7 Years Later, This 90%-Rated Mystery Drama Is M. Night Shyamalan's Finest Work on TV
Though there are no jump scares or excessive blood, there's a constant feeling that something is off, and it never goes away.
In November 2019, Apple TV+ had just launched, and no one really knew what to expect from the platform. One of the streaming service's first original projects was M. Night Shyamalan's Servant.
Compared to other horror projects of the time, the show immediately stood out – there was no zombie apocalypse, no monsters, and no obvious villain, just a strange nanny and a dead baby who somehow comes back to life.
Seven years later, Servant remains Shyamalan's finest TV work – an unsettling spectacle anchored by its four actors and an atmosphere that's difficult to describe but easy to feel.
What Is 'Servant' About?
Dorothy and Sean Turner are a wealthy couple who lose their newborn son. To cope with their grief, Dorothy began treating a doll as if it were a living child. They hire various nannies for the doll until they find Leanne, who quickly gets into the game.
Then, something unusual happens to the doll – it becomes a living baby. However, the series doesn't explain exactly what is happening – whether it's supernatural, psychological, or both.
'Servant' Is a Claustrophobic Thriller That Doesn't Try to Be Transparent Yet Is Thoroughly Gripping
The first season of Servant is nearly flawless – each episode raises new questions instead of providing answers. The tension mounts, and neither the characters nor the viewers can escape the Turner house.
At the same time, Servant doesn't establish clear moral boundaries. Just when you decide who the bad guy is, the next episode turns everything upside down.
The second season unexpectedly revealed the writers' sense of humor, as the horror series gained a stronger dose of dark comedy. Rupert Grint received more screen time as Dorothy's alcoholic brother, and it was a smart move.
The third season was the weakest part of the show. The characters began to behave like ordinary people instead of the heroes of a Gothic novel, and the show itself didn't know what it was. The only thing worthy of praise here is the dynamic duo of the main characters.
Fortunately, the fourth season managed to regain its lost ground. Servant finally began answering questions that had been left unanswered for three years, and its grotesque darkness reached a new level. The finale divided viewers: some found it brilliant, while others found it too open-ended.
Servant was never intended to be a simple, straightforward series – with forty episodes of unsettling television, it absolutely deserves the attention of Shyamalan fans, and anyone tired of predictable horror and thrillers.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Servant'?
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Servant has 90% from critics and 79% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.4/10.
Where to Watch 'Servant'?
Servant is available to stream on Apple TV+.
