That it hasn't happened before does not inherently make it a bad idea. Characters showing emotions other than their surface level traits is not a bad...
Last year, there were no less than three threads dedicated to discussing if Wanda should stand trial for her crimes. The grudge has by no means gone...
To be honest, I thought it was kind of dumb that he still got to be a reporter after the identity reveal, this just feels like a natural consequence...
I assumed it was less budget and more who they have handling the FX on the show, so I'm not sure if there should be such a stark change for the rest...