Ok not reading your spoilers Silver or quoting you because then I would see what’s going on, but a well written tragedy isn’t supposed to do that to you. The classical Greek form of tragedy invoked catharsis, not grief.
The old plays often had a character become his own undoing. But it sounds like some of the fates of our companions are undeserved and are really eating at people.
I hate red herrings. Subverting Chekhov’s Gun is a dick move. There are few things more satisfying than every small detail in a story eventually mattering, and few things more disappointing than seeing all the elements of a story turn up as nothing.
If Astarion says he needs to drink a vampire’s blood, damnit, I expect the opportunity to arise. If Karlach’s entire quest is centered around fixing her engine, shouldn’t a way appear, however costly? What was the Book of Thay FOR? Things should matter more, not less, in a story than in real life.
This post does an amazing job explaining the problem, IMO.
Especially given the sheer amount of methods to save Karlach that are wafted under our proverbial noses )':
