Donkey

## Behind the scenes

**"Donkey"** is the twenty-first episode of *Servant*. It debuted on 21 January, 2022, on Apple TV+, as the first episode of season 3.

## Plot

Leanne is awoken by dreams of past events with Josephine at the Turner house. She prays using her dagger and then goes to write in a journal with blank pages, but does not write anything on the latest entry. She takes a shower and then back in her bedroom attempts to revive a dead moth to no success. In Jericho’s room, Leanne finds Jericho is missing and makes her way downstairs where she hears Sean, Dorothy, and Julian Pearce in the kitchen along with Jericho.

It’s been three months since the incident with Aunt Josephine and Leanne is scared of anyone going out for fear the Church of the Lesser Saints will go after the family. Later, Sean has to go out and asks Julian to take Leanne for a walk which he does, much to Leanne’s reluctance. On the walk, Julian says to Leanne that he cannot keep having sex with her, which she does not like. Nonetheless, they carry on with the walk until Leanne spots a figure across the road that looks like Uncle George. Turning the figure around she sees it is not George but still decides she wants to go home. She takes Jericho and moves quickly with Julian following and as Julian comes to the bottom of the steps of the Turner house, part of the house nearly falls on him.

Leanne sits down in the basement with Sean and stares at the destroyed floor. Sean says he cannot believe they are on the other side of this and that they called someone to help fix the floor. Leanne locks the windows, and Dorothy gives Leanne beach clothing as a gift. Dorothy encourages Leanne again to fill out the journal to write down her feelings to make her feel better. In her bedroom, Leanne looks at a picture on the wall and a moth climbs out of a hole above it.

Later, the Turners are getting ready for their vacation and Julian arrives with his new girlfriend/sweetheart Vera. Leanne reiterates she does not want to go which the Turners reluctantly accept, and Leanne asks them not to go near strangers. The Turners leave and Leanne checks everything is locked and the burglar alarm is set. She cleans up the dead moths on her windowsill and vacuums. While doing this, the door to the room she is in slams shut and she seduces that the air conditioning caused this. She eats in the basement and video calls Sean who updates them on how their vacation is going. While Leanne drinks wine, she notices the water on the floor bubbling and she begins to scribble in her notebook symbols which she does not understand.

Leanne calls Tobe asking him to come over, but he says he can’t. She is video called by Dorothy who updates them on their trip, including Julian being attacked by Seagulls. Leanne finds her notepad on the draw and sees the symbols look like birds. As she discovers this, she hears a noise of someone in the house and she hides in a closet, phoning Sean. He tells her to hide, saying they will phone the police and are on their way home. She exits the closet and goes upstairs, hiding beside Josephine between the walls. After the burglar enters the room, she jumps out and confronts him, trapping him in a closet. The man is able to escape before the police enter the Turner house.

While the Turners speak to the police, Leanne goes to her bedroom and discovers something of hers is missing. Dorothy comforts Leanne on her bed, reassuring that she is there for her. Leanne then notices one of the months on her lampshade.

## Cast

### Starring

* Lauren Ambrose as Dorothy Turner
* Toby Kebbell as Sean Turner
* Rupert Grint as Julian Pearce
* Nell Tiger Free as Leanne Grayson

### Guest Starring

* Tony Revolori as Toby
* Sunita Mani as Vera (debut)

### Co-Starring

* James and Jack Hoogerwerff
* Caiden and Luka Ravenscroft
* Barry Ratcliffe
* Jason Hurt
* Reid Hill
* Greg Poppa

## Notes

* The title refers to the donkey in the painting that is being whipped in front of an old man in Leanne's room

1. ↑ In most parts of the US, the episode was actually available in prime time on Thursday, but the Apple TV app nevertheless maintained that it debuted on Friday. So the actual date of first stream was January 20, 2022.