Summary
Four years of build-up was definitely worth the wait. “Awake” is atmospheric, tense, and extremely emotional, a season highlight indeed. Whilst Lauren Ambrose is just sensational in this penultimate installment, working from a great script, with expert directing from M. Night Shyamalan. Fans have been waiting for this moment for years now and the creative team delivers the goods.
Fans of Servant have followed this psychological horror series for four years and four seasons. Some of the questions posed in the first episode, which debuted back in November 2019, remain unanswered, and plot threads that were first introduced back then are still to be concluded or even properly addressed.
After four years of build-up, viewers are finally rewarded with one of the best episodes from the show so far. “Awake” finally addresses Dorothy’s amnesia and the tragedy surrounding Jericho’s death. How will Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) handle the truth, and what will Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) do in return?
Servant Season 4 Episode 9 Recap
“Awake” opens with Dorothy on the phone to the hospital. The storm is still raging outside, and it has been hard for Dorothy to get through to her husband. Sean, who was stabbed with a cheese knife in the previous installment, speaks with Dorothy, stressing the need to see his wife immediately. Dorothy cannot leave the house, though. Sean agrees to have Tobe send her food the next morning to tide her over. He clarifies that everything will be alright and that he loves her.
READ: Servant Season 4 Episode 8 Recap
That night, Leanne refuses to leave Dorothy’s side, watching as the mother cradles Jericho in bed. Dorothy awakens the following day, happy to have survived the night. The biblical rain continues, though. Downstairs, Leanne has rearranged the furniture and suggests they spend the day watching movies. The doorbell rings, and Dorothy goes to retrieve her basket from Tobe. There is a note inside; Sean wants to meet with her privately; it’s urgent. Dorothy pretends to speak with Tobe, who isn’t there, and then asks Leanne to grab the basket for her.
How does Dorothy escape from Leanne?
They watch The Wizard of Oz together. Dorothy pretends not to feel well and asks to rest while Leanne sees Jericho. Dorothy pretends to take a pill and waits until Leanne has run a bath for Jericho. Dorothy then starts the arduous trek downstairs in secret. She tries the Zimmer frame, but it squeaks too loudly. She must get downstairs on foot. Dorothy takes the baby monitor and grabs her coat, struggling down the stairs and into the garden. She battles through the torrential rain and finds a car waiting for her on the street.
Why does Sean need to speak to Dorothy?
Inside, Sean and Julian greet her. They explain that Leanne did this to them, that she is crazy. Dorothy asks about Tobe and the letter. Sean knew Leanne wouldn’t answer the door if Tobe was mentioned, as she purposely avoided him. They tell Dorothy they need to talk; the conversation they have been putting off for all this time finally needs to be addressed. Sean needs Dorothy to remember the truth.
Sean begins the discussion by asking Dorothy what she remembers from last August. Dorothy is shocked that her husband knows about her missing memories. She can’t remember anything, and it has been driving her insane. Sean starts to explain the circumstances surrounding that summer. He took a guest spot on Gourmet Gauntlet in Los Angeles. He was struggling with the new baby and wanted to escape. Sean admits that he is a coward. Dorothy wonders if Sean is about to confess to cheating on her. Julian begins to cry.
How does Julian prove the story to Dorothy?
Julian then speaks up. He talks about Dorothy struggling that she phoned him asking for help. Julian knew his sister was in trouble but ignored her, too busy scoring drugs. He apologizes and then plays her the voice message as proof.
Sean mentions the doll, how it was their only option, and that it worked for a while. The husband admits that he would have kept up the charade forever if it meant keeping his wife. Sean states that Dorothy was overwhelmed and had been abandoned. What happened was just an accident, a mistake, and she can’t blame herself. It was a hot summer; Dorothy took Jericho to the grocery store. Julian urges her to remember.
How does Dorothy react to finding out the truth?
Dorothy thinks back to that summer. In flashbacks, she looks down at the empty cot and heads to the car. This scene then cuts to police officers questioning Dorothy in her living room. Then she sees men in hazmat suits bringing out her dead baby. Dorothy is in utter shock, staring forwards in a daze. Sean tries to talk to her, but Dorothy is elsewhere.
We revert back to the present, and Dorothy screams. She finally remembers. In shock, Dorothy lashes out, trying to escape from the car. She hits, bites, kicks, and scratches until she falls out of the car. Julian and Sean chase after her and embrace her on the ground in the biblical downpour.
Servant Season 4 Episode 9 Ending Explained
They take Dorothy back to the house. Sean calls out to Leanne, explaining that they have told Dorothy everything; it’s over, and she now knows the whole truth. Leanne is there, waiting for them, cradling the doll. Jericho has vanished once again, replaced by the creepy doll. Julian tells Leanne to stop playing games; they know all about the tunnels and the switching. Sean calls her mentally unstable, but Leanne ignores them and communicates with Dorothy only. The camera focuses on Dorothy, with Leanne on one side and Sean on the other. It’s like good versus evil, the devil and the angel on her shoulders.
Leanne says she was angry when she learned that Jericho had died because of Dorothy. But then she realized that fixing this problem was her sole purpose. Leanne states that she brought Jericho back to life for Dorothy; she used her extraordinary powers for Dorothy alone. Sean and Julian try to protect Dorothy, promising her the baby isn’t theirs. He was stolen by Leanne from another family. Leanne says that she has kept Jericho somewhere safe and is using this doll to punish Sean and Julian. They fight back, saying that Leanne is trying to manipulate Dorothy; she knows that she is vulnerable and is taking advantage.
What is Leanne’s promise?
The nanny tries to convince Dorothy that the baby was Jericho all along. That Dorothy, the mother, knows that was her son. You cannot fake that bond, that connection. Leanne promises that she can bring Jericho back for good. They can be together; all she has to do is say yes. The episode cuts just before Dorothy responds.
What did you think of Servant Season 4 Episode 9? Comment below.
unbelievably good! Dorothy will have a plan….they will all escape the wicked witch
I thought Sean and Julian were badly injured. How are they out of the hospital already and totally ok? Did anyone ever find out the Leanne murdered the people from her church? And why were the responders wearing hazmat suits when the removed dead Jericho from the house? He died of heat stroke not some contagious disease.