| "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" #9 (cont.) “Well, I guess that is sort of my point,” he concludes. “I obviously look like this guy, and I’m sorry he hurt you, but I’m not him; he’s not me. I’m not a vampire or any other creature of the night. I’m just a musician, man, and I create my own sort of chaos, but I don’t hurt people, not like you say.” These statements, expressed with an air of irreproachable sincerity, demonstrate the depths of Caleb’s deceit. The fact that he can lie with such apparent ease and lack of guilt shows that he is either more inhumanly devious than ever or that he is trying to convince himself that he can become the person he pretends to be. In lying to others, perhaps he almost succeeds in lying to himself. Given Caleb’s dissociative personality, his creation of the alter-ego Father Michael, it is possible that Caleb could, in time perhaps, actually start to believe he was the persona Stephen Clay. He speaks of creating “chaos,” the chaos of an artist alienated from himself as well as others. “God, you are a liar,” she observes with disgust and turns away from him. Realizing that their discussion is at an impasse and they “could stand out here all night and debate this,” with neither one of them admitting defeat, he suggests that she let him give her a ride somewhere. When she adamantly refuses to get in his limo, he says he will at least try to get her car working for her. “I’m not leaving a woman alone on some deserted road even if she does say she hates me,” he remarks, presenting himself as a chivalrous protector of women, then gets inside the car and effortlessly starts it. “How about that?” he smiles, pleased with his little miracle, his magic touch that can suddenly cause cars to start or stop functioning. He gets out of the car and hovers over her so that she has to bend down beneath his arms in order to crawl back into her vehicle. His presence is a teasing reminder of the closeness they once shared and the violence he could commit if he chose to punish her for her betrayals. |
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| Snappies of "Naked Eyes" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “You’re just . . . you’re just going to let me go?” she asks, sounding almost disappointed that he isn’t going to try to prevent her from leaving.
“What else would you like me to do?” he replies, smiling suggestively. Then, having noticed the suitcases in her car, he seems to grow wistful. “Have a nice trip,” he says with a hint of sadness in his voice. He, like Livvie, appears disappointed to have their brief encounter some to an end. As they leave on their separate paths, suppressing their need for each other, they seek comfort in relationships that are less emotionally dangerous, less intense. Caleb heads back to Elizabeth, basking in her worshipful devotion, while Livvie returns to her former boyfriend Jack, hoping to seduce him away from Tess and re-establish their safe, familiar, non-threatening bond. While Livvie makes her way back towards Jack, he and Ian are quarreling over the implications of Tess’s DNA results. Infuriated by Ian’s conclusions that Tess is not human, Jack becomes even more enraged when Ian suggests that the kind, loving Tess, with her healing magic and uncanny resemblance to Livvie, may be linked with Caleb. “Get the hell out of here! Get out of my house!” Jack yells, on the verge of physical violence by the insinuation that Tess might somehow belong to a vampire. “What I’m saying is that there could be some kind of connection,” Ian explains, trying to ease Jack’s wrath. “You saw him look at her,” he adds, noting the seductive, soul-piercing look Stephen gave Tess. “It was a coincidence,” Jack retorts, his anger fading somewhat as he realizes the truth of Ian’s perceptions. He knows it was not coincidence that has brought Caleb, Tess, and Livvie together. The connection is real, undeniable, and lying to himself that it doesn’t exist is not going to make it disappear. “What do you want me to do—drive a stake through her heart, destroy her?” Jack shouts, overcome by the futility of evading his worst fears. “Come on, Ian. Listen to me,” he says, struggling to regain calm. “If anybody tries to come hurt Tess, they are going to have to come through me first. . . . No, no, Ian. I love that girl and I’m not going to stand by while she gets lynched.” Jack and Ian argue over Tess as if she were a rare animal of unknown origin and species. Ian wants to study her, try to decode her mysteries, whereas Jack wants to shelter her, keep her in his protective prison. Each treats her as a creature incapable of making her own decisions. |