FULL DISCLAIMER: I'm disabled, I have been my entire life. I have cerebral palsy, am in a wheelchair, and can't walk at all. That said, I honestly found this episode funny. REALLY funny. I suppose I can see why others were offended, and I know there were a lot of complaints, but the episode Blind Justice had only four complaints, and both the BBC and UK Gold refuse to repeat it. This episode, however, is still repeated on both channels, and I think that's a good thing. I don't see this as taking the mickey out of disabled people because of the ending. If anything, I see it as a "moral tale" about what could happen if you pretend to have a disability. An Aesop, I think it's called.
At the end of the episode, an award ceremony is held to celebrate the achievements of disabled people, and Ben ends up being exposed because a man who actually IS disabled bursts in and interrupts, announcing that he is also named Ben Harper and that the money and award is rightfully his. He then chases Ben around the room, with Ben running, and deliberately crashes into Ben, knocking him to the floor.
Ben's wheelchair is immediately taken away, along with all his adaptations being withdrawn, and he is told that he only avoids prison time because he initially did attempt to return the money. It appears that Ben and Susan still have the blue badge, but as they attempt to leave the house, they are caught and forced to give the badge back, sending them back to square one. Karma.
Again, I am disabled, but I genuinely enjoyed this episode, and the fact that their small victory was immediately shot down, to me, would have redeemed any bad feelings, but honestly, I saw it as just having a laugh, and I think it's good fun. Also, I'm sixteen.
At the end of the episode, an award ceremony is held to celebrate the achievements of disabled people, and Ben ends up being exposed because a man who actually IS disabled bursts in and interrupts, announcing that he is also named Ben Harper and that the money and award is rightfully his. He then chases Ben around the room, with Ben running, and deliberately crashes into Ben, knocking him to the floor.
Ben's wheelchair is immediately taken away, along with all his adaptations being withdrawn, and he is told that he only avoids prison time because he initially did attempt to return the money. It appears that Ben and Susan still have the blue badge, but as they attempt to leave the house, they are caught and forced to give the badge back, sending them back to square one. Karma.
Again, I am disabled, but I genuinely enjoyed this episode, and the fact that their small victory was immediately shot down, to me, would have redeemed any bad feelings, but honestly, I saw it as just having a laugh, and I think it's good fun. Also, I'm sixteen.
