If you call yourself a True Detective fan from day one, you'll be in for a treat with the release of True Detective Season 4. A quote from Hildred Castaigne in True Detective Season 4 will make you want to go back to where the anthology series began.
True Detective Season 4 opens with a line from Hildred Castaigne, which reads:
"For we do not know what beasts the night dreams when its hours grow too long for even God to be awake."
If this is your first foray into the crime drama, here's what you need to know about Hildred Castaigne.
Who is Hildred Castaigne?
So who is Hildred Castaigne from True Detective? Unfortunately, Castaigne is a fictional character used as a reference in the series.
If you're a True Detective aficionado, you'll recognize the name as the protagonist in Robert W. Chambers' collection entitled, The King in Yellow.
This 1985 collection also plays a major role in the story of the series as The Yellow King was an evil entity that people worshipped. The name was also associated with a series of murders in the show.
You'll find Castaigne's name as the narrator of the story entitled, The Repairer of Reputations. In the story, Castaigne believed that he was the heir of a royal dynasty who descended from the stars. He also read the fictional play, The King in Yellow.
In The Repairer of Reputations, there is an editor's note that says
"Mr. Castaigne died yesterday in the Asylum for the Criminally Insane."
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What is the Meaning of the Quote by Hildred Castaigne in True Detective?
So what is the significance of Hildred Castaigne's quote in True Detective Season 4? Let's clear the confusion first: Hildred Castaigne was not real. The quote used in the opening scene of True Detective Season 4 was actually written by Season 4 writer, Issa López.
You won't find the line in the first season of True Detective since López wrote it specifically for the fourth season. It is simply a callback to the similar themes that the two seasons share.
In an interview with Business Insider, López said:
"I was looking for the perfect quote to talk about the things that hide in the dark and I couldn't find it. So I wrote it."
She also shared that the reason why she attributed the fake quote to Hildred Castaigne was an easter egg that the fans would enjoy, or as she says: "a little wink" to the first season.
López also admitted that she was a fan of the "supernatural vein in the first season, The Yellow King and Carcosa."
This also indicates that True Detective Season 4 has brought back the supernatural vibe that the first season had.
You can watch more episodes of True Detective Season 4 on Max.
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