Episode 01 - The Path

'The Path' - Eli is meeting with a therapist, and tells her that it's been six months since he had his aneurysm removed. He was walking down the street and saw everyone burst into song and dance. Or so he claims. The therapist realizes he's lying because he misses the visions, and considers signing his recertification to practice law after the operation. She thinks he's depressed and he admits he's been to the office for a week. Patti tries to get him to give her numbers for the lottery, since the word is out that he successfully predicted the earthquake. He tries to explain he isn't having visions and she gives him a MP3 player as a welcome back present… and so he can hear music while he works.




The therapist continues to review Eli's activities in the office, and the fact that Jordan seems more interested in the firm's pro bono cases than their more wealthy clients. Eli is unable to practice law and help Maggie with the pro bono cases. The therapist also wonders if Eli has resolved his feelings toward Maggie, and Eli says that he doesn't have any feelings for her. She admits to Eli she's having trouble keeping up with the cases plus her upcoming wedding, and he directs her to Keith Bennet. Eli admits he misses the opportunity to practice law and she asks about his relationship with his brother Nathan. It turns out he's moving in with his girlfriend Beth, Eli's first. Her son is doing well and Nathan assures Eli he'll eventually find someone to be with. The therapist finally calls his bluff and signs his recertification, but warns that it won't fill the void in his life that he's feeling. As he leaves, he asks her what she thinks he's missing, and she says that he's missing the sense of his divine in his life, but he won't admit it.

At the hospital, Nathan is informed that one of his patients wants to see a priest. Nathan goes in to see him… and finds himself having a vision that he's in a bank. No one notices him and suddenly he sees a crane smash through skylight… and finds himself lying on the floor with the patient.

Eli is back at the office when Nathan visits him and eventually gets around to the fact that he had a vision. Eli believes him, which convinces Nathan that he just had a hallucination. Meanwhile, Taylor talks to Jordan who explains thanks to him their client is going to make millions unethically. He admits that Eli's crusades invigorated him but he's disappointed that the "new" Eli is like the old Eli. He realizes that perhaps they all need to live independently of Eli and heads out for his signing meeting.

Eli stops in to meet with Dr. Chen for the first time in four months. Chen is now selling smoothies to make bills. Eli explains that Nathan had a vision. However, Chen is skeptical and notes that he believed that he was part of something divine, but he isn't any more. He points out that it wasn't just Eli's life that was affected by his visions, and everyone who knew Eli was touched.

Jordan arrives at the bank that Nathan saw in the vision, and a crane goes through the skylight.




Eli returns to the firm to find the staff watching the crane crash on the news. They know that Jordan was in the bank but don't know if he's still among those trapped. Taylor and her mother Ellen head for the bank along with Matt, who is with Taylor. As they leave, Matt warns Eli to stay away from Taylor. Nathan arrives and asks what's happening. Eli takes him to Chen for acupuncture to relive the vision. Nathan sees Jordan confronting the owners of the mortgage company and telling them they're "pond scum" Jordan takes the stairs downstairs just as the crane crashes into the building, and realizes he's still in the bank.




Eli and Nathan go to the crash site but the fire lieutenant doesn't believe anyone could have survived if they were in the stairwell, and they can't search in it without risking the entire building. Taylor doesn't believe him and tells Eli to get away from her. Back at the office, Eli tries to figure out a way to get an injunction without the support of a family member. Ellen Wethersby comes to him and insists on going to court with him. Eli realizes that Maggie convinced her after explaining that Eli saved her fiancé. Posner confronts Eli and accuses him of being deranged. He has Patti get Taylor on the phone.

Eli goes to court and tries to convince the judge, who is skeptical. Taylor, Posner, and Dowd come to court to represent the city against Eli. He calls in Sarah Nave, a structural expert, and the court grants an hour for the city's representatives to review the case. Taylor confronts Eli and notes that he doesn't even believe what he's saying, or he'd tell the judge about the vision. They're interrupted when Nathan collapses. He's taken to the hospital where they do a MRI and Nathan wonders if he has an aneurysm as well. Eli gets a call from a Dr. Langehan, who says he hasn't signed off yet on Eli's recertification. Eli checks the paper… and sees there's no signature. He goes to the therapists office only to find that it's been vacant for three months. He goes in and initially sees an empty office… and then finds the therapist there and the office furnished again.

Eli realizes he never learned her name, and the therapist wonders why he came to talk to her. She admits she might be a vision, or she might be God… or she might not. The therapist notes that Eli being normal is a failure of potential, and that Jordan wasn't the only person in that bank. Eli realizes that it's either Nate or him, and Eli got his wish. Realizing that Nathan has too much to live for, Eli asks for the aneurysm and the visions back. The therapist informs him that Eli is going to have to lead, and he knows what she means. Then she disappears, leaving Eli in an empty office.

Taylor cross-examines the structural expert, noting that she doesn't know enough to risk Jordan and the others. The judge prepares to give the ruling and Eli arrives in court just in time. He makes a closing statement, asserting that he's had visions from a higher power. Eli admits it sounds crazy and notes the court acknowledges a higher power. He puts his career and reputation on the line to say so in court. The judge admits she wants to believe, but refuses to grant the injunction. Outside, he confronts Taylor and says that she's scared not only about her father, but scared of Eli and what his visions represent. He assures her she can believe him, and asks her to try and talk to the fire department. Taylor agrees to talk to the fireman, and says she believes Eli.




At the bank, the fire department finds Jordan and gets him out alive. Matt embraces Taylor as they take Jordan to the hospital. Taylor and Ellen go with him while Eli gets a call from Nathan. Nathan tells him that the MRI tests for the aneurysm came up negative. Eli tells Nathan that they need to do another aneurysm… for Eli. It proves positive and the doctor explains that sometimes they come back, despite the fact there was nothing on the MRI a month ago. Nathan realizes that Eli knew. Eli goes to see Jordan but first talks to Taylor, who admits she can't totally wrap her head around the idea. She admits she should have listened when Eli first started having vision, but he thanks her for listening now. Matt apologizes for giving him a hard time earlier.

Eli goes in to see Jordan, who explains he was coming to see Eli when the building collapsed. He needed to tell him that he knows what they have to do now.


(Aired on Tuesday October 14 2008 on the ABC Television Network)

'Eli Stone' stars Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby, Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby, Laura Benanti as Beth, Loretta Devine as Patti, Sam Jaeger as Matt Dowd, James Saito as Dr. Chen, Matt Letscher as Nathan Stone and Julie Gonzalo as Maggie Dekker.

Guest stars include, Sigourney Weaver as Recertification Therapist, Debrah Farentino as Ellen Wethersby, Dakin Matthews as Mather-Young CEO, Conor O'Farrell as Lieutenant O'Shea, Ajay Mehta as Dr. Sanjay Rajapaksa, Michael Rothhaar as Dr. Langerhan, Alice Dodd as Sarah Nave, Marc D. Wilson as EMT, Angela Sargeant as Nurse, Jack Axelrod as Patient, David Jahn as Suit and Christian J. Meoli as Janitor.

'The Path' was written by Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg and directed by Perry Lang.

Source
ABC