Dorothy is back home, tensions are high, and the figurative infestation turns literal.  All this and more happened on this week’s episode of Servant…

Shared Misery
After her terrible fall and months of rehab, Dorothy is finally back home, albeit completely bedridden.  And with Sean having an interview with GQ, it’s left to Leanne to care for Dorothy.  Given how the accident happened in the first place, Dorothy is obviously distrustful of Leanne and refuses her help over and over, even spilling her own urine on her.

By this point, Leanne’s gaslighting of Dorothy is in full swing.  In private, she expresses frustration to Julian (whom she’s also been “dating”) that she wishes Dorothy and the rest of them appreciated her more.  So she’s coming from a sympathetic place, but her ability to coldly refuse to let Dorothy see Jericho is pretty messed up.

Leanne even goes full Annie Wilkes, telling Dorothy that she’s all she’s got since Sean and Julian remain afraid of her, and that she enjoys it.  The tables have definitely turned from when Leanne was a literal prisoner in the house, to her basically being Jericho’s mother now.  The young boy has grown quite a bit, and at this point he probably recognizes Leanne more than Dorothy.

It’s been a fascinating journey to watch Leanne go from timid and passive to coming into her own.  Ever since the homeless kids basically worshiped her last season, she’s certainly gained more confidence in herself.  But she still ventures into villainous territory when she intentionally toys with Dorothy, even if she believes it’s justified for what Dorothy did to Jericho way back when.

Nasty Itch
All the while, the entire neighborhood is dealing with an infestation of bed bugs, which makes it to the Turner home as well.  In addition to dealing with a gleefully manipulative Leanne, Dorothy is being bitten up by the nasty little pests all day as well.  In addition to making you feel itchy, the bed bugs feel like the perfect visual representation of the darkness and chaos that’s infested their home.

On the other hand, it’s suggested that perhaps Leanne had something to do with the infestation as a tactic to keep her former cult from being able to get to her.  Between last episode’s blatant daytime attack and Uncle George’s brief appearance this episode, they’re clearly not done with her, and another confrontation is likely coming.

From a more symbolic perspective, the presence of hazmat suits in the neighborhood is no doubt a grim reminder of the last time someone dressed like that was in the house, and responding to the tragic death and decomposition of Jericho.  To date, Dorothy hasn’t fully confronted that memory in her own mind, but that’s coming as well!

What did you think of this episode of Servant?  What do you hope to see next week?  Let us know in the comments!

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