| "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 #9 Caleb Morley’s transformation into rock star Stephen Clay reflects the flexibility and adaptability of the vampire archetype in popular culture. Vampires, creatures traditionally bound by hunger, lust and unatoned sins, have evolved, transcending many of their former limitations. No longer the evil, cadaverous, crucifix-fearing ghouls of European folklore, they are now metamorphic, magical beings of fantasy and desire. “Naked Eyes” depicts the conflict between the older, moralistic, fear-based perceptions of vampires and the more modern, aesthetic, romanticized views represented by Anne Rice and other contemporary Gothic writers. Rafe, Lucy, and Caleb’s other foes, firmly convinced that vampires are demonic beings who must be eradicated, are ready to kill Stephen Clay even before he shows the slightest signs of malice. Although his murderous plot in “Tempted” has given them all valid reasons to fear Caleb, they fail to realize that their own jealousy, hostility, and paranoia helped him destroy relationships and further his vengeance. Hunted, persecuted, denied love for centuries, Caleb in a sense became the monster they and other humans believed him to be. As Caleb struggles to begin a new life with a new identity, his enemies seek to tear away his persona, expose him as a vampire, and goad him into violence so that they can justify slaying him. Returning from Stephen Clay’s concert, Rafe and Lucy seek to explain how Caleb, having been staked and then crumbling into dust, just as the rules of vampire lore dictate, could come back from the dead and be so easily assimilated into human society. Rafe insists that according to all the vampire legends, “any vampire who was destroyed properly stayed that way.” Caleb also seems to defy vampire lore by surviving without feeding, as Lucy discovers after she calls the police commissioner and finds out that there have been no unusual murders lately. Although Lucy suggests that perhaps Caleb represents a new vampire evolutionary adaptation, becoming immune to some of the traditional slaying methods and developing new ways of sustaining himself, she and Rafe both agree that Caleb, as a vampire, must be destroyed somehow. As they puzzle over why Caleb would choose the persona of a rock performer as a new identity, flaunting his presence instead of hiding it, they look to his lyrics for clues. “He wants everyone to worship him,” Rafe speculates. On this one point, Rafe is surprisingly perceptive. Caleb does need the adoration, the love and lust of his followers, in order to thrive. However, as usual, Rafe fails to realize that the need for love shows that Caleb is not the heartless, soulless being people perceive him to be. Instead of trying to understand Caleb or devise new ways of dealing with him, they ready their arsenal of wooden stakes and silver bullets to solve their problems. Even though Rafe realizes that his behavior at the concert was foolish, that he was walking right into Caleb’s trap and needs to come up with a better strategy, he, as always, cannot escape his Slayer prejudices and preconceptions. In addition to these external foes, Caleb also faces conflict from within. As in “Tainted Love” and “Tempted,” he is torn between his need for power and his need for love. Try as he might to show everyone that he is firmly in control of his life, he cannot escape his eternal bond with Livvie nor his vulnerability to her. Livvie, likewise, strives to begin a new life, free from Caleb and the ravages of love. She has hardened her heart, becoming selfish, manipulative, vengeful. But after she dances with Stephen at the masquerade and re-experiences her passion for Caleb, she is frightened of his power over her, the power of their undying bond. As Livvie, emotionally eviscerated by Caleb, confronts the man who calls himself Stephen Clay, she tries to make him acknowledge that he’s the one who harrowed her soul. Cynical, embittered, poisoned by their destructive desires, Caleb and Livvie try to transform their lives, but the torment they caused each other as well as the people of Port Charles threatens to overshadow their future. Livvie’s plan to escape Caleb by leaving Port Charles is thwarted by car problems. As she stands outside her car, looking in the hood to see what’s preventing the engine from starting, Stephen approaches. “Let me guess. You didn’t like my music?” he asks, smiling seductively. Despite her frightened warning to stay away from her, he insists that he couldn’t just drive by and leave “a woman in distress.” When he turns to the limo driver, ordering him to turn on the headlights, Livvie runs back into the car and once again tries to start the engine. “Looks like you got trouble,” Stephen observes, peering in the window at her, then suggests that she open the hood and let him take a look inside it. |
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| Snappies of "Naked Eyes" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |