i guess i'm the only one who is looking forward to this.
i don't think they'll be phased out unless the creatives have a death wish for this show. no one is going to eliminate such a popular couple UNLESS they have somehow been behaving unprofessionally on an ongoing basis--and if that's the case, then they would deserve it...BUT i highly doubt that's the case. they would have to do something really terrible for that to happen, and i can't believe they would do something like that.
i can readily admit i'm not as crazy about AD scenes as everyone else. i like them but they have to be relevant to the story and the plot. if it's just them having flashbacks while some goofy love song plays in the background, i get bored and feel it's a waste of time. just my opinion, and i know it's not a popular one.
also remember that SD are not robots programmed to act. they have been shooting continuously every day since the beginning, without a vacation or any time off. there have been articles mentioning that they feel overworked, so this might be a way of compromising: they will stay in the show but not have to work for such long hours. that's all it comes down to. the more hours you put in, the more scenes are shot.
and new entries also mean that there will also be less air time for sindoora, and isn't that what we have all been asking for?!