| "Tainted Love" Diary 66 (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. |
| Watching Livvie enter the room, Caleb is enchanted; she is the perfect realization of his fantasy. "Olivia," he says, "there isn't a woman in all the world with even half your beauty, half your soul, beyond my wildest dreams. You sure you're ready?" "If you'll have me," Livvie answers shyly. |
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| "There's just one more thing you need to know before we can start," he explains, looking intently into her eyes. "For you to be my wife, for us to live together through the ages, bound as one in an everlasting covenant, you must become as I am." "As you are," Livvie repeats dreamily. |
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| "For that to happen, you must leave your world and enter mine. It's time for you to come to me, Olivia." He softly touches her face. "It's time for you to cross over to the other side." "The other side," she echoes, like a chorus in an ancient, transfiguring ritual. "Look at me," he commands gently. "Look into my eyes. Are you sure you understand what I'm saying?" "Understand? Of course, my love," Livvie assures him, holding his hands on her shoulder. "You're telling me I must die. I'll do whatever I have to do to be with you, Caleb. I trust you." |
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| "No harm will ever come to you, Olivia, or the child I've chosen to be ours," he vows. "A child?" Livvie smiles. |
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| As they get ready to pledge their lives together for eternity, the background music, a variation on one of the themes associated with Caleb and Livvie's romance, emphasizes the mood of solemn, stately eroticism. Like a sarabande, it pulsates with the ominous sensuality of a fatal dance, the seduction of danger and death. "Dying is a . . . a word used by people who don't understand the possibilities," Caleb says, smiling with the sad wisdom of a prophet. "To sad and ordinary souls, it's the end. But to the extraordinary, it's just the beginning. A second birth. With one last breath we're born again into a new and vibrant way of life filled with power and knowledge, with all senses working at the highest level. . . .You'll see inside the deepest places of the human heart and mind, and you'll hear the music of the stars playing softly in your ears." |
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| "The stars," she repeats, in rapture, as he strokes her hair. "Our minds will merge at will, and we'll whisper in way that humans can never imagine," he promises her. "But to walk by my side, Olivia, you must say good bye to this mortal life. You must surrender to a peaceful sleep. But when your blood mixes with mine, you'll wake up in a world where anything is possible. And we'll be soul mates, you and I, forever." "Soul mates," she repeats. "And the child I've chosen to be with us will join us soon. A beautiful, infant soul reborn into our family." "Our child," she smiles. "There can be no doubts, Olivia. You must come with an open heart. Crave this life. I can't be with you if you don't embrace it and me with your own free will. You must make your choice now. Do you want to be one with me? If you do, say it aloud from the depth of your soul. Is it your wish to spend all of eternity with me?" "Yes. Yes, Caleb," she murmurs," With all of my heart, I am yours, my love. No matter what." They look into each other's eyes as he caresses her face. Although it could be argued that Caleb manipulated her to some degree by arranging the "visit" from her mother and devising his elaborate scheme of seduction from the first time he saw her, it is nevertheless true that Caleb does fulfill Livvie's needs, offering her the magic, excitement, and passion Jack never could provide. With Jack, Livvie would never experience the heights and depths; she would remain in some ways a lost, naive child seeking numbing security. Caleb offers her so much more. Like a mystic and shaman, he sees beyond ordinary reality, transcending human limitations. He is a godlike being, but unlike the ethereal, asexual gods of most religions, he is sensual, savoring the pleasures of earthly existence. Like a pagan deity, he lives in the world but is not tied to its laws; nor is he tied to human laws. Therefore, in the eyes of the human world, he is dangerous, a threat to their moral constructs. Offering rebirth and eternity in this world instead of some otherworldly paradise, he is also a threat to their spiritual beliefs. For these reasons, the humans of Port Charles, like humans throughout the world, feel driven to destroy what they cannot accept or understand. |
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| Snappies of "Tainted Love" scenes taken by A. Armstrong |