Varun Patel
At the end of the first season of ‘Servant,’ one is left feeling confused as to whether the show was an excellent slow-burn or just a very briskly paced mystery. It would have to be a combination of both.
To begin with, the M. Night Shyamalan television series has an intensely mysterious premise. However, what feels like a story that could be completed as a mini-series progresses to get even more shocking with newer questions raised every episode. In fact, until the penultimate episode, the plot just enhances the mystery without providing any real answers. The last episode continued with the above-explained pacing and focus on story-showing rather than telling. It proves to be an extremely satisfactory season finale which manages to give exactly the right amount of information away.
What’s up with Leanne?
Leanne is definitely the most cryptic character of the show, second only to the baby who takes the place of Jericho. Her character has only been made more puzzling with each episode. What are her motives? Where is she from? Who is she? Who is her aunt, May? Who is her uncle, George?
In the last episode, Aunt May and Uncle George take over a commanding role, carrying the plot forward. It is revealed that they are members of a cult known as “The Church of the Lesser Saints.” They raised Leanne in Pennsylvania after the fire, hiding the fact that she is alive from everyone as it was the easier thing to do. Aunt May is the leader of the cult and Leanne is also a member of it.
As a kid, Leanne had attended a children’s beauty pageant. Dorothy had reported the pageant for her channel and even asked Leanne a question. Since then, Leanne has been fascinated to the point of obsession by Dorothy. That seems to be the driving force and motive behind her fascination with the Turners and her applying for the nanny’s job.
She intends to help the Turners after the Jericho tragedy. Aunt May’s cult believes in answering those prayers that deserve to be heard. However, Aunt May thinks that Leanne should not help the Turners as they do not deserve it. Leanne is of the opinion that the Turners have the right for a second chance.
Moreover, according to Uncle George she is someone who “likes to please the people she loves and hurt the people she doesn’t.” He is seen saying this to Sean. He also indicates how the splinters and Sean losing sense of his taste might have been something planned by Leanne to hurt him. But why? That answer has not been provided yet.
What’s up with Dorothy?
Dorothy is shown to have finally recalled the past that she had suppressed. The past, regarding Jericho has not been too clearly explained but we do know that the baby probably died because of an understandable instance of forgetfulness.
She finally starts to come to terms with reality when she sees the doll in Jericho’s cot instead of the baby. Now, we do not know how much of the past she has recalled. We don’t even know the state of her mind after that since she is portrayed to be quite troubled after Jericho’s demise. However, we do know that she is not the same, delusional woman who has purposefully attempted to forget the past.
What’s up with Sean?
Sean might have been the most “normal” character from the three major ones: him, Dorothy and Leanne. However, by the end of the final episode, he is shown to have progressively become more disturbed and affected by the events around him.
He has lost all physical senses including taste and even touch. We do not know why that may be. Uncle George thinks that it is something caused by Leanne, but it might not necessarily be true. Will he ever recover his senses (physical)?
Moreover, he is shown to be acutely affected by Jericho’s death most notably in the final episode. Such a moment has not appeared on the show before that. It’s a classic case of male depression that is enhanced by social conditioning surrounding males expected to be tough and not talk about their feelings. However, him trying to burn his hand to inspect his senses is proof that Sean might have tipped over the fence into trauma. Will he become the new Dorothy and Dorothy the new Sean? The latter seemed to be surprisingly in command (more than Sean) after her recollections.
What Happened to Jericho?
The above answer was provided in the penultimate episode, but not with explicit clarity. Apparently, Dorothy had to take care of her newborn baby on her own due to Sean having to go out of town to shoot a cooking-based reality show.
She takes care of Jericho with the kind of maternal passion that one would expect. However, newborns are especially tough to take care of and she has a one-of-a-kind slip-up. She leaves Jericho in the car for a long stretch of time. That seems to be the reason for his death. However, we are not explicitly told that.
Moreover, in the final episode, Dorothy recollects seeing a person wearing a radioactive suit carrying (a possibly dead) Jericho away. Was this person from the Church of the Lesser Saints? Did Jericho have a connection with the cult? One will need to hold more of their curiosity as these questions have also been left unanswered.
Servant Ending: Where Are All the Characters?
We explained what happened to each of the three principal characters. When it comes to Jericho, we do have an indication of what might have happened to him. However, it is not fully explanatory. But where is the baby who Leanne brought as a replacement?
Dorothy finds the doll in place of the baby in Jericho’s room at the end of the season. But, Leanne does not seem to be carrying the baby when she leaves the house. So, where did he/it go? Is the baby somehow linked to some supernatural going-ons? If not, where the heck could it have gone!? Did Aunt May and Uncle George take him? Did Leanne do something to it? We will have to wait till the next season for that answer.
Other than that, another character whose fate is not revealed at the end of the first season is Julian’s private detective friend, Roscoe. He was seen getting out of his parked car when Aunt May appeared in front of the vehicle out of nowhere. When he gets out, Uncle George is shown to be standing behind him while he has a ghastly expression on his face as he looks at Aunt May.
What made Roscoe look at Aunt May in this manner? Did George attack him from behind? Moreover, where do Uncle George and Aunt May go from here? We know that they are in a cult, but what does their organization want? What are their beliefs? For those answers, we will have to wait for the second season too.
What’s up With the Show’s Title?
The title of the show, ‘Servant’ also raises enough questions in viewers’ minds too. It might feel haphazardly decided at first, based on Leanne joining the Turner household as a nanny. But credit ought to be given to M. Night Shyamalan for applying comprehensive thought to each and every aspect of the show.
The title is related to Leanne. In the earlier episodes of the show, she is seen helping the Turners with their household work even when it is not her duty to do so. Her fascination with the Turners, especially Dorothy is intriguing.
In the last episode, Aunt May is seen advising Leanne to leave the Turners. May tells Leanne that she is her servant, not Dorothy’s. Hence, the title is an allusion to Leanne serving Aunt May’s cult. Possibly, the future seasons might see Leanne having to constantly choose between the Church of the Lesser Saints and the Turners.
Read More: Servant Season 2 Preview
