‘Servant’ Recap: ‘Jericho’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 109 of ‘Servant’.
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There is no greater reward for fans of television shows that are shrouded in mystery, than when the truth finally comes to light. Simply because at long last, questions are answered, the plot can move forward and usually the grand reveal in question is something quite powerful and moving. To the point where it only invests the viewer further in the storytelling experience. But while a great many shows follow that edict to keep everyone happy, some shows make their reveal; a difficult and painful venture for the audience. For what comes to light is depressing and dark and disturbing and downright unsettling and if handled in the wrong manner, it feels akin to a punishment instead of a reward. 
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But when it is done right, it is impactful and powerful and fits right in with what the series is trying to accomplish, and it just so happens that the penultimate season one episode of Servant handles some uncomfortable truth in the proper manner. For ‘Jericho’ is a story that finally reveals exactly how Sean and Dorothy’s baby died and well, what it reveals is quite shocking. So shocking in fact, that even the normally meek and gentle Leanne feels a need to torment Dorothy in this particular tale. For the truth she learned from Julian has unsettled her soul and understandably so. Because Jericho’s death could have been avoided, something we were unaware of to this point, and the grand reveal of how his passing occurred, definitely leaves one conflicted. 

Because it came about by way of outright negligence from a pair of parents that quite frankly… maybe should not have had a kid in the first place. For the flashbacks in this tale show us how woefully unprepared both Dorothy and Sean were in bringing a child into this world. For Sean was off to film a television show about cooking shortly after his son’s birth. Which meant that Dorothy, who has exhibited some flightiness in the time we’ve known her, was left to her own devices with a newborn and that went about as well as expected. Because she simply could not handle the constant crying and the amount of work that goes into caring for a child. Which should come as no surprise since Dorothy has made it clear that she is used to having others do the nit and grit stuff for her and well, having to genuinely bust her hump, is what led to the dark moments in question.

For one hot and awful summer day, after she brought the groceries back in. Dorothy quickly laid down for a nap, one that extended well into the evening thanks to the sheer exhaustion she was experiencing. But the joy she experienced shortly after waking up from her super nap, quickly turned to horror when she realized that little Jericho, had been left in the car all day, and well… there was no coming back from being trapped in the heat for that long. But that didn’t stop his mother from believing that everything was going to be okay. To the point where she carried her deceased little one around in the hopes of him magically breaking free from death’s icy grip. But despite her best efforts to keep a status quo going and, eventually, the harsh reality of what she’d done finally sunk in and that brought about the breaking point that everyone has been referring to since we first started this journey.

If anything, this was one heavy episode for certain. After all, this is a taboo topic any way you slice it, one that makes people incredibly uncomfortable for obvious reasons. But thankfully this episode handled the matter in a classy manner, and it really does get serious credit for changing our perceptions of both Dorothy and Sean. Because up until this tale, we all thought them to be broken people who suffered pain at the whims of tragedy. But now, it’s obvious that they are a tad on the arrogant side and wanted a baby to pad their social standing and that leaves the audience unsure of what to think about them going forward. Do we feel pity? Fury? Or do we wait and see what the season finale has in store for us before we pass any judgment on the kind of people they actually are? Likely the latter option is the best one to put in place mentally. But it is hard to not think poorly of them after this tale, because all they had to do to avoid Jericho’s death, was to put him, first. Until next time.   

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