"The Gift": Analysis of "The Gift" Arc of ABC-TV's Port Charles
(c) Alison Armstrong
(c) Alison Armstrong
An analysis of the "The Gift" 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.
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.
"The Gift" #22 (cont.)
“You know what, Caleb?” she interjects. “You broke a promise to me. You promised that you would never hurt
me.”
“And I didn’t,” he replies.
“No, not physically,” she concedes, implying, however, that he has wounded her emotionally.
“Guilt trips don’t work on me, Alison,” he laughs scornfully. “Your definition of being hurt isn’t even on my
radar.”
“You know what, Caleb?” she interjects. “You broke a promise to me. You promised that you would never hurt
me.”
“And I didn’t,” he replies.
“No, not physically,” she concedes, implying, however, that he has wounded her emotionally.
“Guilt trips don’t work on me, Alison,” he laughs scornfully. “Your definition of being hurt isn’t even on my
radar.”
Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by A.
Armstrong
Armstrong
“I started to trust you,” she whines. “And I really thought that you started to trust me, too.”
“What?” he scoffs. “Do you think I was just going to give you the ring because you ask for it?”
“Well, I expected for you to at least hear me out,” she complains. “And whether or not you gave me the ring,
well, that’s a different story. But I never expected for you to treat me the way that you did.”
“Oh, go cry to your boyfriend!” Caleb sneers, like a bullying adolescent mocking a sobbing “sissy.”
“I wish that I could. I do, but I’m too embarrassed to tell him that I even went to go see you,” she confides.
“He always told me ‘Caleb should never be trusted.’ But I thought differently. So, obviously, he was right, and I
was wrong. I thought that you would have changed, but I can see that you won’t.”
“You know,” he smirks, “I’d almost forgotten how comfortable humans are at playing the victim. It’s what you
do best.”
“What?” he scoffs. “Do you think I was just going to give you the ring because you ask for it?”
“Well, I expected for you to at least hear me out,” she complains. “And whether or not you gave me the ring,
well, that’s a different story. But I never expected for you to treat me the way that you did.”
“Oh, go cry to your boyfriend!” Caleb sneers, like a bullying adolescent mocking a sobbing “sissy.”
“I wish that I could. I do, but I’m too embarrassed to tell him that I even went to go see you,” she confides.
“He always told me ‘Caleb should never be trusted.’ But I thought differently. So, obviously, he was right, and I
was wrong. I thought that you would have changed, but I can see that you won’t.”
“You know,” he smirks, “I’d almost forgotten how comfortable humans are at playing the victim. It’s what you
do best.”
“Right,” she sniffs sullenly. “Well, it’s vampires like you that like to drain and torture people. That’s what you
do best.”
“If you say so,” he comments, his display of indifference masking the sting of rejection.
“Yeah, I do,” she persists, anger overtaking sorrow. “And what if I were to say that you never gave a damn
about me, that everything you ever told me was just one big lie? That our friendship meant absolutely nothing to
you? Huh? That this whole thing was, like, one big game that I happened to fall into, you never cared whether .
. . whether or not you hurt my feelings or anything in regards to that, huh? Would that be safe to say, Caleb? I
mean, is that really how you feel?”
Her words gush forth in a bitter, resentful torrent. They pour down upon him, and he turns away from her, not
wanting to answer her accusations, perhaps not knowing the answer. What were his true feelings towards her?
Why did he seem to care for her despite the problems their so-called friendship caused for both of them? Why
did he admit, even to Livvie, that he liked Alison? Yet how could he ever trust Alison, knowing that she was in
love with his worst enemy?
He hated the weak, human feelings she sometimes evoked in him. He hated the way she reminded him of his
lost, now-despised, humanity. He hated the stifling, mortal world she represented. Yet, despite all that, he could
not hate her.
do best.”
“If you say so,” he comments, his display of indifference masking the sting of rejection.
“Yeah, I do,” she persists, anger overtaking sorrow. “And what if I were to say that you never gave a damn
about me, that everything you ever told me was just one big lie? That our friendship meant absolutely nothing to
you? Huh? That this whole thing was, like, one big game that I happened to fall into, you never cared whether .
. . whether or not you hurt my feelings or anything in regards to that, huh? Would that be safe to say, Caleb? I
mean, is that really how you feel?”
Her words gush forth in a bitter, resentful torrent. They pour down upon him, and he turns away from her, not
wanting to answer her accusations, perhaps not knowing the answer. What were his true feelings towards her?
Why did he seem to care for her despite the problems their so-called friendship caused for both of them? Why
did he admit, even to Livvie, that he liked Alison? Yet how could he ever trust Alison, knowing that she was in
love with his worst enemy?
He hated the weak, human feelings she sometimes evoked in him. He hated the way she reminded him of his
lost, now-despised, humanity. He hated the stifling, mortal world she represented. Yet, despite all that, he could
not hate her.