This review is really the whole series up until this episode of S2 (7). This show is seriously gorgeous. As a big fan of about half of Shyamalan's movies (The Sixth Sense, The Village, Signs, Split and to a smaller extent Unbreakable) Servant utilizes all of his best talents to the highest extent and is everything I look for in a mystery. The four main actors are truly the real stars. Lauren Ambrose is such a gem as Dorothy, I cannot imagine any other actress pulling her off, with all her intensity, crazy facial expressions, over the top almost mannequin-like fakeness (in a fantastic cinematic way of portraying yuppyieism)that's all just glorious to watch. I can't take my eyes off the screen whenever she's on. The same can really be said for them all. Grint is probably the most fun to watch with his hyper-realistic denial more than tinged with cynicism you just know hides deep pain and heartache. Tiger-Free is the perfect "Leanne" with her absolute innocence and now in the second season we see her feistiness and desire to make "it" all right again. Kebbel, like Grint, is an English actor portraying the somewhat selfish and hollow characteristics often attributed to the upper class, and Kebbel has really grown into Sean as the series goes on (which is even more substantial when you find out it wasn't filmed in linear time regarding what we are shown from Episode 1 on). Sean was easier not to like in Season 1 and it's almost as if he and Dorothy have switched personas from S1 to S2, whereas in the 1st season it was easier to feel pity for Dorothy and anger at Sean, it's now quite the opposite in Season 2. The feelings towards the characters are just more evidence at the caliber of the acting. Even the supporting characters are fantastic: Philip James Brannon as Roscoe (absolutely sells it in S2E2), Tony Revolori as Tobe the (possibly?) Leanne-smitten assistant cook is adorably clueless and adds a sprinkle of selfless kindness only a character like this can, and Jerrika Hinton as their New Age midwife/friend/more than a friend of Julian's is sparkling yet calming to behold as she grounds the entire cast in tranquility. There is this feeling that they're all (as characters) holding back and I find myself almost holding my breath waiting for them to ask questions they often inexplicably don't ask or dig deeper when trying to understand something but they just take what they're told at face value, and I realize this is necessary for the progression of the story, but it's not particularly realistic. That's really the only flaw- these people don't necessarily act the way you'd expect them to. But no one can say these are common circumstances, either.
Servant is beautifully shot, deliciously written and superbly acted. I just wish I'd waited til the whole second season was up to watch, because now I hate when each episode ends and have a hard time waiting a whole week for a half hour of explanation in the form of these absolutely " ambrosian" episodes. Meticulous. That's a word that keeps coming to mind. With only a half hour a week to tell the story, the (usually) cram in as much as possible without wasting a single word or expression. Even if the "clues" turn out to be red herrings, it's still an entertaining scavenger hunt to go on when trying to solve the mystery of what is really going on here.
Servant is beautifully shot, deliciously written and superbly acted. I just wish I'd waited til the whole second season was up to watch, because now I hate when each episode ends and have a hard time waiting a whole week for a half hour of explanation in the form of these absolutely " ambrosian" episodes. Meticulous. That's a word that keeps coming to mind. With only a half hour a week to tell the story, the (usually) cram in as much as possible without wasting a single word or expression. Even if the "clues" turn out to be red herrings, it's still an entertaining scavenger hunt to go on when trying to solve the mystery of what is really going on here.
