We open Locke & Key Season Two, Episode Five, “Past is Prologue” on a plotting Godge (Griffin Gluck ) and Evil-den (Hallea Jones). Their current plan is the retrieve the Music Box from Kinsey’s (Emilia Jones) dresser and compel her to make a Key. 

Over at Keyhouse, Tyler (Connor Jessup) heads out to the garage to check on Duncan (Aaron Ashmore). Duncan’s throwing all his stress into rebuilding his classic car. And Tyler is just a tad worried. But, Duncan curtly rejects his offers to help. 

Back inside, Nina (Darby Stanchfield) informs Tyler and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott ) she’s got a date that night. Bode’s pretty down after Duncan attacked him last episode. But, a letter from Rufus (Coby Bird) helps cheer him up. 

Bode’s rereading the letter on his porch when Godge rolls up on his bike. Godge asks him what’s in that letter, but his eyes glaze over when Bode starts waxing poetic about Rufus’s new treehouse. Bode informs Godge that Kinsey’s up in her room. 

So, even though Godge knows Kinsey’s in her room, he still makes a beeline for the Music Box, which is on the dresser in her room. Kinsey steps out of her bathroom and demands to know what he’s doing in her personal space. 

“Kinsey, she’s not a bad person.”

Then, Kinsey asks Godge what was up with that weird scene between him and Evil-den that she walked in on. He tells her that it’s not what she thinks; he’s just Evil-den’s math tutor. Kinsey doesn’t buy what he’s selling at first, but then Godge works those doe eyes of his and throws in a sob story. He even adds a bonus apology, and Kinsey’s finally a reluctant customer. 

Tyler interrupts to let Kinsey know he’s heading over to the school.  Our nosey demon Godge guilts them into telling him what’s going on. He’s like your grandma, but evil.

So, the two sibs tell Godge about Duncan’s memory flashes and about how they now need to find the  Memory Key he made. Godge is all Key!? Key? Duncan can make KEY!? And helpfully offers to help Tyler help search for the Key. 

Meanwhile, Bode’s in Erin’s room (Joy Tanner), pacing back and forth. He’s stressing over what might happen if Tyler can’t find the Memory Key. Erin suggests he chill out by go finding a friend to hang with.

“You’re just gonna go to Nebraska by yourself?

So, Bode gets the wonderful idea to visit Rufus! And, asks Tyler if he can borrow the Anywhere Key (in front of Godge!). Tyler is hesitant at first, but they eventually trade the Anywhere and Hercules Keys. And … Godge looks like a toddler who has been told he has to wait to use the swing. 

Apparently, Rufus had sent Bode a picture of his room, just in case, so he heads off. Rufus is happy, not freaked out, to find Bode in his room. And  …  Bode’s brought him a housewarming gift: a chunk of giant gummy bear. 

Over at Matheson Academy, Godge so inexpertly brings up “how crazy” it is that Duncan can make Keys. For a demon who’s survived decades, he’s really got no game. 

Anyway, they’re not exactly sure why Duncan was the only one who could make Keys. But, Erin thinks it’s because he was so innocent. 

Rufus in Locke and Key

Locke & Key “Trapper/Keeper”—Episode 102— Pictured: Coby Bird as Rufus—(Photo by: Ken Woroner/Netflix)

“What? You think the Lockes are the only ones with magical Keys?”

So, Tyler’s man on the inside is Logan (Erice Graise). Seems that freshman year, he convinced the principal that he needed a campus master key for accessibility reasons. 

Our trio begins at the trophy case, for which Logan does not have a key. Godge “surreptitiously” breaks the lock on the case, but it doesn’t matter because there’s no Key there. 

On top of being an athlete, Tyler’s dad was a drama kid, so they next head to the theatre. 

Meanwhile, at Keyhouse, Duncan comes inside for a water break, and Kinsey asks him if he’d like to order a pizza. He doesn’t want anything, OK? 

Abby (Leishe Meyboom ) texts Kinsey to find out if she’s coming to Javi’s (Kevin Alves) party. Ever the good lesbian aunty, she wants Kinsey and Scot (Petrice Jones) to work out their drama. But, Kinsey wants to be a good girl and watch her uncle. Erin offers to watch after Duncan while Kinsey lives her best teenage life. 

“Arrabbiata is Italian for angry.” 

Ugh. Cut to Nina’s date with Mansplaining Weasel (Brendan Hines). She’s impressed by his extremely mediocre cooking skills. He tries to drive her wild with food trivia. She hits him right in the toxic masculinity by teasing him about his apron. And he blames it on Miss Garcia, the bio teacher, the former resident of his apartment. 

Nina is turned on by all of Mansplaining Weasel’s machismo, and they’re about to kiss. But, they’re interrupted by a student at his door. He quickly turns that student away. As soon as the door shuts, Nina pounces on him, and they begin stripping each other on the way to the bedroom. Get it. 

Clearly, I’m not a fan of Mansplaining Weasel, but, Nina’s had a rough year and she deserves to blow off some steam. 

Next, the three musketeers are in the drama room. (Logan, I do not think the Key is in that sword.) Godge is staring longingly at photos from his childhood, ’cause I guess buried deep within his demon hood is Lucas (Felix Mallard). One of the photos does lead them to the truth, though … 

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”

There’s a quotation at the bottom of the photo, and Logan recognizes it. I mean, not from The Tempest, but from a bench on the schoolyard. The bench was donated “in loving memory” by the Locke family. And, the whispers begin. Because the Keys only reveal themselves exactly when necessary, like the good little plot servants they are, Tyler has never before noticed the bench.

Tyler proceeds to destroy school property to retrieve the Memory Key. He lifts up the bench using Herculean strength. Godge tries to run interference and grab the Key before it’s in Tyler’s possession but is unsuccessful. But, umm, what he gonna do had he succeeded, though? Reveal his evilness? 

Godge tries to tag along with Tyler back to Keyhouse, but Tyler is like, Um, this is a family thing. Godge, my dude, you are one thirsty lil demon. 

Meanwhile, Evil-den is scrolling through Instagram and getting major FOMO about Javi’s party. 

Locke & Key “Trapper/Keeper”—Episode 102— Pictured (l-r): Kevin Alves as Javi, Connor Jessup as Tyler, Emilia Jones as Kinsey, —(Photo by: Ian Watson/Netflix)

“Chug chug chug!”

Javi’s party is all the high school parties in all the TV shows and films ever. Kinsey arrives and finds Scot and Abby, who quickly excuses herself. 

Kinsey apologizes to Scot for her comments. Then she tells him about the whole Godge-Evil-den tutoring thing. Scot basically scoffs at her for falling for that lie. Dude, you already owed her one apology … 

Next, Jackie (Genevieve Kang) finds Kinsey. Turns out, Javi’s party is technically Jackie’s birthday party. Their attention is quickly drawn to Evil-den arm wrestling a bunch of dudes. It’s surprising people she wins because … small female? Blech. 

Evil-den spies Kinsey and runs to ask her where Godge is. When Evil-den finds out he’s not around, she cozies up to Kinsey. And Kinsey grabs the opportunity to fact-check her boyfriend. Evil-den confirms that yah, her Spanish is terrible. Kinsey’s all Wait. What? He said you were bad at math! And Evil-den is all, Ah sí, trig Mamá también. 

Evil-den tries to brush off her flub by asking Kinsey if she wants to go find somewhere quieter to hang. This is not going where it sounds like it’s going, so simmer down. But, like, Kinsey does excuse herself to go freshen up in the bathroom first. 

Actually, she finds Scot and asks him to be her and Evil-den’s spotter. Because Kinsey’s gonna find out if Evil-den’s lying. 

“Please, I think something weird’s going on.”

Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Bode and Rufus are chilling in Rufus’s sweet treehouse. Rufus suggests that Bode bring Jamie (Liyou Abere) next time he visits. Then, he shows Bode the comic book he’s been drawing. It’s basically an ode to Ellie (Sherri Saum), his mom, in which she’s the superhero. Rufus is convinced he’ll see his mom again someday.  

At the end of the comic book is a picture of two Dodges (Laysla De Oliveira) … Rufus’s therapist has been helping him dig up the memories from the night Ellie disappeared, and this one came up. He saw two Dodges in the living room and promptly passed out. 

Over at the Matheson Academy dorms, Mansplaining Weasel and Nina are enjoying some postcoital cold spaghetti and already planning a round two at Keyhouse. Which reminds Nina that she brought Mansplaining Weasel an 18th-century ledger she found in the winter study. 

Mansplaining Weasel explains that Keyhouse was an intelligence base during the Revolutionary War. He gets so excited about the ledger, which documents artillery and soldier counts, that Nina asks if he needs some alone time with it. 

Back at Javi’s, Kinsey leads Evil-den into a bedroom upstairs. To talk, y’all. Evil-den begins to sing Tiffany‘s “I Think We’re Alone Now.” Apparently, Kinsey’s Fear loved that song.

Evil-den says she’s tired of Godge hogging Kinsey, and it’s her turn to play. Oh and she loves Kinsey’s necklace. Fortunately, Evil-den passes out from all that drinking before this can turn into a Hayes-Code-era lesbian vampire movie. 

“Good luck with Project Eden.”

Evil-den good and passed out, Kinsey Head Keys her. Y’all, there are better ways to find out if your boyfriend’s cheating on you. Well, I mean, that and Evil-den does tell Kinsey she wants to kill her, so … 

The doorway to Evil-den’s mind is a Caboodle. Lollllll. And her mind is some German club meets department store cosmetic counter. That tracks. Evil-den’s memories live in perfume bottles. The first one we’re treated to is her mom body-shaming her. Which also tracks. 

In the human world, Scot’s stuck with retrieving Jackie’s coat from the room he’s spotting. Evil-den is lying right on top of the maroon wool coat he needs! Of bloody course. Unfortunately, this causes Evil-den to start stirring.

Inside the demon’s head, Kinsey is watching some super sus memories, involving the missing popcorn man and the evil sea cave door. Just then, Scot jump scares her. Kinsey tells Scot that the already morally questionable Eden has since become Evil-den.  

Scot suggests they GTFO, considering they’re non-consensually inside a demon’s head. While Kinsey watches some more memories to suss out Evil-den’s plans, the mannequins around them start to come to life. 

Oh oh oh! Scot discovers the memory of Godge morphing into Dodge. Kinsey doesn’t wanna believe it, insists it can’t be real. But, before she and Scot can process further, the mannequins attack! 

“Stupid question, but, you OK?”

Kinsey uses the Matchstick Key to roast a few of the dolls, giving herself and Scot some breathing room. They’re climbing the ladder out when some mannequins grab at Scot from below. Kins hands Scot the Matchstick Key. They both make it out. 

Evil-den’s still asleep. So, Kinsey collapses into Scot’s arm for comfort. Just then, Tyler texts her that he found the Memory Key and is headed back to Keyhouse. Then, Evil-den’s conveniently unlocked phone receives a voice message from Godge that he’s on his way to Keyhouse. Kinsey tells Scot to stay and watch over Evil-den.

Back at Mansplaining Weasel’s, Nina leaves and he takes his new ledger back to his office with all his other preciouses. That’s when he discovers his Whispering Iron is missing! Do you mean to tell me that the object you told all your students was a family heirloom and proceeded to leave unlocked, has gone missing? I’m shocked. Shocked, I say.

But, the dude tears apart his office, like it might have somehow walked out of the drawer into one of his bills. 

“This is giving me a headache.”

Next, in the Keyhouse garage, Duncan’s still working on the car. Tyler asks him to come inside for a second. Duncan reluctantly agrees, and they go up to his room, where Erin is waiting. Tyler shows him the Memory Key.  

Duncan’s getting more memory flashes, more high-pitched ringing in his ear, more headaches. Tyler has him sit down; he can make it better. He tells Duncan to trust him as he sticks the Memory Key into his chest. Like, I get that this is necessary for his health, plot, etc, but it’s so awful to watch someone have no say in what is essentially a medical decision. I mean, Duncan has tears and childlike fear in his eyes. 

Duncan pulls the Key out. He remembers. Kinsey arrives right then, very worried the Memory Key might not have worked. It did, but there’s a lot rushing through his head.

She’s like, Great, umm, but where’s Godge? Tyler is like, Oh my God, this is not time for your boyfriend nonsense. But then he realizes there’s an Actual Problem. Kinsey tells them what’s happening. 

I know that “it’s not possible,” is a normal human reaction to hearing something you don’t want to hear. But, that both Tyler and Kinsey reacted this way upon learning about Evil-den and Godge is kinda funny. I mean, you live in a house with magic Keys. 

But the root of all of that cognitive dissonance is: Who did we actually throw into the Black Door then? 

The doorbell rings. It’s Godge. 

All in all, despite the dubious way it happened, I’m glad Duncan got his memories back. It’ll be nice to have a real adult around hang with the kids on Locke & Key. How did y’all feel about the way the Godge reveal was handled? Click below for the next recap. 

Catch all of our Locke & Key recaps, here!

Both seasons of Locke & Key are available now on Netflix.

Author’s note:

My recaps for season two of Locke & Key were nearly complete by the time that Netflix leadership’s transphobia came to light. While it is absolutely true that all corporations are evil to varying degrees and that everyone has their “problematic faves,” in my opinion, this situation is quite different. Netflix is an international company with a yearly revenue of $25 billion. Their behavior towards marginalized communities matters. 

I am a nonbinary person. It was not an easy decision for me to post these recaps. I have canceled my personal Netflix subscription and following this season of Locke & Key recaps, will no longer be covering Netflix content, unless they change their ways. However, I believe that rather than staying silent, the most productive way to help my community at large is to publish these recaps and provide resources at the bottom of each article. 

Thank you for reading. 

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