they very well might not write future episodes as if previous characterizations and events have been invalidated. So their laziness might also have a silver lining.

For me, this was such an epic fucking misstep that I'm now at the "stove hot" stage, where I don't even want to watch the next ep for fear of something even more horrifying, like Reese wailing his everlasting love for Carter in front of the rest of the team, the whole NYPD, and all of fucking Manhattan. I just... I *hate* that I don't trust them anymore.