| "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" #3 (cont.) Kevin’s anger, however, refuses to be banished. Snapping out of his trance, Kevin turns aside from the sorrowful, vulnerable “goodness” Tess senses inside him, and becomes hostile again. “Get your hands of me!” he snarls. “Don’t ever touch me again, you freak! Is that what you did to Livvie? Brainwash her? Hypnotize her? How did you get her in the water? You did something to my daughter. You freak of nature. You did something to her and now she’s gone. But you’re the one who should be in her place, Tess. Not Livvie. You!” “But no!” Tess pleads, reaching out to him. “You have to listen to me!” “Don’t touch me!” he hisses. Violently, he pushes her away from him, accidentally knocking her back into the swirling water. Although his first impulse is to rescue her, he ultimately decides that “this is how it should be; she’s the one who deserves to be there.” He leaves her to drown, the caring, gentle psychiatrist he once was now overshadowed by the cold, emotionally deadened former mental patient. The internal schism Tess perceives inside Kevin lurks within us all. Often, however, we project the conflict onto an external foe who seems to embody the aspects we want to suppress. The war between Caleb and Rafe reflects this tendency. As Caleb and Rafe square off, their battle is internal, within themselves, as well as external. Each confronts vulnerabilities and suppressed emotions, seeing in the enemy the shadow nemesis of the subconscious. “Thought that would get your attention, Caleb,” Rafe smirks as Caleb descends the warehouse stairs. Having attacked Caleb’s band, roughing up the tiny female singer along with the others, Rafe flaunts his readiness to fight, his dwindling patience and his increasing ferocity. He is becoming progressively more vicious and unscrupulous, exhibiting traits usually ascribed to his longtime foe. “You attack my band,” Caleb says, walking towards him. “You call me out just to get my attention?” “It worked, didn’t it?” Rafe gloats. “You ever think of picking up the phone?” Caleb quips. “Tell me, Caleb, whatever happened to the new Stephen?” Rafe demands. “You know the one that wanted to live free in the world, just feel the thrill of fame, the roar of the crowd, the worship of millions. You know, the whole Stephen Clay Experience. That’s what you said, right? Right? Just live and let live. That’s what you said you wanted.” “I got it,” Caleb replies, “the best of both worlds. You, on the other hand, seem to be having a little problem adjusting.” |
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| Snappies of "Surrender" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |
| “Thanks to you,” Rafe mutters.
“Hey, you can’t be that pissed off that I married Alison’s mother,” Caleb scowls sarcastically. “And you turned her,” Rafe reminds him. “Everybody needs a companion,” Caleb explains, his voice flat, understated, as if he has gone through this discussion with Rafe so many times it has become rehearsed, stale. “This whole thing . . . this whole thing is just part of your master plan to mess with me and Alison,” Rafe accuses. “Ah, yeah, the happy couple,” Caleb mocks. “So what was it anyway? Was it just pre-wedding jitters or did Alison finally figure out she could do so much better?” |
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