Yea, I recently played though the xpacs and I thought it was pretty good. I didn't see that twist coming. I understand why people were pissed off after the first expansion. Playing through both back to back felt right and probably should have just been one big expansion. I wonder if the 2nd xpac was the original vision for the story or if it was changed due to the low reception of the first.
I think I have put more time into this season than I did through Campaign + Seasons 1+2. I think I originally quit around June 2024. It has come far from where it was. Taking a break from PoE2 its fun to just come to this and blast with out much thought.