User Reviews

If there's one thing that M. Night Shyamalan does consistently well in all his projects, it is creating uniquely creepy (some would probably define them as "odd") moods, filled with quirky characters and circumstances. That approach is seen again here in "Servant", and generally creates a very intriguing mystery.

For a very basic overview, "Servant" tells the story of Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose) and her husband Sean (Toby Kebbell). After losing an infant child-Jericho-in some yet-to-be-detailed incident, Dorothy apparently became so catatonic that only a life-like infant doll broke her out of it. So, as it stands, she treats this doll as if it were "her Jericho" and everyone in on the ruse-most notably family friend Julian Pearce (Rupert Grint) simply plays along to protect Dorothy's sanity. Eventually, however, when it comes time for Dorothy to head back to her journalism career, a nanny for "Jericho" must be hired. Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free) is selected, and she comes bearing very little and speaking even less. Upon her arrival, however, a real child mysteriously takes the place of the "Jericho doll", further deepening the perplexing nature of what exactly is going on in the Turner residence.

For the first eight or so episodes of "Servant", I considered it a 9 or perhaps even 10-star production. From the moment that Sean bangs the "baby's" head on the crib in the first episode and flings it across the room later on, this show clearly establishes its ability to surprise viewers. As the episodes unspool, the sense of mystery continues to deepen: What is real versus what is not? What exactly happened to Dorothy? What is going on with Leanne's presence? In the vein of Shyamalan's best work, the mysteries are compelling and deep.

Besides the plot, though, the overall mood of the show will likely hook viewers too. Like in his other projects, Shyamalan has a skill (like perhaps no other) for creating an atmosphere where seemingly anything can/might happen. This is certainly on display in "Servant"! Sean's food-preparation montages are sights to behold, a visit from Leanne's family is hilarious and terrifying in equal measure, and Grint's eyebrow-waggling concern about the whole situation is palpable. The roughly 30-minute runtime for each episode only helps all this, as it makes sure the proceedings never drag or lose their focus even for an instant.

About the only quibble I had with this season came in the last couple of episodes. While certainly not "bad" as endings go, I began to feel a bit as if Shyamalan was sort of stringing me along for the ride. Perhaps this is simply a case of the mystery/atmosphere being so good that any sort of resolution feels like a letdown. Or, I had also not realized whatsoever that this show was getting a second season, so I went into the finale here expecting more resolution, of which some is given but much is punted into (hopefully) subsequent episodes/seasons. Basically, for me the last two episodes weren't quite able to sustain the incredible tension, atmosphere, and tone as the ones that preceded them.

Overall, though, I very much enjoyed watching "Servant", and I'll always be able to say that it was the first (hopefully of many!) Apple+ shows to truly capture my attention. I found myself eagerly awaiting the Friday episode drop to see what Shyamalan would conjure up next. I'm hoping that momentum can be re-established in a second season.

Well, it was certainly interesting, but it was more weird than creative. There was no big twist either which we all thought we would get given who is the driving force behind the show.

I was intrigued, but this was a weak way to end things.

The final wasn't great as I hoped it would be. We now know who Leanne is (sort of) but the episode didn't answer the big question we had all season - who is the new baby? Did Leanne bring him with her or did she resurrect him from the dead like she assumably did for the cricket and the dog? We also don't know why Sean got all those splinters and lost the ability to feel the taste of food. As for Dorothy, she seemed to remember details about Jericho's death and realise that there's a doll in the crib but I'm not sure if that's going to stick. It's not like she confronted Sean or Leanne so there's no way to know what will happened next season.

I feel like they really missed the mark with this show. The concept is good and creepy and so is the acting but it was too slow paced and dragged on!! It took them forever to let us know basic details about the characters and even now that it's over we still have more questions than answers. I also didn't like how some of the characters behaved. I can see how insane people can act irrationally but the sane ones should act in a way that make sense. Sean for example was way too passive. He just went along with whatever crazy thing was going on. I felt like there's no one sane in that house. Also, as a vegetarian I really hated all the disgusting seafood scenes!!! What was that for? Why did we have to see the horrible eel abused? What were all the lobsters, crickets and other disgusting scenes for? And to top that all, did Sean really feed his wife's placenta to his guests? Did I get that right? What the hell was that for??? Note to the producers: creepy and disgusting are not the same!

I can't say if I would watch the second season. As of now, the odds are not great. I found myself bored too many times this season and I really don't like it that we had no closure nor answers. If that's their style then next season will probably be the same and I don't like wasting my time for nothing. Shame really because the show had a lot of potential!