Dhruv Trivedi
‘Locke and Key’ centers around the Locke family home, Keyhouse, and the many magical keys it holds. The children of the family— Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode, become the de facto protectors of the powerful keys and battle against the demonic forces that seek to control them. However, so desperate is the demonic echo Dodge to steal the keys that it uses anyone it can to endanger not just the Locke family but also their friends. In season 2, Tyler’s girlfriend Jackie becomes one such victim of circumstance and gets infected by Dodge’s new demonic key. However, Tyler then forges another key to try and save her. Does Jackie survive? Or does she perish? Let’s find out.
Does Jackie Die?
Jackie is a few months older than Tyler and begins to lose her memories of magic as she nears her 18th birthday (since adults cannot naturally remember magic unless they use the Memory Key). Try as Tyler might, he cannot get Jackie to recall all their adventures together, and the girl finally implores her boyfriend to let her forget. Therefore, it is all the more tragic when Gabe infects her with the Demonic Key even though she has no memory of magic. Despite her wanting to leave the chaos of the magical realm behind, Jackie inadvertently gets pulled back into it just because she is Tyler’s girlfriend.
However, the Locke boy doesn’t give up, and when he sees his girlfriend channeling a demonic entity, he attempts to forge another key that can reverse the effects. With Duncan’s help, Tyler creates the Alpha Key and tracks Jackie down. When they finally meet in the forest, Jackie tries to convince him to turn into a demon as well, and Tyler pretends to agree. When they hug, he stabs her with the Alpha Key, and the possessed girl immediately collapses in pain.
When Jackie recovers, it is impossible to see any difference in her demeanor. However, Tyler then tries to give her a key, which would be impossible for a demon to take from a Locke family member’s hand. Jackie easily takes the key, and, for a few glorious moments, it seems like she has recovered. The two hug, and Tyler begins to think that he has successfully crafted a key that can reverse the effects of Dodge’s Demonic Key.
However, Jackie then collapses, and to his horror, Tyler realizes that she is dead. He is unable to revive her, and the last we see them together is in the forest as Tyler holds her lifeless body and cries inconsolably. Jackie’s death is possibly one of the saddest moments of season 2 because it shows the death of a completely blameless victim who never wanted to be involved in magic anyway. However, it also serves as a warning that those closest to the Locke family will remain in perpetual danger because of the family’s history and magical roots.
Lastly, Jackie’s death helps Tyler understand the true powers of the key he has forged, which is christened the Alpha Key. Initially intended to cure humans that have been taken over by demons, it is discovered that the Alpha Key does separate the human soul and demonic entity but also kills them both in the process. This makes the use of the key all the more dramatic because the only way Tyler can stop his classmates (that have been turned into demonic entities by Dodge) is by killing them.
Read More: Do Kinsey and Scot End Up Together in Locke and Key Season 2?
