| "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" #3 (cont.) “Fireworks in the sky or the ones back home?” he insinuates. “Fireworks? What, you think that Rafe and I are having, like, a fight or something?” she challenges. “I don’t know,” he smiles mysteriously. “But it’s got to be hard getting over the fact that . . . well, that you tried to kill him.” “It was the drugs and everything,” she responds in a defensive tone. “He knows that.” “Trust me, I know how it feels,” he says with another cryptic smile. “I’ve been there.” “Right, of course you have,” she realizes, recalling Caleb’s murder at the hands of Livvie during “Tempted.” “Well, it hasn’t really been easy, to say the least,” she confides. “It’s just that we’ve never really had a hard time talking. We’ve always been very close. And now, for the first time, I’m . . . I’m a little worried. . . . I stabbed him and I left him to die. It’s bound to change things in our relationship.” She shifts the topic back to Caleb, wanting to know how he dealt with a similar betrayal. “So how did you handle it?” she asks. “You know, when Livvie came at you and . . . ” She is interrupted by Caleb’s laughter. “I’m being really serious,” she scolds, “like, I’m asking you honestly.” “I know you are,” he smiles mischievously. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Let’s see, how did I feel when . . . when Olivia stabbed me through the heart?” He pauses, glancing upwards, thinking back to that time of treachery which, now, seems rather distant. “Well, at first I felt dead. And then when I came back I . . . oh, I hated her.” “Yeah, that’s what she said,” Alison informs. “We had words. She came by. So go on. What did you do then? What do you do?” “I did everything I could to get even,” he relates. “ I was . . . I was cruel. As strange as it sounds, though, maybe that was a healthier choice than what Rafe’s doing right now.” “See, that’s just it,” Alison, opening up to Caleb about her misgivings and fears regarding Rafe, reveals. “I don’t think he’s allowing himself, you know, to feel what he’s really feeling.” “Yeah, probably not. But it’s all right,” he assures her. “He’s trying to make sense of all of this. Alison, I . . I know as much as I wanted revenge on Olivia, I also know that I loved her deep down and I know that . . . I know that Rafe loves you.” |
 |
 |
 |
| Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “No, I know that, too,” she rather tentatively affirms. “I mean, I don’t . . I don’t really question that. I know he loves me in his heart, but, I mean, for the first time I . . . I can feel a distance with him, and we can’t really talk like we should. And I feel responsible, I mean, obviously, for what I’ve done. I feel responsible to try and make this better again if I can. I want to make it better.” She stops and rubs her neck, her expression uneasy, as if she is feeling faint again.
“Alison, hey, you OK?” Caleb asks. “No, I’m not,” she admits. “I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I feel . . . I go through these things where I get hot and then I get dizzy.” “Yeah, well, you’re going . . trying to go . . cold turkey off drugs and that can be difficult,” Caleb explains. “You know, you should be in a hospital.” |
 |