Servant Theory: Leanne & Her Cult Are Working For The Devil
There's been something strange about Leanne since the beginning of Servant, prompting some to theorize that her cult could be working for Satan/the devil. Servant season 1 slowly revealed that Leanne belongs to a cult that revered her for her apparent powers, but what if those powers come from a dark place? Here's what the Servant theory details, and whether it's plausible based on the existing evidence.
From the first day she arrived at Dorothy and Sean's home, it was clear that Leanne was unusual. Her presence transformed baby Jericho from a reborn doll to a living, breathing baby. Whenever one of the Turners upset Leanne, they were struck down with some kind of ailment — Dorothy with a cold sore and Sean with what was later revealed to be leprosy. Servant season 1 ended with Leanne leaving the Turner home to return to her cult with Jericho in tow. Her fellow cult members received her return like a lost leader.
It's safe to assume there's something supernatural at play in Servant — would it be a M. Night Shyamalan show if it wasn't? The show drops a number of hints that Leanne's cult draws its strength from one of the most prominent supernatural figures: the devil himself. Since the beginning of Servant, a theory has been circulating online that Leanne's cult works for the devil. Let's take a look at how that theory holds up.
A Reddit theory believes that Leanne and her cult are servants of Satan. The theory draws its claim from the way that it mirrors the iconic horror movie, Rosemary's Baby. The theory posits that Jericho is the son of Satan, and he sent Leanne to keep an eye on the baby. That way, she can ensure the baby grows up healthy and can evoke his father's chaotic will on the world when he grows up.
Shyamalan has confirmed (via The Hollywood Reporter) that his show has biblical roots. As he said, it's a biblical story set in a Philadelphia brownstone. While biblical stories may evoke images of angels and saviors, the devil also originated in the Bible. The show's costume designer has also confirmed that Servant is inspired by Rosemary's Baby (via Forbes). That horror movie is known for its satanic themes, further proving the idea that the devil may be behind the greater events of Servant.
The show puts those biblical and satanic roots into action with the way that Leanne interacts with Dorothy and Sean. While she is just their son's nanny, Leanne has an unspoken level of control over the couple. In a way, it seems like Leanne is torturing Dorothy and Sean, making the couple pay for their sins. Dorothy is an incredibly vain television reporter. She's obsessed with her appearance and obsessively watches her own stories on television. So when Dorothy slighted Leanne, she punished her in the most appropriate way by giving her a visible cold sore. Then there's Sean, who is a high-end chef with an incredibly expensive collection of wine. His world revolves around elaborate food and drink, making him something of a glutton. Sean was cold and distrusting of Leanne from the minute she entered his home. So, Leanne decided to take away his ability to taste food and drink, along with a few other peculiar symptoms.
There's clearly something sinister about the way that Leanne is able to summon punishments at will for Sean and Dorothy, but Shyamalan made sure to infuse Biblical undertones into each punishment. When Leanne is upset with one of the Turners, for example, she writes their name next to specific passages in her Bible. The passages she chooses are either related to sinful acts or the punishments that befall the couple. In the season 1 episode "Cricket," Dorothy sends Leanne on a needless trip across town to get her a slice of cake. When Leanne returns, she approaches Dororthy's room to give her the cake. She can hear Sean and Dorothy engaging in intercourse on the other side of the door, so she backs off. The next day, Dorothy brushes off the unnecessary trip she made Leanne go on and doesn't appear thankful in the slightest. So, Leanne writes her name next to Leviticus chapter 18, a passage that discusses sexual activity. Dorothy receives the boil on her lip the next day.
Although her motives weren't always pure, Dorothy still made an effort to be kind to Leanne. Sean never really made the effort, so he saw one long drawn-out punishment. He found splinters embedded all over his body, lost his sense of taste, and eventually began to lose feeling in his hand. In the Servant season 2 premiere, Sean looks through Leanne's things and eventually finds his name next in the Bible next to Leviticus 13. This Bible verse discusses the test of leprosy — a disease in which the affected experiences symptoms similar to the one Sean has been dealing with on the show. Servant makes use of Bible verses in other ways as well. Season 1's "Haggis" ends with Leanne watching a televised sermon that mentions Numbers 16:30, which is a clear reflection of the Turners' sins. The dark tones of these passages have Satan's influence written all over them.
There's not enough substantial evidence in Servant as of this writing to refute the claim that Leanne is working for the devil — she could be a servant of Satan. Shyamalan has scattered ominous biblical references in plain sight throughout Servant. Leanne has shown time and again how much she reveres the Bible, but she never uses it in a positive light. She seems to use her faith as a way to punish and torment others, which is in line with the works of Satan.
While it has been established there's a good chance Leanne and her cult are working for the devil, that still leads to a number of questions. Is baby Jericho truly the son of Satan? With many people committing terrible sins in the world, why did the cult sink its claws into the Turners? What are the extent of Leanne's dark and satanic powers? As Shyamalan has proven time and time again with his previous supernatural-themed works, the audience can expect some unusual answers to these questions. That said, fans will need to be a little more patient as Servant continues to unravel the mystery of Leanne and her cult.