They had 0 chemistry in season 1. Season two they also had no chemistry and never really interacted. Seasons 3 immedietly I noticed they started a shift in realizing what the writers might want to do, and into 4 it looked very possible, and obviously ended up happening. Considering how often characters in the show cycle through relationships, I’m not sure it’s a happily ever after ending for them. Especially after I rewatched the show, I wasn’t a huge fan of it, but that’s because the writing felt lazy and the entire process felt rushed in a larger context. It’s a good example of why you’ve got to map out larger messages of your show before you just start making stuff happen. Obviously characters change and adapt, but especially after the masterpiece that was ATLA, fans deserved and expected better. You want the lasting impression of your show to be about a specific, controversial plot point? You had better represent it in a way that makes it feel a lot more natural and be a little more transparent about your intentions. Was it a big suprise? Kindof. If its supposed to be a message though, why would you want it to be shocking at all? Shouldn’t it be normalized and the characters be shown to still be the same people despite the realization from the audience? Shouldn’t the viewers have gotten more reaction and approval from on-screen focalizers throughout multiple episodes? To just kindof cheaply drop it in there at the end is just poor execution.