I think you would enjoy A2A - if mostly for the crack - which they commit wholeheartedly. Don't you remember the episode you wrote in the gay bar?

The Gene/Alex relationship/UST/rivalry/whatever you want to call it is hardly stereotypically romantic.

It really depends how much you think you will miss Sam and Annie - Shaz is quite fun, and Chris and Ray get more screen time, but it's not the same.

And the clown is much less scary than TCG, IMHO.