Ben Weston is now a married man on Days of our Lives and well on his way to having a happy life with his happy wife. His serial killer past lingers over his fairy tale ending, though, causing us to question if he should remain the Necktie Killer. Would it be better to clear his name or have us on edge knowing he could do some serious damage again one day?
Days of our Lives Editors Take On A Killer Storyline
Years ago, it appeared as if DAYS wanted to cut some cast members and write off the character of Ben, too, so a serial-killing spree story was devised. Robert Scott Wilson brought his A-game, turning Ben into a compelling character. DAYS saw what they had in him and brought Ben back, resurrecting one of his victims, Will (Chandler Massey), along the way. Ben was also given therapy, meds to control his murderous desires, and a seal of approval from his therapist Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall).
In discussing what should go down with Ben now, Soap Hub editors Michael Maloney and Amber Sinclair took opposite sides in this debate. Michael thinks tweaking history related to Ben’s killer past is the best way to position him as a long-term leading man while Amber wants history to stay as-is. Here are the arguments each presented.
Team Good Ben
Nothing will ever change that Ben callously murdered Serena Miller (Melissa Archer), Paige Larson (True O’Brien), and midwife Wendy Taylor (Denice Duff). DAYS could further legitimatize Ben in two ways — either bring them back to life as the show did with Will or reveal that someone else had done the killings. Both are viable options as the show has resurrected many characters and also changed its history over the years.
Remember when Marlena was revealed as the Salem Serial Killer after bumping off nearly half the cast? Later, viewers learned that it was actually all a “DiMera hoax!” Why should DAYS make it so that Ben never killed anyone? Maybe to prevent Ciara (Victoria Konefal) from freaking out the next time she develops amnesia? Here’s another way that Ben’s killings could be explained away and tied into a current storyline. Simply put, perhaps the devil made him do it?
Team Batty Ben
What’s life without a little drama and trauma? Part of who Ben is and what he has become stems from his horrific past. Can you even imagine him without that lingering guilt guiding him in the right direction? He knows who he is, what he has done, and how to keep himself on the right track.
Plus, that means we retain the opportunity to have Ben spiral again one day. Oh, what fun that would be! Okay, fun may not be the right word, but you get the point. Ben turning to the dark side would add another layer to his character. It’s one thing to forgive him for his first set of crimes. Will anyone stick by his side if it happens again? It could make for an even greater road to redemption storyline.
Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Salem, check out all the latest that’s been posted on DAYS spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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