Well the problem of the grinch-face on Lord has been around for a long time. here I don't get it, Astarion put up with 200 years to finally take off his mask, and such was his Magistrate's "screw you all, rabble" face to a new level. I can understand that. But Larian is still going a little overboard with this. And given that we can't see the trend of this in Act 3 and we don't explore the Magistate's past - which isn't clear what's going on with it at all. Lord running around hyperactive proof that it was.
However, peared in the first act, too. When Tav knows he's a vampire and asks about the past. He talks about the magistrate's past and that face at the very end of the line: Astarion: I can't remember much, truth be told. Centuries of torment will do that to you. I don't believe
The scene with Arabella at EA shows that he remembers pretty well. I don't know what Act 1 is trying to do: show his evil facial expression so it's not so conspicuous after the ascension? This pie was even more fun in EA, partly because there were more scenes, but evil fun. He didn't need to make an evil-face, with his past and little scenes, words almost everyone knew he was a… elf bastard. Evil has an effect when it has complexity and tenderness - when you feel that multifacetedness, on the dark side.
Why even touch a scene that weighs like a gun on the wall that doesn't fire in the story. I'm even worried about writing about it because they might cut it out without explanation and then Astarion's whole path of evil would be cut short altogether.
If someone wants to show Astarion's evil and evil side, it's best not to do so: Astarion's evil face, Tav's frightened face and especially not during the kissing. The Magistrate's past will do it fine, but with this approach to history b&w is honestly better left untouched. In patch 5 there were chances, in 6 almost none. Will see.
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