[Servant Review with Joe Lipsett] "Zoo" Kicks the Tension Up a Notch with an Awkward Birthday Party

Each week Terry and Joe review the latest episode of Apple TV’s Servant S4, alternating between our respective sites.

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Spoilers follow for Episode 4.06 “Zoo”

Episode 4.06 “Zoo”: The birthday party from hell ensues when the cult makes its boldest move yet with Leanne.

TERRY

From an awkward dinner party to a somehow more awkward birthday party awaits us this week on Servant, Joe, and I think this is the episode we’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for. “Zoo” manages to feel like any other episode we’ve seen during the last 3.5 seasons of Servant while simultaneously moving the plot forward into the end game. 

The tension between Julian (Rupert Grint) and Sean (Toby Kebbell) finally bursts and Julian realizes that maybe Sean is right about Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) and her magical powers. Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) starts to piece the past together. Leanne fractures while trying to hold her ideal of an American family together. The secret members of the Church of Lesser Saints (CLS) reveal themselves. And writers Devin Controy and Ishana Night Shyamalan decide to torment me with a surprise spider moment. 

Not cool, guys.

But first, a news report recenters our attention on what happened during “Neighbor” as it focuses on the anarchy happening outside the Turner’s Brownstone home. The reporter suggests that “negligence” has happened in one of “Philadelphia’s most affluent neighborhoods.” And, more tantalizing, the mayor has talked about issuing an evacuation notice in the next few weeks. I honestly can’t imagine Servant ditching the Brownstone in these final episodes, but I would wager a guess that their street is going to become completely empty, setting the stage for a battle with the CLS, the Turners and Leanne. 

Leanne has prepared a 1.5 year old birthday party for Jericho and the Turner household isn’t exactly thrilled about it. Dorothy flat out refuses to go, telling Leanne, “they are not my guests. I’m not going down there.” Leanne, ever the passive aggressive one, chastises Dorothy: “you wouldn’t want people to think you’re an uninvolved mother.” Directors Celine Held & Logan George emphasize her statement by stationing the camera on the wheelchair she thrusts towards Dorothy. 

It makes sense this episode ratchets up the action and drama, considering that these two directors helmed the excellent season 3 episodes “Tiger” and “Camp” as well as the upcoming Shyamalan-produced (and Dylan O’Brien-starring) feature tentatively titled Caddo. The show knows when to employ its directors and “Zoo” further establishes them as a pair to watch, I think. 

“The party will go on, with or without you. But I’d like you to be there,” Leanne informs her. “It’s a family event.” Again, Servant continues to nettle into this idea of “family” and what it means to be one. Throughout the series, Leanne has fought to make the Turners into her idealized version of family she saw represented on the news and in person when she met Dorothy years ago on the pageant circuit (more on that later). Just a few episodes ago, Dorothy remarked to Sean that they were “TV’s power couple” and that outward-facing facade presumably reached an impressionable, young Leanne who was struggling with her own family that was failing her. 

What follows is something as equally cringe as the fraught dinner party last week, as Leanne tries desperately to have an All-American Birthday Party - anarchy, bored guests and violent cultists be damned. 

As a result, we get a family reunion with daddy Frank (Todd Waring) and Kourtney with a K (Katie Lee Hill) returning to drop withering comments about how much Dorothy would hate this (“I hate this,” she confirms in a great smash cut) and chirping, “what, no candles?” when the cake is brought out. 

It’s thematically important that they are there, given that “Zoo” wrestles with the notion of families. When Julian passes out hats and Dorothy rebukes him, he responds that she hates him, too. But she tells him that he’s family and that she supports him…but of course she has to add, ”even in the midst of the most idiotic and destructive phase of your life. Even if it’s at my expense.” That’s, in essence, why Frank and Kourtney with a K are there. It’s why Sean and Dorothy’s relationship hasn’t completely fractured. And it’s why Leanne is going to force this party to happen. It’s family, damnit. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg, Joe, so let me toss it over to you. Did “Zoo” work for you as much as it worked for me? Were you surprised to find out who the CLS members are? Sean and Julian come to blows and I’m wondering if this sudden explosion worked for you? Did you find the irony in Sean yelling at Julian that he’s very good at compartmentalizing? Did Sean’s words about his “dead son” hit you? Where do you think this episode leaves Julian’s allegiance? 

JOE

Oh boy, yeah, the gloves are off in “Zoo” and it’s coming at exactly the right moment. You and I were wondering offline if Servant had forgotten it was the final season because so much of the last five episodes have been slow boils. Well, the temperature has been cranked WAY up and the results are exceedingly compelling.

In short: yes, this episode really worked for me. From the dynamic camerawork courtesy of Held & George, to the action, to the revelation that not just the Costco-hoarding neighbours, but also Bev (Denny Dillon), are secret, self-flagellating CLS members, “Zoo” is a great episode of Servant.

The Sean/Julian stuff is front and center for me. I’m particularly fond of episodes where hard-truths come out, not only because they typically mean big advances in the narrative, but also because there’s something cathartic about characters laying their cards on the table. There’s a lot of meanness - and truth - in the commentary that the in-laws hurl at each other in a series of fast-paced back and forth pans that visually connotes the gulf between them. Julian zeroes in on Sean’s faith as a way to absolve his guilt (which we called) and Sean counters by yelling that Julian should have been there for Dorothy. 

That’s a tough one: after all, Dorothy was left alone to care for Jericho in large part because Sean was off in Los Angeles filming Gourmet Gauntlet (a point Julian also makes), but Sean goes on a tirade about how Julian’s missed call basically resulted in the death of his son. He also tries to leverage Julian’s addiction issues as proof of the red-heads compartmentalization and childishness (score one for the former, but the latter is a low-blow). 

Eventually they erupt into an all-out brawl that only breaks when the smoke from the lit fire in Bev and Bobbie (Barbara Kingsley)’s room fills the room. It’s enough of a reprieve that the pair of them can allow cooler heads to prevail, and quote/unquote rescue Leanne, who is actually faring just fine against Bev by turning her into a human party balloon.

Still, as an audience member who has frequently bristled at how Servant’s characters avoid coming clean and saying what they’re actually thinking, this inflamed conversation between Sean and Julian was incredibly satisfying (and rough!). I have no doubt, however, that now that Julian has been confronted by Sean and, more importantly, seen Leanne’s powers in action against Bev, that he’ll be shifting his allegiances. Well…maybe (he does still hop to Leanne’s commands at episode’s end very quickly, after all).

As for the reveal of who the CLS members are, that’s a tough one. After all, we argued last week that it could have been any of the new neighbours. Bev was more interesting - in part because it raises questions about how much Bobbie truly knew (she later pleads with Dorothy that she never knew, but still quits), but also because it begs the question: why didn’t Leanne investigate the other physiotherapist aid if she’s so suspicious? 

Regardless of how it came to pass, Bev’s tirade against Leanne in the basement is pretty epic (I’d be lying if I said the image of an older woman hysterically whipping her back and yelling “I just don’t understand why you deserve all of this extravagance. Why you get to be reunited with HIM” while Lipps Inc’s “Funky Town” plays is *such* a Servant moment). 

Terry, I’ll turn it back to you because I’m curious to read your thoughts about the violence in this episode - with the animals, but also against the CLS in the bedroom and Bev’s death in the basement. Were you surprised at how all of the animals react to Leanne considering she controlled the pigeons in episode 4.01? What did you think of the renewed interest in faith in this episode, particularly Bobbie’s observation to Dorothy that she believes Leanne thinks she’s “divinely linked” to Dorothy and “will fight for their faith with everything they have”? 

TERRY

I’d be curious to go back through the series to see if Servant has layered in the “divinely linked” aspect, or if it’s a Season 4 addition to bring together thematic resonance. It makes sense that the two of them would be narratively connected, since we’ve continually seen how Dorothy caught Leanne’s eye in the pageant days. But I’m not sure the series has laid out a supernatural connection between the two of them. I think it does set up the stakes for the end game, though, because if they are divinely connected, what does that mean for their continued survival? 

While the Turners are fighting for the soul of their family, they ironically could be bringing about their downfall. Leanne has shown she’s willing to do anything in her copious power to maintain an ideal of what family is. But she’s also making her own form of chosen family with the CLS outcasts who live just outside her Brownstone. She’s not going to give either up without a fight because even though she has a warped version of what family is, she, in her own way, loves her family very much. 

Maybe, at the end of the day, Servant is saying that family is important…even if your pseudo adopted daughter harnesses demonic powers. 

One thing I love about Servant is how quickly the tone can turn on a dime. The way the episode built the awkward tension during the party only to turn into a violent fight for Leanne’s life was thrilling. The violence erupted incredibly quickly and fiercely between her and the CLS members and it was fantastic. Ditto when Bev ultimately puffs up like a human balloon – the imagery felt very thematically important, too. 

“Zoo” is obviously filled with animals and one of them was a snake that snapped at Leanne. Right before, the animal handler talks about how spiders only attack when they are themselves attacked. That thought continues with the snake, who the man shows is calm to everyone, allowing it to be petted. Of course, the animal snaps at Leanne and it makes sense in a vacuum. 

Animals reacting to evil presences is a well-trod trope and religious horror, in particular. You’re right to point out the pigeons helped her just a few episodes ago, so I’m not completely sure what we’re to take from that. But Leanne does eye that snake with so much intent that I thought she was going to control it or destroy it at some point. The imagery is pretty tropey, though, because serpents are obviously tied to the Biblical stories of the Devil. 

So back to Bev and the imagery involved. When I first saw Bev’s puffy hand and the way it arced up her arm, I immediately thought she was bitten by a poisonous snake. The way she puffs up to the point she can’t breathe felt like the way cinema shows poisonous bites. And maybe that’s because Leanne is like the scary animals the animal handler brought out, whether it’s the tarantula or the snake: she only attacks when provoked. 

But you gave me a number of loaded questions and I’m curious about your thoughts on the matter, too, Joe. What are we to make of the faith-heavy episode and Leanne’s potential connection to Dorothy? With the final image of a young, smiling Leanne reflected in Dorothy’s eye and the glimmer of memory reawakening, do you think the next episode is when Dorothy will start to regain control over her life and what happened in the past? 

JOE

Sometimes I fret that Servant has trapped us in a kind of time-loop where each week we wonder if this will be the one where Dorothy finally regains her memories of what happened that fateful summer. I still think that the series is moving towards that conclusion, and that it will somehow shape the outcome of the conflict, though I’ll confess I don’t even know if there are sides in this battle anymore. Are Sean and Dorothy worthy of forgiveness after all of their lies and duplicity? Should Leanne, who has increasingly inched towards evil, be allowed to persevere? 

I don’t know what the desirable outcome of this show is anymore, which is both its strength and its detriment.

So yes, it makes sense that this is a metaphor-laden episode filled with snakes and women with dangerous power. If nothing else, Servant has always privileged its female characters and their capacity to shape the world: whether it’s the way we view a beauty pageant, overcome a debilitating injury or manipulate the hearts and minds of followers, the Apple TV series has always put its women at the forefront of the conflict.

The focus on the family, as it were (ick) is fascinating, though. Leanne is willing to endure abuse, humiliation, and physical pain in order to retain her ideal of “family” - despite the fact that at this point she knows that both Dorothy and Sean have been actively plotting against her. Is this evidence of her divine faith? Or is it delusion? Servant has never actively sided with its characters, allowing the audience to decide who is worthy of their allegiance at any given point. With only a few episodes remaining, the question stands: who is in the right in this conflict of wills?

Bev’s devout and flippant response to Leanne here plays like a condemnation; surely the woman is a fanatical loon, right? And yet we’ve seen similar acts of devotion and despair from both Leanne and Dorothy and they didn’t die horribly like some kind of Stay Puft Marshmallow Man cosplay. There is some kind of allegiance that Servant wants us to make, but even with the finale looming, it’s unclear if we should stand with Leanne or Dorothy.

What to make of Dorothy revisiting the pageant tape? At this point in the series, it is a confirmation of sorts that the pair of them have, in fact, been intrinsically linked. When it was first revealed that they shared a history before Leanne came to the Brownstone, it seemed like wild coincidence. I wonder if, from Leanne’s perspective, Dorothy was the ideal: a calm, collected professional woman in control of her own affairs and future. At the very least, it must have been aspirational for the girl.

As the series progressed, I’ve often wondered why Leanne is fighting so hard to keep this found family together, despite evidence that the other members don’t share her passion. I wish we knew more about the CLS aside from their fanaticism because we still don’t really understand what Leanne is fighting so hard to escape from (or gain). Sure, cult life sounds bad, but why are the Turners the best (only) alternative?

I can’t imagine that we’ll get these deep, contemplative answers in the few remaining episodes. I do love that even as it approaches the end, Servant remains something of a mystery to us. We’re invested in the Leanne vs Dorothy battle not just because we’re coming up on forty episodes, but because ideologically, philosophically and, yes, religiously, the show invites speculation and questioning. 

What future does Leanne want other than a happy peace with Dorothy, Sean, Julian and Jericho? Is that even possible? Can Dorothy and Sean truly move forward without acknowledging that Dorothy inadvertently killed their son? Is it possible for Julian (and Sean) to recover from the guilt of abandoning Dorothy? These questions remain, even as the end looms.

Sorry, for getting introspective, Terry, but Servant has been a focal point in our lives for nearly as long as we’ve known each other. Where else will the show go and - the eternal question for all series built on a mystery - can (or will) it stick the landing? 

Part of me yearns for answers; the other part of me doesn’t actually care because it’s always been more about the questions and the discussion. 

I truly don’t know where I want or hope Servant to go with its remaining time. But I’m excited to find out.

We’ll see what the future brings when we jump back to Queer.Horror.Movies for 4.07 “Myth” next week…