And so it begins.  With just five weeks left in SURRENDER all story lines converged and crossed this week as the convoluted pot of vampires and slayers and the people who love them boiled, bubbled and stewed.  The beginning of the end for Caleb, Lucy and Rafe face their destiny, a chance for salvation for Rebecca and Ian, a chance for salvation for Caleb, the peeling back of Tess’s innocence and the re-emergence of Livvie, Jack’s betrayal, guardian angel Casey enlisting the help of Jamal to protect Ricky, the band returning to its roots so to speak, even Joshua coming out of the shadows.  Set ups galore for the final weeks of this arc and bleed through into the next.

Only one problem. Is Michael Easton starting to feel like a one man band?  Hey soaps are not usually a band of equals. In PORT CHARLES’ case however, the small cast is as talented as they come. There are very few weak links. So why does it feel that the energy of the show of late rises and falls on the strength of Caleb. Yes I know, Caleb is still driving pretty much every single plot right now and they all revolve around him. I get it. But it’s rapidly become all too familiar and recycled right down to yet another guardian angel appearing in town. Except for Lucy and Ian who have managed to create their own brand of excitement, the rest overall seems to have lost much of its hip luster. 

The pacing is less frenetic, the action choppy and disjointed at times. The creative lighting, camera angles and atmosphere mostly gone. Obviously you can’t have the non-stop excitement NAKED EYES more or less generated all the time, and it was perfectly logical to follow its wild set ups, hidden plots and mood to their full revelations and resolutions but we need a dose of that excitement here, and fast. 

Where’s the raw emotion, the explosive confrontations, the conflicts that drive the drama. While we’re waiting for whatever showdown might happen, what do we have.

Caleb and his influence.

Again Lucy and Ian being the exception, take away the sensationalized lust and this couple comes across as the most satisfying, mature relationship on PORT CHARLES. With all its obvious dysfunction these two have managed to project a humanity and basic connection to each other that no other couple is capable of achieving at the moment. There’s a huge disconnect with Rafe and Alison that feels unnatural and forced, Jack and Tess have become silly and childish, Casey can’t capitalize on her attraction for Ricky. The only promising development was Joshua and Elizabeth torturing each other and that fizzled faster than you could say bite me. Even Caleb, yes the mighty axis all this is turning on, has lost his fervor and passion for Olivia that was so mesmerizing to watch as it’s been diluted with Tess. We’ve got bits of Rafe and Alison’s messed up relationship and bits of Jack and Tess’s misguided one. Bits of Caleb’s confused obsession and bits of Kevin’s messed up life. Ok. Nice. Not thrilling.

PORT CHARLES may be cornering the soap market on successful supernatural stories laced with humanity but you can’t have all tricks and no substance.  Part of the challenge of watching and successfully accepting the concept is to find that moment where your view of the situation ceases to be unbelievable and the humanity of it all bleeds through.  You know it’s not the real thing but at the same time you believe the drama.  It’s gotten harder and harder of late to sift through the unbelievable to actually get to the exciting drama that we know is there. 

Granted there were several high points and important plot developments this week that did manage to make me want to continue sifting for the gold that is PORT CHARLES and gives me hope that the  balance of the arc (no pun intended) will actually pick up steam. 

Elizabeth’s attempt at curing herself through ah, Rafe’s services, was campy fun. Rebecca Staub and Brian Gaskill are great together. For all her whining about her great love and respect for her daughter, attempting to seduce her son-in-law to be as self medication was perfectly, sinfully selfish.  Impressive to watch Kelly Monaco unleash Livvie at the drop of a music box inadvertently providing the means for a plan to take down Caleb. Rafe and Lucy facing their destiny with resolve yet unsure of what the future might hold for Rafe should Lucy successfully kill Caleb. It’s always entertaining to watch Lynn Herring and Brian Gaskill together, they never fail to deliver.  Reese and Caleb playing with each other were unexpectedly tasty and perfectly in character for the vampires they are.  Hey I even liked Ricky and Casey. 

And then there was Friday, a sweeps worthy episode if ever there was one. For all my musings about the arc’s lack of oomph to this point, Friday turned it on its ear. Excitement and tension returned as every cast member currently on the canvas played their part in what is surely the most pivotal episode of the entire arc since SURRENDER began. 

Reese came this close to turning Ricky as Casey and Jamal play their part in stopping her. Jack’s betrayal of Tess for the greater good sets up not only conflict in their relationship but a justification, a reason for Tess to “save” Caleb. Lucy testing out her fledgling slayer skills as Kevin appears and gets in her way, reminding us Kevin is still very much a factor. Livvie’s appearance as the music played exposed their true desires once more, and revealed the secret to Kevin.  Rafe’s status on earth yet again in question, but true to form always the selfless martyr, against Alison and her more self concerned fears that sending Caleb back to hell will in turn send Rafe back to heaven.  We were even treated to a nifty flashback to boot, of Rafe emerging through the smoke, hair and beard intact, returned to his forever earthly love.  

Can one episode turn the tides, maybe yes, maybe no. But I have to go with yes. With great set ups like these to end the week, providing the means to flesh out those stories that have been so dependant on Caleb, SURRENDER’s countdown to its finale can’t help but deliver the goods we have come to expect and anticipate from PORT CHARLES. 

The characters are finally surrendering and just maybe so are we.