As I understand the sideways world, its point of departure from the main timeline was the nuke Juliet set off. Therefore, everything we saw in the 1970s should still hold true, as it all took place before the point of departure. Sideways Ben was shot by Sayyid, even if he doesn't remember, and was brought to the temple, where Richard warned that he would lose his innocence or whatever. I wonder what that is all about. Was that what drove him to overthrow the principal?