u/matt0055

As in, Season 4's finale needed to set up Marinette to make a slip up that'd allow Gabriel to steal all the other Miraculous and created a villain that would ensure their worst impulses would lead to Felix being taken for Adrien, Marinette to really get gung-ho about getting Adrien to stay and so forth.

Like... hates off to Froggy and his ear worm of a tune.

Like I often likened her greater story to that of an older teenager trying to adult but finding that it’s not what she was led to believe in contrast to Aang's team being kids forced to take on more responsibility earlier than they should've. Her losing the support of past Avatar worked thematically in this sense.

Hell, I feel this is why she was shown Wan's story in a way as he was the first Avatar. He had only Raava before merging and now she's the start of a new cycle.