5 Reasons You're Wrong About Dragon Age 2's Story
4. Consequences Intrinsically Linked With Character Actions
Assuming you haven't gone out of your way to pee in the collective cereal of everyone you meet, most of the companions don't intend for their actions to negatively affect Hawke in any meaningful way. But like any good tragedy, every decision that makes the life of the protagonist hell was made with the intent of doing some kind of good.
Even the biggest grumpy pants in the party, Fenris, still basically likes you, and likes having you around. Until you make him a full rival and then side with the mages, he never willingly turns on you. But the key thing to note here is that this does not matter. Because every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Every character who gets any kind of prominent role in this story makes some decision, somewhere, that builds another stepping stone to the finale. Even the most pointless side-quests still paint Hawke as a man (or woman) who can get things done, thus endearing them to the Viscount, the Knight-Commander, and the Grand Enchanter as a problem solver.
Every choice a character makes in this story organically adds up to the ultimate consequence of the section of the story that decision inhabits. It's all part of the plan.