I am always for more friendship content - and in Gale's case I would love to be able to ask Tara to stay with us after meeting her. But otherwise, I think, Gale and Shadowheart are not the greatest examples because you can give Shadowheart gifts as a friend (the night orchid and while she does not react to books, she reacts to gifting her an idol of Shar), and Gale has a fairly fleshed out friendship path. All the things you ask for, with regard to him, are in the game.
Apart from this, I am also sad that you cannot give the Silver Sword to Lae'zel through dialogue (like you can give her the Gith egg) because this sword is what she has been talking about the whole game. It is her greatest wish and - I assume - when she has turned from Vlaakith it might be worth having a conversation about whether the meaning of this sword now has changed for her. Not being able to gift UAstarion the portrait similarly seems like such a let down. It would be a nice way to show that overcoming the difficulties his choice presents is possible. I think that giving him the Necromancy of Thay counts as a present though, because through reading it, he hopes to learn more about how to defeat Cazador - and I suspect also how to become properly alive again because that is what the book is supposed to teach you according to the notes in the lab.
Yeah there are some elements of it, but they kinda missed an opportunity by not making it more of a thing. It's a little funny how Laezel talks about getting the Silver Sword while it is still in Tav's inventory and I can go sell it to a vendor if I so wish... As for me gifting her a Gith sword - while they do come a dime a dozen once you get to the creche, there are none before the fight at the bridge. My latest playthrough she was rocking some nondescript +1 axe when I gave her a rare (blue) quality greatsword of her people, and not so much as a short comment. I'd expect a few words at least, while a long cutscene would have probably been too much.
