Eli Stone’s Got Mojo and It’s Rising

Visions of the future, a lofty life-changing case, sex, snarky humor, deliciously angsty Eli-Maggie squabbling, inner turmoil over the burden of prophecy, and a twist ending – boy, Eli Stone was back with a vengeance this week.

After a disappointing past episode, Eli started this week off with a bang – falling into bed with fun-loving heiress girlfriend, Ashley Cardiff (Bridget Moynahan).  But the morning brought a new batch of trouble when Eli awoke to a vision of the future, where a woman, Jenny Clark, was being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for creating Cold Fusion.  Trouble also stirred with Ashley when she found Eli applauding the sky from his patio in nothing but his boxer briefs.

Eli’s recent bedroom adventures scored some early episode fun, as Chen, Patti, and Nate all quickly figured out that Eli had “let the little lawyer out of his briefs.” (Oh, Nate, I love you.) I think Nate and Eli’s witty, self-deprecating banter was exactly what last week’s episode was missing.  Nothing’s better than the Stone brothers.

But then it was down to business of another kind, and Eli went in search of his future Nobel Prize winner.  He found 22-year-old, college drop-out, Jenny Clark (spunky, adorable, and entirely likeable Danielle Panabaker) working at a home goods store just as she was surrounded by the Feds and arrested for terrorist activities.  Talk about a good time to have a prophet lawyer.

With his latest sidekick Keith at his side, Eli defended Jenny in court, arguing that the massive amounts of radioactive material she had removed from some clocks and fire alarms was not for a dirty bomb, but for a clean energy experiment.  The Feds didn’t have much of a case, though, since Jenny had no detonation materials, nor plans to build a bomb, and her notebook full of formulas – which Eli took to a Stanford physicist – could be considered “the most important contribution to carbon-free energy economy of the 21^st century.”  The stubborn Feds, however, continued to try to paint Jenny as the next Ted Kaczynski (a hack, Jenny scoffed).  So Eli convinced little miss college dropout to take the stand – though she refused to wear a dress – and defend her conviction not to work for a system that squashes innovation and science in order to profit oil companies (you sing it, sister), just like the auto industry destroyed her father and his innovative work.  After her brilliant and impassioned testimony, even the Judge couldn’t let the trial continue any longer.  The only problem was Jenny did break the law by gathering all those radioactive materials.  So the judge told Eli he better find a smart way to keep Ms. Einstein out of jail.

Eli found a way when he remembered the scientist, Irving Wallender, who presented Jenny with the Nobel prize in his vision.  Wallender offered Jenny a job in exchange for a get out of jail free card.  Jenny refused – she wouldn’t go work for the man – until Eli convinced her with one of his prophet-philosopher speeches.  He told her a gift like hers is given to a person; it does not belong to them, it belongs to the world.  The world’s given her a gift, and she must use it.  Eli’s Aristotle-channeling words rang true, and Jenny headed off to the Los Alamos Research facility to change history.

Back in other courts, preggo Taylor was defending her father, Jordan, in his divorce when she learnt from her ex-stepmom that her pops may not have been very truthful about his previous divorce proceedings from Taylor’s mom.  Taylor’s mother didn’t abandon her as she always thought; rather she was pushed away by her horrible father.  Jordan, who has been working hard to reverse his bad guy image, tried to apologize to Taylor for the wrongdoings of his past, but Taylor wasn’t having any of it.  Complex daddy issues are so hot right now.  Sure beats the heck out of last episode’s Taylor/Jordan sap fest.  This week, even Taylor and Matt Dowd’s romance was tolerable.

Speaking of romance, Eli’s was going down the tube.  On a whim, Eli decided it was a good idea to tell fun-loving Ashley about his visions from God.  It didn’t go over well, and she freaked out.  Eli lashed out unfairly at Maggie, who came to see him a little green in the eyes, after speaking with her client, Ashley Cardiff about her new boy toy (small world).  Maggie admitted that she told Ashley that Eli was “special,” which Eli called code for “weirdo.”  They exchanged heated words, and Maggie took it back: Eli’s not special, he’s an ass.  And off she stormed.  When are these two crazy kids going to get it together?

But Eli was still trying to make nice with Ashley, so he cutely seduced her with his witty charm over his Blackberry, and she agreed to meet him for dinner at Nate’s.  Ashley, however, never made it to Nate’s, and to rub salt in open wounds, Eli found out that Nate and his fiancée, Beth were planning to elope to Vegas the following week.  Eli feigned happiness and sunk deeper into loneliness.

Ashley did finally show up to apologize, but confessed that Eli just has too much baggage for her.  Pissed about his visions and the burden they have on his life, Eli headed to Chen’s hoping for the “dark truth” – a painful and dangerous procedure that helps you see the future.  Because Eli’s never seen his own future before – oh wait, yeah he did, and he was married to Maggie and they had a little bouncing, baby Mageli.  However, Eli’s massive loneliness must have somehow blocked this out, because he got very angry at Chen for refusing to do the “dark truth” and jumped over to his sexy competition, Dr. Lee. (Bad Eli for betraying Dr. Chen!) For a cool grand, Dr. Lee agreed to perform the “dark truth” on Eli, but his vision wasn’t exactly what he had hoped for.  Instead of ending up in his own romantic future, Eli’s vision took him to Vegas with Nate and Beth, just as Beth fled the altar.  It looks like there’ll be lots of drama in store for the Stone boys next time.  I can’t wait.  See you in Sin City.

Season 2, Episode 8: Owner of a Lonely Heart (originally aired December 16, 2008)

For another take on this episode, check out Where’s My Brother and Why Has He Been Replaced by a 12-Year-Old Girl? by Cameron Cubbison.

For more on Eli Stone, click here.

Tuesdays at 10/9C on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC