Ep 5. Ben

There She Goes is a British television series that depicts the life of a family with a nine-year-old girl, Rosie, who has severe learning disabilities. The series explores how this affects their family's daily life and the challenges they face in their attempt to raise her.

In season 1 episode 5, titled "Ben," we see Rosie's father, Simon, take a day off work to spend time with his son Ben, who is struggling with emotional issues. Ben is a typically developing child, unlike Rosie, but he has developed an obsession with death and the fear of loved ones dying. He is anxious and struggles to make friends, which Simon attributes to him feeling like he is invisible.

The episode starts with Ben crying in his bedroom after having a nightmare about his parents dying. Simon tries to comfort him, but Ben is inconsolable and wants to stay home from school. Simon decides to take the day off to try and connect with his son and understand what's going on with him.

The pair spend the day together, going to the park, playing video games, and watching a movie. Simon is trying his best to connect with his son and understand what is going on. At first, Ben keeps his guard up, but as the day progresses, he opens up to his father.

We see flashbacks of Simon as a child, learning to come to grips with his own anxieties and fears. He opens up to Ben about his experiences and shares with him the coping mechanisms he learned to deal with his own anxieties.

Through Simon's advice, he gets Ben to open up about the source of his distress, revealing that he is scared of feeling alone and isolated. He is also upset that nobody at his school wants to be friends with him and he feels like he doesn't matter. Simon empathizes with him, admitting that he felt the same way as a child.

During the day, Simon begins to see that Ben is not alone in his struggles. Many of the children they encounter throughout the day also seem to be struggling with different issues, with parents who do not understand the social alienation their children are experiencing.

Although the main focus of the episode is on Ben, we also see glimpses of his sister Rosie and the challenges their family faces in raising her. Rosie has a seizure, and her mother Emily is forced to rush her to the hospital, leaving Simon alone with Ben. Simon does his best to distract Ben from his anxieties, but we see how difficult it is for him to manage all the different demands on his time and attention.

Overall, the episode is a touching portrait of the challenges that parents face when trying to raise a child with special needs while also struggling to connect with their typically developing children. It showcases how even children who do not have disabilities face social struggles and anxieties, and how parents can help them develop coping mechanisms and feel seen and heard. The episode ends on a hopeful note, with Simon and Ben finding newfound strength in each other's company and understanding.