The Secret Life of the American Teenager
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Benjamin "Ben" Boykewich is the son of Leo Boykewich and Sarah Helen Boykewich. He is the father of Mercy Boykewich and Sarah Boykewich. He is the adoptive brother of Chloe Boykevich. He is portrayed by Ken Baumann.

History[]

In the beginning of the series, Ben is pining over Grace, a pretty blonde cheerleader going out with the popular football player, Jack Pappas. Ben begins to pursue Amy after his best friends, Alice and Henry, point her out at school. Ben rashly decides to join the band in order to connect with Amy, however it’s clear that he wasn't the best at the cymbals.

He initially wants to confront Amy about her alleged past relationship and sexual contact with Ricky, but then decides against it after his guidance counselor points out that it's none of his business. Ben and his former guidance counselor, Marc Molina had a very close friendship.

His father Leo is the first person to suspect Amy's pregnancy due to her throwing up on Ben while on a date and her large appetite. He initially dismissed the idea but realizes that it may be a possibility and tells Ben. But instead of telling Ben to be cautious of Amy & her intentions, Leo instructs him to support her.

This realization causes Ben to propose to Amy, hoping that he can help Amy and financially support her and the baby as he believes he has genuinely fallen in love with her. Amy cries hysterically at the proposal and later explains that although flattered by his actions, she is unsure of what to do.

When Amy considers getting an abortion, Ben convinces her not to because he knows that she has other options, and even resorts to telling characters such as the school guidance counselor that the child is his baby. He experiences a lot of hardship during Amy's pregnancy; particularly when he is brutally beaten up by a fellow student, but remains to be a loving and supportive boyfriend.

In the season one episode, The Secret Wedding of the American Teenager, Ben, and Amy get married using fake ID's after her mother says that Amy will have to get a job if she wants to keep the baby. This makes Amy decide to convince Ben to marry her, in order so they can be together, and keep Ricky from the baby. They invite many of the kids to the wedding including Ricky, who claims to be dating Grace, but later visits with Adrian for sex. George Juergens and Leo Boykewich show up and shut the party down.

Later in the series, Ben loses his virginity to Adrian in an act to comfort one another and get revenge against Ricky and Amy for kissing and taking them both for granted. It is later revealed that Adrian is pregnant. During this time Ricky forces Ben to get back with Amy, but later interferes in his relationship with Amy and causes their break up after both discover Adrian's pregnancy. Although Ben supports any decision Adrian makes about the pregnancy. He is surprised she decides to keep the baby, but he immediately re-assures her, he will be there for her and their child despite their issues. He then tells Amy and they break up.


By the third seasons mid-season finale, it is shown that Ben and Adrian have developed romantic feelings for one another. It is noticed by viewers that Ben is a hopeless romantic. This can be seen as caused by Leo's influence who has the same affliction. Leo is very misleading in many of Ben's relationships although he is usually the one who convinces Ben to marry both Amy and Adrian, and later regrets the idea. It is later revealed Ben and Adrian are having a baby girl which is what Ben was hoping for. His father buys a condo for the two to start their new life. Despite both having their issues, & doubts they later get married.


Their daughter, Mercy was stillborn which left Adrian and Ben devastated. He later decides he wants out of the marriage due to Adrian's attitude. He admits it very harshly to Adrian after she gave away their baby's things. Later Ben gets alcohol and after getting drunk, Ben publicly humiliates himself? Adrian then asks him to come back to the condo as friends. Ben agrees and overtime and getting what little help is offered to him from others recants his decision to end their marriage. But Adrian then decides to end the marriage to be with Ricky and other men.

Ben later meets a girl named Dylan at a party who admits she is attracted to Ben. At that same party Adrian is humiliated by Ricky and Amy over a public kiss. She is further humiliated by her date Omar. But Ben witnessestriese events and tries to lessen her embarassment by dancing with her. However instead of appreciating Bens kindness she sleeps with his bestfriend Henry Miller while they are still married & she is still wearing her 50k engagement ring. Ben learns of this from Alice, and confronts Henry. Dylan then arrives with friends who admit to Ben they smoke pot& ask him to join them. Ben is surprised but doesn't want to appear judgmental, so he allows them to smoke in his room. They are discovered by Ben's and Dylan's parents and Ben lies to protect Dylan and tells them that he was given the pot at the party the night before. Ben and Dylan convince their parents that they should go out together.


In the school hallway, Ben tells Amy that he still loves her, but Dylan's friend Wendy overhears and later tells Dylan. Dylan still wants to go out with Ben, but her parents don't want her to because they think he's a bad influence. But it's revealed she and her friends were a bad influence with drug use, and her part in burning down her school. Ben tries to end it, however, Dylan breaks up with him first, and she and her friend attend school somewhere else. She and Ben later reconnect at both their parents urging, but decide to only be friends.



After the season finale he and Amy finally get back together but despite his best efforts, he accepts that they were not meant to be together.  Eventually, he gets over Amy and decides to write a best-selling novel based on his experience with Amy and the rest. He continues writing throughout his pursuit of a degree in literature. It is not known about the relationship he has with his father, Amy, Adrian, or anyone else from his past. However he continues to visit the graves of his mother and daughter on the anniversary of their deaths. It can be seen that Ben was the not most liked member of the show and much prejudice was used against his character by both writers & fans.



Relationships[]

Romantic[]

Amy Juergens First Relationship

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Second Relationship

Third relationship:

  • Start: Post-series
  • End: Post-series
    • Reason: They didn't have the same chemistry as before, which led Amy to realize she was in love with Ricky.

Adrian Lee

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First Relationship

Second Relationship

Adrian and Ben began to have an intimate encounter when they sleep together to get back at their ex's (Amy and Ricky) because of a kiss, lies, feelings of betrayal, and un-appreciation that Amy and Ricky made them feel.

Adrian later discovers that she is pregnant and reveals it to Ben in the episode Ben There, Done That.

They get married in It's Not Over Till It's Over and buys a condo together. Later, their daughter is stillborn which puts a strain on their relationship and they divorce in Strange Familiar.

Dylan

Dylan is introduced during the graduation party. Henry points her out and Ben goes after her. Ben's dad and Dylan's parents catch Dylan and her friends smoking marijuana in Ben's room and they are forbidden to see each other.

After some convincing, they are allowed to go out again but they accidentally burn down Dylan's school, and they are forbidden to see each other again.

Even though her friend, Wendy, told her that she overheard Ben telling Amy that he still loves her, she still wants to date Ben. They come up with this idea that her parents could meet Henry and pretend to go out with Henry but instead meet Ben. Ben's dad finds out and forbids him from going.

At her house, Henry is mad at Ben for sleeping with Alice and plans to make revenge by going out with Dylan for real. So he forces her to stay home and have a real date. Dylan is furious with Henry, but they still remain friends. Dylan then finds out that Ben and Alice slept together. Later, she breaks up with Henry and tells Ben and Henry that she is transferring to a different school with her friends. She later in season 5B "It's A Miracle" It is discovered she misses Ben, so Leo and her father arranges for them to have dinner together. However Ben decides that he just wants to remain friends with her.

Friendship[]

Ricky Underwood

Ben and Ricky have come to develop a strong relationship, however, this bond is continuously tested because of the rivalry between them. Ben could never let go of his grudge against Ricky for taking Amy away from him, which is showed by his insistence that Ricky and Amy will not end up together because they aren't in love with each other.

After both teens are given a job at the Boykewich family butcher shop, the two seem to have gained mutual respect for each other, however every so often, their friendship is tested, much to the annoyance of their boss, Bunny. Ben has felt that Ricky getting Amy pregnant has ruined his life whereas Ricky has never really seen Ben as a threat to him, especially during Amy's pregnancy. But is shown to be angry at Ben in Season 1 Episode 17 he confronts Ben and tells him he will have Amy, the baby, and his dad in his side before Ben can say porkchop. This admission by many can be shown as proof Ricky was deliberately trying to interfere in Ben's life, and relationships.

Having both dated Amy and Adrian, Ben and Ricky were bound to clash. An example of this is in Lady Liberty when Ben gets into a scrap after Ricky refuses to disclose details about his weekend in New York, which results in the former getting fired. In addition to this, Ben sleeping with Adrian while she was with Ricky did more just than just fan the flames as it left Ben extremely remorseful and Ricky devastated.

In spite of this, there have been times where they have both offered an olive branch to the other. For example, Ben has helped Ricky with Amy very often. On many occassions Ben was defending him while she was pregnant. He spoke up for Ricky to be present during the birth of his child. He also allowed Ricky to hold John first even though George believed he should be first. Ben was also very generous when he lent Ricky enough money to pay for the broken window in order to keep Ricky from losing his job. Ben di this to help Ricky and John's relationship from being affected if he was unemployed. Another example of this is when Ben tries squash their feud and work together for a common cause which was helping Amy raise the baby. Ricky has claimed to have tried to be friends by offering g advice to Ben. He also tried helping get Ben and Amy back together after his father married Betty. He also gave him advice on telling Amy about his child with Adrian. However their friendship is usually short lived and not respected. This shows when Ricky kisses Amy despite Ben asking him not too. Also when in retaliation for the kiss Ben sleeps with Adrian.

Henry Miller and Alice Valko

Ben has been friends with Henry and Alice since the third grade.

In the first episode, Alice pointed out Amy to Ben. In season 4, Henry breaks up with Alice and the two of them try to have "shared custody" of Ben which doesn't work out.

In the season 4 finale, Alice walks into a bedroom after a graduation party to find Henry in bed with Adrian. Angrily, she tells Ben what she found, and Ben tells Henry he is no longer welcome in his home.

In the season 4 finale episode "Love is Love", Alice and Ben sleep together to alleviate Ben's part in a fire at Dylan's school after a date.

Alice later tells Henry she slept with Ben to get back at him for sleeping with Adrian. Ben never admits his reason, but is shown that his reason for sleeping with Alice was similar.

When Henry later finds out from Alice, he is angry with them both. Henry tries to steal Dylan from Ben, but Dylan no longer has interest in either of them and breaks up with both of them, but they later reconcile and are friends again supposedly???

TRIVIA:


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