[GRO] Research Genealogy does nothing

I FINALLY had a long lost relative show up (only works in new save, research genealogy in first few days in game), however the new "cousin" doesn't show up in the tree at all since there is/are no "connecting" relative/s. Completely missed the mark, imho. They are relatives via gameplay, but that's it.

Nothing happens for me either. My most recent file researched genealogy nearly every day from young adult to elder. I had a spare bedroom the entire time. Nothing ever happened. 

I got the research interaction to work for the first time when in a fresh save with a new household. I got like you did a "cousin" to the father who did the research.

The cousin is not in the family tree because like you mentioned there are no relatives to connect them too. 
(I wonder if the research option will ever generate a "cousin" if your sim actually have parents/ parent siblings?). 

My biggest issue though is that in the relationship panel where the generated sim show up as a cousin to the father, the new sim shows up as cousin to the fathers (adopted if that matters) kids as well...

The son had the cousin tag and could sort on family and see the new sim right away. But the daughter had no tags with the new sim except acquaintance, but when I checked again a little later she also had him has cousin and he showed up in the family filter in the relationship panel. I wonder if it would have mattered if the kids where added after I got the "cousin", maybe then the tag would not be cousin for them.

Anyway that turned me off, so lazy, why would the sim be cousin to both the adult father and the fathers kids?Normally the tag would be distant relative in the game right for a parents cousin? So why is everyone cousin with the new sim? Also why cousin, it could have been a child or a sibling or even a parent where they connect in the family tree, that would have been cool.

**bleep** I miss the Time machine from TS3 where if you woohoo'd in the future you could get an elder child or in the past a teen child. Great way to get a child without having to handle the younger stages.
I was so disappointed when we didn't get a version of that machine in the Time Travel event we had a while back, should have been so cool and something super fun to get as a reward that also added value and not just decor.