I'm ok with them using the pandemic, it's an actual thing they had to deal with during filming, lockdowns affected financial markets significantly, and the show relied heavily on the incidents of 9/11 and the fallout thereof previously, so it would be weird not to incorporate corona if they are going for present-day realism.
The Axe/Wendy thing I hate though. A large part of the appeal of this show for me was the simple fact that you could have a man and a woman working together without zomg FALLING IN LOVE. It's manufactured, it's distracting, and the interpersonal relationship stuff is the weakest point of the series. I guess since hollywood studios are rife with sexual harrasment they forget that you actually can, somehow, work with someone without wanting to fuck them 24/7.
