Frankly, their skating is often error-prone and messy too, but most everyone in figure skating turns a blind eye to their mistakes and their lack of connection. But yeah, they only have to show up because they are Russian, good-looking, have memorable names, and at their best are capable of putting on a technical clinic.
But T/M consistently pick poor music and program concept. And they don't know how to pull out who they are and truly engage with audiences on a deep, emotional level. The team that can do that: James/Cipres has electrified the pairs discipline, but tend to be downplayed in how they are viewed competitively. IOW J/C's enormous strengths are often overlooked and not fully credited because they are not seen as a conventional, traditional pair team. J/C are generally not being credited either for the way they have impacted and influenced the pairs discipline over the past few years. With their poor program choices, even T/M are trying to channel J/C's moves and exciting strengths. T/M should be trying to find out who they are and bring that out instead.