Maybe season 6 is a way of weening the characters out and mixing them with the new, so by season 7 we'll be interested in the new characters? Hmm..

As for Palex, my personal opinion (if Deanna is still around) is that they won't get back together (at least not now). I think season 6 will be about soul searching on both parts. Yes, I think Paige will date guys again in the mean time. As for Alex, she has to figure out what she wants to do with her life before she rots with her mom. By the end, maybe they'll get back together, maybe not. I just hope the writers delve into this a bit further. It all started and ended too quickly.