Ben’s Jekyll & Hyde-like mask of sanity finally slipped to the point of no return on The Purge’s latest chapter, stealing away those he loves most.

This recap contains spoilers for The Purge Season 2 Episode 7 (“Should I Stay or Should I Go”).

Problems don’t go away just because you ignore them, and pretend they don’t exist… They just get bigger, until mild symptoms turn into irreversible damage. Tonight’s The Purge showed Ben’s wickedness has manifested itself past the reach of just the ‘God’ mask. They are one and the same now. Yet, Ben longs for someone who will understand him for what he has become. Twice now, Ben has spoken truth and openly confessed to his off-Purge crimes… Yet, he finds himself rejected over and over again by those he cares about the most. Most recently his girlfriend Kelen Stewart [Danika Yarosh] and now deceased Purging pal back at the dorm.

Thus, Ben continues to attempt to coverup tracks of a trail with no end. The evidence is piling up every day, festering like garbage in heat. However, Ben manages to evade his fate repedititley through an unseen force, one seemingly belonging to the NFFA. The New Founding Fathers covering up their own ‘glitches’ in the system so-to-speak from causing mass disruption and questioning. Though previously, Ben has owned no consequences for his unsanctioned Purging, this time… It’s stolen the person he loved the most. Forever.

Ben’s spiral into madness begins

It all started when Ben [Joel Allen] woke up without Kelen by his side, something was off, she always woke up after him. His luggage was suspicious, it appeared to not be the way he left it. Ben then realized Kelen had found the secret compartment he had left the ‘God’ mask in. She knew he was behind all the Purging going on back at their campus. It was all over. He rushed downstairs trying to maintain his composure, discovering Kelen was looking to Uber home without his knowledge. Ben offered to take her back himself, and Kelen found herself at the mercy of good manners.

During the car ride, Ben told Kelen he knew she saw the mask. Ben admitted to spiraling out of control after the farmer incident, how it felt good. He tried to get Kelen to see it his way but something seemed disingenuous about her reaction. Though Ben’s confession, only arrived because he thought Kelen chose not to tell police because she cared about him still.

Ben offered his knife to her, so she would feel protected and safe. The pair stopped for gas, and Kelen slipped the knife back in Ben’s luggage. Kelen went to the bathroom to write a handwritten note that she was being kidnapped, as Ben had taken her phone just prior to make a call home. Kelen then tried to act like nothing had happened back in the car, speaking of the future, vacations and puppies. Ben however, was unresponsive before he diverted from the route, stopped the car and slammed the bathroom note on the car dashboard.

Ben again asked she take his knife, this time asking Kelen cut him on the wrist or arm, to show her she doesn’t need to be scared. Instead after hesitating, Kelen stabbed Ben’s thigh and ran off. Ben, chased her on one leg crying, pleading for her to come back. Instead Kelen was brutally hit by a pickup truck on the highway as she escaped. Ben rushed to the scene and cried real tears before deciding to finish the job. Another impromptu Purge to cover his tracks…

Esme Carmona is Public Enemy #1

Esme’s NFFA boss Curtis has put out the order on her and the whole city knows it. Ryan Grant gave her a blonde wig to wear tonight to mask her identity from authorities as presumably, The Purge whistleblower. Everything was going to plan at first before Ryan’s mother who suffers from alzheimers left her facility and began wandering around a park aimlessly. Ryan decided on the spot to divert from their mission and go pick up his mother, however, he would have to give the local cops his real Driver’s License.

Esme would make herself scarce as the officers assisted the retired vet Grant back to his car along with his mother. She would later reunite with Grant back at his place, avoiding a close call… But not before discovering a car for sale poster with a phone number meant for her on it.

Vivian Ross a friend to Esme? Or playing her for a mark?

Vivian left a hint Esme picked up on, and seems to be on her side… Asking Esme who she can trust on the phone, placing doubt on Curtis’ leadership. However, maybe Vivian is just playing Esme for a mark and leading her on to a trap. Time will tell If Vivian Ross [Charlotte Schweiger] is friend or foe.

Ryan Grant lets Esme stay even after learning truth

Ryan Grant [Max Martini] was disgusted with Esme [Paola Nuñez] when he learned she was the one behind his best friend Tommy Ortiz [Jonathan Medina] being pinched during the robbery. Grant made it clear, he doesn’t care where she goes but she can’t stay here. However, Grant soon had a change of heart after Esme spoke of destroying the system she was a part of. How there’s just another cog in her place, pinching the next Tommy and placing him under arrest. Grant told her to wait, and soon afterwards was kissing her unexpectedly.

There’s more than one bounty on Marcus Moore

Marcus’ past mistakes on the job have been revealed as the cause of his bounty. The leader behind the bounty lost his wife in the ER due to Marcus’ making a fatally wrong judgement. There is no reasoning with this kind of suffering, particularly because Marcus did not even recognize the man when he moved into the neighborhood. Marcus Moore [Derek Luke] didn’t even bother showing his face and sent someone else to the proverbial wolves after the woman passed. Who’s said to have been a pillar of community. However, Marcus was given an option. Leave forever at 12 a.m. sharp and the bounty is off.

Marcus and Michelle Moore [Rochelle Aytes] obliged until they discovered Marcus’ son Darren Moore [Denzel Whitaker] couldn’t cross state lines. They went back and Marcus decided running was never the answer. They would just have to keep running. There would also be another Purge-hungry neighbor somewhere out there.

Ben spots a familiar mask in The Merrymaker store window

While Ben strolled through town, introspective and soul searching after the loss of girlfriend Kelen Stewart… There was a different kind of introspection going on, one featuring financial bottom lines. Despite selling a replica of Ben’s Purge mask being recognized as bad taste during an office meeting, the predicated number of sales was gangbusters. As such, the mask went into production immediately.

Ben would spot the lookalike limited edition replica of his ‘God’ mask in The Merrymaker Purge supply store window. On sale now! A smile would come to Ben’s face. The likelihood of getting caught for Purging off hours just went down drastically, if not almost entirely. Not to mention, Ben is being recognized in a way his confessions did not yield him…

Be sure to watch my interviews with The Purge’s Paola Nuñez, Rochelle Aytes, James Roland and Krystal Houghton Ziv!

Catch more of The Natural Aristocrat’s coverage of USA Network’s The Purge in The Purge category page.

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