| "Naked Eyes" #4 (cont.)
The creator of this discord, the shaman-saboteur Stephen Clay, readies his scheme to cause even more chaos than he did in his previous incarnation as Caleb. Before he can put the finishing touches on his Halloween masquerade, he must first assemble his band, replacing his exiled drummer Mick with Marissa’s friend Ricky. Stephen’s encounter with Ricky, however, does not appear to proceed as Stephen probably would have planned, for it is Ricky, hot-headed and drunk, who makes the first move and almost ruins their partnership before it can even begin. These scenes between Stephen and Ricky highlight the contrasts between Ricky’s impetuous, foolish behavior and Stephen’s calm, controlled deliberations. Swaggering and staggering in front of Stephen, Ricky assumes the antagonistic, macho pose of an intoxicated delinquent, blustering in impotent rage. As Stephen looks at a photo of his band and coldly severs his former drummer’s image from the rest of the group, Ricky lurches towards Joshua and Stephen. “Get over here. . . . I’m not through with you,” Ricky barks at Joshua, apparently peeved that Joshua was not giving him the attention Ricky felt he somehow deserved. “I think someone wants to speak,” Joshua condescendingly observes, as he and Ricky approach Stephen. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t even gotten started,” Ricky sputters. “Well, maybe I can help you,” Stephen says calmly. “Who the hell are you?” Ricky sneers. When Stephen tells Ricky who he is, Ricky launches into his tirade against the Stephen Clay Experience for not selecting him as their drummer when they had first heard him play. He calls Stephen a “stupid fool” who has “no clue” about “real talent.” Ironically, of course, it is Ricky who is the “fool” with “no clue,” since he is unaware that Stephen has just been persuaded by Marissa to hire him as the drummer. “Are you done?” Stephen responds, sipping from this blue bottle and glowering a bit as he tries to control his anger. “No, no, I’m not done,” Ricky shouts and works himself up into another tantrum over Stephen Clay’s inability to spot “true talent” such as his. He exclaims that he is “good . . . damn good, maybe too good” for the band he believes has rejected him. Although Joshua warns Ricky that “now is probably a good time” to stop the ranting, Stephen encourages Ricky to continue expressing his “honest opinion, get it all out.” Persisting in his folly, Ricky goes on to accuse the Stephen Clay Experience of hiding behind a “hoax,” “working on this whole mystique BS” because they are afraid the whole world will find out they’re all a “fraud.” “And you think you can save me?” Stephen replies, smiling slightly. “Yeah, maybe,” Ricky agrees. "Maybe? Oh, you're not so sure now?" Stephen asks. |
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| “Oh, no. No. I’m damn sure,” Ricky boasts, “because if you had some talent you wouldn’t have to hide.”
“It’s a lucky thing that you are drunk,” Stephen notes with a cryptic smile. “Yeah, it’s lucky for you, buddy,” Ricky threatens. “I can fix that,” Stephen suggests, picking up a bucket of water and pouring it over Ricky’s head. “There. Shall we start this all over again?” |
| Snappies of "Naked Eyes" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| "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. |