"Tainted Love" Diary 109 (c) Alison Armstrong
An analysis of the "Tainted Love" episodes of the show "Port Charles," formerly of ABC-TV. This site will focus on the scenes featuring the vampire character
Caleb Morley (portrayed by actor Michael Easton). The character of Caleb Morley 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.
Caleb Morley (portrayed by actor Michael Easton). The character of Caleb Morley 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.
"No! Stop it!" Livvie cries, ashamed.
"The things she said to me . . ." he gloats, as Livvie and Jack both shout "Stop!"
"Oh, come on, Olivia," he taunts. "Tell him. Tell him how you cried out my name every time. . . . "
"The things she said to me . . ." he gloats, as Livvie and Jack both shout "Stop!"
"Oh, come on, Olivia," he taunts. "Tell him. Tell him how you cried out my name every time. . . . "
"I said, stop!" Jack yells, gaining strength from his anger. He charges towards Caleb and throws him off the roof.
"To hell with you, Caleb!" he curses.
As Jack and Livvie hastily embrace and head towards the exit, Caleb returns in a cloud of red smoke, his eyes
blazing. "Going somewhere?" he bellows, his voice resounding. "I don't think so. You can't kill me. You're not
smart enough, you're not strong enough, and most importantly, you ain't man enough," he roars, hurling Jack onto
the ground.
This time, it's Livvie who gains strength from her anger. She confronts Caleb with a mixture of fury, sadness,
and fear. "You won't hurt the man I love ever again, Caleb," she hisses. "What more do you want from me?" she
asks defiantly. "I told you I'd go away with you. Please just leave everyone else alone, and that includes Jack.
My life for theirs, Caleb."
"No, no, I'm not letting you make that deal," Jack gasps in agony from his injuries. "I'll die first."
"Oh, this is very moving, very touching," Caleb replies in a sarcastic voice. "But, you see, Olivia will do whatever
I tell her to do. We're still in that honeymoon phase."
As Jack urges Livvie to flee and Livvie refuses to leave Jack, Caleb's tone becomes more serious and menacing.
"Jack, I should have crushed you a long time ago," he growls. "I know now it's the only way to force you from
Olivia's heart."
"Nothing can destroy what we feel for each other," Jack exclaims.
"There's where you're wrong," Caleb snarls, grabbing Jack's throat. "Don't you know it's a sin to come between a
man and his wife? It's one lesson you're going to take to your grave, Jack."
Caleb's murderous assault on Jack, in front of his beloved Olivia, seems to defy one of the few vampire rules
established in "Tainted Love." As pointed out earlier in this story line, a vampire cannot kill in the presence of
love. Yet now apparently, Caleb is no longer constrained by this rule, a discrepancy never acknowledged or
explained.
"God, you're killing him, Caleb!" Livvie shrieks, rushing towards Caleb.
"That would be the general idea," Caleb says, pushing her aside. "Look at your big, strong lover boy now. So
weak, so mortal. He infected you with poison about me, but that ends tonight. Tonight I purge you of Jack once
and for all." Caleb spits out the words "poison" and "purge" as if he were a priest performing an exorcism,
echoing the vow he made as "Father Michael" to purge Livvie of Caleb's evil.
"Oh, the show is just beginning," he proclaims theatrically, "and you have a ringside seat. Tonight I flay a man
from top to bottom, rip Jack limb from limb."
However, before Caleb can stage Jack' gruesome execution, Eve suddenly appears on the roof top.
"No!" she screams. "Michael won't let you hurt anyone ever again."
Looking at Eve with haunted, furtive expression on his face, Caleb tenses for another battle with his nemesis and
guardian, his inner opponent, "Father Michael."
"To hell with you, Caleb!" he curses.
As Jack and Livvie hastily embrace and head towards the exit, Caleb returns in a cloud of red smoke, his eyes
blazing. "Going somewhere?" he bellows, his voice resounding. "I don't think so. You can't kill me. You're not
smart enough, you're not strong enough, and most importantly, you ain't man enough," he roars, hurling Jack onto
the ground.
This time, it's Livvie who gains strength from her anger. She confronts Caleb with a mixture of fury, sadness,
and fear. "You won't hurt the man I love ever again, Caleb," she hisses. "What more do you want from me?" she
asks defiantly. "I told you I'd go away with you. Please just leave everyone else alone, and that includes Jack.
My life for theirs, Caleb."
"No, no, I'm not letting you make that deal," Jack gasps in agony from his injuries. "I'll die first."
"Oh, this is very moving, very touching," Caleb replies in a sarcastic voice. "But, you see, Olivia will do whatever
I tell her to do. We're still in that honeymoon phase."
As Jack urges Livvie to flee and Livvie refuses to leave Jack, Caleb's tone becomes more serious and menacing.
"Jack, I should have crushed you a long time ago," he growls. "I know now it's the only way to force you from
Olivia's heart."
"Nothing can destroy what we feel for each other," Jack exclaims.
"There's where you're wrong," Caleb snarls, grabbing Jack's throat. "Don't you know it's a sin to come between a
man and his wife? It's one lesson you're going to take to your grave, Jack."
Caleb's murderous assault on Jack, in front of his beloved Olivia, seems to defy one of the few vampire rules
established in "Tainted Love." As pointed out earlier in this story line, a vampire cannot kill in the presence of
love. Yet now apparently, Caleb is no longer constrained by this rule, a discrepancy never acknowledged or
explained.
"God, you're killing him, Caleb!" Livvie shrieks, rushing towards Caleb.
"That would be the general idea," Caleb says, pushing her aside. "Look at your big, strong lover boy now. So
weak, so mortal. He infected you with poison about me, but that ends tonight. Tonight I purge you of Jack once
and for all." Caleb spits out the words "poison" and "purge" as if he were a priest performing an exorcism,
echoing the vow he made as "Father Michael" to purge Livvie of Caleb's evil.
"Oh, the show is just beginning," he proclaims theatrically, "and you have a ringside seat. Tonight I flay a man
from top to bottom, rip Jack limb from limb."
However, before Caleb can stage Jack' gruesome execution, Eve suddenly appears on the roof top.
"No!" she screams. "Michael won't let you hurt anyone ever again."
Looking at Eve with haunted, furtive expression on his face, Caleb tenses for another battle with his nemesis and
guardian, his inner opponent, "Father Michael."
Snappies of "Tainted Love"
scenes taken by A. Armstrong
scenes taken by A. Armstrong
*******************************************************************************************
As "Tainted Love" accelerates to an exhilarating conclusion, Caleb is possessed and consumed by his
electric-charged intensity. He is the storm that seethes and roars like a vengeful, ravenous god. Channeling
forces feared and revered since primordial times, Caleb commands the powers of nature to intimidate and
destroy. Ultimately, as in classic horror films, he is killed by his own creation, and his own magic is used
against him.
In his last stand on the rooftop of Port Charles' General Hospital, Caleb confronts the violent reverberations of
his enemies' rage. Their voices buzz around him in dissonant turmoil as he is besieged on all sides by their
frenzied, frightened, hate-filled shouts. Amidst all the confusion three voices compete for his attention; three
women--Livvie, Gabby, and Eve's struggle to control his heart and soul. These three women represent three
aspects of his being, three conflicting impulses.
As "Tainted Love" accelerates to an exhilarating conclusion, Caleb is possessed and consumed by his
electric-charged intensity. He is the storm that seethes and roars like a vengeful, ravenous god. Channeling
forces feared and revered since primordial times, Caleb commands the powers of nature to intimidate and
destroy. Ultimately, as in classic horror films, he is killed by his own creation, and his own magic is used
against him.
In his last stand on the rooftop of Port Charles' General Hospital, Caleb confronts the violent reverberations of
his enemies' rage. Their voices buzz around him in dissonant turmoil as he is besieged on all sides by their
frenzied, frightened, hate-filled shouts. Amidst all the confusion three voices compete for his attention; three
women--Livvie, Gabby, and Eve's struggle to control his heart and soul. These three women represent three
aspects of his being, three conflicting impulses.