[theme-reviewers] specialty themes, theme options that are only used if plugins are installed

[carolina poena]

I'm reviewing a rather large update for a theme that is already live, and it's very complex but the majority of the
code seems to be for functionality, not the actual design of a site.
How do we handle these specialty themes? Do we ask admin if the author has been granted an exception, or is it enough that
an admin at some point has pushed it live?
 
The theme almost works without the recommended plugin -it doesn't display the latest posts and there is a broken slideshow.
The purpose of the theme is obvious and it was also first approved 16 months ago, when is a theme considered old enough to be an exception?
I do feel that, since there already is a plugin, it would be a better choice to update the plugin, and clean up the theme.
 
When does it become "too much"?  it's a real estate theme and I'm finding options for 
Maximum Listings Per Search
Price Range Options
Currency Symbol
(+analytics)
etc.
All of these are in the themes option page regardless if the plugin is installed or not, but most of them only actually do something if the plugin is installed.
 
https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/18824
 
 		 	   		  
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