#//thinking about himTM today

[honorhearted]

Over the years, I've seen varying theories about why Ben spared Arnold's life (aside from the obvious "gotta keep him in the plot" armor), so I would like to give my two cents -- AKA yet again, I would like to meta about something that absolutely nobody asked for.

For Ben, it's pretty plain early on that friends and family are at the pinnacle of what he's fighting for (he did, after all, risk many lives in S1 to rescue his father rather than thinking about the greater good). With that in mind, when we flash forward to S2 and Ben and Arnold have their first official conversation, Arnold immediately wins Ben over in a very simple way: he commends his brother, Samuel, on his valor and being a "fine soldier." Ben's face when Arnold speaks of Samuel makes that plain:

As someone who is arguably still grieving, and tamping down said grief for the sake of his duty, you can see in his eyes all the heartache and appreciation, and even relief to hear that someone out there actually acknowledges the sacrifice his brother made for the Cause. Here is someone who finally understands the idolized view he has of Samuel in his head, and there's a comfort in that affirmation that none of his superiors have given him thus far. In other words, by uttering what Ben needed to hear, Arnold gained an immediate ally.

IMO, S3 did a great job of showcasing how those you trust and revere can be just as twisted as the supposed enemy. The best examples for Ben are Reverend Worthington, who was a r.eligious figure just like his beloved and trusted father, and then, of course, Arnold's betrayal.

When we get to their showdown in 3x9, Ben is immediately faced with a choice: he can either k.ill Arnold for his treason, or he can spare his life. And just like with most of his decisions, it all boils down to friends and family. Arnold is one of his only remaining links to Samuel. In Ben's mind, how can he possibly take out the one person in camp who'd known Samuel to be as brave and heroic as he did? By k.illing Arnold, he'd be removing the only superior who'd known and appreciated Samuel, and thus, he'd also be snuffing out a part of his brother's legacy.

Ironically, one of Arnold's initial quotes to Ben was, "We do what is right. Then we live with the consequences." Arguably, sparing Arnold was right for Ben and only Ben, and he would eventually have to live with that decision (and thankfully that didn't turn out too badly).

tl;dr ~ Ben didn't spare Arnold for Arnold's sake or any last minute compassion; Ben let Arnold live so that Samuel could live on by proxy.