Maybe if Kinsey Locke wasn't so busy protecting magic keys from a demon who dresses like Maleficent she would have seen the red flag meme and known Gabe was trouble way before he was revealed to be her family's archenemy, Dodge. Sadly, Kinsey was far too distracted to see what was right in front of her — and in her defense, guessing that your boyfriend is actually just a face-swapped version of the evil demon who escaped from your wellhouse and is now bent on total world domination is kind of a big leap to make. Still, even though she thought Gabe was just a normal teenage boy, he started exhibiting bad boyfriend red flags a long time ago.
Just in case you need a recap, the Season 1 finale of Locke & Key dropped the bombshell that Gabe is and always has been Dodge (and also sort of Lucas — it's complicated, OK?). That means poor Kinsey has been macking on a goo-based demonic echo for a season and a half. In retrospect, the guy was smarmy right from the start. Remember back in Season 1 when he actively encouraged Kinsey to use the Music Box Key to publicly humiliate Eden? Total red flag moment.
Alas, it's not until midway through Season 2 that Kinsey's spidey senses start tingling around Gabe. Even then, she doesn't fully embrace her suspicions until she shoves her fear monster back into her brain. By then, Gabe has already insinuated himself into the lives of every member of her family.
Maybe if Kinsey hadn't removed an entire emotion from her brain, she would have noticed the following Gabe red flags sooner. Then again, anyone who has been in a bad relationship knows it's not always easy to see the warning signs until your demon boyfriend is straight up trying to convince you to be his evil queen.
Red Flag #1: He Got Super Possessive At The Splattering Premiere
There's nothing cute about a guy acting like a possessive jerk. The minute he noticed Kinsey talking to Scot at the premiere, Gabe threw his arm around her like a handsy octopus. And the grossness didn't stop there. When the photographer asked for a photo of Gabe, Scot, and Kinsey together, he went in for the world's most unsettling cheek kiss. The excessive PDA was neither natural, nor welcomed by Kinsey, and that alone made it a big ole red flag moment.
Red Flag #2: Bailing On Her At The Afterparty Was Not Cool
After his clinginess at the actual premiere, Gabe proceeded to ditch Kinsey at the afterparty. She was clearly not happy with his sudden disappearing act, but Kins gave him the benefit of the doubt, even though his sketchiness was becoming all too clear.
Red Flag #3: When He Wouldn't Let Her See Inside His Head
Generally, I would advocate a person's right for privacy when it comes to literally letting someone walk around inside their mind. However, in the world of Locke & Key, visiting your significant other's brain is a sign of trust. In fact, Kinsey not only let Gabe inside her head, she showed him all of her favorite memories, including a free viewing of a One Direction concert. So when he completely freaked out at the mere suggestion of reciprocating, it was clear he had something to hide from his girlfriend.
Red Flag #4: There Was Nothing Subtle About The Way Gabe Questioned Kinsey About The Keys
Nothing says romance quite like randomly segueing a normal conversation into an interrogation about your family's ability to make magic keys, am I right? There was nothing subtle about the way he fished for information about whether or not Kinsey knew how to make new keys, or the way he kept needling her for information she didn't have.
Red Flag #5: He Tried To Make Kinsey Think She Was Being Irrational Where Scot Was Concerned
After having Eden puppeteer Scot into punching him with the Music Box Key, Gabe mostly played things cool in an attempt to make Kinsey believe he didn't have any beef with her sort of ex. But even his attempt at staying cool was undermined by the way he tried to make Kinsey think she was wrong about wondering if someone else was controlling Scot's actions. Given how much experience she has had with the keys, she knows what it looks like when someone is under the influence of the Magic Box Key, and her instincts were spot on.
Red Flag #6: When Gabe Guilted Her Into Letting Him In On Family Secrets
This one was the last straw for Kinsey, but the moment when Gabe guilted her into telling him what was going on with Duncan crossed all of the lines. His hurt puppy face was particularly ironic considering how he refused to share anything personal with Kinsey, ever. Such. A. Jerk.
In the end, Kinsey took note of the red flags and realized she was 100 percent right to suspect something was up with Gabe. And you better believe watching her kick his demonic ass in the finale was extra satisfying as a result.
Images: Amanda Matlovich/Netflix; Netflix