Servant Season 4 Episode 2 Itch Review And Recap-Bed Bugs, Tomato-Based Dishes, And Tobe Might Be More Than He Appears

Things have been weird in Servant. They have been creepy, confusing, and exciting. Things have even been disgusting, but nothing could prepare me for the gag-inducing horror of Servant Season 4 Episode 2. Leanne went on the offensive and decided to punish the entire block. So, trigger warning, if bed bugs make you squirm, you might want to skip Servant Season 4 Episode 2. Just know if you do, though, you will miss a few significant developments in the race to the end of the season.

Dorothy’s return home has not been triumphant. She is struggling. She’s in pain, frustrated by her limitations, and beyond angry with Leanne. On the other hand, Leanne could not be more pleased with how things turn out. She still sincerely believes she can convince Dorothy to love her again, one act of service at a time. She spends most of her time trying to find ways to bring Dorothy back to her side. Unfortunately, it becomes apparent quickly that Dorothy is done being afraid and playing nice.

The men in the house are not on the same page as Dorothy, though. Julian and Leanne are still canoodling, and Sean is being obedient. Leanne has firm control over both of them. She sends Sean to his GQ interview despite him thinking he should stay with Dorothy. That allows Leanne to isolate Dorothy and try to worm her way back into her good graces. Typically things don’t go to plan.

Servant has always used the television smartly to convey critical information slyly and to give us peeks into a larger world that can feel so far away in our insular existence with the Turners. For example, a news report Dorothy watches is reporting a crime surge that has residents concerned and considering leaving Philadelphia. Is this indicative of the rot spreading past the brownstone and out into the city? Before the end of Servant Season 4 Episode 2, we seem to have that answer.

Leanne and Dorothy’s relationship has always been at the forefront. At times tender and nurturing, it has now turned sour. Dorothy rightfully hates Leanne, and nothing is going to change that. It doesn’t help that Leanne has taken her phone and restricted access to Jericho. She makes further mistakes by compiling all of Jericho’s old baby clothes into a quilt, including the yellow onesie he wore when he died. For Dorothy, that is devastating because Leanne is assuming her job as a mother. As much as Leanne has changed, she is still the same blundering girl who doesn’t understand how to handle Dorothy. She has never really understood the older woman and has consistently made mistakes.

Most of Servant Season 4 Episode 2 allowed Nell Tiger Free(Leanne) to unleash her inner Annie Wilkes. She withheld clothing, mistreated Dorothy, said vicious things to her, and bartered bites of food for hugs from Jericho. It’s unsettling behavior from the girl who used to be so meek. However, Leanne knows who she is now and is embracing her power.

Tobe is back, delivering what looks like an entire butchered pig. He and Julian circle each other, posturing for Leanne’s affection. Is there more to Sean’s assistant than meets the eye? He’s always been in the shadows. On the periphery but never a primary player. He is unfazed by the bed bug infestation and finds time to make Leanne a delicious meal. Is he trying to woo the girl back, or will this unimposing character play a more significant part in the final battle? Maybe he can convince her to return to the light?

Kourtney, with a K, makes another hilarious appearance in Servant Season 4 Episode 2. Dorothy texted her when Leanne gave her back her phone at Tobe’s urging. The poor girl had no idea she was walking into a bed bug nest but did manage to help Dorothy turn the tables a little bit. Leanne knows she is losing control over Julian and the Turners and doesn’t understand why they won’t love her. She says the hurt and anger feel like bugs crawling under your skin. She is going to make sure everyone feels her pain.

Servant has always been at its best when it mixes the absurd with the truly terrifying. Watching the group cavort in hazmat suits while Leanne takes a razor blade to Dorothy’s legs is jarring but also really funny. That recipe of classic horror tropes and unexpected oddness makes this show uniquely special.

Leanne’s group is back with a vengeance. They have moved right back into the park behind Leanne’s house and are bolder now. Julian is told by one of Leanne’s disciples that Leanne caused this to happen, and it is glorious. If that is true, Leanne’s power has grown immensely and is spreading well past their brownstone. When Uncle George appears later, he confirms what the park woman said. Leanne is in control of all of this.

Just as she punishes Dorothy and protects herself, Leanne gives Sean everything he ever wanted. Despite leaving his GQ interview early, they want him back. This time they want him for a more extensive interview. Those words make me wonder if Leanne is a wish demon that doles out your most incredible dreams but only if you reward her with devotion and love. It sure seems like she encourages vices and grants wishes like a Jinn.

Leanne is beginning to realize she has overplayed her hand, though. No amount of surprise shaving or lipstick smearing will change Dorothy’s mind. It is a turning point when Dorothy tells Leanne she thinks she is evil. Leanne understands she has sway over the men because they are terrified of her. She underestimates the force of nature that is Dorothy, though. Anyone who could survive that fall has to be remarkable. Maybe this ridiculous, flouncy, self-absorbed loon is really an angel? In any case, Dorothy is determined to regain control. Leanne may have to do her worst because now that Dorothy has hired two in-home nurses, she won’t have the same access she had before. She will have to use all her influence over the men to force the nurses out.

Nell Tiger Free was chilling in Servant Season 4 Episode 2. All of her anger and repressed frustration were on full display. Julian is fun to watch, and Sean has become a fully developed character, but the show has always belonged to Free’s Leanne and Lauren Ambrose’s Dorothy. The battle for Jericho and potentially the world will come down to these two women. Uncle George and his church are scary, but they don’t seem like the Big Bad they were in Season 1.

If there was any question about what was causing the house to decay, none should remain after Servant Season 4 Episode 2. Everyone from Leanne’s disciples to Uncle George is convinced she is behind all the attacks. Leanne’s minions are the birds, termites, bees, and bed bugs. Her powers and her rage are growing. So what happens when she loses control? Dorothy is pushing her hard, and the more pressure Leanne puts on Sean and Julian, the more they will begin acting unpredictably, which will only exacerbate things.

It feels like we are headed toward a disaster of epic proportions. Who will survive? Will anyone survive? It’s good versus evil, and I’m beginning to think we have been on the wrong side the entire time. Dorothy, the most unlikely of heroes, could be our savior. Follow all our Servant coverage here and look for the next episode next week on Apply TV +.

Stray Stray:

• The dish that Leanne asks Julian to make is called Chachoaka or Shakshouka. This spicy dish, traditionally served at breakfast or lunch, consists of tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, and eggs and is similar to the Latin American dish Huevos Rancheros. It would be a terrible idea to feed Dorothy this heavily spiced dish after eating so blandly for so long. It’s also not ideal knowing she cannot go to the restroom on her own. It is interesting to note that it is made with a tomato sauce base, considering how much tomato soup Leanne ate when she first came to the Turners.
• I am living for Tobe in his pink plastic poncho.
• Exterminator, bro, with his BRB speech, was precisely the comedy we needed after the heaping piles of bed bugs invaded.
• Tobe made Leanne a Mole Rojo. The tomato-based sauce is made with onions, garlic, cinnamon, chilis, and sometimes nuts or pumpkin seeds. It is the only time in the episode that Leanne felt cared for without judgment or fear. It’s also more tomatoes.
• Leanne’s room has decorations now. She favors a burnt orange color similar to tomato soup.
• Tobe means God is good. I have little doubt that he will be instrumental in the final episodes.