It's a part of the story of Earth's final conflict. In any conflict many characters' lives are on the line for what they believe in. There are others. Final Conflict evolves through the lives and deaths of humanity and Taelons alike. The last episodes of the season were reordered a bit so that the finale aired during the sweeps month.
Sweeps are very important to U.S. TV stations.
Good ratings during sweeps can determine if the show gets a good time slot the next season. But I saw this episode on TOS last week. What's more, I think you'll find that the writers for EFC attack issues that other shows shy away from and present familiar themes in a whole new light. There are also some topics that have to be addressed because they are part of the EFC universe and they can't be avoided just because other shows or movies have also addressed them. EFC is part of a long tradition of science fiction storytelling, but even these tributes tell a uniquely EFC story.