So, last night was my LAST NIGHT of appointment TV for Thursdays as the season end of Eli Stone. The shortened season had been building to this operation to remove his congenital aneurism, with a parallel story line of a man’s right to die, with all the uncomfortable subtext overlapping. In what should have been a normal episodic progression over a regular lengths season, we, as viewers, saw a speeded up character progression from all of the players. In many ways it was like watching stop motion film of a flower growing, budding and opening in the span of 2 or 3 minutes instead of a month. I’m not sure how much this enhances time motion affected the quality of the project, but I can say that what finally hit the screen was nothing less than masterful. What is even more fascinating, the shows premise is becoming an allegory for the show itself. What I mean by that is, we have a show that clearly deserves to live (in this case, be renewed) and it is up to fate to decide if in fact it will. It wasn’t until halfway through the episode that the viewer realizes that his operation has already taken place and Eli is in a coma. While those among the living struggle with how to proceed with his DNR, they also receive messages from him, and all converge in the final moments of the episode, at his bedside in the hospital. As the final shot unfolds, Eli opens his eyes, but is he alive or in an afterlife?
From a Socio-Religious standpoint, this show has been fearless in its desire to ask the more than uncomfortable questions, to show the vacillation of individual faith in the face of daunting odds, to move forward when the only thing telling you to do so is the intangible belief of self and a presence above comprehension. When you say GOD, there are various pigeonholes you may be assure of being tucked into; A Right to Lifer, an Intelligent Designer eschewing science or a Right Wing Bible Belt Conservative. This show, while maintain an honest discussion of God, faith, belief and prayer had managed to avoid all that baggage, which is no mean feat. I have actually found myself watching and wanting to help Eli work through his problems, as I sit Deux Ex Machina , seeing all, knowing nothing or not much at all.
In a season shortened and broken by a writers strike, the litter on the roadside of the entertainment highway is sickening. And I fear for Eli Stone.
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