Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that, aside from a few semi-steamy scenes involving adults in the throes of implied passion, there's no reason families can't watch this show together. The overarching message of helping others is a positive one, and the language is surprisingly clean. The main character also proves a worthy role model as he navigates his newfound role of once-sharky lawyer turned do-gooder.
Families can talk about whether a person who claimed to be getting messages from a higher power in real life would be taken seriously or considered seriously disturbed. If you were in Eli's position, would you risk your career to help other people? Is it possible to put other people's interests ahead of your own and still have a successful career, or do you have to choose one path or the other? Do you need to be prompted by visions to help others? What are some simple ways to positively affect the lives of those around you?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kari Croop
Ladder-climbing corporate lawyer ELI STONE (Jonny Lee Miller) is jolted into a strange new world that nobody else can see when he starts having visions involving pop star George Michael. His neurosurgeon brother (Matt Letsher) blames an inoperable brain aneurysm. But after consulting a Chinese acupuncturist (James Saito), Eli slowly begins to suspect that he might, in fact, be a modern-day prophet. To make the voices in his head stop screaming, Eli must use his legal prowess to solve other people's problems -- in essence, to do God's work.
Thanks to an original premise, over-the-top special effects, and elaborate song-and-dance sequences (which, frankly, are so embarrassing that they're cringe-worthy), Eli Stone is the kind of series that could develop a cult following. But it's a drama with comic aspirations that largely fall flat.
It's not that Miller isn't a likeable lead (his mix of charm and bewilderment is perfect) or that the comedy isn't sometimes clever (the revelation that Eli's sage acupuncturist, Dr. Chen, is actually a regular guy named Frank Niebowkowski is genius). It's just that the series as a whole tries a little too hard to be cute. It's also puzzling that Michael's music features -- almost as puzzling as the idea that he could help sell the series in the first place.
A better show with similar themes is Quantum Leap, a sci-fi drama about a scientist who uses his own skills to change the course of other people's lives. Or try Ally McBeal, a 1990s dramedy about a young lawyer who has distracting hallucinations (sound familiar?) or Phenomenon, which has some similar plot twists.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentAdult characters are occasionally showing "making out," with the implication that they're in the act of having sex. But no sensitive body parts are shown. |
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LanguageSome use of words like "ass" and "damn." |
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Social BehaviorAlthough Eli is conflicted about his new mission in life, he moves mountains to help other people. In the beginning, his motivations are purely selfish. But over time, he truly begins to become a more selfless person. |
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CommercialismGeorge Michael and his songs "Faith" and "Freedom" are central to the plots of several episodes. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAdults are sometimes shown drinking socially. |
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