I think the most interesting aspect of this competition will be how it will impact the next four-year cycle. These are two radically different styles, and the winner will be seen, rightly or wrongly, as a model for the future of the sport. As I see it, Virtue and Moir's style centers around emotion, relatedness, and an almost out-of-control immersion in the rhythms of any kind of dance, which can sometimes lead to more errors and to less mastery of any one particular rhythm. Papadakis and Cizeron, on the other hand, create a pure aesthetic experience with their speed and the shapes they create with their bodies, as if they are one unit rather than two dance partners; and this seems to require more control over the music to pull off (which is why, for instance, they cut their "Moonlight Sonata" to avoid ending on the presto).
Personally, when I compare the way the field looked after P/C won their second world title with the way it looks this season, I would say that V/M's presence has had a more salutary effect on the field as a whole. Take P/C and V/M's training mates Hubbell and Donahue: their free dance from last year always made me cringe -- the emotions were sentimental, and the attempted lyricism and light blue costumes felt like a poor reflection of P/C. This year, their dance looks like no one else's and comes across as something they feel authentically. In general, there seems to be much more variety in the free dances this season than there was last season.
However, it's undeniable that Papadakis and Cizeron brought something new to ice dance. Maybe the field does need to move forward with them leading the way, for now. But it does worry me that they seem uninterested in extending themselves beyond the style they've perfected. Again, not to harp on this, but I think the way they avoid ending on the true final notes of "Moonlight Sonata" makes them look severely limited, as if they are afraid of completely abandoning themselves to the music. And if the challenge of Virtue and Moir didn't force them to take that risk with their music, then what will?
Even if P/C do win here, I think the field may quickly absorb their influence over the next four years and then leave them behind, unless they can take the sorts of risks that will continue to make their dances surprising and new. Their overthrow by Virtue and Moir last year shows how vulnerable they are to dancers who are not trying to follow their example.