Locke & Key Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

3. The Ensemble Cast Elevates The Material

Even though the characters themselves make so many baffling and nonsensical decisions throughout Locke & Key, there's little arguing with the quality of the cast's performances.

The ensemble does an admirable job elevating the hit-and-miss material, best of all Darby Stanchfield as Locke matriarch Nina, and Thomas Mitchell Barnet, who is fantastic in his few episodes as Sam Lesser, the troubled high school student who murdered Nina's husband Rendell (Bill Heck) before they moved into their new abode.

Without such solid work across the board, it's possible the show would simply crumble apart dramatically, but even in its sillier and more head-scratching moments, the strong acting keeps it just afloat enough.