Eli Stone: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
By fred | February 22, 2008
(S01E04) As always on Thursdays, after Lost, comes in Eli Stone. Eli is a pretty nice guy, and a lawyer, who one day finds out that he’s got a brain aneurysm. There’s nothing no ne can do about it, he will have to live with it - and maybe die because of it. As you can imagine, that’s a pretty tough situation to find yourself in. He had it all, a great job in a big firm, he was making lots of money and was just engaged to another good-looking lawyer, who just happens to be his boss’ daughter.
Then enters the brain tumor. And with it, Eli’s life changes completely and he finds himself having to deal with visions he can’t always explain and never control, visions that some not-really-Chinese new friend seem to think of as a sign from God, yes, he thinks Eli is nothing less than a prophet.
And you have to admit, his vision are pretty damn specific. When they don’t give out the name of Eli’s next client to be, they simply use the guy, many copies of him even, in his vision. (Side note : “Get back in the TV!” is some pretty funny line.) So one could argue that he was apparently famous for being the “coma-guy”, but that’s still some pretty weird coincidence. So much that by the end of the episode, Eli is starting to believe that he may be a prophet or something, that indeed his visions have a greater meaning. Something’s happening to him, and it’s not just random visions from some tumor, there’s more to it.
And I’m all willing to let it slide and see him as a new kind of prophet, but I have to say that if some things are actually good & working on this show, others don’t. For starter, poor Eli isn’t really helped in his task. Yes, his boss is a really cool boss, he’s a good guy who doesn’t want to screw everyone over and believes into his employees, and supports them.
But Eli has for associate a girl that is really, really, really, really really stupid. Really. At this point I think Eli should get ride of her and take any law student who freshly graduated, and he’ll have more help. And he’ll have actual help, in fact. I really don’t think that when Eli was asking for a restraining order against one Maggie Dekker, he was just saying that as a joke or anything, he really doesn’t want to see her anywhere near him of his office, he truly doesn’t like her.
And why should he ? All she’s good for is calling their client “coma-guy” !! Jesus, who the Hell hire that girl ? It’s one thing to be new and don’t have any experience, it’s another to be incompetent and useless. Eli said there wasn’t two lawyers but one and a half, and even that’s a compliment for her. And again, not a joke, she should really start to get the message.
Adding on that his assistant. She might be a long time friend, if I got things right, and I get it that she’s supposed to appear cold and careless but actually not be like that behind the mask, but we only see the mask, so that’s how she is as far as we’re concerned. Or as Eli is, cause it doesn’t seem that he seems her anytime else either. And to be all smiling at the news that Eli broke up his engagement, that’s not being a friend. Not to mention how she rubbed it in right on Eli’s (ex-)fiancée’s face. No really, Eli isn’t helped.
I liked his visions and the fact that this time we was fighting it. He knew it wasn’t real, and he tried to ignore it, to fight it. Sure, he eventually ended up “dancing” right on the table in the middle of the office, but at least he fought. The problem was the case. Not the case in itself, wasn’t great but not really bad either, the problem was how it was over in two minutes, and then we had to deal with what really looked and felt like filler more than anything else.
The brother who’s a little drunk, the getting back together with Taylor, none of that really grabbed my attention. Neither did the little chat Eli had with his not really Chinese and not really a doctor of a friend. I’m sensing that the show is still trying to find his tone, his pace, things are still shaping up. Here are a few hints : get ride of Maggie, she’s just too dumb. Get ride of Dr Chen, he’s just useless.
There’s also a problem with the show, and what it wants to be. I mentioned that Eli’s case was over pretty fast, but there was another case going on at the same time, one of his boss, Jordan Wethersby himself. And that case was actually better & more interesting that Eli’s. There’s only one problem, I think : this show isn’t really supposed to be just another legal procedural, is it ?
I thought it was about Eli, and about the whole vision and prophet thing ? In such a case, having standard case might not seem to necessary be a good fit. I’m not sure, but remember how Ally McBeal was about Ally, but also included trials which did not involve her in any ways ? Well, the thing is, every other layer from that firm was about as “special” and odd and unique as she was. Never was it really just another legal drama, it was always Ally McBeal, even without Ally in the (court) room.
Here, it’s not the case, and I wonder if what we want is really just another legal drama… Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to develop other characters on the show, but there might also a need for each of them to have their own individuality while all be part of the same universe and be in the same bubble as Eli is.
In the end it was a good episode, but I wish Eli would take the more interesting cases, work with the good lawyers, and mix the whole thing with his unique style and, of course, his visions. Then we might have a really fun show to tune in to every week. Let’s wait & see how next week will do…
