I wonder if because the results were more lockstep back in the day, they were surprised that they made the podium and then were pushed off by a new team. OTOH, the teams who usually made the world podium and never left (and continued to higher steps on the podium as teams above them retired) were Russians. B/K should've known that teams who earned bronze didn't always stay there, e.g., France's Moniotte/Lavanchy who had won bronze the year before B/K first did at worlds (out with injury in 1996 when B/K won their first bronze). And, of course, once France switched horses from Moniotte/Lavanchy to the stronger Anissina/Peizerat, B/K's podium spot was in even more danger. ETA: And also once you moved down, there wasn't much precedent for coming back up so B/K might have tried to change the "we're slipping into the abyss" narrative into "the judges just didn't recognize how much greater we are and once they come to their senses, we'll be back where we belong." The Eurosport commentator from the M/L clip below even states "In ice dancing, if you go down a place, you might as well get in the box and die gracefully, really."
Riverdance did help them stand out. Irish step dancing was new for ice dance, though the aforementioned Moniotte/Lavanchy also did a riverdance FD in the 1998 season. I'll forgive B/K the side-by-side dancing in the free because that fit the style of dance they were translating to the ice. The lack of technical content in the OD was inexcusable, however. Looking back, I think the judges in 1998 got it right between B/K and A/P. A/P rightly built up a lead at the Olympics so even though their FD was tight and they justifiably lost that portion to B/K's dynamic, innovative FD, they earn the bronze. Then at worlds where A/P perform so much better in the FD, they rightly defeat B/K in the FD and overall.
I'll sheepishly admit that at the time, I got swept up in the Nagano B/K was robbed narrative.
And I'm glad I went back and rewatched the 1998 Olympics and Worlds because 1) I hadn't seen A/P's worlds FD, which was amazing! 2) all that Western B/K wuz robbed BS obscured the difference in technical difficulty between the teams and minimized A/P's innovation, too. Those genderbending lifts were just as innovative as B/K's hydroblading.But back to the Lifetime coverage, I really liked seeing the side-by-side images of the rotational lifts and step sequences. Great for comparing teams and would love to see that used again in replays.
I love her so much.
How often does that happen!?
)
Same for Nowak/Kowalsinki's FD, but at least that gives me a craving for sherbet.
I still think it's a beautiful program. But certainly polarizing! 
