I know what you mean. The show has just got progressively worse. Now it is just a farse. Back when it started it was kinda gritty and ground breaking whereas now it is just a soap with poorly developed characters and no real focus. It just lurches from one storyline to the next merrily recycling old plots thinking nobody will notice. Just because a storyline was successful once doesn't mean it will be on the second or third time around.
It is definitely one of those shows that has been allowed to run for too long and realistically should have been axed three seasons ago.

I still keep watching though out of some sort of misplaced loyalty only now it is usually on in the background whilst I'm doing something else whereas at one time I would have been riveted.