Oh, now I'm wondering what happens if you flip the whole show -- make the past the main story, and give it more texture and range, and have modern-day be sweet and easy and falling-into-each-other... except that doesn't really work, does it? The existential threat with the unknown outcome has to be at the end of the timeline. And the YOHE sequence can only be this sweet because it's set against a terrible background of war and deprivation. /rambly thinking out loud

Yeah, it doesn't quite work - you'd have to change more than that - but damn, I love the idea and now I really want someone to try and make it work!