Servant

Servant is 10-episode psychological thriller that excels in its visuals and eerie atmosphere but falls flat on script and overall plot.

Considering this is an M. Night Shyamalan production, are we really surprised of the outcome of this show?

To be honest, my initial interest for this show was hearing of his involvement. Even though Shyamalan has a reputation for disappointing deliveries he does excel in concept, plot, and, on occasion, writing.

Servant excels on concept, atmosphere, cinematography, and music. However, so many questions are left unanswered by the end of the season that left me feeling uncertain about returning for a second season.

Overall Plot

The story is centred around Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell), a married couple who recently lost their 13-week old son, Jericho.

Jericho’s death has a massive impact on Dorothy, leaving her in a catatonic state. Sean and others, including Dorothy’s brother Julian (Rupert Grint), resort to using a reborn doll in order to help Dorothy break out of her catatonic state. The first episode begins with the couple employing a nanny named Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free) to take care of the reborn doll which Dorothy now believes is Jericho.

Things slowly start to spiral out of control as the nanny, Leanne, is not who she appears to be and the truth behind Jericho’s death slowly comes to light.

The show excels in delivering an unsettling and eerie atmosphere along with some outstanding performances.

Characters

Toby Kebbell is truly the star of this show. As the only remaining sane individual stricken with grief, he stands out as the most relatable and realistic character. Lauren Ambrose does a great job portraying the grief-stricken former mother but doesn’t truly shine until episode 9, which I believe is the best episode in the entire season.

Rupert Grint and Nell Tiger Free were a disappointment. It makes me wonder if what fell short was their performance or their poorly written roles. Both enjoy a large amount of screen time which leads me to believe that it might be both.

Cinematography and score

The cinematography and music are outstanding in this show. We get many close-up scenes accompanied by either eerie music or no sound at all, which leaves the viewer feeling unsettled and claustrophobic.

The camera angles in this show are a spectacle to behold. Toby Kebbell’s character, Sean, is a stay-at-home consulting chef that cooks a wide range of exotic dishes which the cinematographer cleverly uses to demonstrate the art of cooking.

Ratings and awards

I can see Servant getting nominations for acting, cinematography, music, and production design. However, I think its disjointed and messy script might hinder those chances.

A second season was announced ahead of its premiere but the real question is will viewers stick around for another round of unanswered questions and messy plot?