At the end of Episode 3 of “Rain Dogs,” Costello, her daughter Iris, and Florian escape to Florian’s new home in Burton. Florian offers to adopt Iris, and this comes as a blessing for Costello, as she now has the chance for a fresh start for her daughter and herself. Episode 4 is supposed to be a new chapter in all three of their lives. Let’s find out if they are able to adapt to this new lifestyle or not.
Spoilers Ahead
Brand New Burton
Costello and Iris are having the time of their lives at Florian’s new home in Burton. Costello couldn’t have dreamed of more: a big house, a swimming pool, a job, and time to write her novel. Gloria leaves after spending some quality time with Costello, and, to Iris’s surprise, it seems that her loathing for Florian has finally disappeared, as she hugs him too before leaving. Everything is getting better at Burton.
Aching August
Iris’s birthday arrives. Florian is very interested in starting Iris’s adoption, as that is all that remains to be done. Costello agrees to it and knows that Iris will love it. After they celebrate her birthday, Iris finds her mother in her room, sorting her wages and putting them in a box just in case they need to leave. The money is basically for emergency purposes. Later that night, Costello stares at Florian and Iris, and he reads her a bedtime story. From what she can see, the need to leave is unnecessary as they have all they need and even dreamt of at Burton. Unfortunately, Florian cannot adopt Iris because he was incarcerated for a year, and that too for almost killing a man. Costello reassures him that his love for Iris is all that matters, but it isn’t enough for Florian. Without the adoption, their family is nothing but a lie, no matter how beautiful.
It has been two weeks since Florian last spoke to Costello. Clearly, his inability to make Iris legally his daughter has affected him. In order to make him speak, Costello taunts him by saying that she will call his mom [Allegra] and let her know that her son is unwell. This is the last thing Florian wants, so he snaps back at Costello, telling her that he will go and meet her mother and confront her. As he goes to get his keys for the car, Costello picks up a knife, heads outside, and punctures all four tires of the car. Iris, who has been watching them curse each other out, calmly tells them that they need to stop it. Iris is the only sane one among all three. She is the one who keeps the balance.
Whopper October
September went smoothly between Costello and Florian, thanks to Iris. And October arrives. Costello has been planning a Halloween party for Iris and has invited her friends. For Florian, it’s apparent that all this is just so that Costello can show off her new life, which is nothing but a lie, and that too to people who only take her to be nothing more than a joke. She is just using Iris as an excuse. Piqued, she puts a long scratch on Florian’s favorite vinyl record without him noticing. Later on, while Costello is taking a bath in the bathtub, Florian enters to take a piss and pees in the bathtub itself. That’s apparently his way of expressing revolt.
The Halloween party has begun downstairs while Iris and her friend are in her room playing. Costello cleans herself and goes to get her dress that she had planned to wear and finds one of its legs torn. This had to be Florian’s act again. With no time to opt for a new dress and to bite back at Florian, she improvises, tears off the other leg, and puts it on; the long dress has now turned into a short one with her legs visible to their thighs. Happy Halloween.
Downstairs, Florian keeps ushering the guests in, in a rather flamboyant manner, wishing them a happy Halloween at two to three octaves higher than usual. Costello comes down and meets her friends. Gloria is present at the party as well. Florian isn’t able to take all this in and heads outside to have a smoke. Gloria follows him and asks him to break up with Paul, her new boyfriend, for her. Florian obliges. Finding nothing else to do, he decides to play his favorite album with Costello watching and apologizes to her for whatever is about to happen.
The song begins to play, and so does he, singing and dancing in front of Costello. The guests are beginning to get the hang of it too. But before the song could reach its chorus, the gramophone got stuck. Well done, Costello. Florian leaves the room. Costello, who was smiling all this time at Florian, realizes what she has done. She goes to the gramophone, turns it off, and heads out to talk to him. She has had enough and wants to stop whatever is going on between them. If it’s too much, she can leave with Iris, and Florian can come to meet them anytime. That’s when Florian tells her that she cannot go anywhere because she has no money. He has gambled all of her savings away. She doesn’t believe him at first, but when he mentions the box, she realizes that he is telling the truth.
In a fit of rage and pain that’s added to a lifetime of suffering that made her realize how much she needed to save for her daughter and herself, she punches Florian in the face as tears roll down her cheeks. Florian collapses to the ground, laughing, with blood flowing out of his mouth. Costello cannot believe that he did what he said he did. But we know he can. He never knew what it meant to be deprived, a rich spoilt brat that he is, if not a criminal. In front of all the “guests,” she starts grabbing and throwing the “posh” things that she manages to get her hands on. She then heads out to the punctured car and starts it. A laughing, bleeding-from-the-mouth Florian comes and stands in front of the car, asking her to stop. He surprisingly manages to calm her down and bring her out of the car. As they head back inside the house, they graciously ask all the guests to leave and thank them for coming. We know they just want people to go back to their miserable lives and continue pretending by showing off their excesses to others and, in that manner, try to convince themselves that they have a happy life.
‘Rain Dogs’ Episode 4: Ending Explained – Does Costello Take Iris And Leave Burton?
December arrives. One night, Costello wakes Iris up, takes her luggage, and they quietly head out. She puts the luggage in the trunk, and they get inside the car. Costello turns on the car, and Florian’s favorite song [the same one he used to listen to on his gramophone, the one whose record she scratched] starts playing in the stereo. She looks at Iris through the rear-view mirror and sees her face down. She is sad. This isn’t the life she is supposed to lead. She deserves all the happiness. Costello realizes that she cannot escape just because she wants to. She has to think of her daughter and not be running from place to place. She turns off the car, and they both head back inside. Iris goes and puts her head on Florian’s shoulder, who is asleep on the sofa. Costello decides to grab some coffee.
Costello cannot afford to run away, but she cannot let Florian do whatever he feels like with her. Iris’s adoption is out of the question for the time being, and he will have to accept it. Meanwhile, we are yet to find out about Costello’s mother. There has to be a reason why Costello wants to stay away from her. “Rain Dogs” Episode 5 will probably have some answers. After all, a new year is approaching.