[Ultimatehero]

It's not a corner. These show runners know what they're doing. They know this character's progression season by season. They didn't just go, "huh, lets make him his friend." TV show creators absolutely need a 'bible' that they stand by and have written which fully explains how they view how each character will progress and how their arc will go. They know the ending, they know what got him there, now it's just the timing - if that.