Mary was clearly set as a villain in HLV with all those parallels to Moriarty. Why do you think they abandoned that and went for a cheesy redemption in series 4?

Because they still plan a fix? Because they completely lost their minds? Because they hate us and resented that we figured out their show? Just because they’re assholes? Because they wanted us to suffer so had to make it all as senseless and bizarro-world as possible? Your guess is as good as mine. That she was intended as a villain is as clear as the romance itself was. Can’t see why the BBC would even want to force that change though. Or Amanda. Surely it would have been more fun to keep playing the villain she was. Maybe it was easier to fuck over the romance if they bizarrely redeemed her. I’m not one to give answers. I am completely baffled. And betrayed. And heartbroken.