‘Servant’ Recap: ‘Hive’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘Servant’. To revisit the season three premiere, click here.
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One particular trend that has emerged regarding the Apple TV+ series, Servant, is that the show is keen to use its story to lightly (or deeply) explore an overreaching theme. For instance, season one was all about the power of trauma as it stems from loss, since we saw the Turners struggle mightily over the death of Jericho, to the point where Dorothy couldn’t even discuss it. Whereas season two peppered in explorations regarding rebirth, as evidenced by the secrets we learned about Leanne and her group and of course… Julian’s moment of resurrection is of note as well. Which means that season three should be keeping in line with such examinations, since this series hasn’t deviated from this pattern in the slightest, and it just so happens that the next episode in this series, revealed to all of us that a deeper theme will indeed be hanging over year three. 
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A reveal that ‘Hive’ brought forth in a fascinating manner. For when we catch up with Dorothy and Sean here, they’re planning to do something they’ve not done in a hot minute and host a giant play date for other mothers and kids in the neighborhood. A plan that quite frankly, scared the ever living hell out of Leanne. Because she knew that her old friends and surrogate family were out there somewhere, looking for a way in to wreak havoc upon her new family and that put her in a frustrated place. One where she wanted to support Dorothy and Sean and live some semblance of a normal life whilst at the same time… feeling safe from danger. And the family was so eager for her to experience that sense of safety, that they even had security cameras installed in the home to give her peace of mind and for a time… it seemed as though Leanne would be okay with this event.

Because she was able to stay calm when the mommy get-together got underway, and she was even able to sit in that room and tolerate the odd discussions about Jericho’s death and Julian’s overdose without losing it in the slightest. But the genuine fear surging through Leanne regarding the possible return of people she never wanted to see again, drove her to take part in some concerning acts. The kind that saw her pull a knife on the entertainment and scream and yell at anyone from the group that came near her and had it not been for a strange surprise, wherein a beehive erupted in the midst of the party, who knows how far Leanne would have taken her inappropriate behavior and desperate acts to keep the family ‘safe’ in a manner that she saw fit. But while the episode ended on a somewhat peaceful note, the damage was done and the theme… presented itself, through Leanne’s behavior.

Which means that in essence, season three of this bold series… is going to focus heavily on the power of fear and how it can transform us and potentially destroy what we treasure and well, it would appear that such an examination… has the potential to bring about some genuinely scary and unsettling moments. Because Leanne is clearly willing to express her fear in an unrestrained and forceful manner and if her actions here are the bare beginnings of what’s to come regarding her desire to defend herself and the Turners, then she is going to become a terrifying force in this story for certain. One that will undoubtedly erode trust in the people she wants to be around. In fact, that’s already started since both Julian and Dorothy expressed doubt about her in their own special ways.

As to where that will lead, who knows, but the bottom line, is that Leanne is starting to crumble emotionally and mentally and immersing herself in these toxic emotions and behaviors will indeed bring her to a destructive reckoning. One where she might hurt the people she cares about or have to atone for a stupid mistake. But while we wait to see if this is going to bring forth a villain’s origin story or redemption for a broken woman that has been through hell, we can bask in the wonder of a genuinely surprising episode. Because it is just rare for horror to put this level of emotion on display, and it just goes to show that this series is a cut above others in the genre, and it will be quite interesting to see where this grand twist takes us in the weeks to come. Until next time.

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