Mal's Book 2 arc was one of the best that Pixelberry's ever written

I suspect this is a somewhat unpopular opinion, but I've just finished my second playthrough of Blades 2 and I honestly love what they did with Mal's arc. I've seen a lot of criticism on old threads, talking about how the reunion etc was underwhelming, but I actually really appreciate what they did with the story instead; you actually got to explore emotional depths with him that the MC hadn't seen before. And the weight of MC's absence really significantly affected their relationship right until the very end of the book, which makes complete sense especially given Mal's character and his naturally avoidant/deflective nature.

Maybe I just love angst, but his whole arc with the nearly suicidal ideation, identity crisis, and the final payoff in the Thieves Guild was *super* worth it, imo. I understand where the critique came from, especially when you're playing chapter-by-chapter and don't know where the writers are taking it, but I actually think it was the best written LI arc in book 2 (except, perhaps, Aerin). Does anyone else agree?