Summary
Episode 1 of season 3 gets off to the usual intriguing start as Leanne is still wary of the cult.
This recap of the Apple TV+ series Servant season 3, episode 1, “Donkey,” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the ending of season 2.
After that dramatic season 2 finale, we face a new landscape for Leanne and the Turner family. This story is a slow burn, but it evolves with each season passing. Let’s recap the premiere, and remember, readers, if I miss anything major, please let me know in the comments!
Servant season 3, episode 1 recap
Episode 1 of season 3 opens up with Leanne waking from a nightmare; the recent events in the Turner household have traumatized her. She grabs a dagger and appears to pray, with the now-famous mannequin nestled in the corner of her room. And then, Leanne gets on with her day and heads downstairs to see the Turner family doting over baby Jericho. Leanne is irritated because the house door is open, so she slams it shut. Dorothy tries to assure her that no one is out there, but Leanne states that the cult is patient and will come eventually.
This is a different season, but nothing has changed — Dorothy cannot see what’s happening right in front of her.
Leanne is nervous about going on a trip with the Turner family, but they keep reassuring her that everything will be okay. To test the outside world, she takes Jericho for a walk with Julian, and a concoction of street sounds represents her anxiety. Julian thinks this is the best time to address something; he wants to be a good person and asks her to sleep with someone her age rather than him. Leanne tells Julain that she likes their sex and does not want it to end. While Julian talks about his new girlfriend joining them on their trip, Leanne thinks she sees George on the street but is mistaken.
And so, Dorothy gets into vacation mode; unfortunately, Leanne does not want to go on the trip, despite Dorothy’s persuasion. She will be home alone, which does not sound like the best alternative.
With the paranoia setting in, Leanne takes refuge in the house and does her everyday things. She hears a door shut, which spooks her. She ends up eating soup in the basement, which is entirely creepy in itself, considering the events that transpired there. As Sean video calls her, the mud in the cellar starts to bubble, making Leanne cry.
Feeling lonely (and apparently horny), Leanne invites Tobe around, but she gets impatient when he says he cannot come around straight away. Dorothy then checks in on her to see if she’s okay via video call. She lets Leanne know that Julian was attacked by a flock of seagulls which alarms Leanne; earlier in the day, she drew a flock of seagulls in her notebook as the mud was bubbling.
The ending
As we draw closer to the end of the episode, Leanne is alarmed to see a man in the house committing a burglary. She slowly walks away to another part of the house, so she does not draw any attention. She video calls Sean and tells him of the situation, so he tells her he will call the police. Leanne hides in a cupboard that connects to the walls as the man looks around, and she’s alarmed to see a charred Aunt Josephine in the walls, covered in moths that fly at her. She keeps seeing moths coming from the wall, so this is the source.
Getting desperate, Leanne locks herself in a room and asks who the man is, but then the police arrive, and the man barges through the door and runs off. The police tell the Turners that the burglary relates to a string of crimes in the neighborhood when people go on holiday. Dorothy reassures Leanne that the burglary is not associated with the patterns she has seen recently near the house.
The episode ends with Leanne watching a moth in her lampshade, looking mortified. Episode 1 of season 3 gets off to the usual intriguing start as Leanne is still wary of the cult.
What did you think of Servant season 3, episode 1? Comment below.
