| "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 #1 The final Port Charles arc, “The Gift,” has a thematic pattern similar to W. W. Jacobs’ macabre masterpiece, “The Monkey’s Paw.” As in Jacobs’ short story, the characters in Port Charles are presented with a magical object (in this case, Caleb’s ring) that can grant wishes in ways unimaginable and often unfortunate to the person making the wish. The wish-granting item, thus, has a dual-edged nature; it can be either a blessing or a curse. Aptly reflecting the paradoxes of this arc and its main symbol (Caleb’s magical ring) is the title itself. Whereas the word “gift” connotes something unexpected yet welcome, the same word in German means “poison.” “The Gift” arc of Port Charles turns out to be a poison-tinged present, giving us highly entertaining scenes of suspense, passion, humor, and sensual beauty, all the while leading us to a pinnacle of expectation that, due to the show’s premature cancellation, can never be satisfied. Coveted as well as feared, the ring fulfills desires while setting into motion potentially troublesome consequences. When Jamal, the current possessor of its magic, wishes for a non-vampire, non-angel girlfriend, he, literally, has a young woman land from the ceiling onto his bed. But does this woman, a newcomer in Port Charles named Imani, bring unforeseen dangers to him and the rest of the town? Amongst its many powers, the ring can even completely alter someone’s personality and behavior patterns, for good or evil. For example, in a subsequent episode, when Jamal, at Lucy’s house, secretly clutches the ring, Lucy expresses the wish that Kevin would change back to the kinder, gentler man he used to be. Although Lucy does not know that the magic ring is in her presence, her spoken wish is granted, and Kevin, in the process of threatening Ian at the hospital, suddenly apologizes, announcing that he wants to “make things right.” Kevin’s psyche has been drastically transformed, his evil nature seemingly banished by the spell of the ring. The ring’s powers, like those of the ancient Greek gods, are beyond good and evil, beyond human conceptions of morality or causality. The fact that such an object, uncontrollable, unpredictable, even exists seems to threaten Rafe’s rigid dualistic beliefs. If, as Rafe believes, the forces of good are constantly battling the forces of evil until the day when good will ultimately prevail, then where does the amoral, chaotic magic of the ring fit into the universe’s orderly scheme? If the ring can control human behavior, where is our free will? If it can even apparently overturn the destiny our previous actions have created for us, then where is cosmic justice? Rafe is becoming confused, disillusioned. Stabbed by the love of his life, unable to prevent the influx of new vampires created by Joshua and unable to cure “good” vampires Ian and Jamal, Rafe appears uncertain of his purpose in life. His faith in the triumph of love and virtue is crumbing, but his hatred for Caleb stubbornly persists despite Caleb’s assistance in rescuing Alison. Lacking an outlet to express his rage, frustration, and sense of impotence in protecting his loved ones, Rafe vindictively turns against Caleb, betraying the alliance they formed to defeat Joshua. At the Villa, Caleb accuses Rafe of deceit and hypocrisy. “You lied,” Caleb growls. “You broke your promise. The good guy, usually played by Rafe Kovich, came in here to find the ring for himself. . . . Our agreement was I help you get back Alison, you help me get the ring, no questions asked.” |
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| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| Rafe, however, does not care about upholding his promise or behaving honorably towards Caleb. Insisting that the deal was merely to get the ring from Joshua and regain Alison, he balks at helping Caleb find the ring. As far as Rafe is concerned, “the ring has disappeared. . . . all bets are off,” the deal is over.
“What have you become—some kind of lawyer fumbling with technicalities? You used to be a man of your word,” Caleb, shocked by Rafe’s blatant hypocrisy, points out. |
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| “Yeah, well, I used to be a lot of things,” Rafe mutters, as if conceding the loss of his idealism and sense of ethics.
“We had a deal,” Caleb snarls. “I set that bastard up for you.” |