Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Lockwood and Co’ follows the story of three young ghost hunters who get embroiled in a series of events that lead them to discover surprising things about themselves as well as their past. Lucy joins Anthony Lockwood and his associate, George, as a ghost hunter in Lockwood and Co. Between them, Lucy, Lockwood, and George are extremely talented and make for a formidable team, even if a bit disorganized at times. With time, they get better at their jobs and save many lives, fighting some very dangerous ghosts and risking their lives only to find out that more dangers are waiting for them. In telling their story, the show creates a picture of a world that doesn’t look anything like ours. Wondering when and where the adventures of Lockwood and Co unfold? We have the answer! SPOILERS AHEAD
Lockwood and Co is Set in Contemporary Times
The events in ‘Lockwood and Co’ take some time in 2023. Even though it is set in contemporary times, it actually takes place in an alternate reality where ghosts are not just real, but the most dangerous thing in the world. While it isn’t pinpointed exactly when this infestation, termed the Problem, began, a newspaper clipping in the intro of the show reveals that it started sometime in 1973. The revelation of ghosts was a huge shock to the world because by then, they’d only been a part of stories.
Over the years, things worsened as it took time for people to figure out how to fight these ghosts. By the time Lucy joins Lockwood and Co, around fifty years have passed and the world has all but forgotten what it used to be like before the ghosts became such an immediate threat. The intro does a lot of explaining about the timeline of the show, as in the main plotline, the Problem and the events surrounding it continue to remain a mystery and are rarely talked about. It is through the clippings that we discover how quickly the entire world deteriorated once the ghosts took over the world, how easily economies collapsed and a new world order had to be established to get things back on track.
Lockwood and Co Takes Place Mostly in London
The main playground for the trio of Lockwood and Co is London. Almost all the events in the show take place here, with the protagonists finding themselves in different parts of town, all of them haunted, as a part of their job. The show references some real places like Kensal Green and Tyburn, but this London looks nothing like the one in our world.
Because of the Problem, the progress of the world was held back. The sudden fall of the economy and the death of millions of people in a very short period stopped the technological advancements, which dictate our lives in the real world, from happening. In the world of ‘Lockwood and Co’, there are no smartphones or huge TVs. People have to use radios and tape recorders. There are no computers and no internet, which means that research requires people like George to dive into books and old magazines and newspapers to get to the bottom of things.
The prevalent presence of ghosts has also changed the way life looks for teenagers. It is not the same carefree time of life enjoyed by people born pre-Problem. Now, teenagers, especially those who display a talent for sensing ghosts, are made to hone their abilities and they are forced to take dangerous jobs as ghost hunters, with their parents reaping the benefits of their work. All these things add up to ‘Lockwood and Co’ taking place in an alternate reality that shares very few things with our world.
Read More: Is Lockwood and Co Based on a Book?
