‘Servant’: Why the Apple TV+ Series Will End With Season 4
M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller, Servant, is back for season 3. And while teasing what’s to come, the showrunner revealed why he’s ending the Apple TV+ series with season 4.
M. Night Shyamalan explains why ‘Servant’ Season 4 will serve as a good end to the Apple TV+ series
Servant premiered in 2019 to critical acclaim. By the second season, which hit Apple TV+ in January 2021, the show grew in popularity, and its finale cliffhanger left audiences wanting more.
Servant Season 3 hits the streamer on Jan. 21. And it has already been renewed for a fourth installment. Shyamalan, whose daughter Ishana Shyamalan serves as writer and director, is ending the series with Season 4. And he says it’s because he wants the show to be driven by its story, not viewership.
“It’s tricky because if you’re doing an episodic show, it’s not as problematic,” he told TV Line. “But on a serialized show, you’re kind of going, “Did the audience like it? OK, we’ve got another season! — And you feel that we’re just adding on additions to the house rather than [focusing on] its natural design.”
Acknowledging the show’s growing audience, Shyamalan said he doesn’t want to keep going only to appease ratings. “It’s a tricky balancing act because the information that’s driving you is coming in yearly,” he suggested.
“Part of the reason I wanted to get to a finish line: I don’t want to be telling a story in relation to the decay or rise of the audience,” Shyamalan added. “Hopefully, the audience will feel that integrity, and it’ll resonate with them as they move forward.”
Shyamalan teases what’s ahead on ‘Servant’ Season 3
Servant follows the story of Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell), their mysterious new nanny, Leanne (Nell Tiger Free), and Dorothy’s brother, Julian (Rupert Grint). Last season, after finding out Leanne was part of a strange cult, Dorothy kidnapped and tortured the nanny, pressuring her to get Jericho back.
But after the finale — in which Leanne shuns her cult in favor of Dorothy — the dynamic between the two has changed. And according to Ishana Shyamalan, season 3 will find the pair in a much more respectful place. But she hints fans will have until the end of the season to see how their relationship pans out.
“Where they start out in Season 3 is actually a really beautiful place,” she told TV Line. “They are all coexisting in this family unit and seeing if it can work as this family of four brought together by these crazy circumstances. It’s very fraught and beautiful in many ways, and we’ll see if it can work out.”
How many episodes is ‘Servant’ Season 3?
The first two seasons of Shyamalan’s Apple TV+ series aired with ten episodes each. And it seems the new installment will be just as long.
Servant Season 3 will also air with ten episodes. The show premieres on Jan. 21 and will drop new episodes weekly, on Fridays.
