I'd like to see nuclear be (safely) viable, which to me means SMRs or go home.

Even SMRs can't compete on price along - current estimate (per the Goog):

SMRs: SMR LCOE range from $80-$90/MWh. Renewables: Solar and wind LCOE can range from $20-$50/MWh, with some estimates even lower.

Yes, having "guaranteed" output has value, but I'm of an age where I can remember the promise of "power too cheap to meter"

Those cost estimates factor in ALARA and the LNT model assumptions, which drastically raise costs far beyond what's needed for safety. If the NRC dropped those and moved to a SNT dose-harm model, that drops costs radically.