The Hemingway title for episode 4 of Rain Dogs was "A Rambunctious Halloween Nightmare". It was surreal to see this complete aberration play out like a short horror story, but it didn't succeed in launching the show in a new direction. "Didion Hell" is a dark and entertaining episode of Rain Dogs, featuring Selby and Costello bonded by their brokenness. Iris is caught up in their chaotic acting out, but the creators chose to ignore that tangent. The episode is wildly dark and entertaining, but it is unfamiliar to Rain Dogs, bringing tonal inconsistency to the story. It is the sort of bold creativity that is missing from the small screen. Gloria visits her friends Iris, Selby, and Costello in their new home at the start of Rain Dogs episode 4. The countryside setting has eroded Costello's mental strain and given Selby a new lease of life with Iris. Costello also has a new job at a bookshop. Come May and Iris' tenth birthday, things are still going well. There is a hint of friction between Selby and Costello over the lack of speed in the adoption process. The couple feels right at home but the real "jackpot" would be when Allegra dies, which would trigger the inheritance transition. Costello is secretly saving money in a small box for "a rainy day". Selby is rejected by the State due to his prison record, which has deeply affected him. He has not eaten in a while and has not spoken to Costello in two weeks. Costello threatens to call Allegra and tell him of Selby's "mental disease". Selby counters by threatening to confront Costello's mother about how she has destroyed her daughter's life. In September, Selby is back in his raucous element and Costello and he have made up. In October, they are hosting a Halloween party, which Selby calls a show of "the lie of the life". Costello cuts across Selby's vinyl record as retaliation. The most important details in this text are that Costello is taking a bath in the tub when Selby walks up to her and urinates in it, describing the changing smell and chemical composition of the water as he does so. The night of the party, Costello sees Selby has cut her dress in half and she improvises using fishnet leggings to put on the dress anyway. Gloria follows him and requests that he break up on her behalf with Paul. He agrees to do it and puts on his favourite record, "Cruel to be Kind" by Nick Lowe, the same one that Costello knifed. When it stops midway and Selby is about to sing, he gets upset and goes out. Costello follows him and asks him to end this madness, but Selby reveals he has gambled away all the money Costello had saved.