| "Tainted Love" Diary 49 (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. |
| "This has been wonderful," Livvie says after they finish their
sensual yet refined banquet. "But I think I should get back to
reality. To Jack."
Caleb looks at her soulfully, longingly. "Have I made you uncomfortable?" he asks. |
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| "No," Livvie replies. "This place is amazing. You are." As she
touches his face, he closes his eyes, as if moved and almost wounded
by her tenderness. Is he thinking perhaps of his first Olivia, their
innocent love before he revealed himself as a vampire, before she thought of him as a monster, damned and unlovable? |
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| "But you're still not sure," he pauses. "I understand. . . . Your
heart's a precious thing, Olivia. It shouldn't be given away
freely. I want you to take your time. I want you to get to know me the way I know you." |
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| "How long?" Livvie asks him.
"A week," Caleb answers. "But . . . my family and Jack . . . " Livvie worries. |
| Caleb looks down sadly at the repeated mention of Jack. "They need to know they can't control you," he says softly yet firmly. "You need to prove it to them." He gently kisses the palm of her hand. "Prove it to yourself. Just give me one week." As he kisses her hand, he brushes it against the underside of his lips, partaking of her taste. "Let me show you all the possibilities. Olivia, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose." |
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| The episode ends in a jarring contrast, the scene shifting from this luscious reverie of beauty and pleasure to one of violent fury as Jack convulses against the electrified bars of his cage. As in "The Hunger," there is an unsettling juxtaposition of animal rage and aesthetic grace. Like the laboratory monkeys in "The Hunger," Jack is a frenzied imprisoned beast, whereas Caleb, like the graceful, aesthetic vampires in that film, is a beautiful, elegant, godlike being. However, as "The Hunger" and "Port Charles" demonstrate, these apparent contradictions lie at the heart of vampirism. Feral, predatory, and savage, yet also beautiful, aesthetic, and sublime, the vampire partakes of the animal, the human, and the divine, uniting them in one consciousness. |
| Snappies of "Tainted Love" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |