'Eli Stone': See? Told You.

April 13, 09:27 PM

Eli Stone is determined to have his aneurysm removed, and he's getting his affairs in order. This week's vision: as he's leaving his neurosurgeon, Eli gets into a cab heading to the office, and suddenly he's in the back of a station wagon driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. As the driver wraps up a cell phone call with someone he affectionately calls "Macaroni," an earthquake hits -- during rush hour, in exactly three days (never mind that the Golden Gate is awfully uncrowded for 5:13 p.m.).

Instead of the office, Eli heads to see Dr. Chen. "As if one fake hallucination wasn't enough, now I'm getting one directed by Michael Bay," he tells Chen, who's fantastic at not letting Eli succumb to his despair.

Meanwhile, the firm politics continue, and Marcy Klein (Katey Sagal) is lobbying the partners for Jordan's ouster. But this is Victor Garber -- Jack Bristow, for heaven's sake -- and he's not scared that easily. And while Eli's talking to Patti and then Maggie, whose fiance, Scott, is moving to San Francisco on Thursday, Chen calls. There's a scientists on TV, protesting on the steps of city hall, warning that there's an earthquake coming.

Chen and Eli go to see the scientist, Dr. Foote, who's earthquake proofing his house and essentially has turned his entire house into an earthquake detector. No one believes him, his previous predictions of disaster haven't come true, and his wife has taken their family and moved away. He predicts that the epicenter of this one will be at Silver Terrace -- a 6.5 at least. And of course, if this is true, Eli's vision of the future is validated.

Eli's plan: go to court with Dr. Foote, and petition the city to close down the Golden Gate Bridge for a few hours on Thursday. "If I dismiss this case I'll have to start a three-month trial on accounting practices," the judge says. "I'll do just about anything to avoid that for a day or two."

Taylor's on Marcy Watch, trying to keep her father from facing sure calamity with the partners. They're in from New York and Chicago, checking up on Jordan's management. "Are you live blogging the office now?" he asks her. And Marcy's got Eli firmly in her sights. He asks Maggie to be second chair on the earthquake case, but she can't -- she's working as second chair to Marcy, who's now the opposing counsel. Oh, and Eli sees a photo of Scott -- and realizes it's the guy in the station wagon in his vision.

In court, with Dr. Foote on the stand, Marcy moves that the case be dismissed; scientific testimony is inadmissible unless generally accepted by the scientific community. No one believes this guy, and his wife left him on the date of the quake he predicted in 2005.

Taylor begs Eli to drop the case, warning him that Marcy's on the warpath to use Eli's behavior and methods of practice against her father. Eli goes to Jordan and offers to recuse himself and find alternate counsel for Dr. Foote. The rapport between Eli and Jordan, while far from the father-son kind of warmth that they once knew, makes clear that a deep bond still runs between the two of them -- maybe not of affection, as it once was, but certainly respect. Eli owes Jordan everything, and he knows it; and not just because Taylor used it as leverage to get Eli to drop the case. But Jordan won't let Eli quit. Every case he's taken has been with Jordan's approval. "My lawyers finish their cases," he says.

Eli warns Maggie that Marcy has chosen her as second chair to gain information about him -- not because, as Maggie assumes, she's spunky and a hard worker. Oy. In court, he puts Dr. Foote's estranged wife on the stand. She disputes the notion that she left Dr. Foote because she thought he was crazy, nothing that the real reason was his obsession with work to the exclusion of her and his family.

That night, Marcy shows Maggie her true colors, as Eli predicted, by pursuing information on the cases they worked on together -- how Eli acted, what motivated him, what he said. And the next day, Marcy puts Maggie on the stand as a hostile witness. Eli was focusing on representing individuals rather than corporations, Maggie said. And he was motivated in the Solinsky case to get the residents of Silver Terrace out so they wouldn't be hurt in the earthquake he saw in his vision of the future.

On cross-examination, Eli asks Maggie what she said to him when he told her about the vision. "That I believed you," she says, eyes filled with tears. Oh, crap. I almost like Eli and Maggie together now. They're terrific in this scene, and the emotion feels real. Does that mean I need to relinquish my position on Team Taylor?

The judge denies Eli's request. But the mayor believes him -- a senior aide calls Eli and Dr. Foote in, and says that the mayor has agreed to shut down the bridge. And Eli warns Maggie to tell Scott to stay off the Golden Gate Bridge when he gets into town.

Separately, Eli's got other things to worry about. He asks Matt Dowd to handle his living will, because he needs it to be iron-clad, drafted without sympathy or sentiment. "We're going to put your utter lack of humanity to use," Eli tells him. To his credit, Dowd has momentary flashes of sympathy for Eli, even standing up for him during his next-to-impossible-to-get dinner with Taylor, who's railing about Eli's pursuit of the case to her father's detriment. And he doesn't betray his attorney-client privilege, no matter how much he wants to score.

Later, Eli gathers Taylor, Patti, and Dowd into his office and explains to Taylor and Patti that he needs them to witness the signing of his living will. He doesn't want to be Terri Schiavo'ed. "You want us to witness you signing your suicide note?" Taylor asks incredulously. It's "about how and under what circumstances I don't want to live," Eli tells her. It's another moment that really showcases one of the things I like so much about this show -- the strength of the relationships between the people. They're not always close, but the bonds are apparent, and it feels real.

Back to Jordan's fate. Marcy has gathered the partners together for a vote on his ouster, arguing that by allowing Eli to pursue the cases he has, he's damaged the reputation of the firm. Jordan speaks up, defending Eli and saying that Marcy's problem isn't that he's eccentric; it's that he's working with individuals and not conglomerates. Every firm -- every company -- needs someone like Eli, he says. His speech wanders straight into Aaron Sorkin territory, but in the hands of Victor Garber, it comes off credible and emotional, without being too cynically manipulative. I've said before and I'm repeating again that I'm a sucker for Garber, and maybe that explains my reaction to the scene. Maybe it won't hold up on second viewing. But right now, I buy it.

By this point, it's about an hour before the earthquake's about to strike, and Eli stands on a table in the firm lobby to tell his co-workers to bug out to Golden Gate Park, a safer location during an earthquake than a 22-story glass building. Take my word on faith, he urges them, then asks, Jerry Maguire style, who's with me? No one answers, but people do start scattering. Have you ever hoped for a disaster more than you did during this scene?

It's no surprise when the partners vote to remove Jordan as managing partner of the firm -- and he takes it incredibly gracefully. "I can live with the partners' decision," he says. "I hope they can." And with that, there's a giant rumble, followed by smashing glass and falling beams as a 6.8 earthquake hits. "I'd like a re-vote," Jordan says on his way out of the room.

At Golden Gate Park, Eli, Patti, Maggie, Scott, Nate, and others watch as the bridge crumbles in the middle, in an effect worthy of Jerry Bruckheimer -- minus the stuff blowing up.

What did you think? Did all the ends get tied up a little too neatly? Do you buy Eli as a legit prophet? Are you really worried that the title character will meet disaster next week?

in ABC , Eli Stone

Permalink

Comments (42)

TrackBack (0)

Comments

Anyone know if Eli has been picke dup for 08_09? This is a GR8 show!

LOOOVEit | Apr 13, 2008 9:29:20 PM | #

As of this writing the show has not been picked up - I'm not holding my breath on it being back next year either. To be honest, I don't see a spot in the lineup for this show in the fall. It possibly could come back as a mid-season show, but I doubt ABC would pick it up that way - I'm assuming that this is not a cheap show to produce.

Rishi | Apr 13, 2008 10:12:19 PM | #

I loved this episode. But then I love the series, so I guess some would consider me biased on that account. It's funny - I started out as "no way" with an Eli/Maggie pairing, but I like Maggie so much better now. But Scott looks really cute... And I liked the idea of Eli and Taylor getting back together, but watching the whole Taylor/Dowd thing play out is fun. So, hopefully time will tell who Eli ends up with!

My hope is that they get some decent ratings on tonight's show (in its post-Desperate Housewives position) and that the ratings for the finale are also decent. If the ratings for the Sunday night and Thursday shows are decent, that gives a little more ammunition for it being picked up for next year. Come on ratings!

Melody | Apr 13, 2008 10:49:30 PM | #

Just finished the episode here in Cali... and I have to say, this was the BEST episode of the season, hands down.

Lisa, I'm with you, Victor Garber is AWESOME in every scene he's in, tonight was no different. His "believe in Eli" speech could have sounded corny or preachy in a less capable actor's hands, but he pulled it off gracefully and eloquently.

Favorite line of the night was when Eli told Maggie to tell Scott to stay off the Golden Gate, and to convince her he told her about the Macaroni nickname - "I must've told you before, it used to be Magaroni and Cheese, then Magaroni, and then just Macaroni," says our favorite doe-eyed blabbermouth. Eli, short and sweet says, "Trust me, you didn't... I would have remembered being that bored."
HA! It's awesome writing like that which is just one of the reasons I dig this show.

I kept thinking through the whole episode that if the big one didn't happen, it would be a severe let down to the story and the fans. Thankfully (for the fans, not so much for San Francisco) it did, and the effects weren't cheesy, either.

Hopefully more people start to believe Eli now, and we can see him embrace his role as a prophet. Imagine the kinds of cases he'll draw in given his accurate prediction? The show has set up future plots and relationships beautifully, especially concerning Eli/Maggie and Taylor/Dowd.

One last note, people have noted that the show loves a well placed "in-joke" or "wink" and tonight was no exception. John Billingsly character tonight was named Dr. Foote. He played Egan Foote in another ABC series, "The Nine." Hopefully Eli Stone gets more traction than that show. It deserves it.

Mike | Apr 13, 2008 11:35:39 PM | #

Agree with you all. And Victor Garber is my god. I'm hoping for a Donald Sutherland vs. Victor Garber showdown at the Emmy!

Please let Eli live!

Sammy | Apr 14, 2008 12:26:19 AM | #

I loved this episode! I think Eli Stone is extremely well written. You can see the characters develop and grow, rather than being 2 dimensional every week. Even Dowd showed more depth, by maintaining atty-client privilege rather than trying to impress Taylor so he could sleep with her. I REALLY hope they renew this show for the next season. It's a breath of fresh air!!! P.S. I loved the earthquake at the end. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I could see the bridge collapsing like that.

Jeannie | Apr 14, 2008 12:39:27 AM | #

don't be surprised if ABC gives this show a chance next season - they have a great relationship with its producer and abc has been known to give shows a second season if they think creatively it may work. men in trees wasn't a break out hit, but it got a second season. i for one am holding my breath in the hopes that abc is smart enough to keep this gem. and to be honest, i liked it on sunday night.

michael | Apr 14, 2008 4:19:00 AM | #

me too!

gretchen | Apr 14, 2008 5:28:22 AM | #

Love this show!!!
Pick it up!!!
Please!

Catherine Douglas | Apr 14, 2008 6:37:19 AM | #

please pick up this show! It is GREAT!

ron | Apr 14, 2008 8:21:57 AM | #

Oh man, great episode! I am holding my breath too! Boy, the Best Drama and Best Actor fields at the Emmys are gonna be crowded this year :)

SansMerci1013 | Apr 14, 2008 8:23:01 AM | #

love this show, it better be renewed. I gave ABC slack for not renewing Traveler last year, i will be more angry if Eli Stone is not picked up.

gerry | Apr 14, 2008 8:34:03 AM | #

For all the protracted "set-up," the arrival of the earthquake still felt a little too deus ex machina to me.

The previous episode's visions to the contrary, I'm still a charter member of Team Taylor.

Dean Speir | Apr 14, 2008 8:41:46 AM | #

I love Eli Stone. I hope ABC picks up this show for a second season.

I do love that Victor Garber is as good here as he was as Jack Bristow.

Ritchie | Apr 14, 2008 8:48:33 AM | #

I love this show! Like the Lisa, I was praying for an earthquake, when Eli got up on that table. I actually fast-forwarded to the end of the episode, just to check, then I went back to re-watch the scene. You have to give the writer and the actor credit for making the character of Eli so sympathetic. I swear if there had not been a earthquake, I would have been crushed.

The season finale looks like it is going to be awesome. I hope that the show is back next fall. I am cautiously optimistic, because ABC does have a good relationship with the producers and the show has gotten fairly consistent critical and viewer support. Plus the ratings have not been that, bad, they have not been great but everyone’s ratings are down. As Eli would say, “You got to have faith.”

tvgeek | Apr 14, 2008 9:33:04 AM | #

It was a good episode, although I was disappointed that they didn't really follow up directly on the activist angle. That said, to an extent, they did, by somewhat foreshadowing Eli going off on his own.

This is, provided, that the earthquake was real. I think it was, but it seems there's some debate online today as to whether or not that's the case. I don't believe Eli's been able to have visions where he's not involved, so the vote scene and the window shattering seems to signify that it's real.

I like that they gave dimensions to Dowd this week. That was good. The interplay between Dowd and Taylor was good. Taylor really was expecting one type of Dowd, and categorized it within that context, and was surprised at the end. A Dowd-Taylor relationship still is eh for me though.

Jordan will survive. It wouldn't surprise me if he ends up forming a partnership with Eli. The whole "at my pleasure" thing came off with the right inflection. Garber's good.

Overall, good to see the plus ratings. I think ABC wants this show to succeed, but needed to see something positive from it. I could see this as a midseason move. I'm not sure where it fits in their fall either, although a night of Pushing Daises and Eli Stone wouldn't be that bad.

Tony | Apr 14, 2008 9:33:04 AM | #

I love Eli Stone and hope that ABC does renew it. Then again I love Greg Berlanti shows- Everwood.

There are few shows on TV that actually move me, and Eli Stone is one of them. Every week I am touched by the characters. ABC please renew Eli Stone!

Raquel | Apr 14, 2008 10:37:53 AM | #

As the episode was coming to an end, my brother kept saying, "there will be an earthquake right? They can't not have one... I mean, Eli can't be wrong..." and I fully thought they would make us wait for the next episode, but there is was at the end.
I love this show, though I enjoy the music numbers and the last few episodes have been lacking in those.
I like Dowd and Taylor together. Taylor seems like she may have been a little 'stepford'ish with Eli, which is likely why Patti dislikes her so much, but Dowd keeps her on her toes.
Also, last weeks reveal that Maggie and Eli end up together existed when Maggie's currect fiance was going to die on the bridge, which Eli prevented, so maybe his visions are subject to change...

Mandy | Apr 14, 2008 11:23:49 AM | #

had a moment to watch the episode again, and i'm just amazed at how the show has evolved. honestly, i watch the first episode more because there wasn't much else to my taste. i thought, hey, quirky, interesting enough. male ally mcbeal. but it's been so much more than that. this show's developed a sense to it, an identity to it. There's a "what are we about", and the characters have added depth and development. despite the taylor and eli breakup, you can sense that there's still a lot of love there. dowd took awhile to develop, but in the scene when eli was signing the documents, even though little was said, there was an emotional development. even maggie has developed. granted, more needs to be done there, but she's become a stronger individual.

tony | Apr 14, 2008 11:55:13 AM | #

@ Mike: Billingsly played Egan Foote on The Nine, and this year he played an earthquake victim that had to be saved on an episode of Journeyman.

shell | Apr 14, 2008 11:59:15 AM | #

Love the show, but for continuity sake: You cannot see the Golden Gate Bridge from any place in the park! I hope it gets picked up next season!!!

Mike | Apr 14, 2008 12:10:09 PM | #

Good point, Mike. Completely forgot about that.

On a side note, since Faith was the main topic this season, I wonder if they use a different song as the focal message for next season.

Tony | Apr 14, 2008 12:18:12 PM | #

I think the show is great and it would be a shame to see ABC not pick it up for another season!!!!

dusty | Apr 14, 2008 1:22:24 PM | #

Patti has to be one of the best written character actors on tv right now -she cracks me up with almost every single line of dialogue (and sometimes all she needs is a look without saying anything). As noted, San Franciscans will roll their eyes at the idea you could see the Golden Gate Bridge from anywhere in Golden Gate Park (it looked like it was modeled from the Marin Headlands). Lincoln Park, yes, but not GG. San Franciscans can get pretty nit-picky about that sort of thing. And they've switched from using Pasadena City Hall to SF City Hall for their courthouse establishing shots... although there aren't actually any courtrooms in SF City Hall!
The earthquake fault that Dr. Foote uses is basically the San Andreas, moved up a few miles from where it hits land in Pacifica, to Daly City. The "Silver Terrace" neighborhood that they've referred to in several episodes now is Broadmoor, famous as the "tacky little boxes" from the old folk song.

mark | Apr 14, 2008 2:36:50 PM | #

Tony,

I just hope that it is George Michael. It is funny, though, that many of GM's songs could have been the theme for the episodes - last Thursday we had Chimps - "Monkey"; the "I want your sex"; Jordan as Eli's "Father Figure"; Taylor's certainly "Kissing a Fool" (although I have a HUGE soft spot for Dowd)... I am sure there are others I am not remembering, but I love that they meshed GM with the storyline.

They will keep this show. It is another brilliant production like Pushing Daiseys.

I cheated - I read here first and now have to watch!

Michelle | Apr 14, 2008 2:46:30 PM | #

Eli Stone is the best show on TV.

It is entertaining, but contains good people with good values. This does not happen too often on TV.

It is wonderfully written and acted. It should be continued, without question, next season.

elaine | Apr 14, 2008 2:47:42 PM | #

Eli Stone is the best show on TV.

It is entertaining, but contains good people with good values. This does not happen too often on TV.

It is wonderfully written and acted. It should be continued, without question, next season.

elaine | Apr 14, 2008 2:47:47 PM | #

I do hope this show is picked up for a second full season. It took a while for the characters to gel, but they have now. I care about the characters, and that is important in a series.

I still hate Patti and Maggie, but I hate Maggie a little less than before. I think she would work better if she wasn't a lawyer. She's just too dimwitted and naive.

I am liking "The Dowd" and Taylor, though. Wasn't sure of how I felt at first.

And Victor Garber is an acting god. Give him a phone book to read and he still would make it compelling.

Jean | Apr 14, 2008 3:41:46 PM | #

Loved this episode. As others prayed for the earthquake to hit.

If ABC gives this another season I WILL be watching the show.

EliStoneMan | Apr 14, 2008 5:44:28 PM | #

Great show my favorite new show of the show and now nearing the top of my favorites. Keep it on.

Jimmy | Apr 14, 2008 7:26:46 PM | #

Great show! Hope it's picked up for another season.

Clint | Apr 14, 2008 9:03:50 PM | #

Love this show too! I thought the premise of it was ridiculous but then I just watched the 2nd episode on a whim and thought it was smart and funny. I enjoyed how they used the George Michael songs too. I love the sarcastic humor and I'm not one of the ones who find Patti annoying. I didn't like Maggie at first but she is definitely getting better. I agree with all of you who like the way the relationship between Dowd and Taylor is going. Definitely a surprisingly good show!

Mel | Apr 14, 2008 11:35:13 PM | #

I love Spy-Daddy! He's probably my favorite part of the show.

Leslie | Apr 14, 2008 11:35:18 PM | #

I am Eli Stone's biggest fan. I am so hoping the show gets picked up. I am not ready for the finale. I am a fan of the other big ABC shows like Gray's and Desperate, but I think I would give one of em up for ELI!!! I think the whole cast rocks! The writing takes me back to the well acted and well pulled together cool plots of Ally McBeal once upon a time (a strange comparison, to be sure, but also a great cast, legal back drop, and dry corny humor!!!)

Here's hoping for Eli...and long live re-watching the episodes on ABC.COM

PS Speaking of George Michael..I just bought tickets for his show coming to my town this summer...way to make a comeback on the coattails of ELI!!!

Cathy | Apr 15, 2008 3:46:20 PM | #

Here's hoping for Eli...and long live re-watching the episodes on ABC.COM

PS Speaking of George Michael..I just bought tickets for his show coming to my town this summer...way to make a comeback on the coattails of ELI!!!

Cathy | Apr 15, 2008 3:46:29 PM | #

Finally a show with a PAY OFF! A great pay off!

Teresa | Apr 15, 2008 9:52:53 PM | #

Thank you, Mike. I thought "Foote" and Billingsly had some kind of connection. lol

Enjoyed the ep. Have enjoyed the show. Am not hopeful about seeing it again after the season finale, but we'll see.

meggins | Apr 17, 2008 8:34:30 AM | #

Eli Stone scored higher following Desperate Housewives, with a 6.1 and once again coming in first in its time slot. It will need to keep up the ratings on its final night this Thursday for a chance of reneweal. It is not performing badly, but it is not hitting home runs either. ABC management likes this show (why it is getting a full chance to sell itself by pairing it up with one of ABCs top 10 shows), but it has to pull its own weight after LOST tonight against real competition on CBS in order to get the renewal. A 6.1 or very close to it would probably do it, but no guarantees.

Me personally, I think it is one of the smarter shows on television and would like to see it renewed.

Sam | Apr 17, 2008 1:33:26 PM | #

I could not agree more that this show needs to be picked up. I hope ABC atleast puts it back on the books for atleast another season. The writing, effects and original plot are more than worthy of another season! The time slot is a bit rough, but hopefuly, ABC will address and again try it for another season.

Heather Wallace | Apr 18, 2008 8:17:21 AM | #

Heather Wallace | Apr 18, 2008 8:17:29 AM | #

I love this show!!
We could all use Eli Stone in our lives!!
Please pick this show up for season #2!!

Terri Kennedy | Apr 22, 2008 12:30:54 PM | #

I was hoping to see another season with Eli and Maggie having their romance. Remember Elis vision was maggie holding a baby? There HAS to be a season 2. I love this show.

TS | Apr 22, 2008 3:54:44 PM | #