Eli Stone

Did You Know?

• The series was released on DVD in Region 1 for season one on September 2, 2008, and for season two on August 18, 2009.
• The planned series finale would have shown Eli gaining a high profile as a prophet sharing his visions and message of hope and compassion with the world.

Premise

The show centers on a thirty-something lawyer who starts experiencing vivid, extraordinary visions that push him toward unusual actions. These visions are caused by an inoperable brain aneurysm, and they often connect to the episode's storyline, making him seem like a modern-day prophet. The first season heavily features pop singer George Michael, with every episode named after one of his songs. Michael appeared in several episodes, including one where the lawyer represents him in a case about a teen girl playing "I Want Your Sex" to protest an abstinence-only sex education program. Critics have compared the series to Ally McBeal because of its legal setting, blend of comedy and drama, and use of fantasy elements.

Production

Eli Stone was given a thirteen-episode order on May 11, 2007, with production handled by Berlanti Television, After Portsmouth, and ABC Studios. It debuted as a mid-season replacement on January 31, 2008, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, right after Lost, and its first season wrapped on April 17, 2008. ABC renewed the show for the 2008–09 season on May 13, 2008. In Canada, CTVglobemedia moved it to the relaunched "A" system for that season. The second season premiered on October 14, 2008, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. On November 20, 2008, ABC informed producers it would not order more episodes, effectively canceling the series. The last regularly scheduled episode aired December 30, 2008. The final four episodes ran on Saturdays at 10:00 p.m. Eastern from June 20, 2009, concluding with "Flight Path" on July 11, 2009. Internationally, RTÉ in Ireland began airing the unaired episodes on March 13, 2009, and other channels in the UK, Israel, Germany, and Australia followed later that spring.

Cast and characters

Jonny Lee Miller portrays Eli Stone, a successful attorney at Wethersby, Posner & Klein in San Francisco diagnosed with an inoperable brain aneurysm causing hallucinations. The hallucinations alienate him from peers and lead him to interpret them as signs, helping people by accepting lawsuits to better their lives. Natasha Henstridge plays Taylor Wethersby, Eli's ex-fiancee and an attorney, daughter of managing partner Jordan Wethersby. Loretta Devine is Patti Dellacroix, Eli's helpful and bossy assistant who considers him a dear friend and is always blatantly honest. Matt Letscher plays Dr. Nathan Stone, Eli's caring elder brother and a doctor who first discovered Eli's condition and is skeptical about his visions. Sam Jaeger portrays Matt Dowd, Eli's co-worker and rival, described as sarcastic, arrogant, and having a frat-boy personality; he dates Taylor Wethersby and they are expecting a baby. James Saito is Dr. Chen, an acupuncturist who explains Eli's conditions as a prophetic message and advises him to pursue his visions. Julie Gonzalo plays Maggie Dekker, a junior attorney ambitious and enthusiastic, who often assists Eli in cases and is in love with him, somewhat mutually. Jason Winston George is Keith Bennett, a criminal law attorney hired by Jordan after losing a racism lawsuit. Victor Garber plays Jordan Wethersby, co-owner of the firm and Taylor's father, often skeptical of Eli's imaginings. Laura Benanti portrays Beth "Lizzie" Keller, the girl to whom Eli lost his virginity in college, who now has an autistic son and dated Nathan. Tom Amandes is Martin Posner, a co-owner who had a past relationship with Patti. Katey Sagal plays Marci Klein, a co-owner unfriendly and primarily interested in financial benefits, disliking Eli's focus on helping individuals. Pamela Reed appears as Mrs. Stone in Season 1. Tom Cavanagh plays Jeremy Stone in flashbacks and as God in the finale. George Michael appears as himself and as God in Season 1.

Reception

Season two holds a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews and a Metacritic score of 72 out of 100 based on 9 collected reviews. The debut episode attracted controversy for depicting the hypothesis that autism is caused by a mercury-based preservative formerly used in childhood vaccines, treating it as credible and legally compelling despite lacking scientific evidence. The American Academy of Pediatrics asked ABC to cancel the episode or include a disclaimer; ABC instead presented a written notice and voice-over after the episode stating the story is fictional, with a second card directing viewers to the CDC's autism website.