WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Servant Season 2, Episode 7, "Marino," which aired Friday on Apple TV+.
The last episode of Servant, "Espresso," ended on a tragic cliffhanger. Dorothy, Sean and Julian, along with Leanne and Uncle George, looked in horror as the news detailed reports of gunshots heard at the Marino household, implying that they have been victims of a violent crime. The Marinos had been previously established as the family that Leanne was tasked to "help" by the Church of the Lesser Saints, caring for the critically ill Mrs. Marino and her young son, Sergio.
However, after Dorothy discovered Leanne's location, she concocted a plan to infiltrate and kidnap Leanne in order to find Jericho. Leanne's Uncle George, adamant that Leanne fulfill her duties to the Marinos, convinced Sean to return her to them before they received the news. At the start of this week's episode, "Marino," viewers finally learn what happened to the Marinos, and the answer is heartbreaking.
As "Marino" begins, the family is glued to the television. Uncle George, furious at Leanne's "disobedience," goes into a semi-catatonic state, mumbling prayers to himself. Leanne becomes similarly fanatical, retreating to her attic and making numerous straw crosses. Meanwhile, Dorothy calls her news network to check on the status of the Marinos, and she discovers that the incident was a triple homicide, with the youngest child, Sergio, missing.
Officer Reyes, having discovered their fake pizza company at the Marino house, visits the Turners as they hide George and Leanne's presence from her. Reyes reveals that Mr. Marino was the killer, so they're now searching for Sergio, but they're assuming he's dead too. By the end of the episode, Reyes is tragically correct, with the news announcing that Sergio's body was found in a crawlspace with three gunshot wounds in the head.
Although Dorothy theorizes that the Church of Lesser Saints had committed the crime, the tragedy of the Marinos might be more directly tied to the Church's holy mission and Leanne's absence from their home. In the previous episode, Uncle George told Sean about how the Church's mission is to help others, but they can only assist those they're told to help, otherwise the consequences are dire.
Leanne also believes this to be true, explaining how someone interprets the signs to decide where the cult members go. According to Leanne, everyone has a place, but she disobeyed "Him" by abandoning her place -- the Marino's -- and coming to the Turners. Leanne suggests the fate of the Marinos is directly tied to her leaving their side, so God is punishing her by killing them.
Divine retribution or not, the Marinos were already in a precarious place when Leanne was taken from them, given the failing health of Mrs. Marino. Officer Reyes also tells Sean that while Mrs. Marino was sick, Mr. Marino was "hurting," but he couldn't cope with the pain. If Leanne's purpose was to help the family through this difficult time, then her sudden absence may have been the catalyst that pushed the family past the breaking point. Whatever was the direct reason for their demise, the death of the Marinos has profoundly affected all of the main characters, testing Leanne's faith and possibly unravelling the Turners' precarious plot.
Starring Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free and Rupert Grint, the second season of Servant airs every Friday on Apple TV+.