Everything led to this. We watched three seasons and waited for the other shoe to drop. We knew things were very wrong at the Turner house. Long before Leanne came, this family was in chaos. Dorothy’s indulgence and later deception were disturbing. The men in her world, with the exception of her father, were well-meaning. They loved her, but didn’t know how to help her. When the worst thing that can happen to a mother happened, their lives basically ended. They’ve all been stuck in this horrible limbo of what could have been but never was. Servant Season 4 Episode 4 threw out the playbook and showed us that it’s better to face reality, no matter how horrible, than to remain a prisoner of the past.
Nell Tiger Free (Leanne) has been given free rein to fly her freak flag, and she’s stealing every scene. What was once a strange mouse-like bystander is now a commanding presence. Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Julian (Rupert Grint) jockeyed for attention. Each is more exaggerated than the other as they crank up the volume of their collective personas. Dorothy is the shining performer. She is always on and always perfect. Her family is an extension of that identity. Her ridiculously ignorant, narcissistic demeanor was fun to watch, and no one could deny Julian’s brilliant one-liners, delivered with caustic sarcasm that hides a wealth of pain. Now it’s as if Leanne’s power has grown so great that it dampens their lives, leaving husks as cold and pale as a wintry morning.
With lip gloss and wild eyes, Leanne has gone wild. She’s always had problems, but now she’s treading uncharted territory. In a chilling opening scene, she talks to the mannequin she calls “Mother” and confesses that she likes the power she wields. Free has taken Leanne from shy and timid to powerful and dangerous as everything wraps around in Servant Season 4 Episode 4.
Oddly enough, this episode was about everyone remembering who and what they once were. Dorothy’s life before Jericho was about control and perception. It was also about the love she and Sean once had. She gave up so much of that control when she wasn’t grieving Jericho. She gave up even more of it when she let Leanne into her house. It wasn’t her fault. Dorothy suffered a psychotic break and Leanne didn’t know how deadly she would become. Leanne was told all her life how special but scary she was. When she broke out of the church, it was initially to save her life. Now it’s about more than survival. It’s about family and power.
The two women are on a crash course with each other, and God help anyone who gets behind them. But at least Sean and Dorothy mend their broken relationship. Whether the nurses are more than they seem, their influence in the home is positive. They are also persistent and intuitive. It won’t take them long to wonder what happened to Jericho 1.0 if they don’t already know.
It’s Halloween in Philly, and the holiday that encourages adults to indulge their darkest fantasies gives Leanne the push she needs to go hunting. While the streets are littered with toilet paper and children run amok, Sean returns to his roots. He adores Dorothy. A ladder and many giant spiders later, their brownstone is the epitome of suburban creepiness. All his service exhausts Dorothy. She remembers who they were as a couple before life invaded. It’s wonderful how Sean takes care of her. Toby Kebbell has grown Sean as a character. Once just a side player, he plays an important role in bringing his family back together and making things right. Kebbell has had to play the subtle straight guy to the other robust characters, but that patience and sacrifice paid off. What was once almost a forgotten family member is now strong and determined.
Before he can fix things, Sean must face his role in this mess. Always practical and a consummate compartmentalizer, Julian has noticed Sean’s career skyrocketing. He points out to Sean that Leanne probably had a hand in that. He also correctly deduces that Dorothy will never forgive him until they jump off Leanne’s cart. Then, in a shocking moment of clarity, Sean realizes that sacrifices must be made.
Bev and Bobbie set Leanne on a risky, if beautifully designed, path. Her scary doll costume is exactly what everyone dreamed of who ever wanted to be beautiful but disturbing on Halloween. Leanne dresses for battle, a corset and a little make-up at the same time. Meanwhile, Dorothy taps into the blank in her memory. Dorothy will soon remember. What happens if she does?
On the street, Leanne stalks the block with her costumed park kids harassing anyone she suspects. Like a Maenad who sows seeds of madness and debauchery, those who adore Leanne go mad. Her latest edict that sin is fun is especially dangerous for this group as unhinged as the Church. While the park people do nothing to hurt anyone, the same cannot be said of Leanne. Servant Season 4 Episode 4 leans hard towards horror, breaking a child’s arm in a bloody moment. She’s out of control and something needs to be done.
Julian and Sean know something is very wrong with Leanne. Sean is now willing to do whatever it takes to get her out. We don’t know yet if Julian agrees to this, but he knows it can’t go on like this. Leanne influences men who see her romantically. Julian and poor sweet Tobe follow her like a puppy. When it comes down to it, will Julian take her side over Dorothy’s? Fear has its limits. It allows kidnappers to be caught, cults to collapse and abusive relationships to end. It’s a motivator, but only for a while. Julian is too afraid of losing his cousin and sister again to act now. However, that can change quickly.
As Halloween winds down, Leanne prowls the streets like an apex predator in search of her next meal. While intimidating a little girl, the electricity goes out and the lights flash. There can be no doubt about it now. Leanne is supernatural, she is something other than human, and everyone is in trouble. Uncle George tells Roscoe that there are people in the Turner’s life who can help. Time is running out for someone. Will Leanne succeed and destroy the world, or will what began as a deeply personal tale of a grieving family grow into an epic triumph of good over evil?
Our beautiful adult dollhouse Servant, looks and feels like a twisted game we all love to play. Every voyeuristic slide of the camera from one room to the next reminds us that we are visitors in this house. Now more than ever, we are at the mercy of Leanne’s desires and Dorothy’s determination. That’s the deal we make with prestigious television. In a rare piece of meta-genius, Servant Season 4 Episode 4 reminds us that we all pay a price to watch the show. Some are participants, and others are just viewers content to let the action happen around them. Like Knock At The Cabin by M. Night Shyamalan, based on the novel by Paul Tremblay, we all become part of the story whether we like it or not. How you choose to let it affect you is sometimes not up to you.
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stray straw:
- I’m confused about how time works in Servant. There are a few concrete dates that we know of. The rest is a bit murky, but things don’t work linearly in Servant. We know that at least part of Season 3 took place in September because a close-up of Dorothy’s phone showed the date as September 3. If four months have passed since the accident, how can it only be Halloween?
- The giant spider decorations seem like a bad choice, given the insect infestation that has plagued their brownstone. I don’t think they should give Leanne any ideas.
- Speaking of ideas, considering how Jericho died, putting Jericho 2.0 in a boiling lobster in a pot costume is pretty sick.
- Another news item describes the enormous property damage in the city. Leanne’s evil spreads.
As editor-in-chief of Signal Horizon, I enjoy watching and writing about genre entertainment. I grew up on old fashioned slashers, but my real passion is television and all weird and ambiguous stuff. My work can be found here and Travel Weird, where I am the editor-in-chief.
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