M. Night Shyamalan's 'Servant' is a slow burner with his signature plot twists, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea
In 'Servant', Sean and Dorothy Turner are seemingly the pair that has it all. Sean is a consultant chef who works from home, Dorothy is a TV journalist — and the two live in a magnificent multi-storied house. Dorothy is set to return to work after her maternity leave, and they have just hired a nanny.
It is then that we find out that the Turners' baby is actually a doll — part of a therapeutic treatment after the loss of their actual baby, Jericho, when he was just 13 weeks old. The doll was the only thing that got Dorothy out of a catatonic state, who now treats the doll as if it was a living, breathing baby.
When the nanny, Leanne Grayson, enters their life, the cracks in their fragile lives start to appear. Leanne seems to be a demure 18-year-old girl, but as the series progresses, we learn that there is more to this girl, who has an unhealthy obsession with Dorothy.
'Servant' offers up to its viewers what they might expect from an M. Night Shyamalan-produced work — the slow building of the suspense leading up to a plot twist.
Individually, each of the actors put up remarkable performances — Toby Kebbell as Sean, Lauren Ambrose as Dorothy, Nell Tiger Free as Leanne, and Rupert Grint as Dorothy's brother, Julian.
It is their skill that keeps viewers watching as the plot moves ahead at a snail's pace in the first episode. This does pick up speed later, but 'Servant' may not be everyone's cup of tea. The show does, however, offer up treats to fans of Shyamalan's movies. It also features some of the genre's best-written characters.
'Servant' was already picked up for a second season ahead of the premiere and it's clear that Apple has high hopes for the show.
Written by Tony Bagsallop, Shyamalan already stated that he intends for six 10-episode seasons. Though the first season serves as a good set up for the universe, we hope the subsequent seasons manage to pace the plot a bit more.
The first three episodes of 'Servant' are now available to stream on Apple TV+. The following seven episodes will be released weekly.