| "Naked Eyes" : Analysis of the "Naked Eyes" Arc of ABC-TV's Port Charles
(c) Alison Armstrong |
| An analysis of the "Naked Eyes" 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. |
| "Naked Eyes" Analysis #10 Dissonance lingers, subversive and resonant, long after the concert has ended. Caleb has created psychological unrest, a turbulent energy sustained by conflict, awakening primal emotions of lust, jealousy, and violence. The return of Caleb as an enemy heightens the passions of his foes, inciting desire between couples and hostility between rivals. Tess becomes the scapegoat for some of the volatile emotions aroused by Caleb’s return. Her sweet, childlike appearance and uncanny innocence taint her with an eerie allure that holds men captive and makes other women jealous. Even the preachy New Age busybody Lucy reveals her hypocrisy and viciousness when she goes to Ian’s house and sees Tess, scantily clad in a long t-shirt, eating breakfast. Despite her claims to love Ian merely as a friend, Lucy seems threatened by Tess’s presence at Ian’s house. This woman, so child-like and naïve, who talks with her mouth full of cereal, this Lolita-like waif, is perceived as a rival. When Ian tells Lucy Tess’s DNA results, Lucy’s jealousy is edged with suspicion. She, like Livvie, seems to fear that Tess, despite her virtuous demeanor, may be associated with Caleb’s infernal resurrection. Pointing to Ian’s obsession with saving helpless women in distress, Lucy accuses Ian of being smitten with his latest rescued victim, Tess. “She’s a nice, beautiful, sweet, sexy little thing, isn’t she?” Lucy snarls spitefully. “The only problem is she’s . . . Actually she is a thing. She’s not a person, she’s not a girl, she’s . . . ” As Ian interrupts Lucy’s tirade, commanding her to “back off,” Tess wanders into the room and urges Ian to confess his love for Lucy. “Tell her you love her like I love Jack, and I miss him and want to see him,” Tess says with gentle firmness, then leaves to return to Jack. Her jealousy and hostility defused by Tess’s surprising revelation, Lucy listens with conflicted emotions as Ian expresses his love. As in “Tempted,” the reappearance of Caleb has brought Lucy and Ian closer, forcing them to acknowledge feelings of desire that threaten Lucy’s commitment to Kevin. This time, with Tess as Cupid, Lucy and Ian can justify their lust for each other, convincing themselves that if the angelic Tess encourages their union, then perhaps they are meant to be together. Although Lucy tells Ian her heart and loyalty still remain with her husband, Kevin, her bond with Kevin is growing weaker. Soon she will turn against the man she once considered her soulmate and will replace him with a new soulmate, all the while rationalizing her adultery with self-serving pseudo-spiritual claims that the universe is telling her to be with Ian. The presence of Tess and Caleb in Port Charles also triggers volatile, conflicting emotions within Jack and Livvie. As Jack relives his encounters with Caleb, the sense of impotence and frustrated rage he felt while struggling to resist Caleb’s power, Livvie takes advantage of Jack’s emotional fragility and tries to worm her way back into his life. Clad in a nightshirt, her hair tangled from a troubled night’s rest, Livvie looks more than ever like her waifish twin. It’s as if the shared memories of Caleb have made both Livvie and Jack feel vulnerable and violated. Seeing Livvie in her skimpy bedtime attire stirs other memories and emotions also, reminding Jack of Tess and of the Livvie he once loved before Caleb destroyed her innocence. Disturbed by his growing desire, Jack asks Livvie to “put some clothes on,” and she, sensing Jack’s reluctant arousal, lashes out at him for implying that she is trying to “trap” him into having sex with her. Angrily, she insists that she was just trying to offer comfort as a friend, but when Jack accuses her of having an “agenda,” she admits she loves him. “I love you. I won’t lie,” she confesses. “It wouldn’t break my heart if you wanted me again. But you have hinted to me a thousand times over again that you are done with me, so I get it, Jack. I still do have some pride left, you know. . . . If it makes you feel any better,” she adds, “I am using you to help me with Caleb. I mean, is that a good enough agenda for you? . . . It’s all about survival, Jack, yours and mine, and whether we like it or not, he almost turned both of us into vampires.” “But the difference was I didn’t want it. I’m not so sure about you,” he retorts, still distrustful, his ego scarred forever by the memories of Caleb’s domination and Livvie’s unfaithfulness. He points out that even though Livvie did kill Caleb, she only did so after causing misery to everybody else. “I don’t know what’s more dangerous, having Caleb back in my life or having you,” he remarks grimly, cloaking his pain with a mask of indifference. Wounded by Jack’s callous rejection, Livvie stalks away to change her clothes. When she returns, she, like Jack, conceals her vulnerability behind a guise of scorn. “OK, relax, Jack. I’m not going to jump your bones,” she sarcastically assures him. “Besides, you have your sweet little Tess to make sure the pain goes away. . . . I am standing here practically shaking with fear, and all you think is I want your precious body? You weren’t that hot, Jack. . . . I’m sorry I bothered you and compromised your virtue. You know, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I can take care of myself. And I know you don’t want me here in the first place, so I’ll leave you to my simple-minded look-alike.” |
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| Snappies of "Naked Eyes" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
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