It was cruel, and it was wrong!
I was SO GLAD when they had him confront his father. Like… watching the scene still gives me heart flutters and goosebumps.
They could have just had him leave and never speak to his father again until he was Fire Lord… but not only did they do so much here to resolve his childhood and confront the true nature of the horrible parenting he was subjected to, but they also strengthened his character considerably. Not merely by confronting the only person in the world that honestly, truly, terrified him, but by keeping him around after the eclipse to prove that bravery and progression of heart.
Not only is Ozai’s the first lightning he actually has to redirect, but he still leaves afterward. He keeps his word that he will not stoop to the same actions Ozai commited against his father just for the sake of power, even though he now believes himself to have the better motivations.
In short: FEELS