M. Night Shyamalan’s dramatic thriller Servant continues its second season on Apple TV+ today with the sixth episode, “Espresso.”
Check out our review below. (Note: this review contains spoilers! Jump down to the Bottom Line for the spoiler-free take.)
At the end of the last episode, we saw the Turners’ attempts to meet a ransom demand didn’t go as planned. Instead of returning with Jericho, they came home with Leanne’s creepy uncle. Which is, of course, not great because they still don’t have their baby, but especially not great given they kidnapped his niece. He’s not too happy about that.
But it’s not really for the reasons you’d think. Once again, Servant manages to keep you on your toes. Sure, Uncle George is upset about Leanne being held prisoner. But he’s mostly upset that means she hasn’t been where she’s meant to be – helping out at the other house.
What follows is maybe the most Servant-esque episode of the season as Uncle George roams around the Turner house. His confrontations with the Turner family swing from humorous to creepy at the drop of a hat. While Leanne has proven herself to be a threat in a slow, creeping, insidious kind of way, Uncle George comes at it from the opposite end of the spectrum. His actions are quick. Manic. Unpredictable. For a while, you’re not sure if he’s completely insane… or if he actually understands more than anyone what’s going on.
And though you have to do a bit of digging, you start to realize it’s probably the latter. Uncle George isn’t worried about Leanne’s wellbeing, but the wellbeing of everyone around her. He definitely believes there will be dark (spiritual? supernatural?) consequences for both the family Leanne left and the Turners. For the other family, the consequences come from something Leanne’s presence should stop. For the Turners, the consequences come from keeping Leanne around. And by the end of the episode, you do feel like the Turners have unleashed something dangerous by ever letting Leanne in.
I love the balance of humor and tension in this episode. Plus, it really feels like some of the mystery shrouding Leanne, Jericho, and the cult is coming to light. Even though our questions haven’t quite been answered, it definitely feels like we’re hovering just over an earth-shattering revelation.
Servant S2E6: The Bottom Line
This episode brings back a great balance between humor and creepiness. Plus, we finally feel like we’re getting some answers to the show’s mysteries – just enough, of course, to make you want to know more.
Rating: 9/10