These past few weeks have shown Ethan becoming increasingly more arrogant, demanding and controling. He has even gone so far as to 'Forbid' Sheridan to look into her past and to have Luis helping her in her search. Many of the posters on this board have wondered about his Jeckell and Hyde behavior and are commenting about it. Blaming poor writing on his change in attitude and behavior and comparing this Ethan to the post Imposter / post Paris Sheridan, who was quite Shrewish. Unfortunately, many of us are missing the point, Ethan isn't just over reacting, over compensating because of the pressures being placed on him. From the emotional wreck that is his life. No. it isn't just this, it is because Ethan is showing his true colors and being a CRANE.
During the first month of Passions, they had a segment called "Previously on Passions". During the first week of the show, when they refered to Luis and Ethan's encounter on the beach. They said; "Enemies meet for the first time." I do not think that this was accidental or a mistake, but an statement about the true nature of Luis and Ethan's relationship. How they would be enemies in the overall storyline of the show. JER has mentioned in interviews about how it has taken a year to firmly establish the social dymanics of Harmony and to show how interwoven the families of Harmony really are. How we are coming to the point where the stories and conflicts can really begin to take off. I believe that this is what we are seeing happen with Ethan. Ethan is begining to act like the Crane that he is, the Crane that he was raised to be.

A couple of posters have brought up how Ethan is not used to being told "NO". How, all of his life he was taught that, outside of his family, his word is essentially Law. That the wealth, power and influence of the Crane family made it such. How, because of his name, he was basicly above the Law. This is what we saw the first time Luis and Ethan met.

Luis was driving down the beach, on patrol, saw a fire on the beach. When he investigated, he found a couple wearing nothing but beach blankets and smiles, making out by the fire. When Luis told them to break it up, they at first ignored him, then the man told him to back off and leave them alone. When Luis pressed the issue, the man got up and told Luis to leave them alone, that Luis couldn't do anything to them, because he was Ethan Crane. To which Luis responded, 'your under arrest'. It took Sam telling Luis to forget about it, ordering him to drop it, to get Luis to backdown. However, the precidence was set, the emnity was established. Ethan when pushed or confronted would fall back onto his name and his Family's influence to protect himself and to get his way.

I'll skip the time Ethan came to the house to tell Pilar something and found out that Luis was Pilar's son and the time Luis heard Ivy using Julian and Suzanne for target practice. These two scenes only restated the emnity between them. It was after Sheridan was arrested that we got to see Ethan in 'Crane mode' next. When Ethan arrived at the station to help Sheridan he demanded her immediate release, tried to imtimidate Luis and Sam and called the Mayor to get Sheridan released. Ethan went on to describe Sheridan as one of Harmony's most upstanding citizens, ignoring the fact that Sheridan hadn't lived in Harmony for over ten years and expected an exception to be made because she was a Crane. The next morning Ethan was the same way when he picked up Sheridan, he commented that there were two standards, two set of rules, one for the Cranes and one for everyone else and he expected them to be observed.

It was at Pilar's Birthday Party where we first see Ethan try to fight Luis, this was when he learned that Luis had kissed Sheridan. Just imagine his response if he had seen Luis try to ID her by touch. It was the next day that we got to see the Crane in him, yet again. Prior to her court date, Ethan and Sheridan discuessed their defense and how Ethan wanted to accuse Luis of Sexually Harrassing her. Sheridan forbade this tactic, as had Julian, but it didn't prevent Ethan from bringing up the Kiss and the Tango in order to discredit Luis' testimony. After court, when Ethan returned home, he learned that Julian had called the Mayor and complained that Luis was sexually harrassing Sheridan. Ethan's indignation at Julian using Sheridan's name without her permission wasn't enough to tell Sheridan about it. Nor did Ethan care enough to put together the pieces and realize that Luis had known about the complaint, before he testified in court that morning. That Luis' antagonism towards Sheridan, during his testimony, was a response to an attack that the Cranes had launched against him, against his character.

During the months that followed, there were very few clashs between Luis and Ethan or Ethan and Sam. Few reasons for conflict exsisted between them. There were the times that Ethan covered for Theresa, at the Ballet, at Pilar's house, or when Ethan distracted Luis so that Sheridan could talk to Pilar in private. Even Sheridan's kidnapping by the Faux Martin and his death didn't cause any real problems between them. There was no real reason for Ethan to act in Crane mode during this time. Ethan did flex his Crane muscles from time to time. At the Jewelery store, when he bought the engagment ring. At the Jazz Club, when he inquired about renting out the place for an evening. The only time Ethan CRANE really appeared was when Sheridan had overheard the Faux Luis talking about how he was just using Sheridan to get to her family. It was then, that Ethan Crane reappeared, he told Sheridan that he was going to get Luis kicked off of the police force, that someone like that should not be in such a position of trust and authority. Sheridan told Ethan not to, but I do not think that Ethan has forgotten about this.

This brings us to the Prom. At the Prom, Ethan's life crashed into Theresa's declaration of her love for him. Finally, Ethan was forced to face the fact that Theresa did not think of him as a friend and that He might return that love. It was no more Chad telling him that he had feelings for Theresa, that he didn't really love Gwen. It was Theresa telling him that she loved him and asking if he loved her too. Then disaster struck, Gwen had arrived and she wanted the truth too. Was there something going on between him and Theresa, did Theresa say that she loved him. If this wasn't bad enough, then the storm sank the Prom boat, leaving Ethan, Gwen and Theresa treading water until help arrived. Once they reached shore, Ethan learned that Julian had left as soon as he got to safety and that Ivy was unaccounted for. When he and Luis found Ivy and Sam, Ivy was delirous from exposure and her injuries. Seeing his mother like this brought out the Crane in him full force. Ethan wanted someone, something to blame for his mother's state and Sam was the closest, easiest target.

However, this was not the first appearance of Ethan Crane that night. Ethan approached Sam during the Prom, wanting to discuess Sheridan's protection and increasing the number of people on her detail. Sam refused to discuess it with him for two reasons. First, because Sheridan's case was now an FBI matter, not Harmony PD, it was out of Sam's hands. Second, because the Harmony PD didn't have the manpower to protect Sheridan full time, without weakening it's ability to protect the town, to enforce the laws properly. However, Sam rightfully pointed out, the Cranes did have the money to hire around the clock security for Sheridan without any difficulty. This angered Ethan, he felt that Sam wasn't taking the threat to Sheridan seriously because she was a Crane. Then, when the Storm hit, Ethan felt that someone had failed to properly check the weather conditions, making sure that it was safe to sail that night. That someone is Sam.

When the Cranes returned home to the Mansion, they found Julian safe and sound but, Alistair was not pleased with his conduct. Eventhough Julian was no responsible, Alistair blamed him and disinherited him. Julian, in turn Blamed Ivy for his downfall. Ethan, aghast at his father being disinherited, blamed Sam in part for the events that led to Julian's downfall, making him even more determined to punish Sam Bennett for his mishandling of the Harmony PD, for not protecting the Crane's interests the way Ethan thinks he should. To Ethan, if Sam had done his job properly, Julian would not have been disinherited, Ivy would not have been hurt and the Prom boat would have never sunk.

Then we have the lastest attempt on Sheridan's life. Eventhough Sheridan openly admits that she was the one who decided to go to the docks, despite Luis' instructions not to. That it was her fault, that the Hitman was able to take the shot which wounded Hank Bennett, that she left the safety of the Police protection at the scene of the shooting, going to the warehouse where she and Luis confronted the Hitman and Sheridan ended up killing him to save Luis and herself. Ethan does not care what Sheridan is responsible for and what she openly claims responsiblity for. If Luis had been doing his job, Sheridan would have never been in Danger, Hank would have never been shot, Sheridan would have never had needed to take another man's life and her nightmares would have never returned. Luis went from being competant, capable security to an incompetant fool that needed to be replaced.

Ethan further blames Sam Bennett, because Sam has supported Luis over the Cranes in the past. Ethan may or may not know how Julian tried to force Sam into firing Luis because of what happened Halloween night. I doubt that he really cares either way. To Ethan, Luis' anger towards the Cranes is completely unjustified and should not be tolerated. It is inconcievable to Ethan that his family may have hurt Pilar, that they may be responsible for Martin's disappearance, that Luis' anger may be justified. This is because Ethan was brought up being taught how the Cranes were the great benefactors of Harmony. That without the Cranes, Harmony would cease to exist and it's people would be plunged into poverty and dispaire.

While things have calmed down with Ethan, between him and Sam. It is only because he is too busy with his feelings for Theresa and attempts to call of the wedding, to pursue these matters. However, make no mistake about it, Ethan will pursue his vendetta against Sam at some point further down the road. The scene in the garden only points to this happening. One possibilty concerning the revelation about Ethan being Sam's son is that Alistair knows the truth and will portray Sam as a man who abandoned Ivy after knocking her up or took advantage of her in a highly emotional state the night of her wedding. That the Cranes accepted Ethan as one of their own and raised him to be a better man than his biological father. Ivy could go along with this, if it meant that Ethan would retain his position as the heir apparent of the Crane Empire. Ethan would be sold on this concept, it would be easier to believe then the truth, That Ivy denied Sam the opportunity to be a father to his son. This would drive Ethan to hate Sam even more, to make him want to destroy Sam completely.

Even now, with Ethan wanting to call off the Wedding, he is in Crane mode. Ethan, while worrying about Gwen's feelings, hasn't really considered the effects of his actions on others. Ethan refuses to comtemplate what his family is going to do to Theresa, to Pilar, to her Family once the truth comes out. He somehow believes that he can either protect Theresa, or that his family won't do anything to her. That they will only vent their outrage upon him and that the consequences he will face won't be that drastic. Ethan is acting with a high degree of arrogance, overconfidence and a attitude of superiority to those involved. In short, just like Alistair, just like Julian, Just like a Crane. Otherwise, he would have seriously considered what Pilar had to say at the hospital and at her home.

What do you think?