Locke and Key season 3 recap guide: All 8 episodes explained

Locke and Key season 3, episode 6 recap: Free Bird

Locke and Key season 3, episode 6 picks up with Tyler, Kinsey and Nina running into Ellie and Rufus as they escape Keyhouse. Ellie tells them to get in the car as they retreat back to Ellie’s house.

Inside Keyhouse, Gideon realizes that his plan to open the portal entirely and break down the barrier won’t work because he’s actually missing one secret key. Gideon commands Bolton to hunt down the Lockes, starting with the historian (Josh) to find out where they’ve gone.

In the ghost realm, Bode is forced to get help from an unlikely source, the ghost of Sam Lesser (Thomas Mitchell Barnet), to help his family and return to his body. Since Dodge blinked out of existence in the previous episode, we can assume that version of Bode’s body is gone too and Dodge is, once again, dead due to what happened at the end of season 2.

Bode doesn’t want anything to do with Sam, understandably, but Chamberlain encourages him to give Sam a shot. He knows that the Locke family is not likely to forgive him for killing Rendell, but he has been trying to atone. He helps whenever he can, such as assisting Kinsey in finding the Angel Key in season 2. And Sam has learned how to speak to the sparrows that hang around Keyhouse. A reluctant Bode agrees to let Sam help him and teach him how to control the birds.

Locke and Key season 3, episode 6 continues with at Ellie’s. Tyler, Kinsey and Rufus strategize to find a way to save Bode since they can’t bring him back from the ghost realm without a body. But perhaps there is a way to get one.

Poor Josh gets caught in the crosshairs of this whole thing as Bolton tracks him down to the Meeting House, shoots him and then takes Jamie hostage to find out where Ellie and the rest of the Lockes are. Jamie tells him and Bolton takes her there. But Bolton actually gives them the perfect opportunity to help Bode. They intend to trick him using the Ghost Key, claiming the final key is hidden somewhere only a ghost can go. Then when Bolton’s body is empty, Bode can take it, at least for now.

As for Josh, he’s okay, albeit in the hospital. Nina tells him a little bit about what’s happening. She says he was onto something before, when he was looking for the secret door his ancestor found and admits it’s a real thing. There’s a lot she leaves it, namely the keys, so Josh doesn’t forget, but it’s enough to at least partially explain all the insane things that have been happening.

Back at Keyhouse, Bolton takes Tyler and Kinsey inside as his new hostages and they put their plan into action. They trick Bolton and Gideon into using the Ghost Key, claiming that the final key is hidden somewhere in the graveyard. But Bode and Sam actually come up with an even better plan.

Ellie and Nina arrive at Keyhouse soon after with weapons to help in the fight against Gideon. Bode summons a huge flock of birds to attack him as a diversion as he and Sam put their other plan into action. They have one sparrow fly through the Ghost door so its body lays vacant and instead of going inside Bolton, Bode enters the sparrow. Once Kinsey sees this happen, she quickly realizes what Bode is planning.

While Gideon is fighting birds, Kinsey and Tyler yank off his satchel where all the keys are stored and grab the Animal Key. They take it to the animal door in the front room and use it so Bode can fly through and finally return to his normal body. Since Bode’s shape-shifting animal is a sparrow, it works that he’s able to use his bird form to get back to his regular self.

Of course, once Gideon realizes that this whole thing has been a ploy, he gets more pissed than ever and attempts to throw Ellie into the portal. Rufus arrives in time to save her, but then he just switches hostages, taking Rufus instead of Ellie. Ellie admits that she does actually know where the final key is and she’ll take him to it, as long as he leaves Rufus alone.

Ellie reveals that she hid the final key inside of Gordie Shaw’s head years ago. Gideon believes her, but threatens to kill Rufus if she tries to pull anymore fast ones on him. Then he locks all the keys back inside the Harlequin chest and leaves with her, demanding that Bolton tie the rest of the Lockes up and shove them in a pantry. He also says if he isn’t back within an hour to kill them all.

However, after Gideon leaves, Bolton opens the pantry and sets them free. Surprise, it’s not Bolton anymore—Sam took over Bolton’s body! I guess we can safely say Bolton is dead or at least a permanent ghost now.