That was really cool.

Except maybe for the montage sequence. I have a knee-jerk reaction against them.

Also, it reminded me of Eli's "fate" to be with that stupid girl.

TOBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

Was this the season finale? It felt like a series finale, actually, which would suck because, they can't just show me Spy Daddy singing with bonus George Michael and Loretta Devine and just take it all away!

I think the idea of making Eli a junior partner heading a pro-bono division is an interesting way to settle his place within the firm, leaving more room in the episodes for the cases and character development, without having to answer questions as to why Eli is being allowed to do what he does without any further work problems.

I could have done without the clip montage but otherwise a damn good finale.

I put it down to the fact the show was making me all verklempt as the reason why I missed that Eli was wearing the same clothes through the whole episode.

I really hope ABC brings this show back. I think it deserves it.

That? Looked like every series finale I've ever seen. It was awesome, but I hope that wasn't it!

There's no way they knew whether or not this would be a series finale when they shot this. So this "place" in the story has to be on purpose.

As I've said elsewhere, there are some good ways for them to go with this. Primary among them is him expecting to not have visions anymore, and yet still having them. Or perhaps they could play with the idea of him becoming a bit too much like his pre-vision self and people like Annoying Patti and Stoopid Maggie getting all upset about it.


Musical montages are the very definition of TV Evil. Even with two awesome singers like Awful Patti and SpyLawyerDaddy singing the background music.

I mean I understand that they are sometimes meant to represent people's lives flashing before them, but come on. Since when do people's lives start in their mid 30s? There's GOT to be a less irritating way to indicate the same kind of thing without falling back on the lame montage-to-music thing.

Maybe the montage was in case the series doesn't come back... Which would SUCK! That was a very nice episode, I teared up right on cue. Hehe. "Sometimes you are still an ass." lol

I'm just so locked in wether it is the last episode we'll ever see that I don't know how to feel about it! It would work as a series finale but I really don't want it to be.

Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! What an incredible ep! And LawDaddy sang again, too... (squee)

Favorite lines:
Patti: "...and your mother dresses you funny!"
Eli (suddenly realizes) "Oh, the *mean* thing...I'd forgotten how good you are at that."

I didn't mind the "life flashback" montage -- what irked me was Maggie's dress in the hospital room. Uhm, folks, those rooms are usually VERY cold and why the &*#$ didn't she at least throw on a sweater?? Sheesh!

Okay, back to my original review...

AWESOME EP! BRING BACK ELI NEXT SEASON!!

That was...

Yeah.

Loved it. Loved it so much! It was a bit weird (in a good way! the way I like it!), very emotional... I just really, really loved it. :)

I can't really say much more, because I'm feeling kind of weak right now. The timing of this episode... argh. My boyfriend's having surgery to remove a tumor tomorrow and we just talked about stuff like... like that, life and death and in-between, this afternoon. ): So being worried about him (of course!), the episode felt very close to me. A bit too close, I think. Anyway.

What I'll just say right now is...

They'd better bring the show back, damn it!

It looked like a series finale to me. But if this show gets renewed, this gives them a good opportunity to tweak a few things during the summer.

There's a lack of continuity here isn't there? Eli predicts the Golden Gate bridge breaking down and nobody seems concerned about the prediction or the breakdown of the bridge.

It's driving me crazy that Maggie does not wear office clothes and keeps wearing party dresses to work. And then she did again, at the hospital, without a jacket! What is with that?!?!

But Eli's life did start in his mid 30s. His new life, anyway. He's already made peace with his old life; that one doesn't really count anymore.



I hope you're right. Because they tied up all loose ends, everyone's problems are solved, and they all live happily ever after. It would suck mightily if that's really the end.

Also, I'm with Caia; I was verklempt, too and didn't catch the suit thing. Laughing and crying at the same time. Oy. I'm just glad I watched it alone!

Wasn't it kind of weird that Eli's mother didn't visit her son in the hospital when he had brain surgery?

I am disappointed that AB Chao didn't inform them, as a former snarker, how LAME montage sequences are.

But the episode, on balance, was good enough to bear that minor scar.

Really, the notion that he imagined the "regular" stuff--the court case--and that the fantastical stuff was closer to the reality of what was going on was INSPIRED. It's a mind-heavy concept that translated over surprisingly well.

great ending to the season! There will be another season, right?

the best moment for me was when Eli was talking to Dr. Chen at the end about how to get out. He seemed so happy (almost giddy) to learn that there is more for him to do. If (WHEN) the new season happens, I hope he keeps that enthusiasm.

I was a little confused as to what was supposed to really have happened, and what wasn't, but I think I got it cleared up.


Edit to add: I believe that anything that was shown that looks like it took before the operation was in his mind (including the case, and that he was already made junior partner, etc.), and almost everything else that was shown to be after the operation was real (or once he realized it at the end, his fight to wake up was in his head).

Grumble.

I didn't even remember she was still around. That's how irrelevant she seems to be to the show.


All the loose ends? Well, most. I mean you could see this as an end to his prophetic career, and an assurance that his legal career is settled, if we didn't know better.

But there's also his romantic storyline--its very unsettled. Unless you consider that flash-forward to the future with Lame Maggie as a "promise" of his future in that department. Which would suck, but then again the showrunners didn't necessarily know how much she would suck as a character when they did that.

Also, there's the actual substance of that future vision. Maggie was peripheral to it. There's more there, and its not been settled. It's a tease, and you don't plant a tease if you are nailing everything down as "finished".

The guy in the next room to Eli was the man who wanted to allowed to live/die his way in Eli's coma vision. So I think that Eli and he were dreaming together and that Eli was helping him to let go and move on. Even in a coma he's helping people.

I really hope this show comes back for another season. It had a shaky start but the show just gets better and better. I hope when (trying to think positive) the show comes back that Eli still has the visions and that they weren't actually due to the aneurysm after all.

I had no idea there were female Rabbi's (or was it just a tv thing?) and she looked familiar what do I know her from?

Color me dumb. I didn't get that until now. I was thinking 'now, what's he doing in a coma so soon after the court case?'

VG will never not crack up everytime he bursts into song. I love it when he sings, but I can't keep a straight face at all.

I too hope the show gets renewed. Considering how uninspired it was when it began, I would be sad to see it go. I do think there are some loose ends to be tied up and they go could any number of way with Eli post-surgury personality wise.

MoreRidonkulous, it seemed to me that as far as romantic storylines go, this particular episode was much more geared towards the possibility of an Eli/Taylor reconcilliation. Mostly because there was a lot of mention about their engagment, and how much both she and her father still care for him... plus, his few scenes with Maggie were pretty platonic, which I appreciated.

I don't know where the series will take things if it's allowed to continue, but I think the Taylor-favouring orientation for this episode works even if they do go with Maggie in the future, because (at this point, at least - and if I had my way, forever) Taylor seems the better possibility.

ETA: IgnaMom, it depends on the type of congregation it is (reform, conservative, etc), but female Rabbis do exist, so it was nice to see one on TV.

I agree she's not that relevant. In fact, I've often wondered why they even bothered writing her in the first place. The back story could have very easily been that she died before the series began and almost nothing would have had to change. However, since we know she's alive and living in San Francisco, it seems very odd she wouldn't be at the hospital when her child is having life threatening surgery. Especially when people like Keith (who he's known all of a few weeks) or Dowd (who he doesn't seem especially close to) are at his bedside.



She's Jayne Brook, who has done tons of guest spots and supporting roles, but is probably best known from Chicago Hope.

Yeah. The "Jericho" effect. Although it was also pretty true of "Journeyman".

All three of these shows came close to outright sucking in their first few episodes and TOTALLY turned things around. It used to be that shows didn't get retooled enough to improve as much as these three until after a whole season, but I'm glad that's changed.


But... he just makes us... happy! And you know something? It was AWESOME that dramatically, he was "placed" as the first person we saw "grieving" over Eli's hospital bed. It gave him the weightiest acting moment (which he can handle), and also reinforced that he was the person most affected by Eli in some ways.


It shows how little most people know about Judaism, I think. They all think "guys with beards who almost look Amish", because they all see those guys from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, I think.

She (had to be) a Rabbi from the Reform movement. Very liberal, but still occasionally very religious.

Well, she's a guest star. That's what always happens with guest stars; even when they should be there (Beth comes to my mind, too), they're simply not because of restrictions, like other works, show budget, etc.

(I agree they should have at least mentioned her, though).

They aired an episode on Sunday, in which this was resolved. Not the aftermath, but the event itself, at least.

I like Patti's rudeness when it's meant to be over the top. She is most likeable when she's a conscious parody of herself. It's the only time she seems at all self-aware.

The rabbi was played by the same actress who played Hannah's mom on Everwood. I'm sure she's been in a million other things, too, but that's where I recognized her from. Also, Reconstructionists also ordain women. I'm not sure about the Conservative movement, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

It seems they are still making adjustments in the show, working on the core cast and even side characters. Eli's mom was in a couple episodes, but I think as they moved along they decided against adding her in and hope we forget about her. If they thought she'd figure into future episodes, I'm sure she would have at least been mentioned. I think that want Eli's family to just be Nate.

They also seemed to have gotten rid of the other lawyer, I can't remeber his name, the doctor from Everwood, the other partner whose name is on the door. The fact that he wasn't in last week's episode with Katy Segal tells me he probably won't be back. Same for Beth, if she was going to stick around, I'd think you would heard of mention of her or something this week. Nate talking to her on the phone or something. Wish Maggie was the one they decided to phase out, she just sticks out like a sore thumb to me. And who is dressing her? Seems like she uses a whole different wardrobe department than the entire rest of the cast.

I hate to admit this, but I still sort of don't quite understand the whole thing with David, the man who had cancer. Was he in the hospital the whole time with Eli and the whole case/court thing never really happened?

Thank you, bergh! Helloooooo! The GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE fell down! Major American icon. Broken. Went boom. And nobody even discusses, at the very least, how hard it's going to be to get to work from Sausalito now? No, no, that's just sloppy.

What I loved was that this was the first time we've seen Eli really acknowledge Patti's evil nature (and by that I mean "petty and bad tempered" not really "evil"). He's made excuses for it in pretty much every other episode, even when he was the victim of it.

I think in a way it was the writers finally admitting Patti is written as a bitch--on purpose.

Maybe it took a dream state of reality for Eli to admit it.

If only they'd gone that extra step to have Dream Eli "admit" to the truth that Maggie is annoying and lame! But nah. They won't do that.


I wonder if that was more of a move to keep down expenses, since they already had the fairly expensive Garber and the not-bargain-basement-salaried DeVine and Henstridge to pay.

Hmm. I didn't realize that Matt Rousch had come around so much on this show. I just saw this really glowing piece, and it matches a lot of our reactions here.

Can someone please ID the songs from this ep? Thanks!

the part about the earthquake and bridge not playing much of a part in this episode can be fan-wanked that since the majority of the episode is either Eli dreaming (anything that looks like it happens before the surgery), or the "real" scenes that focus on the characters worrying about Eli, the subject wasn't important to the dream or to the people who were worried about Eli.

a lot of the episode doesn't really make sense until you realize that most of it didn't really happen, except in his head.

That may not even be a wank--it might be the actual reason as written. The weakness being that this is not obvious to us.

Maybe its actually supposed to be a tipoff to us, the viewer, in the stage before we know for sure that these aren't simply flashbacks, that he's creating all of this. Because, of course, he'd make things more difficult for himself by not focusing on something he'd done RIGHT lately.

Agh, that better not be it. I had no idea I would become so attached to this show, but I really am.

I actually liked last week's a bit more better, I thought some of the moments tonight were a bit forced. But two scenes, I thought were some of the best scenes of any I've seen this year on any show.

The first being the man with cancer explaining his new life with cancer, and that affect on him. Seeing Eli's reaction and how much it resonated with him, it looked like he was almost crying, I just loved that. Great acting job by both. And the final scene in Dr. Chen's office was..I'm speechless on it. Eli's sadness over being dead, and the quick elation of finding out he has a purpose and has more to do, it was all so well done. I don't even have the words to justify how powerful those two scenes were for me.

I really want to see what more Eli has to do, what his purpose will really be, so I hope that wasn't in even though it really felt like it.

I bow down to the genius that is Richard Schiff (aka Toby)!

ETA: This show is pretty much my first significant exposure to Victor Garber so maybe everyone else is used to his awesomeness, but I just have to take this moment to gush that he is, well, awesome. Awesome personified, actually. Everyone on this show has been fantastic, but he's particularly hilarious in the funny moments (especially the musical numbers! I always start laughing when he chimes in) and particularly moving in the serious ones. Also, did anyone else notice the Sassy Patti reference? Do I smell a TWoP shoutout?

I've been iffy about this show all season, but now I would gladly write letters or pull a Jericho and send... something to ABC to get them to keep this show on the air. I misted up at VG's "Please wake up" line, started crying when Richard Schiff was explaining his new life and didn't stop until the end. Wow!

I know RS was incredible from his time on The West Wing, but it's nice to be reminded. Kudos too to VG, Eli and Nate, who totaly hit one out of the park last night.

West Wing - I knew he was familiar.

I saw the Rabbi and thought "Diane! Didn't she die an awful death? But where was that?"
Hadn't realized I'd seen so much Chicago Hope.

I'm afraid to hope for this show. My favourites lately haven't gone on as long as I would like. (although Pushing Daisies is coming back, I think) I don't take disappointment well...

Upset about the mom missing, mainly because I love Pamela Reed. they could've said one line about her not being able to see her son like that or something. Then, next season, have her move to Urundi Burindi and never mention her again. It just felt weird in this episode.

And even though 75% of the episode was a vision, I still wanted some mention of Patti's neighborhood and whether it was destroyed. Like her gloating that the developer guy lost millions when his in-construction high-rise collapsed.

And I didn't really love Toby on the WW, but Richard Schiff was awesome in this episode, especially when he was talking to Eli at the end about why he wanted to die. He totally deserves an Emmy nomination, although I doubt it will happen.

Still, I'm glad they made this an optional series finale, even though I hope it won't be. I like closure.

Yes!


And how were they planning on taking him off 'life support' when it seemed that he wasn't on 'lift support'?
There was no plug to pull.

Overall I thought this was a really good end to a great season. If they do not return it, I will be satisfied of what I saw in season one. Unlike what happened to many shows (Journeyman to be specific)

Got to join in with the love for this show. When it first started, I liked it, but stuck with it basically because there was nothing else on due to the strike. Now? It's up there with my favourite shows. I love the cast, the storylines, where it might go in the future, everything about it! I even like Maggie, though I want Eli and Taylor to get back together. I'm gonna have " faith" that this show is coming back next year. :)

It would be nice considering the ties the site has to the show but all the episodes were shot before they aired, so no.

I will fanwank the absence of the mom and Posner and the failure to mention Silver Terrace as the show running out of episodes and not having time to address them all. I have to admit I totally forgot about Pamela Reed.

Man, how many times can I damn Berlanti in a single episode? Lots, it seems. Of course, about 60% of this episode had people crying, which always gets me.

I do hope that this is not the series finale because the show is really starting to find its game, and because I do not know what I will do without my weekly dose of JLM and VG, but I have no idea where the arc can go from here. If Eli really does get made junior partner in charge of pro bono (as Jordan said he was planning to do), it takes away a lot of the wacky underdog vibe which is necessary for balancing the sugary goodness inherent in such a selfless character. With no aneurysm endangering his life, the blessing of his firm allowing him to take the cases he wants, and the people closest to him believing in his prophet status (or at least being able to love him, even if they don't totally believe in it*), what other obstacles could stand in his way? I suppose they could follow through on their threat to take away his ability to speak, but that seems awfully risky to do to the main character in a show as on the bubble as this one.

*I think this is one of the reasons why I enjoy this show so much. Most of the other shows I watch will err on the side of conflict and angst when it comes to creating long-term character interactions, and this show very firmly errs on the side of love and acceptance. It maybe feels a little less "realistic," but it's nice to see people on television who care for each other and are willing to say so.

I'm going to be so sad if that was the end of Eli Stone. I freaking love Jonny Lee Miller, and I'd never seen him in anything before this show.

I laughed out loud at the opening establishing shot, where there was fog, just as we were reminded in the latest recap that SF is foggy! Although the montage was annoying, it did remind me of all the lovely episodes this season, my favourite being 'Patience'. Let the singing go on, please!

It's interesting, I actually stopped watching this show around episode 5 because, BORED NOW. But kept reading the recaplets and around episode 7 I started rewatching again.

I'd be really happy if they renewed the show and it would most certainly get a season pass on the TiVo.

Man, I'd forgotten what a good singer George Michael actually is. And having him be God? Interesting. It ties together all of the visions Eli had of him throughout the season.

As sappy as clip montages can be, this one really got to me. I just loved these last 2 episodes. Whoever the writers are...kudos.

Thanks for everyone's replies on this. I don't think that "guys with beards who almost look Amish" thing. To me "guys with beards who almost look Amish" are actually Amish or Menninites (there are actually quite a few Menninites and some Amish in my area). However I attend a Conservative Baptist church and woman are definately not Preachers where other types of chuches have female Ministers.



I really liked that song he sang. I don't think that they were implying that George was God. However God can take any form he wants and it was in Eli's heard so Eli could have made hinself see God any way his mind wanted, all depends on who was the one that created George as God (God or Eli).

I didn't think this episode was as strong as the last 2.
Still, it had me weeping buckets, George Michael's performance was the best in the series, and the dialog with Patti being sassy was wonderful. I guess all the bits were excellent by themselves, but the editing seemed a bit choppy, which is not a good thing for an episode that has 2 versions of reality going. I'm putting the flashback clips into the same "poor film editing" bag. Maybe the film editor had the flu.

Does anyone know any details about whether someone is even considering renewing this show, and, if so, when would it be decided? Or is this just a writers' strike fill-in that they have no intention of continuing?

Might have cried a couple times.

I think some of the issues, like his mom, etc., might have been a casualty of the strike. Perhaps not. But the last three episodes were written before and filmed after the strike started, so there was no way to change anything.

Twas a good ending for either a series or season finale.

Wished we would have found out about silver Terrace. I'm hoping that was a casualty and not poor planning on the writers and producers - because really? We have an episode on how it's all going to be destroyed and we don't even get a picture of it?

Delurking to add my love for the show. Watching the show always lifts my spirits (even when it’s sad). Please don’t let this be the end!

That’s interesting because I took it to mean that Eli was helping the wife/Rabbi instead of David (cancer guy). Maybe getting the message across that the wife can let go and be at peace this is what David wanted. Also, since she feels no one has had a conversation with God for centuries, she won't hear what he has to say. So he found another way through Eli's closing statement to comfort her.

It went well with Nate’s decision of whether to let Eli go when everyone else wants him to keep Eli there. In the end, he decides to stall pulling the plug which is opposite of what the Rabbi did for her husband. If you consider David as another Eli (both conversing with God, both wanting to be let go, both trying to get the message out thru someone else, etc.), we actually got to see the road in both directions.

I liked that Eli seeing George Michael as God mirrors his closing argument that God comes to different people in different form. Plus we get a last singing performance of the season!

Concerning the Golden Gate Bridge... didn’t they show a clip of it at night with cars moving on it? And Eli did say in the beginning as he saw them replacing the conference room windows (when he was walking with Keith) “shouldn’t that have been fixed already? I thought that was fixed.” I took that to mean some time has passed between the earthquake/last episode and this one.

Totally!

They're still working out the kinks to the show and the characters, but there have already been a lot of improvement just in this season. Yes, they really do need to work on the continuity of storylines and get rid of some of the more annoying characters (cough-cough-MAGGIE-cough), but with Eli becoming junior partner, it'll allow more room for the show to be less schtick-y and more substantive.

This ep, although a bit cheesey and heavy handed at times, was great. The musical number? Fab!!! The case du jour was poignant and (sob) really well written. And TOBY!! Looooove~ I'm still crying. (sniffle)


Open letter to ABC execs:

Dear Mickey & Suits,

Renew Eli Stone for next season and several more. You owe us. You've subjected us to shit like the Bachelor for 80 thousand seasons and it's time you mea culpa and keep actually creative and interesting shows on the air.

(narrows eyes)

I mean it.

Cheers, Shortcake12

Shortcake12,

I am awed and inspired by your letter to TPTB.
Start a petition!


Re: Eli Stone.
1) I'm in love with Johnny Lee Miller
2) They have to bring it back. I mean, I understand that it was a replacement show due to the writers strike, but it worked. Didn't Buffy the Vampire Slayer start as a mid season replacement-and it lasted 7 years!
3) George Michael? Awesome.

I'm not on board for the Maggie/Eli relationship just yet. I think she's cute and fits his personality well....Here's to another season to find out!

The show CAN'T be over...we still have plenty of George Michael songs left. I for one am really looking forward to "Monkey". If VG can make that one work, he really does deserve an Emmy.

I presumed that was the Oakland Bay Bridge. It was a bit confusing, though, in light of the last episode.


Either that, or it was indicative of Eli's dream state while he was in the hospital (he remembered the window had been replaced, but was dreaming that it was being fixed again).