Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous

So prior to the fight, they were all preparing to leave the island even with the scorpious rex loose but Ben straight out left the camp and now after saving Darius (with a monorail parallel) he's still distant and lowkey ignoring him. Personally, I think he fully decided to stay on the island the moment he left camp and now he's avoiding actually saying that's what's happening. He IS looking for Bumpy and worrying about her, but he's also using her a bit as an excuse to leave the others (and for the others to leave him)

This is right before he says he's not going. He looks nervous for a second there, I don't think he wanted to have this conversation, but he does say it, in a very straightforward way. He straightens his back, looks Darius in the eye and says "I'm not going"

"Okay, I get it, you're mad at me, we don't have to go together" by his tone of voice I don't think Darius actually believes this, I think he's just testing the waters to see if Ben will back off his decision if he gives him an out. It also doesn't escape me that Darius is offering to walk BEHIND him, where he would be more vulnerable, despite Ben just displaying that he's more proficient at walking around the island. Forever self-sacrificial, my boy.

Now this is where Darius' reasonable approach cracks and he starts getting emotional himself. While still relatively obvious that he's feeling a certain way about this, he was covering that up with a calm, mature mask as he tried to reason with Ben, but he's starting to get mad now. This is the first glance of it. He's also been very patient about Ben's more annoying qualities since he came back but he snaps here.

I love this shot because their expressions really say it all. Ben is actually mad, he thinks Darius underestimates him, doesn't trust him and wants to control him, meanwhile Darius is getting more and more desperate to get Ben to change his mind so he'll be safe

See?? Look at that face. He's distraught.

Now Ben just walks away and Darius does maybe the most childish thing he's ever done and just grabs Ben and tries to take him with him, first by the hand then the shoulder. Doesn't work, of course, Ben just pushes him away.

I hope to god that I'm not forgetting an important moment, but I don't think Darius ever tried to physically force one of the campers into doing something he wants. He's all about talking things through, inspiring, persuading, lying if he has to, be it for his friends' safety (like in this case) or the dinosaurs' (like when he convinces the rest to help them). So I think it really speaks to how he's feeling that he's resorting to this. And it makes sense too, Darius has been trying to put some reason into Ben's head since he found him, something that (like I mentioned before) has worked and will work for him like 9/10 times, because he's good at that. So his go-to method of approaching problems not working mixed in with the possibility of losing Ben and the particular significance that has on Darius' brain is totally a recipe for the frantic grabby mess he becomes.

So then Darius, all reason thrown aside because I have no idea what he was expecting to happen, fully just grabs Ben's whole body. (He's soo desperate, look at him, my poor boy)

Listen. Listen. Listen.

I don't know the intentions of this line. It could be just a little joke to ease the tension a bit (which totally works, I did laugh) so I can interpret it as a joke or I can interpret it from the characters' perspective. As a joke, yeah I like it, it's funny, and I find their fight a little funny anyways so I think this works as a little comic relief.

In the second interpretation, what is Darius actually saying here? I noticed during the fight and most of the episode overall that Ben is very straight forward with what he means when he talks to Darius, but Darius is not. So what is he trying to say here? To me, it seems he's trying to say that theirfriendshipmeanssomething to him, and it makes him angry that Ben is willing to just go their separate ways after a fight, with a shove to the shoulder, without even a goodbye, like it's nothing. I think that if Darius was calmer right now he would bring up the whole camp fam, but in the desperate, angry state he is right now he only mentions their friendship which I find.......interesting.

Ben's response seems to me like something he's saying to hurt Darius back, because he feels hurt (by his perceived lack of trust, etc etc). Could also be interpreting what he said a bit literally (he sure does that sometimes) since he only refers to the blowing stuff up part and not their friendship but either way I think he's trying to say something hurtful.

Finally the climax of the fight. I have a lot to say.

First, I can't take Ben's little noodle arm seriously I'm sorryyy. I really don't think he can make any serious damage with that. Ok, maybe to Darius who is also a little noodle, but it still makes me laugh. They're both so tiny and skinny that the fight is kind of funny to me despite the angsty music. It's pretty realistic though, I think if two kids built like twigs fought it would probably go like that.

Back to being serious though.

Darius finally says something real, it's not logical, it's not trying to be persuasive, it's what he feels. While Darius was trying for it not to show, both of them were having their realities shaped by very strong feelings. Ben's were clear from the get go, he was literally saying he could do anything (he can't, but he feels like he can) and Darius feels like if he doesn't bring Ben home, if he lets go of him, he will be abandoning him and hurting him in a way (he is not, he never abandoned him, but he feels like he did)

We know how immediately Ben's face softens at that. They're on even ground now (both a little crazy and traumatized imo) and I could be remembering wrong but I don't think Ben ever saw Darius be this vulnerable.

Godddd. The way they relax?? The way Darius smiles??? shut up.

Also Darius, the touchiest boy to ever exist apparently, does not let go of Ben's arm until he literally gets up

Guys I'm being so fucking real when I tell you I did not ship benrius when this aired but they dropped lines like these and I was like "Oh? This is happening then??"

It was not happening. But I sure thought it was.

I'll keep the shoulder touches for another post because there's. So. Many. Also a lot of "Ben follows Bumpy -> Darius follows Ben" that is paralleled visually and even the characters acknowledge but I'll leave it for later. Anyways this is the set up, and Darius response is what really gets me.

Ben has calmed down and is ready to have an actual talk rather than just push Darius away and tell him to leave. But Darius is still in that emotional state. He didn't even say "Because..." to a "Why" question. He immediately said "NO!" in a voice that I have a hard time describing. It's distraught because they're in a very upsetting situation, but it also reminds you (me) that Darius also is just a kid, and he rarely lets himself act like one. One of the qualities that make him a good leader is that he's usually very quick to accept a situation for what it is and work with it, but this time he seems like he just cannot accept this. Straight up, no.

He says that everything Ben went through is because of him, and it finally clicks for Ben what Darius is feeling and why he's acting the way he is. And imo Ben is pretty good with feelings when he's actually aware of them, he's just out of the loop very often. He tells him that it wasn't his fault, that all he did was try to protect him, and he says this line which is something Darius REALLY needed, because the nightmares he had were not just about losing him and his father, nightmare Ben was angry and accusatory, blaming him and taunting him to let go. But real Ben was never mad, at all.

Oh Darius, you stupid little idiot. This is what I mean, Ben just says it, he's a little nervous but he full on says "I love you, bud" and it visibly makes Darius more comfortable. But what does he say back (after nervously looking away for a second)? "We're quite a pair" Darius what do you MEAN

Also body language? Darius is still a little weird. He seems still nervous that if he says the wrong thing Ben will bolt.

He physically approaches him with open arms as he says their nicknames like they're a pair and when Ben says "excuse me" he immediately tenses up like "oh shit what did I say" (Ben does not pick up on it) and his laugh after Ben says his little joke is very relieved, he spits out a laugh like he was holding his breath.

And finally, their huggy. Ben offers a hand like they're old men, but Darius goes straight for a hug of course.

This little asshole is just trying to be tough, look at this:

Darius says he'll let him go if he goes say goodbye to the rest of the campers, and he tightens their hug. Does Ben complain about it since he wanted to be let go of?

No of course not, the little prick tightens their hug even more and sighs in contentment. Just admit you wanted to keep hugging him jesus christ.

Ok that was me rambling about their fight. Overall I love that it brings out another side of Darius, the way that they resolve it by being honest about their feelings, and how different their approaches are, I love how blunt Ben is both in the fight and in the resolution, while Darius kind of seems like he's holding something back in both. Also (from this scene at least, I don't remember how consistent this is across the whole show) Darius seems to have no qualms about physical touch while having a harder time actually saying what he feels with words, while Ben seems to have no problems with words but a harder time with physical touch. Do with that what you will. I had a good time typing this out but I do have a massive headache now.

Also yeah the fight was ridiculously fruity to me, I tried to keep my benrius brain to a minimum but, again, when it aired I did not ship them and I fully thought they were going for the benrius route because of this fight.