| "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 #20 While Livvie, drenched in self-pity, struggles with feelings of abandonment, Caleb ponders his future with her. Her neediness, her impetuousness, her selfish disregard for the effects her actions have upon others, including himself, are a continual source of danger and conflict. She lacks the foresight, the patience and self-sufficiency required to be a successful immortal. Unable to endure loneliness, she tries to fill the abyss inside her hungry soul by seeking attention and/or inciting conflict. Rejected by her father, she turns to the numbing solace of alcohol and the familiar presence of her former boyfriend, Jack. Arriving at his bar, the Elixir, she tells him she wants a drink, “something strong.” |
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| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “How strong?” he asks with a sneer.
“Oh, God, Jack, another one of my fan club members, huh?” she complains, disturbed by his rather surly expression. “Livvie, if you want a bar where people are going to love you, you can go on down the road,” he remarks. “But if you want some tequila, we have some pretty good stuff that has not been watered down. It’s pretty potent.” “Make it a double, please,” she sighs. “A double it is for Olivia Locke,” he comments, somewhat more sympathetically. “So I’m taking it you and Caleb had a fight.” “That is none of your business,” she snarls, then, feeling the need to confide, relates that she also went to see her father, who proceeded to “get all over” her case and say “some really hurtful things.” Looking up at Jack, seeing in him the friend she once had, she yields to her sorrow and vulnerability. “I’m just really glad you’re here for me,” she murmurs, uncharacteristically fragile. “In other words, I’m the only one left speaking to you,” he snidely observes. “Why is that, Jack? Why does everyone hate me?” she whines. “You don’t get it, do you, Livvie?” Jack realizes, understanding that Livvie actually seems unable to see herself as others see her. She does not comprehend how evil and vindictive she can be, how terribly she has hurt almost everyone she knows. “People hate you because you stab people in the back,” he explains. “You do hateful things to them. That’s the truth.” Before Livvie can respond, their conversation is interrupted by Reese, who accompanies Jack outside to help Ricky. “It’s official beat-up-on Livvie night,” Livvie mutters to herself as she sits at the bar. “First, my dad, then Caleb, then Jack. I’m just batting a thousand here.” She looks up from her drink and notices that Caleb is beside her, watching her intently. |
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| Angry that Caleb did not help her undo the tragic consequences of her plot against Alison and thereby heal her father, Livvie vents her rage and frustration upon him. “You were the one person that was supposed to be there for me,” she woefully reminds him. “The one person that I thought would love me always, no matter what. I was wrong.” “All this would be easier if I didn’t love you,” he tells her. |