I did not just read Above and Beyond slander 💀
I've made a post summarizing my thoughts on the episode and why I love it before, but due to recent fandom discussion I have more things to say.
As I said in that last post, (I thought) the episode established important things about the characters, Ben mainly cause of course I'm focusing on him. First of all, as he says in the episode, he wasn't even really trying, which means two things - he was holding back, and I'd say tends to always hold back, and that he's a lot more powerful than he is often shown to be.
Besides he fact that it was cool as fuck, the fact that Ben can accurately play the bad guy shows that he understands exactly what his power can be used for - why bad guys are always after his watch - and that because he knows that, he chooses not to abuse it to that extent since he's been trusted with the power he has. It's a great way to show the depth of his understanding, not just tell through a line of dialogue. (And Ben is more of the type to prefer to prove himself through actions than words, I think.)
By putting the plumber's kids in a training scenario like the one in Above and Beyond, without letting them know it's not real, it allows them to be put into a controlled situation that forces them to use their skills without being able to rely on the fact that it's not real with no real danger. It forces them to really get serious about the job, and more specifically, the dangers of the job, as displayed by Ben himself who has more than enough experience with the dangers of the job that he can effortlessly play the part of the threat himself. And I think all that shows that he can also be a great teacher.
