Possibly right now it feels soap-y but then I’m sure the arrival of Phoebe or the death of Nigel (both before my time) must have possibly seemed as much in their time. Imagine the uproar 15-20 years later when they found out! Not sure I’m really pro a story line like that, but then I initially hated Kirsty and she’s now a near favourite!
I wrote the above about 23 minutes before hearing Thursday evening’s episode. No spoilers, but I suspect my answer would have been different if I’d heard it beforehand.