Ben Pownall is a main character on Freeform's series, Siren. He is portrayed by Alex Roe.
A descendant of one of Bristol Cove's leading families, Ben is an environmentalist and works as a marine biologist at the Bristol Cove Marine Research Center alongside his girlfriend Maddie Bishop. He is the son of Ted and Elaine Pownall, as well as the brother of Doug Pownall.
Official Description
A bright marine biologist who finds himself drawn to a mysterious new girl in town.[1]
Early Life
TBA
Physical Appearance
He has short brown hair, blue-green eyes, sharp jawline.
Personality
Ben is both kind and caring, willing to go out of his way to help anyone in need. He didn't even know Ryn or what she was when she jumped out in front of his car. A complete stranger, yet he didn't hesitate to help her.
However, Ben becomes obsessive when he becomes enthralled by Ryn’s siren song. Several characters are irked and concerned by this when he starts acting out irrationally in order to try and hear the song whenever he can.
Throughout the Series
Season 1
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Ben’s Relationships
Ted, Elaine, & Doug Pownall
Ted is Ben’s father, Elaine is Ben’s mother, and Doug is Ben’s younger brother. Ben has always held a distant relationship with his family due to his lack of involvement with their political functions. However, Ben becomes more involved with Ted’s political issues regarding overfishing when Ryn and Donna are in danger and starving in the ocean.
Maddie Bishop
Ben grew up with Maddie in his small, hometown and even went to the same high school as her. During this time, Ben and Maddie developed a close, romantic relationship and even run a marine rescue center together. Their relationship is tested when Ryn comes into their lives. However, while the two remain together despite the events of the first season, they decide to take a break from each other.
Ryn
Ben first meets Ryn after driving down a deserted road and seeing her running around his town barely clothed. Thinking she was a non-English speaking woman, Ben clothes her and drives with her back to his house. Ben is puzzled at Ryn and tries to figure her out as she continues to stare at him, speechless. Ryn then decided to use her siren song on him, hypnotizing him being she was curious about him, until she could escape his house on foot. Ben continues to look for Ryn until he finds her again. Later in his marine rescue center, Ryn struggles to the water and transforms into her siren-self. Ben sees this on camera and dives after her thinking she is drowning. However, this is where Ben first discovers Ryn is in fact a mermaid. Their friendship continues to develop during the first season until it grows into something a bit more than platonic, especially when Ben becomes obsessed with Ryn’s siren song. After the events of the season one finale, Ryn decides that it is safer if she stays away from Ben, much to his disappointment.
Xander McClure
Ben is best friends and former co-workers with Xander. They also grew up together in their small town. The two ally together against the military to find their friend Chris Mueller. However, Ben finds that Xander goes in over his head when he tries to find the sirens at sea. Their relationship is severely strained when Xander discovers Ben and Maddie have been sheltering Ryn and keeping her existence a secret. Ben becomes the voice of reason for Xander when he tries to kill Levi, a merman responsible for Xander’s father’s death. Ben is unsuccessful, however, at being Xander’s voice of reason when Xander goes after the sirens in revenge and Xander shoots at the sirens, injuring Donna in the process.
Helen Hawkins
Ben grew up knowing Helen as the town’s antique shop owner obsessed with marine life, especially mermaids. However, Ben was unaware of Helen’s actual mermaid status, but grows closer with her in friendship when Ben and Helen attempt to keep Ryn safe. Helen is also later revealed to be Ben’s distant relative.
Chris Mueller
Ben is Chris’ friend and former co-worker. Ben aids Xander in trying to find Chris when he is taken by the U.S. military after Donna is captured too.
Donna
Donna is Ryn’s mermaid sister. When Ben and Donna meet, it is not pleasant, especially when Donna believes Ben is responsible for the fish shortages in the ocean. Ben and Donna become enemies when she attempts to attack him and Maddie. Ryn stops her, however, and Donna runs off. Later on, Xander takes his ship crew and Ben on a boat trip to see what the sirens and fish situation are like. Donna attacks Xander’s ship with Ben on it, which worsens their antagonistic relationship. However, after the attack, which resulted in Xander’s father’s death, Donna and Ryn go to Ben for help and Ben acts bitter towards her, but Donna acknowledged that her group went too far, especially when she reveals they are after Ryn’s life. Ben and Donna put their differences aside and become allies when they fight against Levi and Katrina, Ryn and Donna’s fellow mermaid clan members. After the attack, Xander unintentionally shoots Donna with his gun, giving her a bad wound and Ben helps Ryn get Donna the help she needs. However, in the season one finale, Donna heartbreakingly passes away and succumbs to her wounds.
Aldon Decker
Ben recognizes that Aldon was one of the scientists, hired by the U.S. government, who experimented on and tortured Donna due to her mermaid nature. Although Ben does not wish to admit it, Aldon and Ben have something in common. They are both enthralled by the siren song of both Ryn and Donna, but Ben is disturbed to learn that it made Aldon kill himself.
Other Relationships
- Ben and Calvin (Acquaintances/Frenemies/Allies)
Quotes
| “ | I know what it's like to have her inside your head. | ” |
| — Ben to Decker | ||
Appearances
| Season 1 | |
|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status |
| Pilot | Appears |
| The Lure | Appears |
| Interview With a Mermaid | Appears |
| On the Road | Appears |
| Curse of the Starving Glass | Appears |
| Showdown | Appears |
| Dead in the Water | Appears |
| Being Human | Appears |
| Street Fight | Appears |
| Aftermath | Appears |
Trivia
TBA
Gallery
Promotional Images
Screencaps
References
- ↑ TV Series Final—"The Deep: Alex Roe to Star; Production Begins on Freeform Pilot" (October 6, 2016)