Hm, Big Dick working with Kendall rather than dupe is interesting, also. Or thinking he was working with her (more than we know he was, I mean) while being a dupe on a grander scale.

If this were the case, I think he'd be her dupe in the long con. Of course, he could have been playing her, at the same time. I read some interesting (unspoiled) speculation on MarsInvestigations.net, today. I think a good chunk of it is off, but the premise is that Big Dick is working through Cassidy--advising him on the land deal, and is behind the effort to shame Woody, and other efforts to sink the incorporation. Little Dick could have been the unwitting connection between Lucky and Big Dick. Lucky is glad to screw over the Woodman, for whatever reason.

P-C, what's your guess as to where the might have been, if that theory is correct? I've been working on V's assumption the bomb was in the Sharks' Premium Package.

Yeah, that's what I've gone off of. And the bag supposedly ended up in the hands of Betina, but before that...it was Dick. It's possible he was supposed to have it with him in the limo, but the perpetrator didn't count on his noble act.

I can totally see Woody doing this. He's an amoral creep who's rotten to the core.

Until this last episode, I couldn't see Woody as that sort of evil, but now? What a bastard. Still, way too obvious for him to be behind the bus crash. Rob says he'd like 10 to 20 percent of the viewers to peg the right guy, and, come on, everyone's pegging Woody. It's like with Agatha Christie: instead of looking at who's clearly suspicious, focus on the people you DON'T suspect, because that's where she's going to get you while you're looking elsewhere.

That kind of reasoning really lends credence to the Beaver theory, unfortunately, because I doubt the regular viewing audience would even consider him. I can't see him as a mass murderer, though. And how would he know to use a bomb? Did he borrow Weevil's Anarchist's Cookbook ?

Big Dick is working through Cassidy

That would make me sad because Cassidy running his own investment scam is all empowering. Though getting to work with Dad could be sweet, I guess.

And how would he know to use a bomb?

Beaver knew Curly Moran, as Curly used to detail his father's cars. Maybe he had something on Curly to force him into cooking up the bomb. It's a stretch, I admit.

By the way, why did Weevil beat up Curly?

My co-worker told me this morning that she thinks the Mannings were behind the bus crash and the motive was wanting to punish each person because of each of the victim's specific sins (homosexuality, PCHer-related crime, premarital sex). It's been fun to think about all day even though I can't make it really work (why would they want to kill Veronica?) but still - fun theory.

I have no theories. None. It's all I can do to keep up with who was on the bus in the first place and who all the various thugs and hired lackeys are. My favorite thing about the end of this season is that Lily's murder is still a plot point. And Dick. I love Dick. He's been absolutely hilarious - and I am dying to know why there is a reference to him being "stag" every four minutes. I hope it's not as obvious as "He's gay."

By the way, why did Weevil beat up Curly?

There was some Fitzpatrick connection, but I don't recall the details.

Gotta say that I don't like Woody for the bus crash killer, mainly because he's been shovelled at us and that would violate the noir conventions.

I'm leaning towards Kendall, but not for the insurance money. It has to have something to do with her long con M.O., facilitated by her connection to the Fitzpatricks. Either Woody or Lamb (or someone else with civic power) has to be involved somehow, too, because she hasn't been prosecuted for her role in bribing the county assessor, even though Veronica has photographic proof that she's involved and as an ex-con (even one under a different name), she wouldn't have a chance of escaping prosecution.

All we know about Woody is that he's shifty and hiding something, probably a history as a pedophile.

We know that Lamb is willing to cut deals with certain lawbreakers, and is sleeping with the teenaged ex-girlfriend of Kendall's step-son. We also know that Lamb hasn't gone after the Fitzpatricks. I'd sorta hate for him to be involved, though, because I like him corrupt but basically non-evil. On the other hand, it would be left-field-y and awesome.

Here's the pieces Kendall has in the air:

• Marrying Big Dick;
• Assisting in bribing the county assessor to help Dick's crooked REIT; possibly her idea;
• Insurance policy on Little Dick and the Beav, but she would have had to share $$ with Big Dick if they were killed on the bus unless she could have called in the cops soon after (interesting, maybe Beaver just hit the trigger on this before Kendall could do it herself);
• Sleeping with Logan (and there has to be an angle here, right? I'm not seeing it, but there's no way she's fucking the guy just for the heck of it);
• Possibly married to Cormac Fitzpatrick (incarcerated);
• Keeping a secret house in town, known by her and Liam Fitzpatrick;
• The public face of Beaver's REIT (and there's a lot involved here, because even though she has to be some sort of chessmaster strategist, she's playing like she's a couple of steps behind the Beav);
• Offering to help Aaron Echolls in exchange for unspecified money;
• Trying to sleep with Duncan, ostensibly for folding cash but probably for more (I mean, seriously, Little Dick offered her straight-up sex for money, so why would she go to Duncan? This was before her meeting with Aaron, too.);
• Acquiring hair from Duncan's shower, presumably to assist Aaron, although this has not yet been made clear;
• Am I missing anything?

So, I don't know what her con is, but it seems to involve convincing men with money and ambition, but few or no scruples (and I think she might see Duncan this way, too), to trust her enough to include her in their illegal schemes. I think she plays along until she has enough on them to either blackmail them into becoming stooges for the Fitzpatricks (as with Hannah's dad and the other people on Felix's paddle) or turn them over to the cops after lining herself up as the beneficiary.

One quick thought on Woody: he and the Fitzpatricks are not aligned. Woody's primary focus has been incorporation, but the Fitzpatricks would naturally be opposed, because it would partially cut them off from their rich clientele and would impose a more-competent sheriff in their high-traffic areas. Gotta say, it's making more sense to me that Lamb would be their pawn, whether he knows it or not. Also, with Lamb's name, doesn't he need to nobly sacrifice himself at some point?

By the way, why did Weevil beat up Curly?

It was a lesser-of-two-evils thing: the PCHers wanted to kill him, but Weevil took lead instead and beat the crap out of him, thus saving him from the rest of the gang.

My co-worker told me this morning that she thinks the Mannings were behind the bus crash and the motive was wanting to punish each person because of each of the victim's specific sins (homosexuality, PCHer-related crime, premarital sex). It's been fun to think about all day even though I can't make it really work (why would they want to kill Veronica?) but still - fun theory.

That's an interesting theory. As for Veronica, they wouldn't have expected her to be on the bus anyway, but even if they had, she's got a reputation as a slut.

That theory is fun because of what happened to Meg.

the PCHers wanted to kill him

I totally don't remember why they did either. Brain like a sieve, I tell you.

Kendall's definitely got more things going on than meets the eye, but I can't bundle the things we know about her into any kind of cohesive theory other than the insurance thing (which they handed to us on a silver platter, therefore this has very little chance of being the actual motive.)

I totally don't remember why they did either.

Because they thought he rigged the bus for the Fitzpatricks and was thus responsible for Cervando's death. To be specific, they received anonymous calls to that effect.