Something next to normal, that's the thing I'd like to try

Yeah, I noticed that in To Say Nothing of the Dog, too, but I think it didn't bother me as much because it was so farcical, so an outlandish resolution was pretty much in keeping with the outlandishness of the entire story. It stands out a lot more in Blackout/All Clear because it's much more realistic (well, as much as time travel can be) in tone.