Turn the lover into a nutcase and have the couple reconcile again. Ratings are the bottom line. If the storylines are good, the ratings will be good as well. Bad ratings are an indicator of bad storylines. When the ratings fall, I change what we're doing.
Higher ratings mean to continue in that direction.
But consistent, character-driven plots will always resonate sooner or later. Emmys are the most important recognition for a show. I'd rather have a nod from the Blue Ribbon Panel than a few more share points. I'm not happy if I can't run atleast one Public Service Announcement a week. I need to teach viewers about what's going on in the world, because they probably don't know.