Rain Dogs (Season 1), Episode 1 Recap & Ending Explained: Ken Loach’s humanist films give a closer look into the lives of working-class Brits. Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper from this year’s Sundance brought a new life to their representation. Cash Carraway’s new black comedy series – ‘Rain Dogs,’ takes this tradition further and presents a portrait of a working-class mother with an ingenious mix of warmth and humor.
Instead of showing her daily struggle for survival through a singular lens of pity, it treats her character with dignity. It shows the bleakness of her life through spurts of organic humor. The amount of roundedness it has achieved with its central characters just through its first episode is truly remarkable.
The premiere, available on HBO, gives a basic introduction to their lives and their idiosyncratic nature, borne out of necessity or compulsion. Before reading further, be aware that there are spoilers ahead.
Rain Dogs (Season 1), Episode 1 Recap
Episode 1: It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
The first episode, directed by Richard Laxton, begins with Costello Jones (Daisy May Cooper) and her daughter, Iris (Fleur Tashjian), being kicked out of their apartment. A bailiff (Justin Marosa) keeps knocking on her door, reminding her of the amount she hasn’t paid to her landlord. While he makes that noise, she and Iris keep gathering all the things in a bag. After engaging in a minor scuffle with him, she leaves her apartment while throwing down her keys. Be it her or Iris, neither let go of their dignity because of this incident, even if they have to find another place to stay.
On the same day, Costello’s gay friend, Selby (Jack Farthing), spends his last day in jail. Before he gets out, his cellmate reminds him of his debt. He then walks away like a majesty among the prisoners’ squabbles. On the outside, Costello keeps her stuff at a laundrette for the day. Even when she does not have any money, she hails a car. Despite the looming threat of homelessness, she smiles at her small victory of spending the 99th day sober.
With Iris, Costello speaks about piano lessons, giving the driver a sense that they are from a posh family. During their ride, Selby keeps getting in touch with her, but she rejects his calls. Then, she tells the driver to pull over and runs away with Iris without paying the driver. Then she drops her at school and assures her that by 5 PM, she will have a place for them to stay. However, despite Selby’s repeated texts, she refuses to get in touch with him.
After that, she reaches her friend Gloria’s (Ronke Adekoluejo) place to see if she can help out. Unfortunately, she is out of home, drunk during the day, and asleep in a phone booth. Lenny (Adrian Edmondson) wakes her up, which is when she realizes that she does not have her phone. So, even if Costello wanted to reach her, she could not. Meanwhile, since Costello does not respond, Selby reaches Iris’ school. He leaves after giving her some money to keep their meeting a secret from her mother.
Costello goes to a store to buy some food for the day. The storeowner questions why she does not pay what she owes or get an AirBnb. Costello is dumbstruck by how tone-deaf her advice is. ‘Wouldn’t I choose that option if I had the money?’ you see that thought imprinted on her face. A fellow customer, Brett (Stephen Wight), overhears their dialogue and chips in to help out this woman in need. He gets a ‘damsel in distress’ to whom he can show his generosity. She senses his shadiness and, thus, does not accept his offer to stay at his place with ‘terms and conditions.’ She meets her boss to seek work and earn for the day. But he leaves her high and dry.
Seeing all her options going to waste, she finally decides to meet Selby, with whom she had not ended things on good terms. She comes across him at a washroom where he uses oral sex to earn money. They sit on different blocks, share a cigarette, and discuss their past and present. We learn that she is an aspiring writer who did not contact him even once during his prison time of over a year, even if they are ‘best friends.’ She calls out his violent fight that made her part ways. Then, she also jokes about how he is staying with his mother like a kid. Eventually, he leaves without ending their conversation.
Seeing that this option does not work out, Costello goes to Brett’s place. She checks out his apartment and learns that he was planning to offer his cupboard. He says that he had also helped another (needy) mother, who made a cozy life for herself for over two years. Costello looks around his flat, sensing the signs of his perversion, and decides to leave. She keeps trying all the options in her hand. She calls the homelessness website, but it has a long wait line. Later, she goes back to Gloria’s place but finds her not returned by then. That, unfortunately, means that she cannot fulfill her promise to Iris.
Rain Dogs (Season 1), Episode 1 Ending Explained
Do Costello and Iris find a place to stay for the night?
Seeing all her options dried out, Costello goes back to the laundrette at the end of the day. She rests with Iris for a bit, hoping to get the night’s sleep. But the manager orders her to leave both for policy and safety concerns. Like the shop owner earlier, he also suggests looking for an Airbnb for the night. (Again, tone-deaf!)
So, she breaks a car window, hoping this car to be her solution for the night. Iris hands over the banknote that Selby gave and lightens up her mother’s mood. They enter the earlier convenience store, where the owner feels pity for her situation and hands over some leftover bread. With the money she has, she buys a lottery card and wins ten quid. It makes her even more hopeful. But luck does not work on her side in the next couple of chances, which leaves her at Brett’s doorstep.
Costello begrudgingly enters Brett’s place, puts Iris to sleep, and closes the cupboard door. That’s when he starts showing his true signs of perversion, asking her to dress her a certain way and eventually expecting sex from her. So, she locks herself in the cupboard with Iris and texts Selby asking for quick help. Selby was having the time of his life at the time, playing mahjong with someone with whom he wanted to have sex. But the moment he sees Costello’s text, he runs away with his lofty win and rescues Costello from the pervert’s place.
The three return to Costello’s place and break down its door, which bears an eviction notice. Finally, she and Iris find a place to stay. Selby hands over his winning amount, and they share their appreciation for each other before parting ways for the night. Right afterward, she finds out that she has finished her 100th day of sobriety. Iris congratulates her, and they share this moment of sheer joy. Unfortunately, it is disturbed yet again by a police officer knocking on her door.
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Rain Dogs TV Series (2023- ) Links: IMDb
Rain Dogs TV Series (2023- ) Cast: Daisy May Cooper, Jack Farthing, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Fleur Tashjian
Where to watch Rain Dogs
