How Servant's Final Season Broke M. Night Shyamalan's Finale Curse
Spoilers ahead for the finale of Servant.
M. Night Shyamalan is a truly iconic filmmaker, who instantly became a household name thanks to his acclaimed work in The Sixth Sense. That movie became a sensation partly because of its twist ending, and he's known for having big twists in the majority of his movies. But some of these are more successful than others, leading to Shyamalan having a bit of a mixed reputation amongst moviegoers. He moved to the small screen with Apple TV's thriller series Servant, which just wrapped up its fourth and final season. And I actually think Servant's final season broke M. Night Shyamalan's finale curse.
As previously mentioned, M. Night Shyamalan takes bold narrative swings, and he's become pretty synonymous with his various movie twist endings. Moviegoers were psyched when Split revealed a connection to Unbreakable, but there's been some major missteps along the way like Old and The Happening's endings. Servant Season 4 had a lot to wrap up, especially the mysteries surrounding Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) and baby Jericho. And luckily those with an Apple TV+ subscription, it all built into a thrilling, emotionally satisfying ending. Let's break it all down.
Servant Season 4 is way bigger than its predecessors
At the start Servant felt like a petty humble show. While there was a supernatural element, we were largely following a mystery unravel within the Turner townhouse. Eventually Leanne's powers grew, as more and more creepy things began occurring-- including some fatalities. But in Season 4 of Servant M. Night Shyamalan and company turned up the dial to ten, helping to build excitement and anticipation about how the saga would eventually end.
The scale of Servant Season 4 can be seen in the ways that Leanne's power manifested itself throughout the final episodes. We watched as a bed bugs infestation hit the entire block, and a massive sinkhole opened up right outside of the Turner house. And the final few episodes occurred in the midst of a giant rainstorm. Because of this the final season truly felt like the accumulation of the entire show's run.
The Servant ending offered a fun twist, but the main narrative was wrapped up neatly.
While Season 4 of Servant has been a ride, there were some viewers who were concerned about whether or not M. Night Shyamalan and company would stick the landing for the series finale. Luckily that's exactly what they did... while also providing one more fun twist.
The final two episodes of Servant saw Lauren Ambrose's Dorothy Turner finally remember the trauma of Jericho's death, which is something that fans have been waiting for since Season 1. And while Leanne confirmed she brought him back with her powers and offered to do it again, Dorothy turned her down. Because in order to truly love her son, she had to accept her own actions, guilt, and grief.
Dorothy and Leanne's relationship also played out in a really emotional way, with the two women forgiving each other and once again finding themselves in a place of understanding. After their battle all season long, Dorothy even agreed to take Leanne with them as they evacuated the neighborhood.
But Leanne ultimately had other plans. While we were never given a explanation of her powers, it became clear that the titular servant was the only one who could ever really kill herself. And that's exactly what she does, burning the house to the ground in the process. But not before she "made plans" with sweet Tony Revolori's sweet Tobe.
As for the final twist, it concerns Rupert Grint's Julian. He runs into Officer Reyes, who reveals herself to be a member of the Church of Lesser Saints cult. And since he died briefly back in Season 2, only to be resurrected by Leanne. We're left wondering if he joins the cult himself, and are shown just how many members were surrounding the Tuner family. This twist didn't cheapen or change the show's ending at all, but offered one more parting shot for fans.
Servant is streaming in its entirety on Apple TV. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
