Tamal Kundu
The Apple TV+ series ‘Servant’ is a rare show where a new viewer would have the same answer to certain questions about the narrative of the series as someone who has watched all the episodes from the beginning. Given that we are now only one episode away from the series finale, this is a remarkable achievement on the writers’ part. Very few thriller movies or TV shows are able to hold on to its foundational mysteries as it continues to explore the story. ‘Servant’ manages to accomplish this by adhering to showrunner M. Night Shyamalan’s idea about depicting the supernatural and the extraordinary through suggestions.
In season 4 episode 8, titled ‘Tunnels,’ a pivotal moment in the narrative comes as Sean (Toby Kebbell) and Julian (Rupert Grint) decide to hand Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) over to Uncle George (Boris McGiver), initially not knowing that the man is still very much part of the Church of the Lesser Saints. Here is what you might want to know about the ending of ‘Servant’ season 4 episode 8. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Servant Season 4 Episode 8 Recap
The episode begins with the coming of a rainstorm that threatens to flood Philadelphia. At the Turner home, water seeps through fissures and leaks. Leanne watches the news with a disturbed expression plastered across her face. The journalist reporting the flood outside the studio suddenly starts panicking as rats pour out of the sewer.
Julian also has the news on in the background while he scours the internet to figure out why he suddenly lost his voice and discovers that it might be related to stress. He tells Leanne not to wait for him because he had too much coffee. The news is on in Dorothy’s (Lauren Ambrose) room as well, and the anchor declares that this might be the storm of the century. Sean walks in with Jericho and tells his wife that their son should sleep with them because if the storm wakes him up, it will be better for him if he is with his parents.
Because of the flooding, Leanne’s homeless followers are forced to leave the park. Leanne sends them away, telling them to spread her message. Meanwhile, after Dorothy falls asleep, Sean goes to speak to Julian, and it turns out that the two of them are planning how to hand Leanne over to the cult. They now largely think that Leanne is a disturbed young woman who needs help. But a part of them is still terrified of her.
The two friends subdue Leanne, put her in Dorothy’s wheelchair, bind and gag her, and take her to the basement where they know George is waiting. When they enter the tiny room, Sean and Julian realize they have been lied to. George never left the cult and has now brought two people with him to ensure Leanne’s compliance.
Julian is reluctant to leave Leanne there, but realizing that they are getting rid of the girl either way, Sean convinces him to leave. As they ponder what they have done, Leanne kills George and his two associates with the same hot knife he gave her to kill herself.
Servant Season 4 Episode 8 Ending: Why Does Leanne kill Uncle George?
Although we, the viewers, aren’t yet sure whether Leanne’s powers are real, both she and George believe they are, and that makes Leanne incredibly dangerous. Even if she doesn’t have the powers, unconventional things do happen around her, so Leanne potentially not having any powers doesn’t negate the fact that she is dangerous.
In this episode, Leanne embraces the notion that she is the antithesis of God or the fallen angel — something that George also believes. He informs Leanne that her presence in the lives of the Turners is causing them harm. Leanne seems to accept it and is willing to take her own life. But then, George mentions that God will forgive Leanne’s sins if she dies by suicide, which reignites the violent fire that has always burned within her.
Leanne has led a troubled life, which she attributes to God. She doesn’t seek the deity’s forgiveness but is willing to kill herself because she genuinely cares about the Turners, and a part of her doesn’t want to be the source of their miseries. But the moment George speaks about God, he seals his own fate.
What is the Significance of the Storm?
In most mythologies, a storm is an omen for end times, and ‘Servant’ doesn’t seem to be an exception. Leanne and the cult believe that God has sent the storm for the former, though their responses differ vastly. While the cult tries to appease God by arranging Leanne’s death, she refuses to back down, screaming at the sky at the top of her lungs, daring the deity. In terms of the narrative, the storm marks significant changes in the show. When the episode ends, Dorothy is all alone with Leanne in the Turner home. It was always meant to be this way — the two of them trapped in that old, crumbling house.
Are Sean and Julian Dead?
No, neither Sean nor Julian is dead. Sean ends up stabbing himself with the knife he was hoping to use against Leanne, and Julian falls down a flight of stairs, gets up, becomes afraid of Leanne, tries to retreat, and falls into the murky water in the basement. Both survive because Leanne calls the emergency services despite the roles they actively played in her capture. However, as the EMTs take Sean away, Leanne tells him he will never enter the house again, effectively severing her bond with him.
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