Eli Stone: The Complete First Season – DVD Review

By June L. Sep 10, 2008, 18:20 GMT

Follow Eli Stone (Jonny Miller) on his quirky quest for answers in this exciting and upbeat comedic drama. When Eli awakens to an unending George Michael soundtrack that only he can hear, gets dive-bombed by a WWI bi-plane on a busy San Francisco street, and faces a fire-breathing dragon outside his office window, there are two possible explanations: delusions caused by a potentially fatal brain aneurysm or the chance that ...more

I really like this show.  Critics call it quirky, but what passes for quirky these days is not usually half the caliber of Eli Stone as a series, so another word really should be used. 

Perhaps a phrase such as cleverly offbeat or intellectually stimulating would be a better choice for describing the effect of the episodes.  One gets the feeling that cast and crew love what they are doing, believe in the quality of the show, and therefore the whole presentation is exceedingly entertaining.

Not knowing what to expect, we tuned in Eli Stone, a little bit wary of a program billed as a “comedic drama.”  From the opening episode we were hooked, if for nothing else but to see the turns and hear what tunes Eli would encounter each week.

The stories are first class, full of relevant issues, interesting discussions and ingenious legal arguments that are well written and masterfully performed.  And Eli,(Jonny Lee Miller) well you just have to fall in love with this guy who goes from worshiping the “holy trinity of Armani, accessories and….ambition.” to thinking that he may have become a prophet and is destined to change the world. 

Why?  Well because he sees things, odd things that play out to a George Michael soundtrack that only he hears and sees as George Michael himself if performing the musical numbers.  These visions do not paralyze Eli with fear, they galvanizes him into action to try and make a difference. 

You can imagine the confusion and disbelief he has to face from family, friends and co-workers.  The legal firm doesn’t know what to do with him.  His assistant Patti (Loretta Devine) is skeptical, but grudgingly works with him, while his boss Jordan Wethersby (Victor Garber) gives him professional latitude to follow the weird visions. 

Some people, such as Eli’s brother the doctor, think he has a life threatening brain aneurysm that is causing him to become delusional, but you can’t help but wonder if Eli is the prophet for our generation.

Eli Stone: The Complete First Season is presented on four discs containing all 13 excellent episodes, and some very nice bonus features.  The pilot is presented in extended format, with commentary, there are deleted scenes, and there is a blooper feature called Eli oops! 

Other featurettes included are  Acting On Faith:  Eli and George Michael, Turning a Prophet:  The Creation of Eli Stone, Creating Visions:  The Effects of Eli Stone and Inside the Firm: The Natasha Henstridge Tour.  Good stuff! 

The episodes are presented in widescreen and French or Spanish subtitles are available.  If you did not see the series when it was aired, this is a perfect way to be introduced.  That way you will doubly enjoy the episodes of the new season. 

Eli Stone is both fun and thought provoking viewing, a show that will have you singing along and discussing the episodes for days after seeing them.

Eli Stone: The Complete First Season is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.