You are totally right about Elena over performing to make up for their less than stellar programs this season. The last two seasons they had a good connection on the ice but this season there seemed to be a disconnect. You made a great point in saying Elena and Ruslan should look at teams with a similar team dynamic (outgoing female + reserved male) to get ideas on connection, presentation, and cohesiveness. I hope they get some amazing and top-notch programs for their Olympic season with fabulous styling and performances.
If they need any ideas for a FD, they might want to look at the music from the movie Dangerous Liaisons (1988) along with baroque music like Corelli's "La Folia." They could portray Sebastian de Valmont and Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil plotting their scheme like in the movie/book and focus on themes like deception and betrayal and with heavy a dose of passion mixed in for good measure. Elena and Ruslan are capable of bringing fiery passion, and with a story like this one they can really set themselves apart from the current soft-flowy, romantic FDs. They could use a modern take on baroque/18th century costumes and look at designers like Terry Dresbach (costumer designer for Outlander) for inspiration.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4A4A13C1E1D2F6DD
https://youtu.be/dO3U2dBwuWA