@doc
Are the endings as good as they could've been before all the stupid ass changes to the end plot? From the new ending and the extended Destroy, I'd still say no. But they are much better than they were. Also, they left in that teaser last breath thing with perfect Destroy ending.
Watching the Perfect Destroy Extended Cut, they did work patching the massive hole regarding your teammates getting on the Normandy and the Normandy leaving the battle. Now you see the Normandy come in to pick up the teammates, and it sticks around in the space fight until after you made a decision. Normandy does still get tossed onto a planet, but you see it take off later on.
They also added some further lines regarding the Destroy option not being able to discriminate. And I think more lines with all the other options to flesh out what happens more, prior to the choice being made.
Refusal does seem like a massive fuck you to the fanbase.
Amusing note: The creators of the Star Child made it to mediate between synthetics and organics and bring peace. All attempts failed, so Star Child went to a new solution, resulting in the Reapers. The creating civilization was made into the first true Reaper against their will. As a bonus, the Star Child was aware of the Crucible for a few cycles but thought it had obliterated all mentions of it from the galaxy.