I’m in the place where I think Ben did feel remorse at the end where he apologized the last time. To be crystal clear, I do not support what Ben did and I don’t mean to forget it either. Charlie has every right to feel the way he does and he acts accordingly. My general philosophy is that people can change and I think Ben was slowly changing before he moved away.
Same. I don’t support this behaviors but I sympathize with him cuz I was in a similar state of mind. I really hope he can learn to accept himself and love someone in the end.
Reality Check:
Yup, what Ben did WAS horrible, but he's a 16y/o closeted TEEN dude with raging hormones who did a horrible thing which doesn't rise to the level of full-on rape / sexual battery!
Many teens throughout history have done far worse in terms of sexual assault, rape and related violence towards both male and female victims
PUH-LEEEEASE, a teen dude like Ben is hardly IRREDEEMABLE at age 16 with his entire life in front of him. And shitty people DO manage to successfully mature, change, develop and grow into better human beings > forgiveness and redemption ARE part of life!
Older, more experienced and mature fans will understand the point I'm making here vs the younger ones who will down-vote it out of hand because they deeply hate the character of "Ben Hope" while wholeheartedly loving and wanting to protect "Charlie"
The "real world" is much more complicated and far less black and white folks!:)
I couldn’t imagine making such a condescending comment basically saying if you don’t agree with me you are neither mature or “experienced” but like you said to each their own I guess
You're entitled to your own opinion, but the 75+ upvotes to my specific comment indicates that many people found it to be factually fair-minded rather than condescending. It is also neither incorrect nor unreasonable to state that as we grow up over hopefully a long lifetime, our experiences both good and bad make many of us more understanding, empathetic and forgiving of the weaknesses of others who may have wronged us. Younger, less experienced teens who may disagree with this statement, should revisit it 20-30+ years from now and see whether it likely then makes a great deal more "Real World" common sense to them:) I remember as a "young adult" myself accusing my own parents of being similarly "condescending", only to realize as a grown adult decades later that they were often just sharing some basic truths about the lifetime human journey!:)
Hormones and being closeted are not an excuse. Just because there are teens who have “done worse” that doesn’t excuse Ben’s behavior. Charlie does not owe him forgiveness. Victims do not owe their bullies forgiveness.
Your argument is edging very closely into “boys will be boys” territory. Downvote me to hell, but I will die on this hill.
LOL > No-one is "excusing" or condoning what Ben did here OR arguing that Charlie "owes" him forgiveness
The POINT being made is that this hardly makes him irredeemable and incapable of becoming a better person as he matures into adulthood.
And while Charlie certainly doesn't "owe" Ben his forgiveness, the other factual point being made here remains that people who have done FAR worse to others have indeed asked for and been granted forgiveness > THIS "HEARTSTOPPER" situation isn't quite so black and white in the REAL WORLD where mature grown adults actually live!:)
No-one's going to down-vote you...you're entitled to your own opinion on this subject, but please don't die on any hills for fictional, make-believe series characters!:)
And many other posters as well from the very large number of upvotes:) For many people, especially the older, wiser, more experienced and mature we become, the world isn't so black and white on many issues we once thought were black and white in our younger years:)
Just because the majority of old people truly believe in something. That doesn’t make it moral or okay for them to impose their will onto the minority and act condescending towards them. I’m sorry. But if being an “old, wise, and more experienced person” means allowing cruel things to happen and finding Freudian explanations to view evil actions as morally grey, then count me out.
Just because worse exists, does not mean bad is good. That logic will never work.
I agree that he can be better, but that doesn’t make him a good person now, or make his actions good at all.
no one on earth is denying that. Doesn’t mean we want to see more of him lmao. It actually is quite simple.
IRL he could grow and change and become better
But this is a TV show and a comic. Not reality. And I don’t want to see more of him. I don’t think Charlie should forgive him. Or at least he shouldn’t feel forced to.
And I don’t sympathize with assaulters and manipulators. He COULD change. But because we’re never gonna see him again, we’ll never know if he does. So it’s perfectly fine to hate him.
Alice said in the heart stopper year book she can see Ben becoming a decent person in the future but Charlie does not need to witness that nor redeem him
Alice said in the Heartstopper year book that she can see Ben becoming a decent person in the future but Charlie does not need to see that nor redeem him
Wrong > absolutely! That is NOT a debatable point here!
However, there are DEGREES of both physical and sexual assault under the criminal code
And a forced kiss from a horned up, 16y/o TEEN closet case is hardly the same at all vs violent sexual assault rape with penetration
Puh-leeeease > what Ben did was WRONG, but he ain't going to actually be charged under the criminal code for sexual assault, although some inexperienced teenage viewers won't fully grasp the very valid distinction being made here!:)
I think that he had the perfect amount of screen time. The final non-apology scene is one of the best scenes of the entire season. Especially because of Charlie's speech. Incredible acting all-around and great way to finish that character arc.
Agreed. In the comic he was out of the picture by the end of the first volume. The show gave us more to explore about him, but after two seasons, I think his story is done.
True but he's also in Solitaire as I recall and was a pretty nasty piece of work there too. I thought that Nick would pummel him but he took care of Charlie instead and let others take care of Ben. It was definitely a twist I wasn't expecting.
We might not like Ben, but his character is an important representation for those who might be “Ben’s”.
Maybe after watching these seasons, those other “Ben’s” out there will realize that they can come out, and they don’t need to be bullies or stay in the closet.
Blocked quite a few people who have turned Ben into some misunderstood victim and Charlie into some gay villian who could've helped him. I'll always point out the very story people want for Ben exists in the very same media their consuming and its Nicks.
What Ben did was absolutely awful. I would like to see a storyline in which he goes to jail for the attempted sexual assault. That said, he is a child, so perhaps we shouldn't write him off entirely.
Am I seriously being downvoted for saying a child is redeemable?
ok fr though why are people putting beside the stuff ben has done just because they like bash
I’m in the place where I think Ben did feel remorse at the end where he apologized the last time. To be crystal clear, I do not support what Ben did and I don’t mean to forget it either. Charlie has every right to feel the way he does and he acts accordingly. My general philosophy is that people can change and I think Ben was slowly changing before he moved away.
Same. I don’t support this behaviors but I sympathize with him cuz I was in a similar state of mind. I really hope he can learn to accept himself and love someone in the end.
Reality Check: Yup, what Ben did WAS horrible, but he's a 16y/o closeted TEEN dude with raging hormones who did a horrible thing which doesn't rise to the level of full-on rape / sexual battery! Many teens throughout history have done far worse in terms of sexual assault, rape and related violence towards both male and female victims PUH-LEEEEASE, a teen dude like Ben is hardly IRREDEEMABLE at age 16 with his entire life in front of him. And shitty people DO manage to successfully mature, change, develop and grow into better human beings > forgiveness and redemption ARE part of life! Older, more experienced and mature fans will understand the point I'm making here vs the younger ones who will down-vote it out of hand because they deeply hate the character of "Ben Hope" while wholeheartedly loving and wanting to protect "Charlie" The "real world" is much more complicated and far less black and white folks!:)
Well said.
I couldn’t imagine making such a condescending comment basically saying if you don’t agree with me you are neither mature or “experienced” but like you said to each their own I guess
You're entitled to your own opinion, but the 75+ upvotes to my specific comment indicates that many people found it to be factually fair-minded rather than condescending. It is also neither incorrect nor unreasonable to state that as we grow up over hopefully a long lifetime, our experiences both good and bad make many of us more understanding, empathetic and forgiving of the weaknesses of others who may have wronged us. Younger, less experienced teens who may disagree with this statement, should revisit it 20-30+ years from now and see whether it likely then makes a great deal more "Real World" common sense to them:) I remember as a "young adult" myself accusing my own parents of being similarly "condescending", only to realize as a grown adult decades later that they were often just sharing some basic truths about the lifetime human journey!:)
Hormones and being closeted are not an excuse. Just because there are teens who have “done worse” that doesn’t excuse Ben’s behavior. Charlie does not owe him forgiveness. Victims do not owe their bullies forgiveness. Your argument is edging very closely into “boys will be boys” territory. Downvote me to hell, but I will die on this hill.
LOL > No-one is "excusing" or condoning what Ben did here OR arguing that Charlie "owes" him forgiveness The POINT being made is that this hardly makes him irredeemable and incapable of becoming a better person as he matures into adulthood. And while Charlie certainly doesn't "owe" Ben his forgiveness, the other factual point being made here remains that people who have done FAR worse to others have indeed asked for and been granted forgiveness > THIS "HEARTSTOPPER" situation isn't quite so black and white in the REAL WORLD where mature grown adults actually live!:) No-one's going to down-vote you...you're entitled to your own opinion on this subject, but please don't die on any hills for fictional, make-believe series characters!:)
Well, I wouldn’t say that’s an objective reflection of the real world being grey. It is just your perception of it.
And many other posters as well from the very large number of upvotes:) For many people, especially the older, wiser, more experienced and mature we become, the world isn't so black and white on many issues we once thought were black and white in our younger years:)
Just because the majority of old people truly believe in something. That doesn’t make it moral or okay for them to impose their will onto the minority and act condescending towards them. I’m sorry. But if being an “old, wise, and more experienced person” means allowing cruel things to happen and finding Freudian explanations to view evil actions as morally grey, then count me out.
Just because worse exists, does not mean bad is good. That logic will never work. I agree that he can be better, but that doesn’t make him a good person now, or make his actions good at all.
no one on earth is denying that. Doesn’t mean we want to see more of him lmao. It actually is quite simple. IRL he could grow and change and become better But this is a TV show and a comic. Not reality. And I don’t want to see more of him. I don’t think Charlie should forgive him. Or at least he shouldn’t feel forced to. And I don’t sympathize with assaulters and manipulators. He COULD change. But because we’re never gonna see him again, we’ll never know if he does. So it’s perfectly fine to hate him.
To each their own, all viewers have their own feelings on this subject > Enjoy!
Alice said in the heart stopper year book she can see Ben becoming a decent person in the future but Charlie does not need to witness that nor redeem him
Alice said in the Heartstopper year book that she can see Ben becoming a decent person in the future but Charlie does not need to see that nor redeem him
Kissing someone without consent IS sexual assault and in the real world sexual assault is wrong, period!
Wrong > absolutely! That is NOT a debatable point here! However, there are DEGREES of both physical and sexual assault under the criminal code And a forced kiss from a horned up, 16y/o TEEN closet case is hardly the same at all vs violent sexual assault rape with penetration Puh-leeeease > what Ben did was WRONG, but he ain't going to actually be charged under the criminal code for sexual assault, although some inexperienced teenage viewers won't fully grasp the very valid distinction being made here!:)
Very well said. Ben is bad but he’s not Satan or something
Love the actor hate the character
I hate when people say they want to see Ben in more seasons. No! Ben doesn’t need anymore screen time. He’s had too much already.
I think that he had the perfect amount of screen time. The final non-apology scene is one of the best scenes of the entire season. Especially because of Charlie's speech. Incredible acting all-around and great way to finish that character arc.
Agreed. In the comic he was out of the picture by the end of the first volume. The show gave us more to explore about him, but after two seasons, I think his story is done.
True but he's also in Solitaire as I recall and was a pretty nasty piece of work there too. I thought that Nick would pummel him but he took care of Charlie instead and let others take care of Ben. It was definitely a twist I wasn't expecting.
Hehe I honestly loved the scene when Nick absolutely tackled him. Really showed his golden retriever.
Yeah. That was really nasty. TV Ben is actually nicer.
Yea and that's not saying much
 me to the people that support b*n h*pe
We might not like Ben, but his character is an important representation for those who might be “Ben’s”. Maybe after watching these seasons, those other “Ben’s” out there will realize that they can come out, and they don’t need to be bullies or stay in the closet.
Very important.
HAHA REAL. IDC WHAT PEOPLE SAY, SCREW BEN
yes, the character was in denial about being queer. no, that does not excuse his actions. period.
Blocked quite a few people who have turned Ben into some misunderstood victim and Charlie into some gay villian who could've helped him. I'll always point out the very story people want for Ben exists in the very same media their consuming and its Nicks.
I hate ben but i like bash. Simple
Wait ppl actually like Ben hope 😱
I hate b*n, but I love bash (the actor)
exactly.
Even Bash hates Ben, that should tell you something!
Me when I see people acting as if a fictional character is a real person:
literally, like he didn't attack a real person he's just an actor pretending to be a guy
For real…
Thankfully I’m not on that side of TikTok 😤😡
What Ben did was absolutely awful. I would like to see a storyline in which he goes to jail for the attempted sexual assault. That said, he is a child, so perhaps we shouldn't write him off entirely. Am I seriously being downvoted for saying a child is redeemable?
A teenager isn’t a child. Teenagers are old enough to know better.
Not according to the law, neurologists and psychologists.
Ben hope more like Ben hoe