(You Gotta Have) Faith

You know one of the most frustrating things in life for me is knowing about an awesome show that people would love and not being able to get anyone to watch it. Now, I know I'm an extreme case seeing as I watch everything on TV but this particular show really should be watched by everyone.

I'm not going to go into the premise of the show or give any background. If you wanna know what I'm talking about take 45 minutes and watch the pilot on abc.com. Here we go!

He was almost in the clear
I kinda figured there would be a complication with the surgery so that was no shocker. What was? The fact that they managed to get the aneurysm out. Now these weren't the exact words used by Dan so there's still a chance that it's still around. Especially given Eli's comma trip. His exact words about the aneurysm were "It's gone." I know next to nothing about medicine but is it possible it just relocated?

I was really happy to see Richard Schiff again as I loved Toby on The West Wing. He did a superb job playing a man who would rather let cancer kill him than go through a third round of chemo. Of course since his reason for doing this is "God told me" his wife sues to declare him incompetent of making medical decisions and thus save his life.

It became clear fairly quickly that this was a metaphor for Eli's own impending decision and an issue he had been grappling with on the eve of his surgery: under what circumstances he didn't want to live. It's a tough issue especially since carrying out his wishes means placing responsibility on the people who care about him most and would be the most heartbroken to say good bye.

I normally wouldn't reccommend people watch an episode of a drama out of order but I think this deserves an exception. With this season finale the writers really showcased all the things that make this show really stand out. Its amazing and talented cast (so happy to have another musical number with Victor Garber and Loretta Devine), quirky sense of humor (Patti's constant criticisms to make Eli feel normal. George Michael as God's messenger. Again) and most importantly its heart.

It's very tough to connect with an audience on an emotional level without getting sappy or preachy (see: October Road, lately Grey's Anatomy) and this show has struck a fantastic balance. A lot of this has to do with how well crafted and likeable the characters are (even Maggie whom I know has been catching a lot of flack on the internets) but it also knows when to pull back and just let the moment speak for itself. Rather than throw long speeches with big words at us it relies on its actors to show us the emotion sometimes without saying anything at all. Victor Garber is especially good at this, keeping his voice level and his hardened exterior intact when he's talking to Taylor while letting his eyes show the pain and hope he has for Eli and himself. The relationship between his character and Eli just keeps getting more interesting.

I can't wait until this show comes back next season (hopefully). It's really drawn me in not because of the visions or cases that are featured but because of the relationships between the characters. Even the most dislikeable characters like Matt Dowd have really grown on me and I have to admit I'm even rooting for him with Taylor. That I'm so personally interested and invested in these characters and not on plot in what would typically be a plot-driven (read: gimmicky) show speaks volumes about the talent behind this gem.

It's gonna be a long summer hiatus, do yourself a favor and check out Eli Stone. You won't regret it!