Lost Ollie – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

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The series finale of Lost Ollie Season 1 begins with Ollie getting out of the water and following the sign to Billy’s school. Seeing the empty classrooms, his mind goes back to a flashback.

Billy brought Ollie to school in his bag. The bully sits behind him but Ollie fills Billy with support and courage. His teacher asks him if he is okay sharing with the class. It is then confirmed that Billy has lost his mother. That is why he is wearing the suit and went to the park – to the place where she told him he will always find love. Billy takes Ollie with him beside the teacher.

He begins sharing and introduces Ollie as his best friend. He is reluctant at first but starts to recount his adventures with his beloved bunny. They even re-enact their pirate roleplay, gradually winning over the entire class. But the bully interrupts and Billy stops talking.

After the class, Ollie makes fun of the bully and cheers up Billy. But he sneaks up on him and snatches Ollie away. Seeing the teachers coming, he takes the bunny and throws him outside. Billy instantly goes to the window and as Ollie regains consciousness, Billy gets cautionary flashbacks to the bully and his father reminding him that he needs to grow up and stop acting like a “baby”.

He does not go forward to bring him back. Ollie remembers everything now: it was Billy who left him, intentionally. He wasn’t separated; he was abandoned. Knowing the truth breaks his heart. He sobs inconsolably.

It is actually Mr. Rhoades in the car truck, who takes Billy back to the pub. The bully from the classroom also happens to be there and finds Billy’s “lost sign”. He comes in challenging Billy to a fight. He is up for it but is overpowered. The memories of Ollie and his mother spurt him on, as the bully makes fun of Billy’s lapel from the funeral. Billy pins him down to the ground as his father walks in.

Ollie finds the gold star and once again has a walk down memory lane. This time, it is not one of the good ones. Billy and Jim sleep on the couch as Momma lies on the bed, fighting the tumor. Ollie wakes up as she starts singing. Surprisingly, she is able to see him and talk to him. She asks Ollie for a sip of water and then explains to her that she is worried about leaving behind her two boys. She does not know how they will cope. Then, she whispers something into Ollie’s ear, saying he was made to do this. Ollie remembers that night and is more determined than ever to get back home to Billy and complete Momma’s promise.

Billy and Jim pull up to their house. Both are reluctant to go in, knowing that Momma is not coming back through that door. Jim says he will need Billy to be there for him and help both of them get through her demise. Jim tells Billy that he is way tougher than he was as a kid. He even leaves the light on for Ollie to find his way back home.

The bunny does reach the house. But there are no lights on. In fact, the house is abandoned. Ollie is too late. It is NOT the same night. Jim and Billy are gone. He walks inside the house and relives fond memories of the family together. He finds the “lost sign” too, taking comfort in the fact that Billy tried to look for him. Ollie then mutters an apology for not coming back quick enough; for not being there for Billy in his toughest moment, and for not keeping his promise to Momma.

But then, something absurd happens. Ollie looks over at another photo on the wall – a small girl holding Nina! In a flashback, we go to a time when Billy was a kid and asks Momma why they don’t look alike. She then explains how Ollie came into being. She started to patch him with small pieces of clothes from her dresses and Jim’s shirts. But it also had something that she cherished as a child – a bell that will be Ollie’s heart.

The bell was from a toy she had once s a kid that she loved as much Billy loves Ollie – Nina. “Ollie is us; all our memories stitched together”. So this is the reason why Momma was able to talk to Ollie when no other adult could – because she loved him with all her heart, just like Billy.

Zozo has been right on Ollie’s heels and sees Nina’s picture. He chases him once again, asking what he did to her. Zozo is able to grab ahold of Ollie, who after taking some blows, is finally able to give closure to Zozo and tell Nina fell apart. But that she was loved by Momma. Although it seems Zozo forgave Ollie, he suddenly rips the bell out, indicating that he has fallen into a dark place he can never come back from.

Just then, a sword pierces Zozo from the back: it is Rosie. She tells him that he made it and falls to the wounds of the sword in her stomach. Zozo and Rosie flow away with the water. The next morning (or some mornings later), a man walks up to Billy’s lifeless body and picks him up. He takes him to his home, washes him, sews his heart back in, and takes him in his embrace. It is Billy, all grown up, living his own life. He even has a daughter. And that daughter is SUE, the girl Ollie met when he was at Flossie’s!

He had indeed found Billy that same day but as fate would have it, they couldn’t be united then. Suddenly, Sue starts singing the “Dream” song that Billy’s Momma used to sing. She tells him that Ollie told her the song and that he wants to tell Billy something. “You can be sad, but not grow bitter. You can be mad, but not with each other.” Billy cherishes the memories he spent with Ollie and takes him in his hands. Billy kept his promise to Ollie: he never forgot him.

The Episode Review

If you’re not bawling through this episode and grinning through those tears by the end, man; there’s something wrong with you. Netflix has given us the most precious story of the year told in a fashion that will put master filmmakers on their feet.

“Home” is a rollercoaster ride of emotions paced perfectly with the right pitch and heart. Although you’d think Rosie and Zozo probably had an unfortunate ending, writers did justice to their character arches. Right from the way they were built up, Lost Ollie remained true to them in a way that few shows can honor their characters.

What a coincidence it was that Billy and Ollie were reunited in the very first scene of the show. But life isn’t always fair and they were only able to be together when the storm passed. In a way, this episode confirms that the story is a coming-of-age for Billy, who creates a happy life for himself despite the shattering loss of his mother and his best friend.

There was a suggestion that the story would be pent up to match the film A Dog’s Purpose’s tone and tenor, with the canines being replaced by toys. All those doubts went up in smoke as the writers made the right decision to focus on the bigger picture.

Lost Ollie has concluded on the best note possible. We couldn’t have asked for a better finale and conclusion to Ollie’s odyssey to find his best friend.