Servant

FIRST SEASON : 8,2/10

SECOND SEASON : 7/10

THIRD SEASON : 7,6/10

FOURTH SEASON : 7,8/10

I agree with many reviewers, second season is a let-down. Whereas, first season seemed like a great mystery tv series. Not many of those recently. However, i didn't regret for keep watching this, because third season went on the rails again. And fourth season provided a fine/satisfying conclusion. Many people didn't like the ending. I think it was good. Any other outcome would be disappointing.

Very good acting, nice cinematography, well directed, never boring except some second season's episodes. Some times, it was repetitive, sometimes it seemed that they ran out of ideas, repeating the same things again and again. It was not a perfect tv show but it kept you guessing until the end, and there were many intense episodes. Most of the questions were answered. Yes, the later seasons are not as good as the first one, SERVANT promised more than it delivered. But at the end of the day, it was a fun ride. Penultimate first season's episode was one of the greatest tv episodes of the last 5 years. Don't expect a masterpiece, and you will enjoy it, if you like mystery movies/series.

No need to tell you the set-up. You know enough already. It had me in from the first episode. I stuck with it. It maintains its interest rather than build upon it beyond Epidsode 2. It never gets better than that. It's essentially a play. Almost all of the action takes place in the house. It could quite easily be a play. Yet the issue is, when you limit something to this degree, the shock, thriller value can only travel so far, until you have to deliver. It's smart and it traverses these boundaries very well. However it was Episode 6 that finally crossed the line of realism. You can hide reality various film making techniques, which is what has been done here, such as cutting away from certain scenes, distracting the audience when the truth should have been expanded upon and more, but in Ep 6, some events occur that do not generate a normal human reaction. This is not realistic. No spoilers but it took me out of it.

You can't sustain this idea for this long and continue to attempt to deliver suspense without either boring the viewers or going too far. Ep6 goes too far. Younger viewers might swallow it up but astute, mature people will say, hang on, this is not a normal response to this situation. Most normal people in this situation will have resolved this quandary in Episode 2. A shame because it was quite engaging up until 6. Worth watching for many reasons, but you do have to suspend your own normal emotional reactions in order to stay with it. A good series but not a great one. The acting is great. As you would expect perhaps, from such a stagey, theatrical type experience. For me, Rupert Grint is the standout.

If Servant were a restaurant it would be that 5 star place with the waiting list you'll never get on & food that is exquisite in every way but not near enough of it (with Yellowjackets being your favorite restaurant you never want to leave with affordable but amazing food, excellent atmosphere and music and you know you'll patronize it until it's ripped from your life due to unfair circumstances, and fantastically so-bad-it's-good reality tv being McDonalds). Servant would be the restaurant where Sean is the head chef. It's so visually stunning and the acting from all 4 main characters (as well as the supporting actors) is so on point, it almost feels like it's too good for the likes of me. I wish the episodes were longer. The directors and screenwriters have really brought their "A" games to every element from props to music to creating the atmosphere of mystery, surrealism and over-indulgence. I truly think all four main actors deserve all the awards for what they do here; Lauren Ambrose and Rupert Grint are so compelling I literally cannot remove my eyes from the screen every time they're on. Ambrose was born for this role and I hope she gets the recognition she deserves. Her facial expressions and acting chops in general, such as her just full embodiment of yuppyism at its best (or worst?), are really a treat to behold. Wow.

This is a very good show except the performance of Dorothy. Just like Dr. Smith makes me quit Lost in Space, Dorothy begin to make me hard to keep watch this show. Sorry I'm not a native English speaker, I don't know how to describe the problem of their performance: overdone? too much unnecessary facial expression? superficial? Just can't stand actor/actress with this kind of style. Other actors/actresses in this show are all very good. And the plot and suspension, great. I would have given it 8 if it was not that Dorothy with all her excessive facial expression!

I'm not going long with this review but I want to confirm what others have written. MOST of the episodes end up with suspense and questions that makes you want to watch the next episode.

When the next episode comes out, nothing happens and everything is crazy boring until the end of the episode where new questions come out and suspence that makes you think that something will happen the next episode. It's a cycle invented to keep you hooked at the show, but slowly killing it. I already expect nothing happening during the whole episode and when approaching the end of the episode, some questions and suspense and then... the next episode aires and nothing happens except for the last minutes of the show. The story is also getting boring and out of 3 seasons I feel like I didn't learn anything more about this story.

This is a frustrating way to make television and I've never seen anything like it in any other tv show before, specially when done in every episode. That's so sad, you want our attention at all costs. What kind of school did the director go to make such a terrible, repetitive, cyclic and frustrating structure?