L&O:UK - what do you guys think - standard L&O cast change or end of series?

We're caught up to the BBC, now, right? I hope it keeps going, but Jamie Bamber has a pilot for the fall, I think, so I don't know.

I think Loretta will be back. Maybe in 1-2 seasons.

I hope that they don't do the soap opera thing and all of a sudden she's 25.

Yes, last night's episode of L&O:UK was the series 4 finale.

I thought it was really twisted and awesome that Mags asked one question about Coover but the one she was most worried about was Loretta. I think she was trying to redo some of her mistakes with her boys and I think she though Loretta was smart enough to maybe the brains some day.

Yeah, Loretta definitely could have been heir to Mags' throne, where none of her boys could. In that sense, Coover was right to be jealous of her.

Mags doesn't even say his name when she asks about Coover. She knows what there is to know, wants Raylan to acknowledge it, and moves on to the living. Don't think for a second she's not grieving him, though.

And thank goodness Raylan didn't end up killing both Dickie and Coover. Two sons killed in one day by his hand would have seen Mags incandescent.

I was thinking that for all that Mags is evil and wily her sons are her (really, really big) blind spot. She didn't know they pulled the bus holdup, which left her and her family open to retaliation from the Dixie Mafia. She wasn't aware that Dicke and Coover were forging the signatures on those checks, which were enough to bring the Feds investigating. (Although I'm not sure if her disgust and irritation at their hiring of the pedophile counts as anger, honestly.) She didn't realize that Coover would be stupid enough to keep the watch, much less wear it. But that's because she didn't seem to realize that Coover would be jealous of the attention she was giving Loretta.

edit - Come to think of it, Coover kept the watch before Mags started paying attention to Loretta, so his stupidity began even before then.

Oh, I think he kept the watch out of greed. He wore it because he wanted to feel dominant over Loretta.

I haven't decided if he meant for her to see it though. I doubt it. Too much planning ahead and being aware of consequences.

I just love Mags so much. She's like the world's most awesome villain. She's completely evil and conniving, and you totally understand why. That's part of why this bit was so wrenching, because she's just pulled off this major coup, she's provided for her family and town in a massive way, shown up the city lady, set up new agreements with people like Boyd, and there's Raylan again, changing the shape of things.

Coover's "You looked like you just saw a ghost" looked just so natural and surprised that I don't think initially it was meant as a provocation. Then he realized he had something, but didn't realize what the full implications of that meant.

The scene where he put it on, which was emphasized, made it look like he didn't give more than a second's thought other than I need to look nice for momma's party.