Although Sereda2 said it beautifully I guess I should also give my opinion now that the Patch 7 is launced. I hope all opinions are welcomed here like Flooter said.
As someone who have played with Ascended Astarion the most out of all the companion, I was very much against the scared faces because it robbed RP and made very little sense with his dialog to Tav. Some said it seemed like Astarion had some short time memory loss with how badly the kisses meshed with his personality. Astarion going from loving to abusive, and Tav from smiling to scared. And back again.
Although I need to play more with the Patch 7 version to really get a sense of my feelings, I think the new playful/neutral are perfectly done to allow for many different RP. There is no need for any change. To put it a bit on the edge, I know many wanted more happy faces too, but they are still happy to work with what we got in Patch 7. Should Larian also include a third option? Instead of a boolean we have a case/switch with Happy, Neutral and scared? What if someone wants another expression?
Having it somewhere inbetween is the best Larian could have done. Do not forget this is supposed to be a button players click on for a reward scene, more people will enjoy seeing playful/neutral expressions. Catering to the majority who goes that route makes sense to me.
