Benson is such a delightful character. A key member of Kipo’s squad, this guy offers up fun, friendship, and street smarts, and I appreciate his presence on the show (a few Benson-related spoilers.)
Wolf is the first human that Kipo meets on the surface, all hard edges, distrust, and killer instincts. Benson is the second, and while he doesn’t quite have Kipo’s sunshiny outlook, he’s not as hard-scrabble as Wolf, either. For starters, he hasn’t been making his way as an absolute loner – he’s been rolling with his best friend Dave for years. From the jump, he shows that there’s another way to survive on the surface beyond Wolf’s “kill or be killed” philosophy, and he and Dave are Kipo’s first example that humans and mutes can get along.
The “foot in two worlds” thing is a major facet of who Benson is. Wolf is instantly wary and on guard against all mutes, but Benson is inseparable with Dave, taking care of him when his friend is in the more vulnerable phrases of his metamorphosis (baby/toddler Dave) and bedrudgingly putting up with the more annoying ones (teenager/old man Dave.) Benson has a handful of other friendly mute acquaintances as well. He’s the one who brings Kipo to Ratland, an amusement park/safe haven for humans and mutes alike. At a low moment, when Kipo is feeling discouraged and confused, Benson shows her this bright spot where the surface is safe and fun and no one’s trying to fight anyone.
Benson doesn’t have a hard time ingratiating himself with others, but as I said, he doesn’t exactly mirror Kipo’s at-times-Pollyanna-ish “let’s be friends!!!” tendencies. He’ll gladly make nice if that seems like the best way to go, but he’s not without his sharpness. He and Dave have survived on the surface together by being smart, and that often means pulling one over on those with violent intentions. Whether it’s faking a crisis to scare off some Mod Frogs or causing a furball-related diversion in a group of Timber Cats, he’s a quick thinker who can be sly to stay ahead.
Going along with that is his strong self-preservation streak. It’s what makes him initially reluctant to join Kipo’s search to find her people, not altogether willing to stick his neck out for someone when he doesn’t have to. Benson begins the series more in “look out for #1” mode (although “#1” includes both him and Dave,) but despite a tendency to focus more on himself, he has a good heart that can’t really ignore people who need help. Sure, he shies away from signing up to help Kipo, and he tries to strategize over the opportune moment to bail, but when Kipo’s in trouble, he’s consistently there. Over the course of the series, he becomes much more in it for the long haul, dropping his more usual escape plan and proving himself a true friend.
I know that LGBTQ representation in stories marketed to young audiences has been expanding in recent years (did you hear about Blue’s Clues’ recently-released alphabet song, in which “P” is for “Pride”?!), but I really like the completely-open, 100%-casual way that Benson’s orientation is revealed on the show. In the aforementioned Ratland excursion, Kipo is grateful to Benson’s kindness towards her and attempts to express her affection in a less-than-platonic way. When she makes a move, Benson gently turns her down, explaining that he’s gay, and after momentary surprise/embarrassment at having misread the moment, Kipo finds her footing and validates her friend’s identity. “Thank you, though, for just, I don’t know, being you?” she says, going on to add, “I think I’m just trying to say, I’m glad we’re friends.” Utterly sweet moment, and major points for Benson’s coming-out being so direct and no-drama – the fact that he actually says the words “I’m gay” is huge.
No comments:
Post a Comment