| "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" #20 (cont.) “Then I guess we don’t have anything to talk about,” Caleb sullenly concludes. “You mean the world to me. Don’t you know that? Nothing in this world means more to me than you, and I’m going to fix this,” she promises. “I am. I’m going to fix this.” “I hope you can,” Caleb warns. “Because I’m through being patient with you.” |
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| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “I’m a strong woman. You know that. You know how strong I can be,” she tells him, a half-truth. She can be strong, courageous, almost fearless, but her strength is weakened by her neediness, her dangerous, volatile insecurity. “This is your last chance, Olivia,” Caleb reiterates, emphasizing his threat, her worst fear, the prospect of her being abandoned forever. “This wouldn’t just be hard on me if you said good-bye,” she says softly, as he, having issued his ultimatum, calms to her touch. They hold hands, savoring the caress of flesh against flesh. “I know that,” he admits, lightly touching her hair, “but I can’t just sit around and let you destroy us.” “Help me be the woman you’ve always wanted,” she urges plaintively. “We tried that already, and look what happened,” he replies, as both recall “Tess,” the fragment of goodness remaining within Livvie, which Caleb stripped from her, then gave separate life and form. He had used magic, abused the power of his ring, to create Tess. He had brought into being a pure, virtuous version of Livvie, a sweet, angelic creature he later ended up destroying. “But look, if you could just make it different somehow?” she suggests. “This time, no magic,” he vows. “This time it has to come from inside you.” “Yeah, you’re right. You’re right,” she agrees, wanting desperately to please him. “I have to prove to you how much I love you, and I will. I will, Caleb, I swear.” “We’ll see, we’ll see,” he soothes, his tone gentle yet sad, vaguely ominous. He still doubts that she will be able to do as she promises. He seems to contemplate the disappointment, the betrayal he suspects is soon to follow. “I’m not going to let Alison get to me anymore,” she adds, her mood, in contrast, optimistic, confident. “Come here,” he murmurs, kissing her. However, she pulls away. This time, unexpectedly, it is she who halts the lovemaking before it can progress any further. |
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| “No, no, no, I have to do something, OK? For us,” she informs him in a breathless, eager voice. “I love you,” she says, giving him a quick goodbye kiss and walking towards the door. “It’s for us. I’ll be back.” “No, no, no, I have to do something, OK? For us,” she informs him in a breathless, eager voice. “I love you,” she says, giving him a quick goodbye kiss and walking towards the door. “It’s for us. I’ll be back.” Frustrated and perplexed, he stares at her retreating form, his betrayer, his beloved. Will she fulfill her promise or will she, once again, make things worse? How much longer can he keep forgiving her, keep letting her ruin them both? Yet how long can he truly live without her? |
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