Days' Remaining Episodes Update

Honestly, I'm sure the cost of sets are at least part of the equation, but I chalk up a lot of it to just lazy and uninspired writing.  They always gloss over anything that might actually require in-depth thought; and they don't want to write a compelling scene in a courtroom or at the hospital.  I mean, they'll write a scene in a hospital, but usually it has little if anything to do with why they're there; and has hardly any substance to it. 
look at when they removed the chip from Steve; of all the times in the last year or two (and more) when a character has had any kind of major surgery or health crisis and without any actual focus their treatment, they went to the trouble of setting up an operating room set for the removal of Steve's Stefano chip. And rather write it as any kind of sensible, complex surgery, they fall back on some asinine trope of the chip not only having a self-destruct mechanism, but one that announces itself and counts down audibly enough for Kayla and Sarah (neither of whom are neurologists, much less munitions experts) to hear and respond to, by removing it and diffusing it safely.

I know these aren't recent examples, but it makes me think of other times they just casually throw random plot points in, as throw away exposition, that should have been an actual story - like JJ finding and rescuing a little girl who had been kidnapped, which earned him a promotion; or the dead child police found that lead Sami and EJ to think it was Johnny, when he went missing.  They just generally don't seem to find those stories interesting, other than as a plot device for whatever stupid shit they're using it to setup.

Because it's the same wash, rinse and repeat format they've been using to tread water for years.  They manufacture drama by setting stakes that never actually amount to anything anymore.  I mean, why in fact go to the trouble of teasing Gabi going to jail again if they weren't going to do anything with it?  They still did it. 
Why do the one year jump, if they were just going to do a bunch of exposition dumps and have it all turn out meaningless? (especially if )

Why have Sarah go on the run with Mickey/Rachel, only to a)go someplace associated with people she knows, or b) only to turn around and have her back in Salem within a week or two, acting like nothing happened?

Why do all of the major couples keep finding themselves in contrived situations that lead to them breaking up, typically getting divorced; only to reunite and re-marry each other?  It's because the writers can't think of more inventive ways to keep a couple relevant without trying to recapture the glory days of their original romance, "fighting the odds" to get back together.


What was the last story they actually followed through on, that had real, lasting consequences on the show, that wasn't eventually walked back or undermined in some way?