Pratik Handore
Amazon Prime’s ‘The Horror of Dolores Roach’ is a horror-comedy series based on the Spotify podcast of the same name. The series revolves around Dolores Roach, who is released from prison after serving a lengthy sentence for a crime she did not commit. As Dolores tries to reconcile with her past, her hopes for a brighter future are dashed when she finds herself at the center of gruesome and gnarly murders. Unwilling to return to prison, Dolores does everything she can to cover up her new crimes. The ending of ‘The Horror of Dolores Roach’ explores whether Dolores succeeds or fails in getting away with the murders. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Horror of Dolores Roach Recap
‘The Horror of Dolores Roach’ opens with actress Flora Frias playing the role of Dolores Roach in a Broadway musical. Dolores was involved in a series of cannibalistic murders, which led to a podcast bringing her story to light. Backstage, Dolores visits Flora to set the record straight about what transpired in her life. The story then jumps back in time to the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, where Dolores lives with her then-boyfriend, Dominic, a drug dealer. In a drug bust, Dolores was arrested and sentenced to nineteen years in prison.
After being released from prison, Dolores searches for Dominic but does not find him. With nowhere else to go, she visits the Empanada shop in her old building, where she runs into Luis Batista, a friend from her past. Dolores tells Luis about his situation, and he offers Dolores a place to stay until she can get back on her feet. Dolores learned massage techniques during her time in prison from her lover, Tabitha. She tries to get a job as a masseuse with the help of Joy but fails. Later, she started her own massage place in the basement of Luis’ shop. Things start going well for Dolores, but her past with Dominic haunts her.
One day, Gideon Pearlman, the apartment complex owner where Luis and Dolores live, arrives to collect his rent. However, Luis has failed to pay him because of poor business income. Gideon and Luis argue while Dolores tries to diffuse the situation. She gives Gideon some money to buy more time and offers him a massage. However, when Gideon misbehaves with Dolores, she kills him by snapping his neck. Dolores scrambles to cover up the crime, but when she returns to the basement, she finds the dead body missing. Luis claims that he has taken care of the situation. However, Dolores quickly realizes that Luis has used Gideon’s body to harvest meat, turning it into a recipe for his Empanadas.
Meanwhile, Dolores searches for Dominic and hires PI Ruthie to learn about his whereabouts. Ruthie reveals that Dominic died in a house fire in the Dominican Republic. On the other hand, Jonah, the son of Gideon, arrives at the shop to enquire about his father’s whereabouts. While Luis distracts Jonah using Gideon’s phone, he takes Ruthie’s help to find his father. In the meantime, Dolores kills Marcie, who took over Dominic’s business, after she reveals that Dominic set up Dolores and cheated on her. As Dolores’ body count rises, Luis gets more meat for his Empanadas. At the same time, more people arrive at the shop searching for the missing people as Dolores and Luis find themselves in a bind.
The Horror of Dolores Roach: Does Dolores Get Away With the Murders?
During the final episode, things go off the rails when Dolores and Luis plan to leave the city and start a new life. However, they fail to obtain the necessary cash to get rid of the Empanada shop and leave the city. Meanwhile, Jonah discovers his father’s remains stored in the freezer at the shop. As a result, Dolores is forced to kill Jonah. She demands Luis get rid of the bodies. However, Luis has a spectacularly stupid plan to avert the crisis. He bundles the dead bodies into his waitress, Nellie’s apartment. Later, Luis calls the police and tells them about the dead bodies. Thus, Nellie is arrested by the police for the murders of Gideon, Jonah, Marcie, and others.
After Dolores learns that Luis is behind Nellie’s arrest, she is repulsed and plans to abandon him. The police arrive to search every corner of the building, putting Dolores’ future at risk. In the meantime, Dolores kills Joy and Jeremiah after they nearly stumble upon her secret. Moreover, Luis attempts to stop Dolores from leaving as he is unwilling to give up the Empanada shop, which he considers his legacy. Dolores berates Luis for his cannibalistic nature and attempts to leave, leading to a fight between her and Luis. In the fight, Dolores slams Luis’ head into the deep fry while getting the burn mark we see her sport in the first episode.
Ultimately, Dolores flees the crime scene and leaves New York City to start a fresh life. She seemingly gets away with the murders because of Luis’ plan. However, with Luis also seemingly dead, there is no one to pin the blame on for the cannibalistic murders. Consequently, Dolroes is forced to go underground and live in hiding. Since she is the only person who worked at the shop to survive the carnage, the police likely consider her the culprit. A similar interpretation is provided in the podcast and stageplay crafted by Caleb, who lives in the same apartment complex as Dolores and Luis. In the final moments, we learn that Dolores has emerged from her hiding to settle scores with Caleb.
Who Does Dolores Meet at the House?
After telling her side of the story, Dolores reveals that she is at the play to meet Caleb, who profited from her life’s story. Dolores threatens Caleb and nearly kills him. However, Claeb saves his life by promising to take Dolores to Dominic. Dolores has been haunted by her ex-boyfriend’s actions since Dominic set her up to take the fall for his drug business. It is speculated that Dominic faked his death and is still alive. She learns from Sophie, Nellie’s grandmother, who is related to Dominic, that Dominic is alive and sends her a gift every year on Christmas via a White woman with an “Australian” accent. However, Dolores never manages to reach Dominic.
Caleb takes Dolores to a mansion where she is seemingly expected to meet Dominic. However, when the mansion’s door opens, Dolores laughs hysterically after seeing the person on the other side. Nonetheless, we do not see the person. Instead, the screen cuts to the credits as Dolores attempts to strangle the person. The person Dolores meets is likely Dominic, and she kills him for destroying her life. However, her strange reaction to seeing the person implies that it is Georgina, Dolores’ old friend, who introduced her to Dominic. Earlier, Georgina refutes Dolores’ claims that she is involved with Dominic. Hence, Dolores might have reacted hysterically after finding Georgina at Dominic’s house. As a result, Dolores likely strangles Georgina at the end for betraying and lying to her.
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