The Friend Ending Explained: Is Apollo the Dog Dead?

Starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, ‘The Friend’ follows the story of a writer named Iris, whose life takes an unexpected turn after the tragic death of her best friend, Walter. It turns out that as part of his last wish, he wanted Iris to take care of his dog, Apollo. Because this issue was never discussed between them and because Iris is not particularly a pet person, she wonders why her friend thought that she would be the best person to take care of his dog, who needs more care because he is aging. Being a Great Dane who is more than four years old, Apollo is past his prime. On top of that, he is grieving Walter, just as Iris is, but it doesn’t make him immediately hospitable to her.

As Iris struggles to get Apollo to do her bidding, which includes basic requirements like not sitting on her bed and eating every now and then, she also starts to feel compassion for the dog. Being with the dog gives her a strange sense of camaraderie, as his presence reminds her of Walter, and this way, she feels closer to her late friend. However, as their bond develops, more problems come to the surface. Iris lives in a rent-controlled apartment where pets are not allowed. So, keeping Apollo means risking the loss of the place where she has been for almost her entire life.

This means that she has to make a decision. Either she can keep Apollo, or she can keep her apartment. At first, the choice is clear for her. The responsibility of the dog is not something she asked for, so she is not too keen on continuing to do it. Moreover, she believes that someone else can do a better job of taking care of him, so she decides to find a shelter home for him. However, it is not as easy as she thought it would be. But it turns out to be even harder to let go of Apollo when the time comes.

How does Iris Keep Apollo in the Apartment?

Living in New York is expensive, and getting a decent rent-controlled apartment, like the one Iris lives in, is a rarity. This is why, when the choice is between the dog she never wanted and the place where she has lived almost her entire life, there seems to be no doubt about what she should choose. However, with each day she spends in Apollo’s company, Iris starts to wonder if there might be a way for her to have both. When her friends see this shift in her behaviour, they try to intervene, as each advises her to get rid of the dog as soon as possible. To force her into the choice, she is given an eviction notice by the owners of the building, at which point, Iris is not left with any options. She finds a place ready to take Apollo, and as a last hurrah with the dog, she decides to take him there herself. It would have been their last road trip together, but on the way, Iris stops at a gas station, where she notices something interesting.

It seems that there are a lot of places that are strict about not allowing pets, but there are certain cases where they are forced to let the animals in, for example, if it is a service dog. These dogs are not an option but a necessity for people, which means that they have to be by their humans’ side, and no one can force them apart otherwise. Realising that the same could allow Apollo to live with her in her building, Iris decides to look into it. Considering everything, the best excuse she can use to portray Apollo as her service dog is on the grounds of her mental health, and for that, she needs to talk with a psychiatrist. She immediately sets up a meeting with one, and even though she doesn’t receive an appointment, she shows up at the doctor’s place and allows herself into his office. She talks about Walter, his passing, the impact it has had on her, and how it brought Apollo to her.

Iris is also honest in her reasoning about wanting the certificate that would make Apollo her service dog, as she knows that she cannot lie to the doctor. At the same time, she also doesn’t want to come across as a liar or a phony person who has ulterior motives in keeping Apollo. The dog is better able to understand her position when she brings in Apollo himself. He notes the dynamic between them and realises that the dog needs her, just as much as she needs him. With this, he decides to give her the certificate. Now that she has Apollo as her certified service dog, she forwards the relevant documents to the owners of the building. They try to fight her on it and stand by their decision to evict her. In the end, however, they cannot go against the law and are forced to accept defeat, which means that Iris is free to keep Apollo with her in her apartment for the rest of his life, and no one can force them apart.

Iris and Apollo’s Time is Limited, But Not Over Yet

Being a Great Dane who is already over four years of age, Apollo’s time span with Iris is limited. When she takes him to a vet, she discovers that the dog is past his prime and is starting to show health issues that are usual for dogs of his breed and size. At first, she doesn’t pay much mind to this, but the more she starts to bond with Apollo, the more she starts to feel that she should get more time with him. She starts to think about the time when he was a baby, wondering what he would have been like in his puppy years and his prime. She feels robbed of that time with him, of seeing him as a baby and growing up into the loyal and lovable Apollo he is now. Still, this doesn’t change the fact that the dog is going to pass away sooner or later. The anxiety of losing Apollo starts to increase as a year passes, and it starts to become evident that he prefers to be at peace.

With his arthritis getting worse, Iris knows that there is only so much time before he will be unable to walk properly and enjoy the things that he does now. So, she decides to rent a house by the beach where she can work on her book, while also taking Apollo out of the city so that he is not cooped up inside the house all day. The house gives him the space to wander around without bothering anyone else. He can also enjoy the sea, and the water is particularly good for him. She tries to keep it as comfortable as possible for him, but that still doesn’t change the fact that he is moving towards his death. No matter how much Iris tries to prepare herself for this possibility, she is still caught by shock when she arrives home one day to find Apollo by the beach. He lies so still that, for a moment, she thinks he has passed away.

It is a heartbreaking situation, even if not entirely unexpected. However, luckily, this is not the day she bids goodbye to her beloved dog. When she calls out to him, he takes his time to respond, but respond he does. He looks back at her and then gets up to come to her and greet her like he always does when she comes home. Thus, she gets another day with him, and that is the feeling that she holds on to. She knows that she won’t be so lucky one day, that there will be a time when she will come back home or wake up in the morning to find Apollo gone. She hopes that when that happens, he will have gone in peace and painlessly. She has readied herself for the heartbreak, but the movie doesn’t take the audience there. Even though death is inevitable for Apollo, just as it is for Iris at some point in the future, we never get to see Apollo and Iris parted by death. This way, the audience is also spared the heartbreak, and we leave the story with a happy ending.