Season 1, Episode 1 – Pilot

Eli Stone is the story of an attorney from a top San Francisco law firm who suddenly finds himself experiencing visions. These visions drive him to take a case against his own lawfirm (a case that has brought about some real-life controversy). One would presume that Eli will continue to take “unwinnable” cases in future episodes.

Many of the concepts in Eli Stone are far from original. The die-hard, no-holds-barred lawyer who must go through a time of soul-searching to discover his true calling is a cliche that is over-used, at best. The use of a mental-deficiency and the question of whether or not it is the work of a higher power is not exactly a novel idea, either.

So what sets Eli Stone apart from the rest? Um…let’s see…not much. Boston Legal pretty much corners the market on the hot-button legal issues. Ally McBeal even did the hallucinating lawyer thing with the dancing baby. Besides causing a bit of a ruckus for the world on this side of the TV screen, the case contained in the first episode is not exactly memorable. There are some humorous moments sprinkled throughout, but all-in-all, it came across as pretty forgettable.

Grade: B-