"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" #33 (cont.)
“I don’t know why I do this always,” Livvie sobs. “I love him so much, but always I push away the people I
love.”
“I don’t know why I do this always,” Livvie sobs. “I love him so much, but always I push away the people I
love.”
Snappies of "The Gift" scenes taken by
A. Armstrong
A. Armstrong
“I don’t know, I don’t know why you do that, Livvie, but I really wish I did,” Alison confides. She recalls their
past friendship, the times they shared before Caleb entered Livvie’s life. Livvie’s tears and sad vulnerability
remind Alison of those days of innocence and loyalty, idealism and hope, of a bond long broken but still
remembered as the scars, never completely healed, resurface, painful vestiges of time’s corrosion.
“I really hate it when you’re nice to me,” Livvie sniffs, wiping away her tears and picking up a Bride magazine
she found on the table. “You’re going to do it, huh?” she says, shifting the topic. “You guys are finally doing
it. That’s really great. I mean, why not? You’re the perfect couple. Rafe trusts you completely. You wouldn’t
lie to him You wouldn’t betray him.” Livvie’s words are strangely congratulatory. Gone is her usual sarcasm,
her bitter resentment. She is envious, yet respectful of Alison’s happiness, as if acknowledging that Alison and
Rafe deserve their marital joy.
“Stop it! Stop saying that!” Alison abruptly scolds. She feels guilty for hiding the truth from Rafe , for not
being the faithful, truthful, and honest woman Livvie and Rafe believe her to be.
“You never have lied to Rafe, have you?” Livvie asks, startled by Alison’s strange response. She wonders now if
Alison does have something to conceal.
Caleb, sharing the secret Alison struggles to forget, does not acknowledge any guilt but is unable to let go of that
memory. He has betrayed Livvie just as painfully as she has betrayed him, yet he refuses to forgive her. She,
like Rafe and Alison, must pay for trying to deceive him. Having cast Livvie out of the apartment, he seethes
with frustrated rage and decides to vent it on Rafe.
As Rafe jogs in the park, he hears Caleb’s taunting summons welcoming him back. With a mock apology for
“tearing” Rafe “away from Alison so soon,” Caleb expresses his resentment towards the Slayer for breaking
into his apartment and reading the Morley grimoire.
past friendship, the times they shared before Caleb entered Livvie’s life. Livvie’s tears and sad vulnerability
remind Alison of those days of innocence and loyalty, idealism and hope, of a bond long broken but still
remembered as the scars, never completely healed, resurface, painful vestiges of time’s corrosion.
“I really hate it when you’re nice to me,” Livvie sniffs, wiping away her tears and picking up a Bride magazine
she found on the table. “You’re going to do it, huh?” she says, shifting the topic. “You guys are finally doing
it. That’s really great. I mean, why not? You’re the perfect couple. Rafe trusts you completely. You wouldn’t
lie to him You wouldn’t betray him.” Livvie’s words are strangely congratulatory. Gone is her usual sarcasm,
her bitter resentment. She is envious, yet respectful of Alison’s happiness, as if acknowledging that Alison and
Rafe deserve their marital joy.
“Stop it! Stop saying that!” Alison abruptly scolds. She feels guilty for hiding the truth from Rafe , for not
being the faithful, truthful, and honest woman Livvie and Rafe believe her to be.
“You never have lied to Rafe, have you?” Livvie asks, startled by Alison’s strange response. She wonders now if
Alison does have something to conceal.
Caleb, sharing the secret Alison struggles to forget, does not acknowledge any guilt but is unable to let go of that
memory. He has betrayed Livvie just as painfully as she has betrayed him, yet he refuses to forgive her. She,
like Rafe and Alison, must pay for trying to deceive him. Having cast Livvie out of the apartment, he seethes
with frustrated rage and decides to vent it on Rafe.
As Rafe jogs in the park, he hears Caleb’s taunting summons welcoming him back. With a mock apology for
“tearing” Rafe “away from Alison so soon,” Caleb expresses his resentment towards the Slayer for breaking
into his apartment and reading the Morley grimoire.
“Oh, and what a good book it was, too,” Rafe gibes. “I mean, it was like a good summer read, you know, the
kind of book you bring with you to the beach, complete with a road map to Hell.” He then surprises Caleb by
confiding that the “little journey to Hell . . . was the best thing” that could have ever happened to them both.
“See, you get to keep your little magic ring, and I finally get my freedom,” he smirks. “Freedom from you,
Vampire. And God,” he breathes deeply. “I’ve got to tell you, it feels good. I mean, I feel cleansed. I feel like I
am stepping out of the darkness into the light. I feel like I am taking a breath of fresh air after God knows how
long. . . . What I’m saying is this war between us is over. So you can keep your ring, you can keep your eternal
life, and I’ll keep out of your way, OK?”
Caleb scowls, enraged by Rafe’s sudden decision to end their war. Caleb and Rafe had shared a bond as lifelong
enemies, their mutual hatred stirring their blood with a sense of fierce purpose. By suddenly announcing that
this war was over, Rafe had severed their fury-fueled relationship. That war, along with his romance with
Livvie, had been Caleb’s major obsessions, and now, with both on the verge of ending, Caleb is left with an
eternal, unappeasable emptiness.“It doesn’t work that way,” he snarls in petulant fury like a spoiled child. “The
war is over when I say it’s over and not before!”
kind of book you bring with you to the beach, complete with a road map to Hell.” He then surprises Caleb by
confiding that the “little journey to Hell . . . was the best thing” that could have ever happened to them both.
“See, you get to keep your little magic ring, and I finally get my freedom,” he smirks. “Freedom from you,
Vampire. And God,” he breathes deeply. “I’ve got to tell you, it feels good. I mean, I feel cleansed. I feel like I
am stepping out of the darkness into the light. I feel like I am taking a breath of fresh air after God knows how
long. . . . What I’m saying is this war between us is over. So you can keep your ring, you can keep your eternal
life, and I’ll keep out of your way, OK?”
Caleb scowls, enraged by Rafe’s sudden decision to end their war. Caleb and Rafe had shared a bond as lifelong
enemies, their mutual hatred stirring their blood with a sense of fierce purpose. By suddenly announcing that
this war was over, Rafe had severed their fury-fueled relationship. That war, along with his romance with
Livvie, had been Caleb’s major obsessions, and now, with both on the verge of ending, Caleb is left with an
eternal, unappeasable emptiness.“It doesn’t work that way,” he snarls in petulant fury like a spoiled child. “The
war is over when I say it’s over and not before!”