I don't like Ethan so it doesn't matter to me if he dies or goes to jail. Hell I'd settle for him being in the cuck chair while MC impregnates Erynn (that's oddly specific). If he wants to hold MC down to show him Erynn's sex tape, I can give him a front row seat to one.
I just look at Intertwined as an AVN based on a lot of teen soaps like The OC, One Tree Hill, 90210, etc. In those, death almost always did nothing for the show or the show was worse off because of it. I don't think I've ever looked at an Intertwined character and thought..."They should die, that's good drama."
Zach's an idiot but humiliating him would be fine, death feels unhinged. Nikki getting ran over in the old storyline sounds bad but that's just looking back with the advantage of hindsight considering she became popular.