| "Surrender" : Analysis of the "Surrender" Arc of ABC-TV's Port Charles
(c) Alison Armstrong |
| An analysis of the "Surrender" 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. |
| "Surrender" #2 (cont.) Flinging off his coat, he stands nervously for a moment, fingers to mouth, and then sits down on the couch, motioning her towards him. “What do you want to know?” he asks gently. “Hmmm? Ask me anything.” “What I’ve become,” she repeats, a manic, hunted look in her eyes. “You’ve turned me into something that I didn’t know even existed. And I find myself hungry all the time and thirsty for everything. Things that I don’t even understand, things I can barely imagine.” Although she has lied to him about her actions, she is not lying here about her feelings. In contrast to what she told Ian, her life as a vampire is not as fulfilling as she made it seem. It is, for her, a life in which ecstasy is obtained through addiction and enslavement, a life in which her meaning, her survival, is tied to Caleb’s and she is nothing without him. “Hmm,” he smiles tenderly, caressing her and kissing her neck. “I know all about the hunger and the desire that you can never satisfy. I’m going to be there for you. I’m going to help you through every moment of your new life.” “Oh, promise me,” she exclaims ravenously. “Promise me.” |
 |
 |
| Snappies of "Surrender" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “Look at me,” he reassures her. “You never have to be alone. No one should ever be unloved.” Again, he reveals his vulnerable side. Despite his murderous warnings, he seems to understand and, to an extent, empathize with her. To be alone and unloved, he suggests, may be a fate worse than death. |
 |
 |
| Although Caleb, with his keen perceptions, probably knows she is lying and has bitten someone, he, nevertheless, does not carry out his threat. He does not break her neck or physically abuse her; instead, he shows her some tenderness and affection.
For all his superhuman strength, vampiric ferocity, vengeful rants, and capacity for cruelty, Caleb, strangely, can be fairly lenient towards those he has chosen and transformed into vampires. Even Jack, despite numerous betrayals, has time after time been spared death. Caleb may say he is going to kill Jack, yet he never actually goes through with his threats against Jack. Perhaps, for Caleb, the life and death power he holds over others is more important than exercising it. Similarly, as we will see in the final Port Charles arc, “The Gift,” Caleb has at his disposal the godlike magic of his vampire ring yet chooses not to use it, believing that true power lies in resisting the allure of power. Rafe, in contrast, abuses the power he has been given as a Slayer and the moral authority he believes he is justified in wielding. Determined to get back at Caleb for sabotaging Alison’s wedding, Rafe barges into the Stephen Clay Experience recording studio and assaults Joshua, as well as the band members. Although the scheming, murderous Joshua is far from innocent, the band members had nothing to do with Caleb’s or Joshua’s vindictive schemes, yet Rafe violently attacks them, perhaps hoping that he can make them reveal Caleb’s secret plans. When they try to fight back, baring their fangs in self-defense, Rafe uses his Slayer powers against them all, including the petite female singer/vampire Reese. He stops short of killing them, considering his attacks warning enough for the time being, and vows that when he’s through with Caleb, the “son of a bitch” will have lost everything. While Rafe is roughing up Caleb’s band members, using brute force as a way to express his rage, Caleb is using his seductive, snakelike charm to bend Elizabeth’s will. “You do love me, don’t you? A little?” she asks tentatively, like a shy, lovesick teenaged girl, as she and Caleb sit together on the couch. |