Rain Dogs (Season 1), Episode 4 Recap & Ending Explained: HBOโs โRain Dogsโ ended its previous episode on an assuring note. Before that, Costello saw a letter from her mother lying in the pile of envelopes. She got terrified, sensing her mother’s presence nearby, and looked around for a sign of her. Later, she spoke about it to Selby, who had the same fear in his eyes as Costello’s. Since he already had the plan to move to Bruton (a forceful eviction by his mother), he asks Costello and Iris to join him. This ending conveyed the mother-daughter’s escape from the troubling circumstances in the city.
The latest episode, streaming on HBO Max, shows their co-existence in this quaint little town and the experience that comes along with it.
Spoilers ahead.
Rain Dogs (Season 1), Episode 4 Recap
Episode 4: Didion Hell: Does Costello get a ‘happily ever after’ life?
Costello (Daisy May Cooper) and Selby (Jack Farthing) adore the stressless, relaxed environment of their new abode. Iris (Fleur Tashjian) also cannot get enough of this serene plot of land. Here, they do not have to worry about paying bills or living in cramped spaces. The feeling of freedom also pleases Costello, who now has plenty of time to write her book without having to spend the majority of her time working. She can now live like one of the posh women with plenty of free time, where writing is a part of her daily routine rather than a luxury.
While writing regularly, Costello also gets a job in a bookshop that sells candles and tote bags. Now she can walk around and meet celebrities while living a life as they do. Besides this joy, it also provides the protection that she always wanted for Iris. The months pass by like a breeze, and in May, Gloria (Ronke Adekoluejo) drops by to pay a visit to her old friends. Unlike Costello, she is not satisfied with the present situation. While she hints at a possible future break-up with Paul, Costello looks at her as a sign of the life that she left behind.
Later, Selby & Costello celebrate Irisโs tenth birthday. This Bruton place feels like a dream to her for having lived an inconsistent life for years. While they all relish the perfect life they have, Costello continues to save some money in case of an emergency. Iris sees Costelloโs savings as a way of her plan to move out. She does not want this flawless life to ever end. However, having lived a life with a fair share of misery, Costello understands its unpredictable nature.
Besides, just because they have it good now, she does not want them to be careless. She does not want to be homeless again, as they were not long ago. These savings can ensure it would not happen. Her cautious optimism teaches another lesson to Iris โ you have power when you have money. A power to make choices and have a safety net. Costello wants that sense of stability.
Then a few months down the line, by August, Costello and Selby start getting lethargic about this lifestyle. He puts Iris to sleep and then speaks with Costello about Iris’s future. He wants to adopt her to provide for her with his abundant generational wealth. However, his one-year prison term comes in the way of fulfilling that dream. He says that what they have right now and what they call a family isnโt real. Itโs a wonderful lie.
Perhaps the ample amount of free time diverts his mind to this existential musing, but it digs a hole in Costelloโs heart. She wants to stay there since Iris does. But there is a growing tension between her and Selby that she cannot handle anymore. This house seems like a prison in its own way since she cannot go anywhere as easily as she could in the city. They must live with each other and face each other no matter how angry or how bitter they are.
Costello struggles with it when Selby suddenly decides to stop speaking with her. After over two weeks of no dialogue, she tries to make him talk by attacking him. Even if it is just putting two sourdough bread slices around his face, you still sense this violent side of hers coming out. She threatens to call his mother, Allegra, if he does not start talking. He retaliates by saying that he will get in touch with Costelloโs mother.
While the writing has not shed light on what exactly went between Costello and her mother, we know that there is some terrifying history attached to it. He does not stop at just the threat but starts walking out to his car, determined to meet her mother. Costello, still terrified, rushes out and punctures all his tires to resist him from leaving.
September passes by, and the two seem to have made peace with each other, maybe by considering their argument as a one-time thing. By October, their quarrels re-emerge, and Selby does not want Costello to throw a Halloween party. He sees it as her believing this glorious lie. While he rushes out of the house, she damages his favorite record. Later at night, while she has a relaxing bath in a tub, he decides to enter and pee in the same water. Despite his constant attempts to incite her, she still does not express her anger but chooses a passive-aggressive reaction to soak herself in the same water. If he is not going to back down from his stance, neither is she.
Later, on the night of Halloween, Costello sees the dress that she had neatly ironed before just for the party. She sees one of the legs cut in half, which ruins her mood. She understands that it is Selby’s deed. While she tries to fix this problem, Iris speaks with her friend. Earlier, they were hoping to give Costello a good scare. But when they see her walking around frustrated, they take down their ghost masks. Rather they speak about their mothersโ unhappiness. She tells Iris about her motherโs dream to escape the village, which never comes true. Iris senses how Costello might be looking for the same.
On the other hand, Costello cuts another leg of her dress and goes down to the party. It is her way of saying ‘fuck you’ to Selby and his petty attempts to ruin her mood. Gloria, who also comes to the party, sits in a chair, embarrassed by Paulโs awkward attempt at dancing. She wants to break up with him but cannot because he is too nice. She asks Selby to do it for her, and Selby accepts that request as if he has been waiting for her to ask this for ages.
Later, at the party, Selby dances to Nick Loweโs Cruel to Be Kind. The lines reflect his current conflict with Costello, where he begs her not to break their precious bond of friendship. He invites her to dance, and she joins him. They have a genuinely sweet moment forgetting all their spats. Unfortunately, it gets interrupted when the record stops playing midway. It plays โCruel to Be Kindโ over and over again.
Selby understands that Costello did this. She tries to form a truce and end their arguments. But seeing his paranoia, she says that she is willing to leave with her savings. He reveals that he gambled away all that money. So now, she does not even have the option to leave. Broken by this betrayal, she punches him to the ground and keeps attacking him. Then she destroys things from the house, trying to process the trauma of her lost option to escape. She finally gets into his car, hoping to drive away.
When he sees it actually happen, he goes back to being a caring friend and tries to make peace with her. He wants them both to pretend that this chaos never happened between them. So, she decides to stay there for the time being. He spends away all her money due to his self-loathing. She refuses to let her anger take over her for weeks until it turns into an eruption. Meanwhile, we see two people who were never shown how to love without hurting the other person. Their self-destructive behavior shows their unhealed past wounds.
Rain Dogs (Season 1), Episode 4 Ending Explained
Do Costello and Iris leave Selbyโs place in Bruton?
On a late night in December, Costello wakes up to an alarm. She goes up to Irisโ room, wakes her up, and gets their stuff packed in two suitcases. They get out toward the car with all the luggage, and Costello places her luggage in the car trunk. Iris does not protest their sudden escape plan one bit. Maybe she is used to having an unstable life. When Costello starts the car engine, Justin Townes Earleโs ‘Baby’s got a bad idea’ starts playing on the radio. The lyrics mirror her situation.
โBaby’s got a bad idea I can see it in her eyes – She wanna hide it, but she canโt – No matter how hard she tries – Baby’s acting like a kid, lord she’s Playing games with me, oh but, I’m Much too old a man these days To play hide and seek..โ
Costello gets out of the car with Iris, takes out the suitcases, and walks back to Selbyโs house. The lyrics make her introspect whether her desire for escape is just plain selfish. Iris loves staying at the Bruton house. It is unlike her past in the city, where she had to adjust to the space. Considering that, Costello’s decision to return to the house stems from her guilt of being childish as an adult and not being responsible for Irisโs concerns. Maybe itโs not the โhappily ever afterโ that she expected. But it is up to Iris to decide.
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