You've come to the right place. Here's the basic run down of what's different this season.

David Marciano and Lincoln (the dog who played Dief) departed the series after it was cancelled for the second time, and were engaged in other projects and everyone tried and it just wasn't possible to have them in this series. Okay, so losing Lincoln (whom we love, but who also was dumb as a bag of hammers) wasn't so much of a loss. Dief is now played by Draco. David was in the tease of the 3rd season opener, Burning Down The House . Ray Vecchio is currently on deep cover assignment to infiltrate the mob. He will be returning for the two-part series finale, which begins shooting in January, 1998.

Callum Keith Rennie plays Stanley Raymond Kowalski, the detective currently posing as Ray Vecchio so Ray's cover isn't blown. Stanley, who wisely goes by "Ray" rather than "Stanley" (thus avoiding the entire issue of people bellowing STELLA! at him incessancy), is Fraser's new partner. Draco now plays Dief. Fraser, being Fraser, has failed to notice any change in Dief's appearence.

Yes, they killed another Riv.

I can only assume that Ray Vecchio, the original model, will be less than pleased. On the downside, unless Fraser convinces Stan that they simply must find a new green, 1971 Buick Riviera, we probably won't be seeing much of the stock footage of the Riv tooling around Chicago any more.... Which doesn't mean much to fans outside the greater Chicago area, but for some of us, was part of the fun...

Louis "Louie" Gardino was killed last year, and Jack Huey now has a new partner, Tom Dewey. Oh, and like you didn't see that coming.

and last but not least....

Elaine Bespriss has graduated the police academy, and Frannie Vecchio (believing no doubt that this will bring her and Fraser closer together) applied for and won the position of the Divisions new Civilian Aid Clerk. Welsh must have been having an odd day, that's all I can say.

So, there you go. You're now all caught up.