| "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" #5 (cont.) While Rafe and Alison ponder Stephen’s disappearance and discuss Rafe’s forebodings, Stephen prowls amongst the festive revelers and gazes approvingly at the lustful couples writhing together seductively. Pausing to grab another bottle of his mysterious elixir, Stephen tells Joshua that everything is going better than he “could have ever hoped for,” and he “even found a few new surprises.” As he continues to wander around and survey the success of his party, Stephen sees that even his more reluctant and distrustful guests, Ian and Lucy, are beginning to succumb to the night’s erotic atmosphere. He observes their passionate kiss, senses, with satisfaction, their guilty arousal and Lucy’s laughable attempts to explain what happened. “That was amazing,” Lucy sighs in rapture, then, as if realizing she shouldn’t have enjoyed her adulterous kiss, contradicts herself. “No, it was not,” she babbles unconvincingly. “It was crazy.” They are still talking about the kiss when Ian’s cell phone summons him away from their hastily savored intimacy. With this phone call from Jack, Ian is jolted back into his responsibilities as a friend and physician. In response to Jack’s urgent request, Ian agrees to stop by Jack’s house and examine Tess's and Livvie’s identical scratch marks. Like Rafe, Ian is bound by duty and loyalty. These bonds help shape his fate. Because of them, he is drawn into danger and will risk losing everything most precious to him. As Ian, trailed by Lucy, heads over to Jack’s house, they are accosted by thugs in monstrous Halloween masks yelling “trick or treat.” When Ian refuses to give them any money, they stab him and run away. Lucy huddles over Ian’s bleeding body, shrieking for help. The man she always counted on for strength, companionship, and reassurance is dying; the man who habitually took upon himself the roles of heroic doctor and rescuing knight, saving others, especially women, from dangerous situations, is now helpless and vulnerable. Although Ian will miraculously survive this attack, his sense of duty, morality and chivalry will later lead him to a fate he considers worse than death, dooming him to an existence he abhors. The cowardly thugs hiding behind their gruesome masks to intimidate and endanger others represent another aspect of Halloween, much different than the magic and sensuality of Stephen Clay’s masquerade party. Unlike the glittering, alluring masks at Stephen’s gala, these masks are ugly, repulsive, fearsome. They are manifestations of savagery, death, and decay used for acts of terror and mayhem. Unfortunately, this violent, destructive aspect is what many people associate with Halloween nowadays. The sacred meanings of the holiday—honoring dead ancestors, celebrating the harvest and the eternal cycles of nature—are defiled by criminals and malicious pranksters who use the trappings of Halloween—masks and nocturnal revelry—when committing acts of vandalism and assault. Ironically, Ian ends up jeopardizing his life for no useful purpose because by the time Ian is on his way to Jack’s house, Livvie has already left, and thus Ian would not have been able to examine her scratches to confirm that they are identical to Tess’s. While Jack and Tess, inside the house, discuss the matching scratches, Livvie, lurking outside, also ponders the strange connection she and Tess share. “I feel like someone is trying to drive me crazy here,” she says to herself. “But who, who would have the power to do this? Who would have the power to create this creature and send her down from God knows where to steal my whole life?” As usual, Livvie at first places blame on her perpetual scapegoat, Alison, but then realizes that even though Alison is “really pissed off” at her, she would not have the power to create a being such as Tess. Concluding that her “angelic ex,” Rafe, must be responsible for creating Tess, Livvvie decides to go looking for him at Stephen Clay’s party. Once at the party, Livvie angrily shoves her way through the crowd, demanding that Rafe show himself. On the way towards Rafe, she bumps into Stephen. |
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| “Dance?” he asks, grasping her arm.
“No, thanks,” she mutters, trying to elude his touch. “I’m looking for someone.” “I think you found him,” Stephen says forcefully, tugging her towards him. “No, really. I’ve gotta go,” she insists, a rather tremulous tone creeping into her voice. “I’m looking for someone.” |
| Snappies of "Naked Eyes" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |