Why is Locke and Key ending with season 3?

Locke and Key is one of the best teen shows on Netflix, and it’s by far one of the best fantasy shows on Netflix, too. Thankfully, Locke and Key season 3 will be coming in 2022 to follow up that shocking season 2 finale ending.

When Locke and Key season 2 was released on Netflix in October 2021, the third season had already been filmed, since the cast and crew filmed them back-to-back. We’ve been waiting a while for news on a season 3 release date, but it looks like it’s coming soon.

Unfortunately, Netflix shared first look images from the forthcoming Locke and Key season 3 in April 2022 along with the confirmation that the upcoming season would actually be the final season. It’s bittersweet news for diehard fans of the hit series.

Was Locke and Key canceled?

Technically, no: Locke and Key was not formally canceled. Although Netflix didn’t specify at the time of renewing the series for seasons 2 and 3 that they would be the final seasons, the announcement that season 3 will now be the last seems like a creative choice.

If Locke and Key had been canceled, the bad news would have inevitably dropped after the release of season 3 on Netflix. As much as fans wish the series could go on to season 4 and beyond, cancellation is not what happened in this situation.

Why is Locke and Key season 3 the final season?

Much like what Never Have I Ever co-creator Mindy Kaling said about ending the high school romantic comedy with its fourth season, it seems brevity was the name of the game when it comes to wrapping up the story of Locke and Key.

Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill, the executive producers and showrunners of the series, spoke about finding the ideal length to tell this story, which is based on the comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. It seems three seasons had always been their plan.

Here’s what Cuse and Averill shared with fans, per Deadline:

"“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. We’re keeping the magical keys, though, for our own personal use.”"

Check out the first-look photos from season 3 and read the official statement from Locke and Key’s showrunners and executive producers below.

Locke and Key season 3 will be released later in 2022. Our best prediction as of April 2022 would be sometime in late fall, though another drop in October feels perfect for the series. However, there’s also a chance of a release in the latter half of summer.

Stay tuned for more Locke and Key news and updates from Netflix Life!