| "The Gift": Analysis of "The Gift" Arc of ABC-TV's Port Charles
(c) Alison Armstrong |
| An analysis of the "The Gift" episodes of the show Port Charles, formerly of ABC-TV. This site will focus on the scenes featuring the vampire character Caleb Morley/Stephen Clay (portrayed by actor Michael Easton). The character of Caleb Morley/Stephen Clay and any other characters relating to Port Charles are the property of ABC and their creators. This is a fan-run site and is not an official site, nor is it affiliated in any way with ABC, Port Charles, or the actors portraying any of the Port Charles characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The writings on this site are copyrighted by the author, Alison Armstrong, and may not be reproduced without the author's express permission. |
| "The Gift" Analysis #16 Christina’s innocent desire for her parents’ reunion, combined with Livvie’s diabolical plot against Alison and Caleb’s entrancing, ring-summoning musical powers, creates a willful, reckless maelstrom of indomitable intensity. “Payback,” Caleb mutters, “is about to begin,” and this dark force of vengeance, blending with the pure faith of childhood, is poised to unleash powers even Caleb cannot control. |
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| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| Christina, of course, knows nothing of the malevolent magic infesting her secret treasure. Sitting near the front of the stage, she clutches the ring in her hand as Caleb, preparing for his performance, approaches her.
“Hey,” he murmurs sweetly, lying down on the floor beside her, his beautiful sparkling eyes meeting hers. “You remember me? We met one time at Thanksgiving. Your name is . . . ” He pauses, letting her fill in the blanks. Like the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, he charms away all shyness, effortlessly gaining her trust with his friendly, soothing voice. |
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| “Christina,” she says softly, smiling up at him. “Christina, that’s right,” he smiles back. “I remember it was a pretty name.” |
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| “Want to see what I have?” Christina ventures, eager to show him the treasure she has kept hidden from everyone else. She reaches into her pocket and is about to reveal the ring when Kevin, remembering Caleb’s abduction of Danny and fearing for his daughter’s safety, diverts her attention and leads her away from Caleb. Although Caleb was nothing but sweet and gentle towards Christina, his twisted, murderous past lends a sinister quality to even his most innocent-appearing interactions, especially those involving children. Kevin, Lucy, Ian, and other Port Charles parents are understandably worried that Caleb might decide to resume his attempt to form a family by kidnapping and corrupting their children, transforming their helpless, trusting sons and daughters into his demonic spawn. Kevin knows that he can no longer save Livvie from her corruption, but he is determined to save Christina. Livvie, meanwhile, busily arranges the final details of her wicked scheme to do away with Alison. She meets with a stranger, handing him money and reminding him of their agreement. “You know what to do. 10 on the dot,” she whispers. |
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| Caleb and Alison briefly discuss Livvie’s sudden disappearance, but then, trying to conceal their suspicions about her ominous absence, shift their conversation to the upcoming events of the evening. “And you are just going to do the numbers on the schedule, right?” she asks Caleb warily, nervous that he, as well as Livvie, may have something unpleasant planned. |