Spoilers "Servant" Discussion Thread (May Contain Spoilers)

[zinacef]

@matrix07, interesting points you made in addition to my post above about the crickets. As for your other points -- I don't think we've seen or heard the last about the onesie. I believe, or hope, it would be further explored in a later episode. Then again, Sean could've reacted the way he did because he felt that maybe Leanne was rifling through the house? Good pick up on the dog food because I forgot to mention that in my post above -- I couldn't understand what exactly Leanne was staring at in the trash for so long and becoming upset over. I even had to pause the scene to figure it out and couldn't see anything except the dog food label and couldn't connect the dots. Now I'm seeing the dog food was what came out of the tomato soup can. If that's the case, how'd they (Sean or Julian) get it into the can and seal the can back. Guess I was a bit naive to think that she picked up a spoiled can of tomato soup.

@rmoliv, for me, I'm thinking that Leanne is good or rather that's how I'm leaning, but I like your theory that maybe we need to be watching out for Sean or Julian? Why is the latter a lush and what exactly does he do for a living? It's a possibility that Sean could've neglected Jericho whilst he was working to prepare one of his culinary delights for his "clients". Good points from the trailer. This might sound surprising, but I never watched the official trailer (posted above) until now. I've always watched the edited version as seen on AppleTV+ before one of their other shows starts. Now I rewatched it and it looks like we have lots in store for us. I'm thinking that tainting Leanne's food was a very immature and implausible way to get rid of her. As for your thoughts about the crickets, if they were placed in her room, then by whom and why? To scare her or get her to leave?

 

[rmoliv]

@zinacef I’m not sure about what Julian does for a living. In episode 3 he said everything in the house is his father's, and he suggested that Leanne could be an imposter trying to get money from the family through blackmail. I’m assuming their father is some sort of wealthy businessman and Julian helps running whatever their business is. Worth noticing is that Julian’s and Dorothy’s father is one of the few people who knows that the baby has died. About the crickets, I think the purpose was to scare her and ultimately get her to leave. She didn’t look particularly pleased when Sean’s assistant enthusiastically showed her the bugs in the basement, quite the opposite. It could’ve been Sean who placed them in the room while she was sleeping, assuming he learned about her reaction in the basement from his assistant. I rather believe that than that they were somehow attracted to the room due to her presence.

 

[matrix07]

@matrix07, interesting points you made in addition to my post above about the crickets. As for your other points -- I don't think we've seen or heard the last about the onesie. I believe, or hope, it would be further explored in a later episode. Then again, Sean could've reacted the way he did because he felt that maybe Leanne was rifling through the house? Good pick up on the dog food because I forgot to mention that in my post above -- I couldn't understand what exactly Leanne was staring at in the trash for so long and becoming upset over. I even had to pause the scene to figure it out and couldn't see anything except the dog food label and couldn't connect the dots. Now I'm seeing the dog food was what came out of the tomato soup can. If that's the case, how'd they (Sean or Julian) get it into the can and seal the can back. Guess I was a bit naive to think that she picked up a spoiled can of tomato soup.

@rmoliv, for me, I'm thinking that Leanne is good or rather that's how I'm leaning, but I like your theory that maybe we need to be watching out for Sean or Julian? Why is the latter a lush and what exactly does he do for a living? It's a possibility that Sean could've neglected Jericho whilst he was working to prepare one of his culinary delights for his "clients". Good points from the trailer. This might sound surprising, but I never watched the official trailer (posted above) until now. I've always watched the edited version as seen on AppleTV+ before one of their other shows starts. Now I rewatched it and it looks like we have lots in store for us. I'm thinking that tainting Leanne's food was a very immature and implausible way to get rid of her. As for your thoughts about the crickets, if they were placed in her room, then by whom and why? To scare her or get her to leave?

I rewatched it again and

Spoiler

it’s definitely Julian’s. There’s one scene he’s sitting with Sean talking about getting rid of Leanne and in his hand is a dog food label and in front of Sean is a dog food can with label off.
Julian just glued tomato soup label to a dog food can.

What I fear is

Spoiler

Leanne could have good intention for the family but she still could not control her power. All that Leanne got from this episode is betrayal. Dorothy betrayed her by pretending to care for her (asking her to go out in the rain, to have sex, with the tone of someone wanting to give her some cake. A funny scene btw but cruel to Leanne). Sean betrayed her by not stopping Julian dog food plan. Julian betrayed her by not want her to be with the family. And her supposed new (and only?) friends also doesn’t actually want to be her friend. (and the kid almost die from it)
If Leanne is Carrie, **** will hit the fan whether she wants it to or not. She now doesn’t trust any one. I have a feeling we will see Leanne revenge on Julian soon.

Edit to add: One thing just coming to my mind.. what if

Spoiler

Leanne's prayer book (titled The Holy Bible) is just like that tomato soup can that what's inside is not what the label told you? In this case, the cover says its the bible but inside, even though some verses copied from it, it's not actually the bible but something else entirely??

Edit to add 2: Remember Sean always refer to Leanne as

Spoiler

only a staff? I have a feeling by the end of the season she won’t be only that anymore. ?

Edit to add 3: found this picture of Leanne room in the Internet.

“Feel free to stamp your own personality to it”? ?

 

[zinacef]

@rmoliv, I was going with the idea that the crickets were mysteriously drawn to her room and/or her presence. If Sean had something to do with putting them there, I think that was a really childish way to try to get rid of her, or even annoy her. Also, interesting throw back to the the fact Julian and their father are the only ones from that side of the family that know of Jericho’s death, as I had forgotten about that.

@matrix07, good pick up, I’m going to rewatch it again to single out that see to see what’s in Julian’s hand. As for the Bible reference, while I’m rewatching it, I’m going to see if I can pause the scene with the Bible to determine if it’s really a Bible or not.

 

[matrix07]

@rmoliv, I was going with the idea that the crickets were mysteriously drawn to her room and/or her presence. If Sean had something to do with putting them there, I think that was a really childish way to try to get rid of her, or even annoy her. Also, interesting throw back to the the fact Julian and their father are the only ones from that side of the family that know of Jericho’s death, as I had forgotten about that.

@matrix07, good pick up, I’m going to rewatch it again to single out that see to see what’s in Julian’s hand. As for the Bible reference, while I’m rewatching it, I’m going to see if I can pause the scene with the Bible to determine if it’s really a Bible or not.

What if crickets is

Spoiler

the omen? Leanne said her aunt told her when a cricket coming to your home something bad is coming which is contrary to almost everyone belief that crickets bring good luck. So for normal people crickets is good luck but for her aunt - supposedly being a witch? - it is bad things? Could this indicate that Leanne (family) is not "normal".

 

[rmoliv]

@rmoliv, I was going with the idea that the crickets were mysteriously drawn to her room and/or her presence. If Sean had something to do with putting them there, I think that was a really childish way to try to get rid of her, or even annoy her. Also, interesting throw back to the the fact Julian and their father are the only ones from that side of the family that know of Jericho’s death, as I had forgotten about that.

Yes, it's rather childish, but both Sean and Julian have shown they can act childish. Maybe that's why the lady we see in the trailer calls them "boys", assuming they are the "boys" she mentions.

As to the Bible, she wrote down Dorothy's name next to 2 Samuel 19:24-30:

24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. 25 And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself,[a] that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. 28 For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” 29 And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”

And Sean's next to Leviticus 18:14-20:

14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. 15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. 17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness. 18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. 19 Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. 20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

Not sure what to make out of the first passage (it mentions a servant), as to the second, it's clearly about incest.

 

[zinacef]

Great find @rmoliv!

 

[rmoliv]

I also found out that there are two official Instagram accounts for the show, @servantofficial and @servantofficial_. In the description of each it reads "Doubt what you believe" and "Believe what you doubt", respectively. Quite unsettling.

About the first Bible passage, it seems to be about deception and betrayal. If that's the case, it's fitting, since Dorothy "betrayed" Leanne when she sent her out in the rain to buy cake only so that she could be alone in the house to have sex. The second passage being about incest could be suggestive of Jericho being the fruit of an incestuous relationship. Not sure which relationship though, since she wrote Sean's name next to it, but it could be Dorothy's and her brother Julian.

 

[zinacef]

@rmoliv, heck, that’s deep! Maybe Leanne is there after all to protect Jericho or whoever baby it is.

I’m going to check out their Instagram accounts. Earlier in the thread, @matrix07 posted an image that Leanne uses an iCloud email address which is hilarious! Out of curiosity and feeling impish, I emailed it hoping to get some kind of cryptic response or reward for having discovered the email address but no such luck. It probably belongs to some old lady living out in the Midwest who reported my email to the cops.

 

[rmoliv]

@zinacef

It'd be creepy if you'd get a reply from Leanne. ? Speaking of which, in my opinion it's weird that she had sent a handwritten letter/resume to Dorothy and weirder yet that she had put an e-mail address on it. It's kind of conflicting, like past versus present, I'd say. Similarly, we see a very old TV set in her room, like from the 1980s or 1990s. Why would anyone want that piece of junk in 2019? Also, the way she dresses is reminiscent of the 1930s or 1940s.

In regard to the baby, it could be that, but how does that fit in with the "reborn" baby who clearly isn't Jericho is what I can't figure. I'm hoping we get at least some answers in episode 6.

 

[zinacef]

@zinacef

It'd be creepy if you'd get a reply from Leanne. ? Speaking of which, in my opinion it's weird that she had sent a handwritten letter/resume to Dorothy and weirder yet that she had put an e-mail address on it. It's kind of conflicting, like past versus present, I'd say. Similarly, we see a very old TV set in her room, like from the 1980s or 1990s. Why would anyone want that piece of junk in 2019? Also, the way she dresses is reminiscent of the 1930s or 1940s.

In regard to the baby, it could be that, but how does that fit in with the "reborn" baby who clearly isn't Jericho is what I can't figure. I'm hoping we get at least some answers in episode 6.

Yeah, I was hoping for a creepy reply to that email but oh well.

I agree. It's like Leanne is older than she looks if that makes any sense, like she just doesn't jive with the times that we're living in. From the way she dresses to the shoes she wears, her mannerisms, not owning a cell or smartphone, not on social media like most of the kids these days are, and to have an email address that's modern, e.g. iCloud.com. In my opinion, an aol.com email address would be more suited for her.

Seeing as Shayamalan said he'd like the series to consist of sixty 30-minute episodes (6 seasons), I suspect it'll be a while before we're given any solid answers about what's going on.

 

[matrix07]

@rmoliv, heck, that’s deep! Maybe Leanne is there after all to protect Jericho or whoever baby it is.

I’m going to check out their Instagram accounts. Earlier in the thread, @matrix07 posted an image that Leanne uses an iCloud email address which is hilarious! Out of curiosity and feeling impish, I emailed it hoping to get some kind of cryptic response or reward for having discovered the email address but no such luck. It probably belongs to some old lady living out in the Midwest who reported my email to the cops.

Ha. You should sent letter to offer a nanny job. ?
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@zinacef

It'd be creepy if you'd get a reply from Leanne. ? Speaking of which, in my opinion it's weird that she had sent a handwritten letter/resume to Dorothy and weirder yet that she had put an e-mail address on it. It's kind of conflicting, like past versus present, I'd say. Similarly, we see a very old TV set in her room, like from the 1980s or 1990s. Why would anyone want that piece of junk in 2019? Also, the way she dresses is reminiscent of the 1930s or 1940s.

She’s either very old fashioned or comes from the past. The way she dressed when she first came to the house - with hood- remind me of a Middle Age priest or witch. And the way she ate, with bread, tomato soup and water. Isn‘t that a symbol of flesh, blood and life?
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I agree. It's like Leanne is older than she looks if that makes any sense, like she just doesn't jive with the times that we're living in. From the way she dresses to the shoes she wears, her mannerisms, not owning a cell or smartphone,

It‘s funny seeing her face when she asked the kid to guess how old is she and the kid replied 30. ?

To be able to get to know what’s going on I believe Sean’s food is a big clue.
Ep1. 2 Rabbits & 2 Fishes (Sean & Dorothy?)
Ep2. Seashells
Ep3. Eels (Don’t know when they’re dead)
Ep4. Lobster
Ep5. Crickets (Coming back from the dead)

Lots of seafood. I’m almost tempted to say Leanne was a witch who’s drowned in the sea (while all others of her family were burnt alive). She’s kind of related to water somehow. Lots of bathing and the heavy rain when she came.

 

[zinacef]

@matrix07, wouldn't that have been something if I wrote the email to say I was looking for a nanny! ?

Interesting point you raise that she's a witch and I know you've pretty much stuck with that for a while. If that's the case, then it would mean she's a bad witch because I don't peg her as a good witch like Samantha from Bewitched. If she's a bad witch, remind me what bad she has done so far. I know she wrote the names in the Bible but that doesn't strike me as evil-evil, maybe bad.

For me, I'm going in the camp that she might be good but who knows.

Interesting points about the food having some kind of symbolism and it relates to Leanne. This whole series is driving me nuts!

 

[matrix07]

Interesting point you raise that she's a witch and I know you've pretty much stuck with that for a while.

I thought she will either be a witch (bad, or even good) or an angel. What I don’t think she is, is an ordinary girl from Missouri. But episode 5 also shows bad thing can come from Leanne even though she doesn’t mean it so there’s that too.

if she’s a good person though, the question will be who will be a bad persons? Guys (Sean and Julian)? Julian looks like a bad guy already with his dog food plan while Sean doesn’t look much better (Sean is never nice according to Dorothy. And he’s kind of a sex obsessed?)
Beside, what’s all about Sean splinters issue? What was he punished for?

EDIT: and wow someone just gave me this link and he’s talking about the food in Servant (1:29 min) ???

So it’s looking more and more like Sean will be bad guy?...

 

[rmoliv]

Interesting theories in the video. To further stir things up, in the trailer for Servant there's a wooden doll in a cook's costume - it totally looks like some sort of voodoo doll meant for Sean. Dorothy seems to be the one holding the box with the doll in it while Sean is standing next to her. This leads me to believe Leanne could've been using the doll to somehow cause the splinter issue in Sean. That doesn't necessarily mean she's evil, she might be using her supernatural skills to punish him for his bad deeds (which could be related to Jericho's death). After episode 5 I'm convinced Sean and Julian are evil whereas Leanne is likely an angel sent by God who took over her dead body. All this may change after episode 6 though, Shyamalan likes to play with the audience. I love how there's so many details put into each episode.

 

[zinacef]

Seems like the theories aired in that video reflects most of what we've been theorizing so far so we looks like we're on track.

See you guys tomorrow (or Saturday) in the Servant Tree House Club (after episode 6).

 

[matrix07]

Hmm... ?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1207812861063581697

 

[rmoliv]

An uncle. I totally didn't see that coming. So, we learn that it was him who brought the wooden doll shown in the trailer. He says the doll is Dorothy’s husband and it’s a gift for the baby. He too seems to belong to the past, from his mannerisms to his clothes, all of it is kind of old-fashioned. Also, his soiled hands/feet and nails, worn out shoes, he looks like he's just crawled out of a grave. And what language was he praying in, did anyone get that? It wasn't English and didn't sound like Latin.

Other remarks: he knows Dorothy (though she doesn't know him). He calls her Dotty, as her mother used to. He says the house is ungodly. Over dinner, he says "She [Leanne] was always a pleaser". Why use the past tense? He could've said: "She's always been a pleaser" or "She's always a pleaser". Perhaps it's just another hint that she's dead. He also tells Julian about the role of uncles (which they both are): "In the event of a tragedy, that's when we step up": a hint at what's to come? Or was he subtly accusing Julian of not stepping up when “whatever happened to Jericho” happened as in “you helped covering it up”?

Another good episode, but not as good as the previous ones I'd say. I was hoping for a few answers but I guess I'm now more messed up than ever. ?

 

[PR1985]

I don´t like him. I thought the same crawled out of his grave. Why does he sleep in the baby´s bed and Jericho on the floor?
When they first pray together I could not here anything clear. Second time: I say Hebrew. I would say Leanne fears her uncle. There is definitely something special regarding Jericho. Her uncle checks him.

 

[rmoliv]

I don´t like him. I thought the same crawled out of his grave. Why does he sleep in the baby´s bed and Jericho on the floor?
When they first pray together I could not here anything clear. Second time: I say Hebrew. I would say Leanne fears her uncle. There is definitely something special regarding Jericho. Her uncle checks him.

I think he slept in the baby's crib because it's a confined space much like a coffin is. The sole purpose of it was to hint at the audience that he's dead. He put Jericho on the floor because he sees him as a doll.
After some research online, it seems that the language he prayed in is actually Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus and the people of Judea in the 1st century AD.
Yes, Leanne totally seems to fear him for some yet undisclosed reason. Probably he wants her out of the house because he considers that family unworthy of God, they're not exactly religious as opposed to Leanne - and Leanne seems to be easily tempted by worldly things such as Dotty's makeup, Sean's exquisite dishes, alcoholic beverages, sex (the episode in which she touches Julian's crotch).

 

[rmoliv]

This has been bugging me for a while and I guess no one mentioned it yet. Has anyone else noticed the TV turning on whenever Dotty's on screen? Is it someone or does the TV turns on on its own? This has to mean something.

 

[PR1985]

This has been bugging me for a while and I guess no one mentioned it yet. Has anyone else noticed the TV turning on whenever Dotty's on screen? Is it someone or does the TV turns on on its own? This has to mean something.

Yes. It turns on automatically.

 

[zinacef]

So I watched episode #6 and I have to say that the series is becoming more mysterious and labyrinthine as it moves along. The introduction of this new character -- Uncle George (played by Boris McGiver who by the way is a great actor in my opinion if you happened to see House Of Cards) was very baffling, especially how he elicits such great fear in Leanne.

@rmoliv, I agree with some of your theories mentioned above, though not with the theory that he supposedly crawled out of a grave. True that his feet and hands looked dirty and his shoes had seen better days with holes in them, but I got the impression he was on a long journey. It was like he walked all the way from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania to see Leanne, or rather "find her".

And why the urgency to get Leanne out of that "godless house". Is Leanne in danger? And who are "the others that need her help". If we're considering that Leanne is somehow good in nature or spirit, then is Uncle George like some kind of senior angel, maybe an archangel?

As for the scene with Uncle George sleeping in the Jericho's crib, though I can't explain the reasons for him wanting to crawl into the crib and sleep in the fetal position, but I'm thinking that Jericho is still a doll because that thud that woke Julian up prior to the scene tells me that Uncle George threw the baby onto the floor causing the thud.

The scene between Uncle George and Julian at the dinner table also struck me as odd. It's like they both knew each other or perhaps they met before? Why did Uncle George ask Leanne to leave the room to go do the dishes? And why is Julian so afraid, like he's afraid of being blackmailed or something because immediately after that scene, he asked Dorothy, "What exactly did he tell you?" Seems to me that Julian and Sean are (or were) up to something and are going to great lengths to hide it. Even during the FaceTime call to Sean, Julian said, "Uncle George is behind this whole thing?!" What thing is it that he's referring to? Is he thinking that Leanne is behind some kind of extortion plot because that's not the vibe I'm getting from Leanne at all. If Julian thinks that Leanne is behind some kind of extortion plot, I think he's delusional or should probably lay off the sauce a bit!

Also, how is it that Uncle George seemed to already know Dorothy by calling her by her nickname of Dottie? I'm thinking that Uncle George has met the family before but perhaps as a different person if that's even possible.

Another scene that I thought was really odd was when Dorothy refused to let the mailman interact with Jericho. Seemed a bit rude in my opinion.

Can't wait to meet and see who plays Aunt May!

Overall a great episode with the introduction of a great actor!

 

[rmoliv]

As for the scene with Uncle George sleeping in the Jericho's crib, though I can't explain the reasons for him wanting to crawl into the crib and sleep in the fetal position, but I'm thinking that Jericho is still a doll because that thud that woke Julian up prior to the scene tells me that Uncle George threw the baby onto the floor causing the thud.

Yes, it made me wonder that too. However, if the baby's still a doll why offer a doll to the... doll? Unless that toy - made out of elm wood from Uncle George's estate - has a sinister purpose. I'm sure it's no coincidence that it is a doll of a chef (Sean).

Even during the FaceTime call to Sean, Julian said, "Uncle George is behind this whole thing?!" What thing is it that he's referring to? Is he thinking that Leanne is behind some kind of extortion plot because that's not the vibe I'm getting from Leanne at all. If Julian thinks that Leanne is behind some kind of extortion plot, I think he's delusional or should probably lay off the sauce a bit!

I don't think they know each other, it's just that Julian is afraid the truth about Jericho's death gets uncovered. When he says Uncle George is "behind this whole thing" I think he's referring to the whole plot of Leanne taking over someone else's identity and bringing someone else's baby to the house to somehow blackmail the family.

Also, how is it that Uncle George seemed to already know Dorothy by calling her by her nickname of Dottie? I'm thinking that Uncle George has met the family before but perhaps as a different person if that's even possible.

Well, however silly this may sound, since Dotty's mother has already passed away, I assumed he might've met her in the realm of the dead.

 

[rmoliv]

By the way, I rewatched the episodes and here's a list of Dotty's news reports in chronological order*:

*on some occasions it's Leanne watching TV while on others the TV turns on automatically without anyone in the room. On one occasion it's Sean watching a report on a murder trial verdict

- Accident on the corner of 18th with Walnut, one of the deceased identified, Mr. Eric Sherman, believed to be a visitor to the city

- The headline reads "Cleaning up the streets" and some parade will go through a neighborhood, Dotty asks a woman (looks homeless) what she thinks of it and she replies "God put me here so if they want me gone, God better find me somewhere else"

- Narcotics officers raided an apartment building in Kensington, substances discovered included heroine, a man and a woman were arrested and their children were taken into care by city officials

- The headline reads "Subterranean Blues" and Dotty reports about a fatberg made of cooking oil and sanitary wipes, a menace to the city's sewage system

- The jury in the Timothy York murder trial heard final statements and a verdict has been reached

- The jury has reached their verdict: "not guilty", Dotty's ask Timothy York if he has anything to say to the families of the victims, he replies "I hope they catch him", she ends the report saying "the killer is still at large"

- Leanne watches a report from 2011, Dotty interviews a young girl at a pageant who happens to be Leanne from Wisconsin

- Headline reads "Hygiene a priority" and Dotty reports on "hygiene fanatics" wanting makeup free touch-ups at the mall to be forbidden

- Dotty's at a gym reporting on how "nothing burns those inches off like trampolining"

Not sure if there's any hidden meaning to this, just in case anyone figures something out. ?