| "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" #18 (cont.) “He seems upset,” Caleb snidely observes after Jamal storms out of the area. |
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| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “So, what’s the great Caleb’s first wish going to be?” Rafe prompts. “Hmm,” Caleb replies, with a sly, derisive smile. “So you think you know the ring, that you have learned all about it, but you haven’t. The true secret of its power is in possessing it and not making foolish little wishes.” |
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| Caleb’s comment is key to understanding the ring and the power it has over the people who possess it, as well as those affected by the wishes made upon it. The ring tests the resolve, the courage, integrity, and emotional strength of the person wearing it. Very few are wise enough to understand the potential risks and repercussions the granting of a wish may create; even fewer, perhaps, are those strong enough to resist the temptation of apparent easy-fix solutions to problems much better solved by perseverance, intelligence, and ingenuity. Caleb has this wisdom and strength. Although he has misused the ring in the past and paid dearly for it, he now realizes that relying on the ring saps its wearer of true power. By using it, one gives up part of his/her own ability to deal with obstacles and transform situations. One becomes addicted to it and gradually becomes its servant rather than its master. Rafe does not realize that Caleb, the ring’s true master, is the only person who has the insight and restraint to keep the ring from being misused. Failing to heed Caleb’s words of wisdom, Rafe merely replies that he will not “feel safe” until the ring is off Caleb’s finger. “I know,” Caleb observes, having detected the weapon Rafe is concealing. “You want it so bad you’re willing to cut off my hand with that scalpel. What do you say you put that down before one of us gets hurt?” |
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| Before Rafe can respond, Alison approaches. Sensing his inexplicable unease, she gives him a questioning, worried glance. “Alison, stay back!” Rafe, for no apparent reason at all, warns. “Why?” she asks, surprised by his ominous command. “It’s Caleb,” Rafe answers, his terse reply giving no plausible reason for his almost hysterical sense of alarm. “What about him?” she probes, but as Rafe struggles to explain why he is so defensively protective of her, Caleb disappears. To Rafe’s surprise, Alison seems unconcerned by the revelation that Caleb has regained his ring. She is very concerned, however, with Rafe’s reaction to Caleb’s possession of the ring. Appalled to discover that Rafe had even intended to chop off Caleb’s finger, she urges him to give up his ruthless obsession with Caleb and the ring. She tells him she is glad Caleb has the ring back, and, despite Rafe’s claims to the contrary, she does not believe it poses that much of a danger if it remains under Caleb’s control. After all, she points out, Caleb has had the ring for ages, and if Caleb were actually going to use it to help destroy Port Charles, he would have done so already. Caleb, unlike Joshua, she argues, has not tried to take over the whole town. Furthermore, she feels that Caleb has changed, has perhaps been slightly humanized as a result of his temporary re-experience of mortality. |