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TL;DR:

  • Locke & Key Season 4 won’t happen, as the Netflix series is ending with season 3.
  • Netflix did not cancel Locke & Key, but the showrunners had a three-season plan.
  • Although saying goodbye is bittersweet, the series went out on its own terms.
Emilia Jones as Kinsey Locke and Connor Jessup as Tyler Locke in 'Locke & Key,' which will not get a season 4 on Netflix. They're standing next to one another, and both of them look confused.
Emilia Jones and Connor Jessup in ‘Locke & Key’ | Amanda Matlovich/Netflix

Locke & Key Season 3 just premiered on Netflix, and the latest chapter marks the series’ last hurrah. Although the streamer didn’t cancel Locke & Key, the show will not receive a season 4. But why exactly is the Netflix original coming to an end? It seems the decision to conclude the Locke family’s story was a creative one.

‘Locke & Key’ is ending with season 3

That’s right, Locke & Key Season 3 marks the end of the popular Netflix series. The latest batch of episodes — which is shorter than the previous two seasons — brings the story of the Locke family and Keyhouse to a close. Of course, it raises the stakes first, pitting the Lockes against an all-new villain — and throwing Dodge (Laysla De Oliveira) back into the mix for good measure.

Deadline reported that Locke & Key would end with season 3 back in April. And with shows like Stranger Things and The Umbrella Academy running for longer, fans may feel disappointed about not getting Locke & Key Season 4. However, there is one bright spot, even as we say goodbye to the series: it appears to have ended exactly where the showrunners wanted it to.

Why ‘Locke & Key’ will not have a season 4

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So, why exactly is Locke & Key ending with season 3? It seems the showrunners made a creative decision to not pursue Locke & Key Season 4.

Per Deadline, Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill released a statement revealing that they’d had three seasons in mind from the very beginning:

“Once we began working on the series, we felt three seasons was the ideal length to bring the story of the Locke family and their Keyhouse adventures to a satisfying conclusion. As storytellers, we are grateful that we had the opportunity to tell our version of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s incredible story exactly the way we wanted.”

So, even if fans are wishing for more content in this world, they can rest knowing this was all part of the plan. It doesn’t appear to be the result of poor viewership numbers or Netflix growing wary of the series. And that’s a win, even if it doesn’t feel that way.

Season 4 may not be happening, but the Netflix series got a proper ending

There’s been no shortage of surprising TV cancellations in 2022, and Netflix has been known to ax its fair share of original series. With that in mind, Locke & Key fans are fortunate to have gotten a proper ending. Fans may want more adventures with the Lockes, but there’s something to be said about the creators sticking to their original plan. And who knows? Perhaps we’ll get a spinoff one of these days, even if we never see Locke & Key Season 4.

In the meantime, it seems this really is the end of the Netflix series. Fans can bid farewell to the Lockes in Locke & Key Season 3 which is currently streaming on Netflix.