So Ben is homeless and living in a shed. I am still so baffled, I don’t really get how this connects to his dad. I am assuming he was living with him and got kicked out or left because he is an alcoholic. If that is the case he had been lying about having a flatmate the whole time and lived at home with parents? He lied saying that things had worked out ok with his dad when he was “supporting” Aaron with Liv. Why, Aaron would understand. Ben had previously been really OTT with saying how he would support Aaron no matter what etc with Liv, then suddenly her having a drink problem is actually triggering for him, like yeah why didn’t you think about that before making all these promises pal.
Also very confused with the mini story this week that they hadn’t had sex, after dating for like a month? Ben did seem to be avoiding him and I don’t see how this really relates to his dad. Wouldn’t he have been taking advantage of staying with Aaron more rather than in a shed or with his dad or whatever. And round 22 like really, in a day - under 24 hours given he was at work and Aaron was hanging out again because he clearly has no job or nothing else to do? Sort of sounded like it was written by some teenage boy that has no idea about sex. I don’t claim to be any sort of expert but would that really be likely and too be talking about possible role play with someone you have just started having sex with, again really.
I think one of the big issues with this story has been it being sort of unclear what there relationship is, due to lack of story, writing etc. We just assumed at this point that they had slept together, I thought after the “becoming official”. Or did they just say, alright great mate, glad we are together bye and go their separate ways. They showed nothing of Liv getting in the way or a valid reason for anything stopping them taking that step sooner. I just feel that what is supposed to be a relationship story for Ben and Ben’s story about his mystery caller and whatever this shed business is, seems to take a back seat. Basically because after 10 months on the show Ben is still not an actual character with any interactions or stories outside of Aaron and plot. Which is why saying he is mates with Amy and Matty etc just seems silly when we have never seen them share a scene after such a long period of time and that can’t be blamed all on COVID-19 bubbles. Usually in one of these haven’t had time for sex stories, we would see both parties talking to friends or whatever about it, there would be attempts at a date, going to hotel, getting interrupted or caught. Where in reality we get an awkward scene with Aaron and Paddy, followed by more cringe and them going to have sex by the river?? All done and dusted in a few episodes and scenes at that as there was only a few scenes in each of those episodes. Again what I mean with taking a backseat in his own story. Doesn’t help with the lack of depth and lack of any actual relationship content, not that I want to see it. But so far them getting together until now has been overshowed by Kim’s poising, Leanna’s death and Faith’s cancer scare. Which fair enough they are bigger stories and much better and entertaining than anything with Ben and Aaron, but it is just so weird how they are rushing through all these potential story points so quickly and without any real basis of story. As bad as Emmerdale has been, they have been a bit better recently and aside from my hatred of the story and Ben even if illogical I don’t understand why the story is so bad.
The so called flirting I find so cringe, I don’t see any chemistry and the writing/directing and performance has just been odd. Who knows where it is going, but it does feel off to me. They have still made no effort to really make Ben a character like they have with other characters introduced during COVID times and the re-introduction of two other characters, I don’t think there is an excuse for the story to be this poor.
