Albert? Did he help the show?

Recently watching the show and right around the time Mary goes blind, I, as a viewer could feel the show change after that. And of course the family moves to Winoka and then they meet Albert and I thought again, the show changed again when they introduced him. Not sure if it changed for the better either. When I was younger I may not have thought about it. But now, knowing what I know, it’s kind of the beginning of the end or so they say.

What about you? Thoughts on Albert? Yay? Nay?