Donkey
Episode 1 of Servant Season 3 begins with Leanne waking up, holding a dagger in her hands and praying hard. She’s still at the Turner house, and has been for the last three months. ..
She’s worried that Aunt Josephine is going to return, while her empty journal serves as a reflection of her own emptiness inside. Leanne’s strange perceived healing powers seem to have disappeared too.
Leanne is hesitant to leave the safety of her home for the first time in a long while, but Dorothy convinces her that a trip to the coast is just what they need. Leanne begins to feel more confident and excited as she walks along the shoreline, finally able to break free from her shell.
Julian urges Leanne to take a walk around the block before hitting the coast. He talks about their sex and how he thinks she should be with someone her own age.
Leanne disagrees though, pointing out how she likes their time together and wants to continue. She stops suddenly though, distracted by someone across the road and eventually becomes spooked and heads home.
Leanne stays behind in the house alone while the rest of her family packs up and heads to the beach. ..
She’s always on the lookout for signs that something might happen in the house, like an air-con bang or a loud noise from outside. If she notices any of these things, she’ll make sure to check to see if it’s just an anomaly and not a sign that something more sinister is happening.
The more alarming thing is what’s happening in the basement. Leanne loses control while staring at that same strange hole that Uncle George was obsessed with. As it bubbles, Leanne is possessed, constantly scribbling in her book.
Dorothy rings again and this time she reveals that Julian was attacked by a flock of seagulls. This appears to put her scribbles into more context as it seems like she’s been drawing birds.
Leanne comes to the realization that someone is inside the Turner house. She hides in the closet and rings Sean, telling him shakily that someone is inside. He agrees to phone the police but urges Leanne to leave.
After creeping across the floorboards, she hides behind the wardrobe, between the rooms, where she notices all of the moths congregating on that burned body we saw before. ..
Leanne manages to capture the intruder and urges him to see the light. He doesn’t talk, instead smashing his way free and leaving.
When police show up, they confirm that this is a consistent burglary with what’s happening in the neighbourhood. The thing is, this guy has taken a few items on his way out, including Leanne’s dagger.
The Episode Review
The first episode of Servant was decent, setting the scene nicely for what should be a really enjoyable season to come. ..
There are a lot of questions that need to be answered this year, but I’m not sure if we can get any answers until next year.
This episode shifts the focus away from Leanne and towards her paranoid friend, allowing her to shine in a standalone chapter that perfectly illustrates her paranoia and how worried she is about what’s happening in the house.
Aunt Josephine may not be coming back, but this opening episode is still quite good.
This one is definitely unsettling, with a lot of angled shots and interesting camera angles. It helps that M Night. Shyamalan is directing this one, and you can tell from the number of shots that this is a big part of the unsettling atmosphere hanging over this one.
Next week’s episode looks like it’s going to be just as enthralling though, leaving things wide open for where this season may go next.
