| "Tainted Love" Diary 5 (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. |
| ******************************************************** Episode 9 begins Caleb's gentle yet unrelenting seduction of Livvie. As the episode opens, we see one of Caleb's victims, Victor's friend Abe, writhing in a hospital bed like a rabid animal, threatening to kill anyone who approaches him and we hear that Zach, another victim, has been killed, his bloodless body tossed into a ravine. Kevin, investigating the cause of Abe's sudden madness, asks Victor what happened and Victor relates the story, similar to that involving Jack, of Abe's disappearance and then markedly altered, violent behavior. He relates that he felt an "unholy presence" in the woods and noticed a thick fog, with "some kind of animal disappearing into the mist. Or something like an animal." Again, as in the scene with Ian and Eve in their car, we hear references to Caleb's animal-like characteristics; unlike later arcs, there are also allusions here to vampires' ability to transform into mist. The beautiful, tender, and poetic love scene with Caleb and Livvie takes place as Livvie, lying near the river, beside Jack's grave, senses a presence. At first perhaps thinking it is Zach and angry at whoever is disturbing her lonely vigil at Jack's grave, she yells "Stay away from me." As before, when she sees Caleb, she asks who he is. But this time, unlike his mute, startled, awe-struck first sighting of Livvie, Caleb is able to be calm and in control of the situation. He is in active seduction mode, a tender, gentle seduction, but seduction nonetheless. Replying to her question "who are you," he says coyly, mysteriously, "I'm your future." Sweetly, patiently, Caleb responds to all of her interrogations, assuring her that he knows her and that inside of herself, in her heart, she knows him too. By the end of their encounter, Caleb has given this sorrowful, frightened, hurt, angry girl a sense of their eternal destiny together, a visceral, heart-bound connection that she at first resists but will gradually realize is her soul's desire. Her desolation and pain at losing Jack has been softened by Caleb's reassurances that he alone "can make that emptiness you feel inside--make it disappear forever." Reaching towards her, gently touching her fingertips, he makes his first physical connection with her and then establishes an emotional one. He is opening her up into her own heart as well as his. He sees into her past, seeing her life-long sadness and lack of belonging, the feeling that "happiness always seems to have eluded [her]. Just out of reach." He senses her greatest fear and sorrow--loneliness, lack of love--and will, throughout their relationship, be able to use this to his own advantage, when necessary, to make her always dependent on him. The answer to all of her pain, he promises her, is to stop trying, stop seeking what is always beyond reach and trust him. "All you have to do now is surrender," he says softly, now standing very close to her, leaning over her, ready to kiss her. "Surrender," he murmurs again, his voice barely audible, as her heart unfolds to his. At this moment, just when you can feel that palpable filament of delicate eroticism between them, the scene is interrupted by the sudden, noisy appearance of Ali and Jamal. Caleb disappears, and Livvie, dazed, still under his mesmerizing spell, wants desperately to find him again. As the scene ends, we see Caleb hiding in the bushes, like an animal, his eyes wild, reinforcing the animal motif that was presented in the beginning of this episode with Abe's rabid madness and the references to unholy beasts in the woods. *********************************************************** Throughout much of Episode 10 Caleb is still lurking in the woods, peering at Livvie while she talks with Ali and Jamal about her mysterious visitor. Towards the end of the episode, however, Caleb returns to his basement, and after frantically searching through boxes, finds the portrait of his first Olivia. Putting his fingers to his lips, he places a gentle kiss upon the portrait of his departed love. "I have so many plans for you, Olivia, for us," he murmurs, but his wistful dreams are interrupted when Michael appears and warns, "No, Caleb. You're staying here with me." "Not this time," Caleb replies defiantly. "You can't stop me this time." |
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| Snappies of "Tainted Love" scenes taken by N. Klein and A. Armstrong |
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