Personally, I'm delighted that they changed their plans rather than pursuing a Laura/Lee romance and a progressively more ruthless Lee. If they had paired him up with Laura ideologically, I'm pretty sure I would have come to disagree with him as profoundly as I disagreed with her, and I think he would not have remained a favorite character for me.

Yes, this. I loved the Lee & Laura friendship in season one, but I"m so glad they didn't go this way. I like do-the-right-thing Lee.