(Season 2, Episode 6 – “Happy Birthday Nate”)
I’d say that this is a pretty intriguing development in the ongoing saga of Eli Stone, but there really isn’t one anymore, is there? Still, we can enjoy the ride while it lasts. It looks like they’re getting things back on track with the series, albeit too little too late. More singing, more visions and next week a guest appearance by Seal. It’s the visions and the “calling” that make Eli special. With this in strong remission the past several weeks we were left with another legal show.
Now that the firm divide is behind us, we can settle into our new status quo and start developing some ongoing storylines. We pick things up right where we left them last week, with Eli wanting to take the case of J.J. Cooper’s emancipation proclamation against his overbearing father. We got some expansion of Keith’s burgeoning relationship with Patti’s daughter and even some major developments between Matt and Taylor.
I gotta tell you, it was so easy to hate Matt. Kind of like you hate Posner and you feel really good about that. Hell, even when Posner isn’t on the show, which is pretty much all the time now, just the mention of his name makes you scrunch your nose in disgust. What I didn’t expect was to see Maggie making me want to do the same. In fact, right now I think I’m liking Matt a little more than Maggie. I’ll give the writers some credit by assuming that they’re going somewhere with all of this. After all, isn’t Maggie destined to be with Eli? Won’t he see that eventually?
It makes sense, considering they’re our only two main cast members over at Posner-Klein, that we’d get to see Matt and Maggie get some screen-time together. Maggie’s characterization just didn’t make much sense to me. I know she’s conflicted about working for Posner-Klein, and I know she’s an intelligent and moral person. So what I don’t understand is why she would be willing to represent a man like Cooper. Is she really so naive as to not see what a controlling near-psychopath he is? Especially after seeing him badger his son?
And then to pull the stunt of allowing him to cross examine his own son on the witness stand. Hell, I’m not a lawyer, but I’m not sure what judge in an emancipation case like this would allow the parent to cross the child seeking emancipation. Clearly there are issues there or the child wouldn’t be seeking some kind of sanctuary from their parent or parents? Why not throw the kid into a pool of piranha while you’re at it? Case closed!
As for Keith, I like the character. I think he’s a good asset to the show but I just don’t think they know what to do with him yet. That’s why they threw him the bone of getting into this complex relationship with Patti’s little girl. Add in some confusion on whether or not she’s the good girl mama says she is and you’ve got a trial next week!
I’d say I hope they find a way to integrate Keith more with the core cast members, but there may not be time. Right now he’s just an extra character they kind of like but since he doesn’t really fit in with anyone else, we’ll have him float around the periphery. “Hey, there’s another black character, pull him into her storyline. That’s the way we do it.”
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Dec 03, 2008 @ 16:44 EST5EDT
It really, REALLY stinks that this show isn’t going to be around much longer, but I do have to say this. I’m suprised, and appreciative, of ABC decision to run through the rest of the ordered episodes of this (and DSM/Daisies) show. I’m so used to Fox just throwing stuff in the can out the door.
That being said… The fact that this show, and its “companion” (At least thematically, in my mind) from last year, Journeyman, didn’t catch on.
I’m tired of blaming the networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, and the like are in it to make money, so they’re going to try to maximize viewership. Critical sucesses need to be popular sucesses too.
So, who do I blame? US! We’re the idiots watching the drivel thats cheap to produce. (Ok, drivel is a strong word, but you know, oops). Nielson tells me that the highest rated show last week was Dancing with the Stars (Actually, it was 1 and 2). Ok, I’ll give you that a lot of people like DWTS (Please don’t count me in on that list), AI, and the like, but I think that “good” Reality is the exception, and not the rule. But the bulk of it is cheap, and does ok. So, producers and the networks keep throwing more and more at us, and we keep watching it. So they throw more, and we keep taking it.
When will it stop? Will the reality “catch-22″ ever burn itself out? In today’s climate, do you think we’re going to see more Losts? More Desperate Housewives? More Reunions? (Ok, I accept that I was the only person that liked that show).
nope — I liked Reunion too.
But I’ve been watching TV for decades now, and long ago came to the recognition that shows get cancelled. Most of them are bad shows that deserve to be cancelled, but many of them are good shows that don’t. It’s a popularity contest, and difficult, different and/or thought-provoking is always going to be less popular than simple and emotional.
Eli is a good show. We will have had 20 some episodes of it, and with the growth of DVD sets (and downloading sites), we don’t have to just have fond memories.
And there’s always the ability to take these same characters and write books about them. The Monk and Burn Notice books are very good and true to the characters (the Monk books in particular are written by a series writer). You don’t have to sell as many books to be successful as you have to have weekly TV viewers. Given some of the potentially complex cases that W&S might take on, books might even be a better option.