Blood will Flow

yes, yes, exactly this. Without the pain and conflict and discomfort, the good times AND the bad, the show becomes anodyne and meaningless.

But the good thing is - we will always have the earlier seasons to treasure, no matter where they eventually take the show, and we will also always have the fabulous imaginations of our amazing cadre of fanfic writers and artists.

So yah boo sucks to the people who seek 'safe' and 'clean' and boring.