| "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 #3 The ring breeds conflict, engendering obsession, inciting lust, fulfilling temptations. It promises control yet often brings enslavement. For those who seek the ring, as well as those who possess it, the power is tantalizing and addictive. As a result of the ring and the turmoil the quest for it has caused, Caleb and Alison, contrary to conscious intention, find their paths frequently crossing. The more Livvie nags at Caleb about the ring and the more Rafe avoids discussing his emotions with Alison, the more it seems that Caleb and Alison discover common ground. Despite their conflicts in the past, Caleb and Alison have managed to share moments of humor and playfulness during stressful times with their loved ones. In each other’s company, they can temporarily escape the oppressive possessiveness and volatility of their partners. Caleb is able to be more human without sacrificing his vampire essence, while Alison is able to feel more carefree. Frustrated, resentful, and vindictive, Livvie and Rafe find their lives sometimes curiously intersecting as well. They share a past that they cannot help recalling with guilt and spitefulness, a sordid relationship based on Livvie’s deceit and Rafe’s gullibility. Having been seduced by Livvie when he was amnesiac and had forgotten his love for Alison, Rafe is mad at her for taking advantage of his memory lapse and thereby hurting Alison. Although he has regained his memory, reunited with Alison, and should be focusing on their future together, he cannot get past his feelings of resentment towards Livvie for her past misdeeds. He even blames Livvie and Caleb for the current problems he and Alison are experiencing as a result of Joshua’s brainwashing. Unable to accept the fact that Alison, subject to Joshua’s mind control, tried to kill him, he holds Livvie and Caleb responsible for the nearly fatal stabbing. Instead of admitting to Alison and himself that he is angry about the stabbing, he turns away from Alison, heading towards Caleb’s apartment and venting his anger on Livvie. Rafe arrives at Caleb’s apartment just as Livvie is making herself “irresistibly sexy” for Caleb’s return. She removes her dress and brushes her hair, admiring the way her lacey bra and panties cling to her slender yet voluptuous curves. Hearing a sound and thinking Caleb has come back, she opens the door, turns off the lights, and throws herself into the arms of the person waiting outside. In the darkness her lips touch someone else’s, but the person she kisses is not the one she desires. To her shock and dismay, the man she embraces is Rafe. This amusing but absurd scene involving mistaken identity, an unintended kiss, and the comic embarrassment resulting from it is typical of the soap opera genre. Such a scene often gives the viewers an ironic reminder of the characters’ past intimacy and/or foreshadows a future romance. In this case, the scene highlights the mutual distaste Livvie and Rafe have for each other as a result of their former relationship. “Rafe, what the hell are you doing here?” Livvie demands, concealing her embarrassment with haughty indignation. “I’m not doing anything. You’re the one running around undressed,” Rafe wryly observes. “Yeah, well, this is my house. I thought you were Caleb. I thought you were my husband,” she explains. |
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| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “Well, you thought wrong,” Rafe responds. “So where is the old bat and chain anyway?”
“Lucky for you he’s not here,” she evades with a challenging sneer. “Then where is he?” Rafe probes. “I have no idea,” she confides, then snappishly asks Rafe why he wants to know. By admitting that she has “no idea” where Caleb went, she inadvertently implies that her bond with him may not be as close as she would like it to be. She refers to Caleb as her “husband,” but, in reality, their marriage (which took place in “Tainted Love”) may not be official, and the unbreakable union Caleb promised may be starting to splinter. The fact that he was subsequently able to wed Elizabeth in a church wedding during “Surrender” (and then divorce her shortly afterwards) calls into question the legitimacy of Caleb’s marriage to Livvie. And the fact that Caleb is beginning to focus much more attention on the ring than on Livvie makes her wonder about their supposedly eternal, unconditional commitment to each other. In her heart, though, Livvie considers Caleb her husband, and not knowing where he has gone is driving her frantic. |