天涯小筑

WTF……《神奇律师》终极揭秘

donatino — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:36:00 +0000

最近看到《绯闻女孩》（Gossip Girl）拼命玩「WTF」这个俚语，我今天看到《神奇律师》（Eli Stone）的「终极剧情」，免不了也要说一声：「WTF！」

《神奇律师》虽然被取消了，但编剧组早已计划好了后半段故事，并已写完第14－17集的剧本。我死活没想到编剧组会这样折腾Eli Stone……

在后续剧情中我们将看到：

Eli和Maggie

Eli开始和Maggie约会，一切都很美好。突然有一天，有人敲响了Eli的房门……是Grace（Katie Holmes），她回来了。

Eli会和Grace在一起吗？

编剧组没有考虑好这个问题。Eli 要和 Grace 在一起有很多「现实困难」－－Katie Holmes并不是本剧的常规角色，而且她的出场费相当昂贵，剧组最多还能用她一到两次。编剧组幻想让Katie Holmes季终时再出现一次。

Maggie和……Nate结婚了？

Maggie和Eli最终还是分手了。Maggie后来嫁给了Nate。在第一季第11集中，我们见到「未来」的时代广场上，Eli慷慨激昂地向人群发表演说，而Maggie手里抱着一个孩子，脸上露出幸福的笑容……那个孩子不是Eli的，是Nate的！在后面某集中，这段没有演完的情节将会演完－－当Eli演讲时，Nate推开拥挤的人群，走向Maggie。

Chen医生和Nate

两人将一起开业。Nate失去了在医院的工作，被迫与Chen医生创办了一家「中西医合璧」的私人诊所。这两人将笑料百出（如同电视剧《The Odd Couple》）。

Matt和Taylor

这两人会结婚。Taylor顺利产下了孩子，而Matt也尽职尽责做一个好父亲。Taylor发现自己在「干好工作」和「当好妈妈」之间无法取得平衡，反而是Matt这个当爸爸的带孩子更出色。

Jordan，Taylor的妈妈与公司

Jordan（Victor Garber）将和Taylor的妈妈重新建立联系。剧组有意邀请Goldie Hawn扮演「Taylor的妈妈」。Wethersby Stone法律公司经历了艰难的创业起步期后逐渐发展壮大。Maggie最终会回到这家公司。

大结局？

Eli在大结局里会「非常幸福」。Eli的名气越来越大，已不再适合当律师，于是他当了一个社会活动家。剧组拍这部剧集的终极含义在于：亚伯拉罕·林肯是一个「先知」，小马丁·路德·金是一个「先知」，「圣雄」甘地也是一个「先知」，那么Eli Stone……后面的话你来「填空」吧。

Eli Stone 神奇律师 S02E04 Recap

donatino — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:08:00 +0000

这一集标志着一个阶段的结束和另一个阶段的开始，因此是非常非常重要的一集。这家公司即将分裂，所有人都被迫做出自己的选择。究竟是跟随Eli和Jordan追寻理想主义，还是跟随Martin Posner及Marcy Klein追寻拜金主义？

这一集一开始，Eli和Maggie居然在同一个浴室里 "共浴"，光着身子……不要以为你来到了另一个世界，这肯定又是Eli脑中的幻象－－这一次，Eli成了Maggie的未婚夫Scott。Eli对此事颇为烦心，于是又去向Chen求助。与第一季中那集联系起来考虑，和Maggie有关的幻象似乎成了本剧的中心线（主线）。Eli总认为自己和Maggie之间的关系是纯粹的同事关系，但是Chen却认为，Eli有改变命运的能力，他不该让Maggie离开他。

此时，Maggie正在为订婚宴会的事情而焦躁不安。事实上，另一件事也让她深感忧虑－－Posner和公司里所有的律师都谈过了，唯独缺她。她向Eli保证，自己不会离开，因为Posner就像《星球大战》中邪恶的西斯武士 "Darth Sidius"。然而Posner并非不想和她谈，而是把她留到最后－－作为自己的杀手锏。Posner开出了诱人的条件：高级职位，公共利益诉讼部门负责人，四个星期的带薪休假，双倍的薪水……Maggie表示自己要 "考虑考虑"。听说此事后，Eli变得非常紧张，要求Jordan向Maggie提供同样的待遇－－但冲动解决不了实际问题，公司的财务状况并不允许这样做。

Posner还向Matt伸出了橄榄枝，提出让Matt担任新公司的合伙人。Taylor要Eli帮她劝劝Matt，甚至要Eli设法把Matt拖进一个公共诉讼案中 "体验体验"，Matt极不情愿地答应了。很快，案子主动找上门来了……一个年轻人请求Eli帮助他的女朋友Sana－－她和她的丈夫被国土安全部抓走了。原来，Sana是来自穆斯林国家的留学生。在签证到期的情况下，Sana为了留在美国，不得不与一位最好的异性朋友办理假结婚（Sana和男友认识时间较短，男友还不能和她 "结婚"）。事有凑巧，这位异性朋友偏偏是个同性恋。现在，Sana面临驱逐出境的惩罚，而她的 "丈夫" 则面临牢狱之灾。我对美国人为了自己的利益而故意丑化他国形象的做法非常反感，因此这个案子我不想讨论。事实上，确实也没什么好说的。只不过Matt在本案中一反常态，对当事人流露出了真实感情，令人颇为意外。

Eli出现了第二次与Maggie共浴的幻象－－但浴室里的女人却不是Maggie，而是一个叫做Candace的美妇人。Maggie的未婚夫Scott与Candace偷情已经好几个月了。更有意思的是，Candace竟是Sana案件中反方律师的上司。在别无选择的情况下，Eli只好以此事作为要挟，迫使Candace对Sana案件中的当事人做出缓刑的处理。

经过此案，Matt终于发觉自己不是 "当好人" 的材料，下决心跟随Posner去新公司。Taylor眼睁睁看着他离去，却始终没有把自己已经怀孕的事情说出来。Taylor不知道自己是否想当一个母亲，甚至是一个单身母亲，她很犹豫。

Maggie虽然是本集中的核心人物，但她的订婚宴会却实在糟糕。她的宾客大多是公司里的同事，而因为公司正在分裂，一半的人都没有来。因为Maggie拒绝了Posner的邀请，Scott与她大吵了一架，Maggie只好独自借酒消愁。Eli打算将Scott偷情的事情告诉她，却笨拙得不知从何说起。随后，Scott和Eli动起手来，整个宴会彻底被毁了……

第二天，Maggie很平静地告诉Eli，她和Scott分手了，因为她知道自己不爱Scott，自己爱的是Eli。为了不让自己对Eli的感情继续令自己痛苦，以至于最终毁了事业，她决定接受Posner的条件，去新公司上班。从她和Eli相遇以来，她第一次要把自己（而不是Eli）放在首位。

看着平时熟悉的人都搬出了，Eli和Jordan站在大厅里好一番唏嘘。

一个新的开始就要到来了。

Technorati : Eli Stone

Eli Stone 神奇律师 S02E02 Recap

donatino — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:36:00 +0000

被媒体炒作了一遍又一遍的《Eli Stone》第二季第2集终于播出了。Katie Holmes客座演出，这本不是什么大不了的事情，可是换上 "汤姆·克鲁斯（Tom Cruise）夫人" 这个噱头，情况立刻就不一样了。乔治·克鲁尼受人追捧，我还可以理解；汤姆·克鲁斯和布拉德·皮特之流也被美国人奉若神明，我永远也想不通。

汤姆·克鲁斯夫人在这一集里的表现到底如何？稍有看点，但绝不是那种能把整部剧集 "推上一个新台阶" 的看点，就当作主菜之外的小点心吧。在片头的舞蹈和片尾的吻别两场戏中，她似乎找回了当初主演《Dawson's Creek》（恋爱时代）和《Batman：Begins》（蝙蝠侠：起源）时的一点感觉。当了阔太太的Katie Holmes，差不多三年没演过任何节目了。

这部剧集里谁是上帝？Eli和Nathan的父亲才是真正的上帝－－一个小小的记事本，居然记录了 "未来才会发生" 的那么多事情。不仅如此，这些事情详细到了时分秒。好像以前所有和 "预知未来" 有关的故事还没达到过这么神奇的水平吧？就算Eli也只能预知事情的发生，不能预知发生的时间。

"大资本家" Jordan从第二季开始摇身一变，成了专为公益案件鼓与呼的 "大慈善家"，这也势必造成合作伙伴与他的决裂。这条 "飞速发展" 的线索有些出乎我的意料，我倒想看看编剧怎么把Jordan这个人写下去。

Taylor在第一季中曾是不可或缺的重要人物，但在本季中却被弱化了。Taylor现在非常地不可理喻－－不管Eli如何向她证明自己，她总是不愿相信他。就算本集表示 "相信"，下一集又会变卦。好在Eli身边还有一个坚定支持他的Maggie，可Eli总不把Maggie当回事……Eli真是个可怜又可悲的家伙。

本片赖以生存的特色大餐－－"幻觉"－－本季被严重削弱了，而那些精彩的歌舞表演也成了可有可无的东西。不知道这是因为预算不足的缘故，还是因为剧组有意想改变剧集的基调。第二季前两集向我们展现的是一部更为传统的法律剧，而不是上半年那部天马行空的幻想剧。Eli需要那些幻觉，也需要那些歌舞场面。缺少了这两样东西，《神奇律师》将不再神奇。

事实上，本集的故事很俗套。突如其来的浪漫爱情？不觉得唐突了一点吗？不痛不痒的反战宣传？不觉得虚伪了一点吗？当CNN还在大肆鼓吹战争的正义性、侵略的合法性，本集这样的故事又能引起多少美国人的共鸣呢？

本集结尾为Grace留了一个开放式结局，她今后随时可以回到剧中－－但不是现在。

Eli Stone 神奇律师 S02E01 Recap

donatino — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Eli Stone又回来了……不过变化却超乎我的想象。

一开篇，就是一段极其 "壮观" 的歌舞表演。《Eli Stone》之所以吸引人，很大程度上依靠它独特的 "歌舞" 部分。据说这一季将在这方面有所加强，令人甚感欣慰。事实上，这段 "街舞" 只不过是Eli的幻觉而已－－真正的Eli坐在一名心理医生的办公室里接受治疗。自从他接受动脉瘤摘除手术后，已经过去六个月了……等等，Eli真的在接受心理治疗吗？狡猾的编剧这次真把我给骗了－－这竟然是一段幻觉中的幻觉！

在与心理医生的对话中，我们了解到Eli身边人和身边事的巨大变化。Maggie独立支撑着事务所新近成立的公益案件部门（留了长头发的Maggie还真让我不适应）；Jordan想挽回去年因为Eli而失去的一个大客户－－疯狂赚取暴利的Credit Dauphine银行；Taylor已经成了Matt的女朋友；而Nate决定与Beth同居（Eli's first －－ and now, Nate's last）。

心理医生自称是 "上帝" 派来的 "委托人"。如果说上一季还略有点科学概念，此人的出现无疑将本剧向神学领域推进了一步。现在Eli把脑子里的动脉瘤摘除了，"上帝" 不得不找一个替代者－－这个人便是Eli的哥哥Nate。Nate有了一次和Eli一样的幻觉经历，他亲眼目睹一家银行被发生故障的吊车砸中，导致重大人员伤亡。我们有理由相信，Nate的幻觉不是一次偶然事件，而是促使Eli重拾过去的一个信号。

Jordan受Eli的影响如此之深，以至于在事关公司未来的重大决策中采取了 "疯子" Eli才会去做的方式－－当然，这是褒义。那个眼中只有金钱和利益的法律大亨不见了，取而代之的是一个越来越有良心、有人情味的 "法律斗士"。他当众拒绝那家银行，并出言讥讽对方管理人员的行为，势必为他的法律公司带来新的挑战。

我隐约感受出了本季的一些基调：故事将围绕两大集团展开。一方是代表正义的法律力量，包括Eli、Maggie和Jordan在内；另一方是只认利益（不能说邪恶）的法律力量，包括Matt、Taylor和Posner在内。当然，我们不好准确判断Taylor究竟会倒向哪一方。但只要她和Matt在一起，就不可避免地做出一些错事。

还有，Maggie那讨厌的未婚夫！Maggie居然还在想着与他结婚的事……Eli，别傻了，这么支持你的女人，打着灯笼也难找啊。你再不主动争取，可就没机会了……

其他趣事

● 在Eli的幻觉中，Patti给了他一个MP3播放器，让他在工作的时候能听听音乐。可惜Eli是个喜静之人。

● 陈医生现在不当针灸医生，改卖果汁了……

● 那名心理医生虽然只是单集客座角色，但故事的大门对她是敞开的，她随时都有可能回到剧中。

● 据称George Michael本季还会出来扮演他自己。

● 经历了这么多事件，依然没有人肯相信Eli的幻觉是真实的……可怜的Eli。

● 白头发的Posner……本季的头号反派角色，他今后还将给Eli制造更多麻烦。

● 与心理医生的会面只是幻觉，意味着Eli的从业资格并没有真正恢复。他怎么能到法院出庭？也许后面的故事中会交代。

● Eli和 "上帝" 的 "委托人" 做了个交易，把本来属于Nate的动脉瘤又弄回了自己脑子里。Eli没有了这个小瘤子，《Eli Stone》也就彻底玩完了……这一点编剧比观众要清醒得多。

● Jordan被埋的那家银行名叫Credit Dauphine。在《Alias》中，主角Sydney Bristow就在该银行中工作－－当然，用来伪装身份的。而扮演Jordan的Victor Garber，也是原《Alias》的演员。事实上，今年银屏上到处是《Alias》的演员－－《Brothers and Sisters》中Ron Rifkin、Balthazar Getty和Patricia Wettig三人来自《Alias》；《Heroes》中David Anders来自《Alias》；《Grey's Anatomy》中Melissa George来自《Alias》。

Eli Stone 神奇律师 S01EP11-13 Recap

donatino — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:23:00 +0000

第11集－13集是《Eli Stone》最为出色的3集，期间发生了很多既轻松幽默又非常感人的故事。虽然第一季已经结束了，但是留下了很多值得回味的东西。说起来，该剧600多万人的收视率有点少得可怜，可和《Moonlight》一样，凡喜欢该剧的，都是"铁杆爱好者"。我期待该剧能获得第二季预订－－此前获得的消息表明，情况比较乐观。

这里摘录了第11集－13集的英文Recap，很长也很详细，我就不完整翻译了，感兴趣的朋友可以浏览一下。我只点几处我个人觉得有意思的地方：

1、第11集，Eli看到了一个发生于十年之后（2018年）的幻觉－－事情发生在时代广场上，本集中受他帮助的黑人囚犯David Mosley已经成了赫赫有名的公众人物，并且到处宣扬Eli的 "光辉事迹"。不过这些并不是我感兴趣的，我最感兴趣的是Eli和Maggie终成眷属！十年后他们不仅结了婚，幸福地生活在一起，而且还生了一个漂亮的孩子……本剧开播以来，我一直很倾向Eli／Maggie这对组合，编剧和制片似乎也有意如此为之。凡是从头看到尾的观众都会有这种感觉：Eli和Maggie之间的确有很强的 "化学反应"，两个人频频擦出火花，远不止普通同事那么简单。而前几集连续出现的两个 "Kiss"，我相信也绝非偶然。我不是个主张办公室恋情的人，但是我也绝不反对。我总是很乐于在银屏上看到Maggie这种纯情、天真、上进、简单而率直的姑娘，而Eli是个不愿服输的人，我们都知道他对Maggie不是没有感觉，如果他真的放任幸福从自己眼前溜走，那可真是太可惜了。Eli总是把 "making a difference" 挂在嘴边，Maggie似乎也同意。那么究竟是什么不一样呢？怎样不一样呢？本集给出了一个答案。当然，最终的答案要到下一季（如果有的话）才会揭晓！

2、第11集，黑猩猩成了原告！这种恶搞的案例我还是第一次看到！当然，我看的法律剧并不多，也许是我孤陋寡闻了，但我觉得的确很有创意－－该笑的也笑了，该思考的也思考了，还有什么比这样的构思更精明呢？

3、第12集，自从 "黑猩猩案" 结束后，Taylor真的对Dowd动心了，还答应和他约会。也许Taylor自己都不能确定，到底对Dowd是什么感觉？作为观众，我也不懂。不过，我倒是觉得这两个人有一定的 "化学反应"，甚至可以说是本剧最幽默的元素之一。对一部剧集来说，并非一定需要 "一坏到底" 的反面角色才算是好剧－－Dowd就给了我们最好的答案，他是个幽默的、完全 "正面" 的 "反面角色"。

4、第12集，金门大桥垮了！断成了两截！旧金山最著名的地标建筑就此作古！这都要归功于出色的特效。其实我早就料想会出现类似的场景，没想到编剧真的想把金门大桥 "毁掉"。

5、第13集，见到了久违的Jayne Brook。自从《John Doe》之后，我没见她演戏。据说参演了《Boston Legal》，还是循环角色，但我实在没时间看……

6、第13集，千万不要被搞糊涂了……Eli的手术是做了的，一帮人围在病房里等他醒来才是现实。不过，这个场景也颇让人感动，特别是Taylor的真情倾诉。唉，Eli哪来这么好福气，两个这么好的女人都为他牵肠挂肚？

7、第13集，Eli醒来了－－作为主角，他当然不会死，也不能死。可是，他的动脉瘤被摘除了，他下一季又将如何 "神奇" 呢？我们共同期待（如果有的话）。

S01E11 Recap

This week, Eli Stone is troubled by a vision of a Times Square-like rally with giant yellow banners that read "Live Brave," and a speech by a man named David Mosley. He looks at the front page of a newspaper whose headline trumpets a complete U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. I'm troubled that the date on the paper is 2018 -- shouldn't it be 2118 or something? But anyway.

Eli turns, as he often does, to Dr. Chen, who observes first that Eli's visions usually contain rock stars who are older, whiter, and more British. Second, he very correctly calls Eli out on his scoffing that the visions are just hallucinations. You can't have it both ways, buddy. At the office, Eli asks Patti for help in tracking down David Mosley -- but she's watching a video online of Steve the chimp, who's quite literally heartbroken because he's been separated from his mate, Pete. But more about that later.

One more destabilizing influence this week: the presence of another senior parter in the firm, Marcy Klein (Katey Sagal, looking spectacular), in from London to give Jordan a little talking to about how many Fortune 500 clients they've lost as a result of Eli's crusading. She is deliciously condescending, particularly to Eli, and she adds an energy to the place that clearly keeps Jordan alternately on his toes and more than a little bit annoyed.

Back on the hunt for David Mosley: Patti's found 53 men who fit the description (African-American, between the ages of 28 and 40). One of them, conveniently, was a client of new associate Keith Bennett (Jason George) 10 years ago -- and convicted for felony murder. Eli goes to Tipton Bay prison to see Mosley, and finds out that he's been denied a parole hearing because he's been labeled a discipline problem -- for leading a hunger strike to protest overcrowding and other efforts at civil disobedience. The warden who denied the parole hearing tells Eli that it's his job to "feed them, water them, and try to keep them from killing each other" -- but rehabilitation for prisoners isn't in his budget.

Mosley ends up in the prison infirmary, beaten up and with broken ribs, telling Eli and Bennett that the warden knows how to make a point -- prisoners who complain about conditions end up in a hospital bed. The lawyers decide to file a class action suit on behalf of the entire prison population for denial of parole hearrings, violation of civil rights, and prisoner abuse. They've got 48 hours to go through hundreds of boxes of records, trying to link what's happened to prisoners to patterns of behavior by the warden. Marcy intervenes to prevent the more junior associates from helping Eli with the research, but Jordan stands up for him: "This firm does not cut and run," he says. For a second I thought I was watching Fox News.

Keith heads to the prison to take depositions, and hears horrible stories of mistreatment of prisoners -- including Mosley's account of being sent to a part of the prison where members of the Aryan Nation lived, because he complained about the lack of treatment his cellmate received when his appendix burst.

After walking Maggie to a cab after a long day, Eli has another vision of the rally in the future, where Mosley thanks a man named Darrell Rhodes and Keith Bennett. And then he sees himself, and Maggie, who's holding a baby. OK, so Team Taylor loses in the end.

In court, prisoner after prisoner recant their affidavits on the witness stand -- intimidated by the warden. Things are looking bleak until the next day, when the team calls Darrell Rhodes -- the warden's former administrative assistant -- to the stand. His testimony about the warden's treatment of prisoners, which completely squares with the stories the prisoners are telling, basically ensures a settlement from the Department of Corrections -- and, Eli insists, the warden's resignation. Mosley ends up getting his parole hearing -- and it's granted. Then the governor denies it.

Back to Steve the chimp. Dowd and Taylor end up on the case -- Dowd because Eli told him Taylor was an animal lover when Dowd asked him for advice on how to score with her, and Taylor because she's an expert in family law and Dowd's argument revolves around Steve and Pete's civil rights and partnership. Taylor, of course, hates animals -- "especially gorilla-type ones," and appropriately bawls Eli out for getting her into this, and for being jealous of Dowd.

In court, Taylor and Dowd argue that their client, Pete the chimp, deserves the same kind of protection under the law as humans, given the physiological and genetic similarities between chimps and humans. They think they're going to have to drop the case until Patti bucks them up with news about Steve's worsening condition and a diatribe about how Taylor's a "meat-eating animal hater." Now, I like Patti and all, but in this instance the spunky assistant element just feels a little bit overplayed. Maybe Erin Brockovich could get away with talking to her boss like that, but this is starting to grate; it seems just a little ... pat. Maybe I just liked her better when she and Eli got along.

On the stand, the primatologist who works with the chimps testifies to Pete's trauma in Africa as a youth, and how he never bonded with anyone until he met Steve. The two became devoted to one another -- and developed a sexual relationship, which is why they were separated. But since then, Steve has stopped eating, lost weight, developed bleeding ulcers, and suffered self-inflicted wounds.

Then -- you guessed it -- they put Pete on the stand. Aw. Koko sad. It's a cheap stunt to tug at your heart strings -- and damned if it didn't work on me. Seriously, how can you not just melt at the sight of a chimp hugging and kissing a picture of his partner, and screeching with delight when that partner comes in? Answer: you can't. It's like Forrest Gump -- you know you're being manipulated, but who cares? Which is evidently how the judge feels too, because she rules in Pete's favor, reasoning that separating the chimps causes undue harm under the theory of "chimpanzee tort protection" -- a total piece of BS that Dowd serves up with a straight face. Steve and Pete end up at a compound called Chimp Paradise, released by the zoo, living happily ever after. Koko happy!

Back to Mosley -- in the end, he remains determined to perservere, knowing that he'll have another shot at parole next year and the year after. Keith, remorseful for the way he handled Mosley's case 10 years ago, offers to come and work with him on the legal argument for his parole, and to educate him about the law.

And Eli's vision? On stage, Mosley offers a tribute to his friend Eli Stone, "whose words and deeds reminded us that there is no faith without hope, no justice without compassion, no humanity without fairness." Before joining Mosley, Eli kisses Maggie and the baby, then faces the adoring throng and waves. So we know that ultimately, if not a prophet, Eli remains an activist -- and ends up making a difference. How about that?

What did you think? Was this episode a little bit heavy on the metaphors? Did you think the chimp case ventured a little further into Ally McBeal territory than we've gone before? Do you buy that Taylor would ever consider having anything to do with Dowd? How do you feel about the Eli-Maggie merger 10 years from now? Or was that really a vision of the future at all?

S01E12 Recap

Eli Stone is determined to have his aneurysm removed, and he's getting his affairs in order. This week's vision: as he's leaving his neurosurgeon, Eli gets into a cab heading to the office, and suddenly he's in the back of a station wagon driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. As the driver wraps up a cell phone call with someone he affectionately calls "Macaroni," an earthquake hits -- during rush hour, in exactly three days (never mind that the Golden Gate is awfully uncrowded for 5:13 p.m.).

Instead of the office, Eli heads to see Dr. Chen. "As if one fake hallucination wasn't enough, now I'm getting one directed by Michael Bay," he tells Chen, who's fantastic at not letting Eli succumb to his despair.

Meanwhile, the firm politics continue, and Marcy Klein (Katey Sagal) is lobbying the partners for Jordan's ouster. But this is Victor Garber -- Jack Bristow, for heaven's sake -- and he's not scared that easily. And while Eli's talking to Patti and then Maggie, whose fiance, Scott, is moving to San Francisco on Thursday, Chen calls. There's a scientists on TV, protesting on the steps of city hall, warning that there's an earthquake coming.

Chen and Eli go to see the scientist, Dr. Foote, who's earthquake proofing his house and essentially has turned his entire house into an earthquake detector. No one believes him, his previous predictions of disaster haven't come true, and his wife has taken their family and moved away. He predicts that the epicenter of this one will be at Silver Terrace -- a 6.5 at least. And of course, if this is true, Eli's vision of the future is validated.

Eli's plan: go to court with Dr. Foote, and petition the city to close down the Golden Gate Bridge for a few hours on Thursday. "If I dismiss this case I'll have to start a three-month trial on accounting practices," the judge says. "I'll do just about anything to avoid that for a day or two."

Taylor's on Marcy Watch, trying to keep her father from facing sure calamity with the partners. They're in from New York and Chicago, checking up on Jordan's management. "Are you live blogging the office now?" he asks her. And Marcy's got Eli firmly in her sights. He asks Maggie to be second chair on the earthquake case, but she can't -- she's working as second chair to Marcy, who's now the opposing counsel. Oh, and Eli sees a photo of Scott -- and realizes it's the guy in the station wagon in his vision.

In court, with Dr. Foote on the stand, Marcy moves that the case be dismissed; scientific testimony is inadmissible unless generally accepted by the scientific community. No one believes this guy, and his wife left him on the date of the quake he predicted in 2005.

Taylor begs Eli to drop the case, warning him that Marcy's on the warpath to use Eli's behavior and methods of practice against her father. Eli goes to Jordan and offers to recuse himself and find alternate counsel for Dr. Foote. The rapport between Eli and Jordan, while far from the father-son kind of warmth that they once knew, makes clear that a deep bond still runs between the two of them -- maybe not of affection, as it once was, but certainly respect. Eli owes Jordan everything, and he knows it; and not just because Taylor used it as leverage to get Eli to drop the case. But Jordan won't let Eli quit. Every case he's taken has been with Jordan's approval. "My lawyers finish their cases," he says.

Eli warns Maggie that Marcy has chosen her as second chair to gain information about him -- not because, as Maggie assumes, she's spunky and a hard worker. Oy. In court, he puts Dr. Foote's estranged wife on the stand. She disputes the notion that she left Dr. Foote because she thought he was crazy, nothing that the real reason was his obsession with work to the exclusion of her and his family.

That night, Marcy shows Maggie her true colors, as Eli predicted, by pursuing information on the cases they worked on together -- how Eli acted, what motivated him, what he said. And the next day, Marcy puts Maggie on the stand as a hostile witness. Eli was focusing on representing individuals rather than corporations, Maggie said. And he was motivated in the Solinsky case to get the residents of Silver Terrace out so they wouldn't be hurt in the earthquake he saw in his vision of the future.

On cross-examination, Eli asks Maggie what she said to him when he told her about the vision. "That I believed you," she says, eyes filled with tears. Oh, crap. I almost like Eli and Maggie together now. They're terrific in this scene, and the emotion feels real. Does that mean I need to relinquish my position on Team Taylor?

The judge denies Eli's request. But the mayor believes him -- a senior aide calls Eli and Dr. Foote in, and says that the mayor has agreed to shut down the bridge. And Eli warns Maggie to tell Scott to stay off the Golden Gate Bridge when he gets into town.

Separately, Eli's got other things to worry about. He asks Matt Dowd to handle his living will, because he needs it to be iron-clad, drafted without sympathy or sentiment. "We're going to put your utter lack of humanity to use," Eli tells him. To his credit, Dowd has momentary flashes of sympathy for Eli, even standing up for him during his next-to-impossible-to-get dinner with Taylor, who's railing about Eli's pursuit of the case to her father's detriment. And he doesn't betray his attorney-client privilege, no matter how much he wants to score.

Later, Eli gathers Taylor, Patti, and Dowd into his office and explains to Taylor and Patti that he needs them to witness the signing of his living will. He doesn't want to be Terri Schiavo'ed. "You want us to witness you signing your suicide note?" Taylor asks incredulously. It's "about how and under what circumstances I don't want to live," Eli tells her. It's another moment that really showcases one of the things I like so much about this show -- the strength of the relationships between the people. They're not always close, but the bonds are apparent, and it feels real.

Back to Jordan's fate. Marcy has gathered the partners together for a vote on his ouster, arguing that by allowing Eli to pursue the cases he has, he's damaged the reputation of the firm. Jordan speaks up, defending Eli and saying that Marcy's problem isn't that he's eccentric; it's that he's working with individuals and not conglomerates. Every firm -- every company -- needs someone like Eli, he says. His speech wanders straight into Aaron Sorkin territory, but in the hands of Victor Garber, it comes off credible and emotional, without being too cynically manipulative. I've said before and I'm repeating again that I'm a sucker for Garber, and maybe that explains my reaction to the scene. Maybe it won't hold up on second viewing. But right now, I buy it.

By this point, it's about an hour before the earthquake's about to strike, and Eli stands on a table in the firm lobby to tell his co-workers to bug out to Golden Gate Park, a safer location during an earthquake than a 22-story glass building. Take my word on faith, he urges them, then asks, Jerry Maguire style, who's with me? No one answers, but people do start scattering. Have you ever hoped for a disaster more than you did during this scene?

It's no surprise when the partners vote to remove Jordan as managing partner of the firm -- and he takes it incredibly gracefully. "I can live with the partners' decision," he says. "I hope they can." And with that, there's a giant rumble, followed by smashing glass and falling beams as a 6.8 earthquake hits. "I'd like a re-vote," Jordan says on his way out of the room.

At Golden Gate Park, Eli, Patti, Maggie, Scott, Nate, and others watch as the bridge crumbles in the middle, in an effect worthy of Jerry Bruckheimer -- minus the stuff blowing up.

S01E13 Recap （Season Finale）

My rule of thumb is that they can't kill off the title character -- but it was still interesting to see how events unfolded and how the unorthodox structure of this episode worked. We begin with Eli in surgery -- they're about to deal with the aneurysm when he starts to crash. We next see him waking up in bed at home, at the start of the week in which he'll have brain surgery. At the office, people are unusually friendly. "If anyone deserves to... not die or be brain damaged, it's you," Matt Dowd mumbles to Eli in the elevator. "But if you do wind up a vegetable, two words: Sponge bath."

Our guy knows something's amiss when even Patti's sweet to him. "Where's the mayor of Sasstown when I need her?" he asks, asking her to be meaner to him than usual this week. He has a new client, David Green (Richard Schiff), a cancer patient who wants to fight his wife's efforts to declare him incompetent to make his own medical decisions because he wants to refuse chemotherapy for the latest recurrence of his illness. God told him to be at peace with what's going to happen, he tells Eli.

Meanwhile, Eli goes to see Nate to ask him to be his health care proxy and make sure that his wishes are followed. Nate panics, lacking faith in himself to follow through after his experience with their father and his transplant patient. "I believe you'll do the right thing," Eli reassures him. "I want you to let me go."

Maggie volunteers to be second chair on the case, which he agrees to after a conversation about how he feels about undergoing life-threatening surgery. But it's the way he looks at her when she's not looking -- I dare you to not be moved by it.

In pre-trial conference with Mr. Greene and his wife, Rebecca (Jayne Brook) -- who's a rabbi -- we get to the crux of the case. Rebecca doesn't believe that God spoke to David, particularly when what David thinks God told him to do amounts to abandoning his children. He makes an eloquent argument for dying with dignity; she argues equally eloquently that his children need him. It's a beautifully acted scene -- the affection and sadness between them is palpable, and their passion for their own points of view is sincere, tearful and moving.

Back to Eli's life. Jordan, who survived the partnership vote, tells Eli that his first impression of him was that he was an ass -- but he turned out to be so much more. They walk into the conference room, where the entire firm is waiting to congratulate Eli, who's being made junior partner in charge of pro bono initiatives. "I made you partner because your compassion changed me," Jordan says. Flash -- Jordan standing at an unconscious Eli's bedside.

On the stand in court, Rebecca says she's convinced that David's wish is a symptom of his depression, and that she doesn't believe he could possibly have found new faith and hope because he's not fighting to live. Later, talking with Eli, David describes the moment of clarity and peace that he knows was God speaking to him. Eli, a little daunted, confesses that he's never felt something like that.

Next up: Taylor. She offers to give Eli his office back, now that he's made partner. It's another touching conversation in an episode filled with touching conversations, and she tells him he's the most important person in her life, because he taught her about love. "Listen to me -- you're not dead, right?" she says. Flash -- Taylor, talking to an unconscious Eli at his bedside.

But for now we stay in this moment. Nate comes in and explains to Taylor what happened. Eli was on the operating table, and they thought he was out of the woods when he had two hemorrhages and a heart attack that cut off blood flow to his brain. Nate's anguished about the idea of having to remove Eli from life support, and Taylor argues that he doesn't have to.

Flash -- Eli in Dr. Chen's office, explaining what's going on with David Greene's case, and perplexed by the idea that in his relationship with God, he's never felt the kind of weight being lifted that Greene does. There follows another wonderful piece of acting between Jonny Lee Miller and James Saito, talking through Eli's frustration with his "spiritual punishment." Chen says that he's studied religions because he's never been able to feel close to God -- but through Eli, God found him, and lifted his burdens. "Why is everyone talking to me like I'm going to die?" Eli asks. Then Chen wakes up in his own bed -- and goes over to Nate's house.

So if you're keeping track, the surgery was real, and we're seeing flashes of conversations that incorporate what people are saying to Eli in the hospital room, or even thinking. Chen has his dream the night before Nate is scheduled to take Eli off life support. He tells Nate he knows part of Eli is still alive, and he's trying to get a message out. Don't give up on him yet -- he doesn't yet know that the surgery has happened, but he's close. Chen believes he's supposed to convince Nate not to take away the life support, and Nate believes that if he doesn't honor Eli's very specific wishes, he's betraying him. Chen shows Nate the photo of himself with Mr. Stone, saying that their father foresaw him helping Eli, and this is his chance to do it. Nate agrees to wait 48 hours.

After David, on the witness stand, reasserts his belief that he got a divine message, Rebecca goes to see Eli. She tries to convince him to urge David to keep fighting. She knows all about Eli's story -- his illness, his cases, the earthquake -- and she believes that David chose him for a reason. She believes Eli can show him that fighting to live is worth it, and that difficulties can be overcome. Eli tells David that he thinks Rebecca is right -- he should want to live, for the kids, for her, and for himself. "I believe that God spoke to you," Eli says. "I just think you heard him wrong."

But they don't get it. David is fighting for his life, he says -- the life he has now, which doesn't revolve around work and actually involves his wife and kids. His life has meaning and purpose now, he says -- he was sleepwalking before. And Eli, better than anyone else could, certainly understands. Schiff's is a wonderful performance, and in the hands of a less skilled actor that speech could have come off as saccharine. Here it was, like all the performances tonight, affecting and excellent. Eli's close is great -- he tells his own story, and asserts that David should be able to make his own decisions about his treatment. And he wins.

Flash -- Jordan walks into Taylor's office to find her crying. They need to get going, he says. But before they do, they talk about what it's been like for her at the firm, how the office is changing, and how he needs her help.

Flash to the hospital -- David Greene has died. One by one, Nate, Patti, Taylor, Jordan, Matt Dowd, Maggie, Keith, and Dr. Chen all come into Eli's room and gather around his bed. Another flash -- Eli's in Chen's office, and he's starting to put two and two together. He had the surgery, didn't he? and it didn't go well. Their conversation is almost magical, and the upshot is that Eli can choose whether to let go or whether to live. It's up to him. Everyone who loves him will survive, albeit sadly, if he dies. But, they both realize, he has more to do. And Chen uses one of his acupuncture needles to get Eli started on his journey back.

But not before a song-and-dance number along the way, complete with a fantastic appearance by George Michael, singing by Victor Garber and Loretta Devine, and a kind of too tarted-up looking Maggie. As the song goes on, Eli regains his composure and his confidence.

Flash. In his hospital room, Eli opens his eyes, takes a deep breath, and exhales. And I dare you not to cry, just a little bit.

Eli Stone 神奇律师 S01E08 Recap

donatino — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:10:00 +0000

从第一集看到第八集，终于有了想写点东西的冲动。不可否认，《Eli Stone》开局很平淡，但它现在越来越好了。从上几周的收视率统计来看，该剧的收视率曾一度下滑，但目前又开始缓慢上扬，可见观众已逐渐认可该剧。《神奇律师》这个中文名字是我去年五月份第一次拿到该剧新闻发布稿时取的，我曾一度怀疑这个名字是否贴切。现在看来，还是要相信当初自己的第一感觉。

第八集是很精彩的一集，里面揉进了很多相互交织在一起的、很复杂的要素，应该说这一集的编剧水平属于 "甲等"。在这一集中，Eli赢了官司，却受了打击。当然，倒不是说他真的让谁给痛打了一顿，而是心灵上的……很多时候，心灵的创伤比肉体的创伤更难以愈合。可以预见，在本季剩下的5集里，Eli会有相当长的一段意志消沉期。

其实从某方面来说，Eli目前所面临的困境是注定要发生的－－因为他的肩上承担了太多不该承担的分量。首先，所谓的 "上帝的预言"，或者说 "预见未来的神奇力量"，一直在困扰着他。其次，他有一个不宜动手术的脑动脉瘤，说不定哪天就要了他的命。第三，这个脑动脉瘤让他每天不定时地表现出古怪异常的行为。第四，他在公司的地位和在老板眼中的形象开始动摇了……本集结尾我们可以看到，Matt甚至取代Eli成了老板最信任的 "继任者"。最后一点，也是最重要的，他生命中竟然有三个女人（不是一个，也不是两个）！他除了痛苦之外，真的无可奈何。倒霉的Eli，不知道他还要忍受多久？也许他确实忍不下去了，所以在本集中他放手了，让步了。

说实话，从第一集到第八集，也许这是我们第一次看到Eli大发脾气。也许他对某些人说话很大声，或者对他们很傲慢，但他从没有摔过椅子，或者折断铅笔。这一次，他真的生气了－－他甚至对一向和颜悦色的陈医生大吼大叫。虽然陈医生那句 "我知道你的感受" 触到了Eli的痛处，但是陈医生不一定真的了解Eli的感受－－也许Eli自己都不了解。真正了解Eli的，或许就是 "住在天上的那位"－－他给了Eli那些幻觉，他引起了Eli生活中的麻烦，他夺走了Eli所爱所喜的一切，他逼迫Eli相信 "为了做正确的事就必须作出牺牲"。我倒是希望 "住在天上的那位" 只是剧中的一种说词，如果真的是他让Eli产生了幻觉，而不是他脑中的动脉瘤，那……岂不是太俗了？

和 "住在天上的那位" 让Eli很痛苦，但完成 "住在天上的那位" 交给他的任务更让他痛苦。他觉得自己在做正确的事，但是他却不得不使用 "不正确的方法"；他觉得自己帮助了别人，却让很多一直关心他、他也很在乎的人对他大失所望－－Taylor和Patti就是其中的两位。Taylor恨Eli，是因为她一直抱有希望的这位 "前未婚夫" 竟然背着她与委托人达成不光彩的秘密交易；Patti恨Eli，不仅仅因为他帮那位奸诈的房地产开发商赢得了官司，而且因为Eli用花言巧语欺骗了她（地震？谁相信？）。不过，Patti对Eli的感觉，怜悯大于气恼。正如Patti在教堂里（Eli幻觉中坍塌的那座教堂）所说：她在为Eli祈祷，因为他病得很厉害，要想办法好起来。

爱情，这部电视剧虽然不是以此为主题，但也逃不开这个话题。我看到很多人说，他们不喜欢Taylor，感觉Taylor和Eli之间缺少吸引力，也就是西方人最喜欢说的 "化学反应（chemistry）"，我略有同感。Eli的生命里本来有过另一个不错的女人－－第一集中的单身母亲Beth Keller－－两人曾是初恋情人，Eli还向她奉献了 "人生的第一次"。在第一集中，我们甚至可以感觉到两人之间萌发的 "化学反应"。不幸的是，编剧没有想好这个角色该怎么发展，最后只有忍痛割爱。大家如果经常浏览Tv.com及ABC的官方网站会发现，Beth Keller这个角色曾经出现在 "Cast" 名单（即主要演员）中，但后来被悄悄撤掉，并被放到了 "Guest Star" 名单（即客座演员）中。

不过，现在最让我感兴趣的是Eli生命中的第三个女人－－Maggie。我可以直言不讳地说，我喜欢这个角色。喜欢她的绝不止我一个人－－有些爱好者甚至做了几段音乐视频放到Youtube，表达他们对Maggie／Eli组合的喜爱。怎么说呢，Maggie对Eli有意见也不是一次两次了，但她每次并非生气，而是困惑。一旦她不再困惑，她全身心地、无条件地相信Eli。当然，仅凭八集的表现来判断一个角色有些为时过早。但看到Maggie，我们看到了某种程度上的纯真－－至少在 "为了赢得官司而不惜一切手段" 的法律界来说，她很纯，纯得有点傻，傻得有点可爱。

在第七集中，Maggie赢得了自己的第一场官司，得意忘形之际，她主动亲吻了Eli。那时我就预感到Maggie和Eli之间可能发生点什么。Eli显然为这件事感到烦恼，甚至主动找到Maggie，要求两人之间划清界线。但是在转眼之间，Eli丢掉了自己对Maggie的承诺，回吻了Maggie。此时此刻，Maggie会怎么想？Maggie又如何能了解Eli怎么想？我不得不说，Maggie变成了我看该剧的重要推动力之一，但我不喜欢Eli这么对待她。Maggie不是一个玩物，虽然她对Eli百依百顺（可以这么说吧），但Eli没有权力在喜欢的时候选择要她，不喜欢的时候又选择推开她。这是对Maggie的一种伤害，也是对观众感情的一种伤害。和很多人一样，我希望看到Maggie和Eli在一起。在这两个人身上，我看到了很强的 "化学反应" －－强过Eli／Taylor，也强过Eli／Beth。但我无法判断，如果两人真的走到了一起，是好事，还是坏事？

当然，该剧的看点还有很多，比如优美的歌舞表演（可惜太少）；不时出现的电脑特效（映衬Eli的幻觉）；总是一长一短双线进行的案件（和其他法律剧最大的区别）。看得出，该剧还是花了一些成本的，制作也比较精良－－至少编剧脑袋里在想事，不像《Bionic Woman》的编剧，只会生搬硬套一些陈词滥调的东西。一部电视剧有稳定的收视群，有看点，又让人有思考的空间，我觉得 "第二季" 应该不是太遥远的奢望了。

后情提要：Eli将遭受更大的打击－－Taylor和Matt上床了……而Beth又出现在Eli的视线中。

新剧《神奇律师》（Eli Stone）初印象

donatino — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:12:00 +0000

来瞧瞧Eli Stone，这位初次亮相就给ABC带来1160万人收视率的"神奇律师"，他身上究竟有什么魔力？

Eli Stone是旧金山一家颇具盛名的法律公司的律师，一辈子都在追求Armani （阿玛尼，著名奢侈品品牌Giorgio Armani 的简称）这样的名牌时装，追求利益，追求野心。他有一个美如天仙的未婚妻，而且还是老板的女儿。他享受着完美的美国梦，他的人生将无比灿烂。可是……当我们第一眼看见他时，穿着阿玛尼西装的他，却站在白雪皑皑的喜马拉雅山脚下，叫两个夏尔巴人替他拍照片。而且他还告诉我们：他最近发现自己可能是个预言家。

如果谁告诉你，他是个"预言家"，你会相信吗？你凭什么去相信他呢？可我们这位Eli，却在自己家客厅里看见了高声唱着《Faith（信念）》的著名歌星George Michael，而且耳旁不时萦绕着他的歌声，甚至在案件当事人的家里看到了用积木搭起来的"George Michael"的名字，这一切又当作何解释呢？

一开始，我很难判断该剧究竞是喜剧（Comedy）、幻想剧（Fantasy）还是情节剧（Drama）。但是通过观看第一集，我发现该剧上述特点兼而有之，因此可以说是 "混合剧" 。

ABC对该剧的态度相当低调，在播出前几乎没做任何大规模的宣传，因此1000多万人的收视率已经超出预期了（尽管有《Lost》在前面"领跑"）。如果你用心看下去，会觉得该剧有不少看点，和传统的律师剧很不一样。也许，它更像是混合了《Pushing Daisies》的律师剧，游走在严肃和欢闹之间。但有一点它无法与《Pushing Daisies》相提并论－－至少到目前为止，它没有后者所塑造的人物魅力。

作为律师剧，本集聚焦的是一宗医疗诉讼案。Beth Keller的儿子Ben接种了带有防腐剂的疫苗，出现了自闭倾向，Beth于是将生产防腐剂的厂商告上法庭。Eli在关键时刻挺身而出，帮助这对孤儿寡母打赢了官司，并逼迫厂商作出高达520万美元的巨额赔偿。不过，本集的结局的确十分搞笑……我不是说故事本身，而是那几行大大的声明文字："THE PRECEDING STORY WAS FICTIONAL AND DID NOT PORTRAY ANY ACTUAL PERSONS, COMPANIES, PRODUCTS, OR EVENTS." 1月30日的新闻中我专门提到了，《神奇律师》似乎惹上了点麻烦……该剧还没有开播，美国国内一大批儿科医生和大型医药公司已经联名致信ABC，要求取消该剧第一集的播出。儿科医生和医药公司认为，本集的情节是在指桑骂槐，而且会给儿童就医带来负面影响。看样子ABC把这件事看得过于严肃了。不过，从另一个侧面也反映，这些儿科医生和医药公司拥有不可小觑的影响力。我从未在《Boston Legal》或者其他律师剧的结尾看到这样郑重的声明－－尽管那些律师剧中也经常出现有争议和分歧的问题。

Eli的幻觉是本剧的主要噱头，潜力很大，但是给人的印象却并不深。到目前为止，对 "幻觉" 的交待和处理都比较简单直白，缺乏深度，缺乏复杂度。虽然这种 "幻觉" 可能是脑动脉瘤引起的，而且可能是推动剧情不断发展的根本要素，但 "人为加工" 的痕迹还比较明显－－我的意思是说，目前驱动角色的不是剧情，也不是案件，而是编剧自己的想法，这一点显得比较拙劣。

本剧的人物有一定潜力，比如说针灸大夫"陈医生"。他是个常规角色，他给人看病时的口音是故意装出来的，他是个串场人物，他的存在就是讲述每集的 "主题"，你也可以称之为每集的大道理。这些都没问题，有问题的是……这些太做作了。

Eli的老板同时也是他未来的岳父，这个设定很有意思。更重要的是，Eli和岳父大人似乎今后要成为法庭上的对手，这个设定更有意思。没意思的是，Eli的未婚妻Taylor和他没有任何 "化学反应"。事实上，Eli与Beth Keller之间的相互吸引力可能更强些－－更何况，Beth还是Eli当年付出童贞的对象。Beth是一名常规角色，也就是说，她也是该剧的主要演员。这是不是说，Eli很可能离开Taylor而转向Beth？我在演员表中看到了第三位年轻美貌的女性角色： Maggie Dekker，好像第一集没有出现。难道会是纠缠不清的一男三女四角恋？上帝啊。我个人偏向Beth Keller一些，淑女＋美女，谁不喜欢？

剧中还有一个无足轻重的角色：Eli当医生的兄弟Nathan（不清楚是哥哥还是弟弟），也许是为了剧情需要故意安排的吧。噢，剧情需要嘛……

最后，提一个有意思的小细节。Eli的母亲由Pamela Reed扮演，她曾在CBS的《Jericho》中出演主角Jake的母亲。请注意她交给Eli的咖啡罐，上面标着 "Chock Full o' Nuts"！难道这是在对《Jericho》中Jake父亲的死以及为拯救《Jericho》而发起的 "Nuts!联盟" 表示敬意？呵呵，不知道。

佳句欣赏

"不是要和你假正经，Eli，但我明天早上八点还要出庭作证，这一次我们能不能不玩角色扮演了？" －－Taylor。正在和她做爱的Eli突然起身，跑到客厅寻找George Michael。
"压力可以让你早衰，但不会让一个英国传奇歌星站在你家的沙发上大唱他的流行金曲。" －－ Eli。他的兄弟正在为 "幻觉" 的事对他进行诊断。
"这一次又是谁？Cyndi Lauper？Billy Joel？The Go-Go's？" －－ Patti。Eli听见了电缆车的铃声。
"你不会碰巧有根能治我不能开刀的、从我错误地恨了二十年的酒鬼父亲那里遗传来的脑动脉瘤的针吧？" －－ Eli。将自己的病情告诉Chen医生。
"噢，太糟糕了，兄弟。" －－ Chen医生用"美国口音"回答。

[2007～2008重点新剧展望] Eli Stone

donatino — Thu, 31 May 2007 12:24:00 +0000

Eli Stone (ABC)
神奇律师

开发状况：拍摄中 (2007-2008 season)
播出状况：剧集预定 (首批13集)

介绍

（译自ABC官方新闻发布稿）去年一部《Brothers and Sisters》还真是成功，今年ABC连续派生两部由《Brothers and Sisters》主创人员开发的新剧－－《Dirty Sexy Money》和这部《Eli Stone》。《Eli Stone》结合了来自《Ghost Whisperer》的灵感和幻想，来自《The Practice》的直白和热情，来自《Monk》的幽默和小聪明，讲述了一个人如何改变自己的生活。

今天，唯利是图的律师Eli Stone遇到了一辈子最倒霉的事－－他居然开始关心自己办理的案件了。如果这对一个卑鄙无情的 "法律骗子" 来说还不算什么，那么Eli总是出现幻觉并不停看见死去的父亲，就有些神奇了。这是不是意味着Eli不该屈尊做一个人见人骂的 "混帐律师"，还有更大的命运在召唤他？如果上帝可以让Eli重见让他体验 "人生第一次" 的大学女友，那么还有什么事情不可能发生呢？金钱？名誉？爱情？见鬼去吧，他要走自己的路。

Eli惊讶地发现，自己的梦想竟能成真，他感觉那真是好极了。现在，他不再帮助那些邪恶的大公司和大富豪打官司，而是替那些弱势群体争取利益。至于他不断出现的幻觉，医生认为是一个动脉瘤－－可能受到了他父亲的遗传。但是Eli却将其当作千载难逢的好机会－－他拥有了预知的能力！

也许Eli Stone还是原来那个Eli Stone，但他已有了一颗善心。不管人们打官司原不愿意选择他，他迷人的外表和非凡的智慧，却真是难以抗拒。

Dr. Chen, Beth, Patti, Taylor Wethersby, Matt, Jordan Wethersby

主要演员

· James Saito as Dr. Chen
· Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone
· Laura Benanti as Beth
· Loretta Devine as Patti
· Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby
· Sam Jaeger as Matt
· Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby

制作公司

· ABC Television Studio
· After Portsmouth
· Berlanti Television