Servant Season 4 Episode 9 Awake Review And Recap- Dorothy Remembers, And It Changes Everything
We’ve been waiting for four seasons for this. It was as inevitable as taxes and just as painful. We knew it had to happen sometimes, and as much as we were eager for Dorothy to finally remember what happened, we dreaded it. To so completely lose yourself in a delusion like that, the pain and grief had to be profound. The worst thing that could happen to a parent happened to this family, and it broke them. If anything were going to shake Dorothy out of it, now would be the time. Instead, Dorothy’s house, life, and family have been destroyed. In a stunning Servant Season 4 Episode 9, Dorothy, Sean, and Julian break down in an episode that showcases a trio of powerful performances.
It’s just Leanne, Dorothy, and Jericho now. The boys are in the hospital, and the storm is still raging. Dorothy is scared but resolved. Her injury and need to protect Jericho give Leanne the upper hand, and both women know it. Leanne should have counted on the resiliency and love of this group, though. Leanne appears to have remarkable powers and a dangerous obsession with Dorothy, but the Turners and Julian have something forged in fire. Sean manages to get a message to Dorothy in a decoy basket of food, and after a harrowing night with Leanne, Dorothy realizes she isn’t as alone as she thought.
Armed with the bravery Uncle George’s revelation gave them, the boys aren’t scared of Leanne anymore. They have nothing left to lose, so they put their plan into action and drive to the brownstone the next day to meet Dorothy in secret. If Leanne weren’t so terrifying, she would be tragic. She wants so badly for Dorothy to love her. No amount of family movie nights will heal what ails these women. One is desperate to hang onto her child, and the other is desperate for the mother she never had.
Fueling the Wizard Of Oz rumors, Leanne chooses the classic movie to watch in Servant Season 4 Episode 9. The fact that Jericho is dressed in blue gingham, like Dorothy’s dress, is also important to note. Later, when Sean calls himself a coward, those theories seem even more plausible. It’s likely, though, that this is just window dressing meant to distract though. Servant has always been about trauma, guilt, pain, and the ties that bind us.
The only fight Dorothy has ever backed down from was the one in her own head. Hoping for the best and willing to risk everything, she tricks Leanne. She tells Jericho goodbye, possibly for the last time, and her pain is palpable. While Leanne is busy with Jericho’s bath, she painfully makes her way down the stairs and out to Sean and Julian, waiting in a car outside. It’s a tense, masterfully crafted scene that builds tension with each painful step. Dorothy has to walk without help avoiding the middle of the floor that would creak and alert Leanne to her deception. Leaving her walker and elevator behind is symbolic of leaving the crutch of her fantasy behind later in the episode. Then, a few moments later, she metaphorically stands on her own two feet as she faces what she has been suppressing for over a year.
As agonizing as her trek outside is, nothing compares to the family’s conversation in the car. Both men collapse under the weight of their guilt and stress. They know they are as much to blame for the terrible accident as anyone. Sean was exhausted and selfish, and Julian was strung out. Yet, each man knew Dorothy needed help and elected to leave her alone. Rupert Grint is fantastic, as everything Julian has been holding on to comes pouring out. Equally powerful is Toby Kebell, whose more quiet approach to Sean’s grief is layered with love.
The scene belongs to Lauren Ambrose, though. Dorothy’s memory comes back in an excruciating rush of emotion and disbelief. What happened to them is unbearable. What has continued to happen to them is even worse. Instead of being able to heal with each other, Julian and Sean made a series of decisions that left them all vulnerable. It isn’t their fault. They were also grieving and thought they were doing the right thing. As much as we all knew this was necessary for the story, it was hard to watch. The pieces of time Dorothy lost surge back in broken shards that slice and burn as they fall into place. A tear-filled gutwrenching crescendo caps the revelation as she fights the men and then embraces them.
After collecting themselves, the trio head back into the house to confront Leanne. Feeling her power over the family slipping away, Leanne plays the only card she has left. She makes Jericho disappear and replaces him with the Reborn doll that started this all. The boys try to convince Dorothy this is all a trick and that the child is hidden in the tunnels. They also tell her they have found a family several states over that Leanne may have stolen the baby from.
There is only one episode left, and there are still lots of questions. The two biggest questions concern Leanne. What is she, and what is Jericho? Is he a poor stolen child or something magical? is Leanne a fallen angel or a simple unstable girl? The Servant series finale will have to pack a lot into thirty minutes. That’s a tall order, but this series has never shied away from almost impossible tasks. Oddly, I am optimistic that a mystery box show will finally get the ending it deserves. Find all our Servant coverage here.
As the Managing Editor for Signal Horizon, I love watching and writing about genre entertainment. I grew up with old-school slashers, but my real passion is television and all things weird and ambiguous. My work can be found here and Travel Weird, where I am the Editor in Chief.