| "Tainted Love" Diary 2 (c) Alison Armstrong |
Perhaps he, like Michael, seeks other dimensions of experience which some may call religious and others may term shamanistic. Later in Episode 2, as Michael enters the church, we see the damage wrought by Caleb. Heartbroken, his voice choked with sobs, Michael calls out in anguish, "Why, Caleb? Why?" The self-defeating cycle of each "brother," each aspect, sabotaging the other vividly demonstrates the mechanism of self-hate. In Episode 3 Michael tells Ian and Eve, witnesses to the aftermath of destruction, that his very "troubled" brother is to blame, thereby denying the shadow side of his psyche, locking it deep down in the basement of his subconscious. |
| ******************************************************** Episode 4 is unified around the theme of brothers and family. It draws parallels between Chris/Jack and Father Michael/Caleb. For example, in one scene Chris, looking for his brother Jack (not knowing that he had been "killed" in the motorcycle accident and buried by Jamal, Alison, and Livvie) confronts Jamal at the bike shop and asks where Jack is. Jamal makes the point that Chris never seemed to care about his brother Jack and now is trying to show brotherly concern. The next scene shows Father Michael in the church, after it was desecrated by Caleb, explaining to Eve and Ian that his brother Caleb somehow had escaped from the basement and caused this destruction. He relates to them for the first time that Caleb is his twin brother and describes how Caleb's violent aggressiveness makes him dangerous. He tells them that one of the main reasons he became a priest was to balance out Caleb's evil by doing good in the world. He also affirms his deep love for his "brother" and his need to protect him, saying that he will always be there for him. Later, after Eve and Ian leave, Michael, alone in the church, prays for forgiveness but also vows that he will not let anyone know Caleb's secret. This scene conveys a sense of eerie spiritual foreboding, with its overhead shots, as if the camera is some vengeful presence looking down on Michael in the church, a sinister sense of Michael's other side, scornful and untamable. Here we have the balance theme, as was presented later in Port Charles, with Rafe suppposedly balancing out Caleb's darkness. However, here the balance is within Caleb's personality, taking the aspect of Father Michael, and the struggle is within--a much more effective way, in my opinion, of presenting the duality of consciousness than by having external forces (angels and demons) warring, like cartoon figures, over someone's soul. It is hinted here that Michael has always coexisted within Caleb, an immortal presence also, a vampire denying his vampire nature and trying to be human again. However, as we know, eventually Caleb's vampire nature is stronger than any residual Michael emotions that would tie him to the human world. Caleb's vampire energy is what keeps him alive, vital, creative. As I rewatch these scenes, I see what may be an instance of plot inconsistency--since Caleb is a vampire he couldn't really be locked down in the basement; he could, after all, disappear and then reappear outside of the basement. However, it seems that only later in Tainted Love does Caleb seem to possess the ability to appear and reappear. Perhaps, though, this is not just a plot inconsistency but a way of conveying a psychological truth--Caleb can't make full use of his powers when Michael is around; Michael shackles him, stifles him, thwarts him so that he cannot do what he has the ability to do as a vampire. It is only when he is free of Michael's influence that he can take full advantage of his vampire magic. |
| Snappies of "Tainted Love" scenes taken by A. Armstrong. |
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| 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. |