IMO Kirk was Iva's best pairing. In the very beginning they had that witty, sharp dialogue that I used to love to hear from HBS and GM's Tom and Margo (what we writers would call 'The Billy Wilder Effect'). They even had a bit of that combative repartée, the way John and Lucinda sometimes had. They were dynamic and in the beginning, Iva didn't have to play the put-upon 'heavy' as she had in other other relationships. It was a big mistake to pull them apart without them finding their way back to each other.
If Kirk and Iva were going to be involved in a triangle (of sorts), I would've rather Marland wait for Sam, Lucinda's sister. Given Lucinda and Iva's acrimonious history, Sam becoming the interloper to Kirk and Iva's fraying relationship would've added extra interest.
That pairing of Iva and Kirk put Iva in a light I had not been used to see her before--they sizzled. IMO none of Iva's other pairings had that kind of sizzle. I didn't even know the Iva character was capable of producing those kind of sparks!
Wow, is there video online? I'd love to see that, LOL.