It was always intended to be a three-part story. Alas, part three went from being a tame beast to being a multi-headed hydra (as opposed to the multi-tentacled variety of hydrazoa). But it WILL remain a three-part tale! Damn it all!

And yes, that rule bending was always going to bite them in the bum at some point. It is also quite possible that your surmise about future plot material is also correct, but you will have to wait a week or three. And thank you so very much for your kind encouragement!