Eli Stone: Praying for Time (Episode 108)

A man and his duck are not to be parted.Eli's shaving, giving himself a pep talk about the very good day he's going to have. Turns out, he's working from a text on Achievement Through Affirmation: see it, believe it, achieve it. He tells his reflection that there will be no George Michael, no WWII battles, and no fire breathing dragons in his closet. And just as he's trying to believe it and achieve it, the room starts to shake, Eli cuts himself, and the glass shower door shatters. Eli runs into the living room, where there's a full on 'quake in progress. Things are falling, and though Eli pleads with the universe to save the plasma, he's only able to grab a ceramic duck before he heads for the doorway, shouting, "Earthquake!" In the hall, everything is still. His neighbor smirks, "Nice duck."

At WPK, Eli's quizzing Patti on what she'd choose to save in an earthquake, but she's not in the mood. She tells him she'd grab a blunt object to hit him, so actually the duck would be a mutual choice. Eli crabs that Patti's treating him worse than Taylor this week and asks if it's about Salinski; Patti says the developer is a scum-sucking lizard and Eli is lower than Dick Cheney's bunion to represent him. The only thing lower than Dick Cheney's bunion is, one would imagine, Dick Cheney's crusty big toenail. Eli asks why she say something. Patti tells him Salinski is developing her friends and family right out of their homes, and why? Eli says: "So he can gentrify the neighborhood by building high-rise condos around a retail destination." It's one big verbal shrug. Patti paints a lovely picture of wealthy white people riding golf carts to Barnes and Noble so their feet don't get tired. Eli says made a deal: take the case and get Patti back. She says that if she means so much to him, he shouldn't be helping someone bulldoze her old neighborhood.

In a kitchenette, Eli asks Maggie what's going on. She starts blabbing about a celebutante being photographed without her underwear, but Eli interrupts that he meant what's going on with her, since she's been all weird and twitchy lately. More than usual. Maggie says she's fine. Eli says she's avoiding him; she says she's talking to him now. Eli says she's been weirder since the kiss. She shushes him, embarrassed, and says she's not even thinking about that thing, since she has a boyfriend. Taylor arrives to talk about the Salinski case and casually says she's interrupting, and Maggie dorks out to the tenth degree as she's like, "YOU ARE INTERRUPTING NOTHING," and Eli manages to be only half as dorky. Eli and Taylor leave, and Maggie sighs with the face of "d'oh."

Bennet, Dowd, and W. are filming an elabroate mock trial for Turk, murderous baseball player not guilty by reason of insanity thanks to steroids. W. says when that happens, he'll get a year's probation. Turk asks about the league, which Dowd says will probably be easy on Turk since he's the best catcher in the game (but not in my heart, which beats little baseball cheers for Jason Varitek). And the Hall of Fame? Bennet scoffs that Turk's even worried about that when facing a MURDER CHARGE. Turk's like, yeah, that's the whole point of my career, and now I'm saying I'm juicing. W. reminds him that's how to win the case. Turk exposits that the trial starts tomorrow--which, W. says, is why he stepped in--and he's thinking the defense is worse than the charge. Bennet reminds him that pretty much nothing else will matter when Turk is serving 25 to life and getting cozy with his cellie after lights out. Turk asks Dowd's opinion for real, and Dowd says that while he's not really on board, Turk has no other options.

Taylor and Eli are trying to be mature, talking about how not difficult it's going to be given that their relationship ended amicably and by mutual agreement and blah blah totally awkward how not awkward we want it to be. They start to make with case talk when Eli starts to feel the tremors again. And, as the building starts to shake and fall apart around him, Taylor busts out with a solid rendition of "I Feel the Earth Move," her Carole King surprisingly good. Eli falls through the floor, down to Maggie, who continues the serenade, leading Eli around by his tie and slithering against him. Taylor turns it into a duet, and the girls continue molesting Eli with dance, not that he minds, as the building starts to collapse. He’s more baffled and aroused than terrified, what with being the filling in a girl lawyer sandwich. They both just got to have him, baby. Eli gets his balance and comes back to the presence, Taylor asking, “Do I feel what?” Eli covers, how great it’s going to be, them working together.

Cut to Chen, who I missed last week, not really understanding the problem of two hot women serenading Eli. Eli says the problem is that he works with them, but their singing was pretty good. Well, Taylor’s was, Maggie needs some lessons. Chen wants to talk about the earthquakes. Eli thinks his life is falling apart. Chen thinks it’s symbolic of divine punishment; has Eli done anything deserving of punishment? Eli admits he’s “on the side of evil” this week, what with Salinski trying to destroy the “Silver Terrace.” Chen thinks Salinski’s a pig. He tells Eli to lay down, and Eli gets excited that it’s “needle time.” And while Chen tells Eli never to call it needle time again, I have to agree: I love needle time. Chen says he can bring Eli back to his first earthquake vision, like in hypnosis, so he can notice some other details. Just before he goes under the needle, Eli says that he can save the plasma this time. And he can and does, this time witnessing a news report that the Silver Terrace were the epicenter of a 6.5 earthquake. Chen says that if Eli loses the case… “Those people could die,” Eli finishes.

WPK. Eli wants Patti to set up a meeting with Salinski and the reps for Silver Terrace; he tells her he’s going to make this right. Patti confirms that he’s still going to help tear down homes and also, her church, and tells him to make his own damned calls. She leaves, and Maggie arrives, because apparently her desk is right beside Patti’s. Eli tells her they need to talk-talk. Maggie wants to go back to pretending she’s not avoiding him even though she is. He tells her that either she’s a closet Carole King fan, or she has a crush on him. She doesn’t know who Carole King is. She also doesn’t have a crush on him. Eli says he’s glad to be wrong. He crouches down, telling her that since his diagnosis, his life has gotten complicated. He doesn’t want more complications, and given that they work together and she reports to him, they can’t be romantically involved. Maggie looks sad but says she understands. Taylor comes looking for Eli, and Maggie takes off. Their emotions are something they just can’t tame.

Opening statements in the Turk case: malice aforethought vs. insanity; steroids; celebrity; he did it; he didn’t.

Eli and Taylor are at a building site to tell Salinski that he can settle for $20M, which will avoid a trial and speed up the gentrification process. Salinski doesn’t understand how he can be sued in the first place, since the city’s already paying the Silver Terrace residents for their homes. Eli says that if he pays them more, they’ll move out faster. Taylor tells him considering settlement before trial is a good move. He doesn’t see the up side of that; Eli tells him it’s doing the right thing. Salinski’s like, “whuh? I’m turning an urban blight into a clean, safe place!” Eli tells him that the people that live there now won’t be able to afford parking there in a year, which Taylor seems to think is crossing the line. Eli says he’s only saying what the ST lawyer will: right now Salinski still seems like a good guy, but if they go to trial, he’ll lose that reputation. Taylor smiles ruefully.

At the settlement meeting, the Silver Terrace lawyer has a brigade of residents behind him. He’s not very impressed with the new offer. Eli appeals directly to the residents, and there’s chatter chatter chatter. Their lawyer says that the money can’t compensate for the value of the neighborhood itself, and he turns the settlement down. Outside, Taylor reams Eli out for trying to force a settlement, since they can win this at trial. Eli says that a trial will take too long, and neither he nor the ST residents can wait. Taylor asks sincerely what’s going on. He tells her that his visions guide him to take the cases he does and what to do. He tells her about seeing himself go to India, Jake McCann die, and Silver Terrace destroyed. Taylor tells him firmly that his visions are symptoms of the aneurysms; he says he wishes they were. She says he needs to get help. He tells her that’s not the kind of help he needs.

Mrs. Turk gives testimony about the many infidelities in her marriage. She says she’d been seeing the third base coach Turk killed. The prosecutor asks why Mrs. Turk thinks her husband killed the coach. W. objects and asks for a sidebar, but the prosecutor says the wife can testify to Turk’s character and “capacity for murder.” The judge agrees, and W. is overruled. Mrs. Turk says that Turk is jealous, insecure, and controlling, and he has always been like that, steroids or now. Bennet rises and asks if Turk’s ever been abusive towards her. He hasn’t. He asks about her former extramarital relationships, and the men are all still alive. Bennet says that’s because she had those affairs before Turk was on steroids.

And another courtroom. Eli apologizes for “springing this” on Taylor before trial. She insists that all changes in strategy be run past her first, and he says he’s not crazy. Before they can continue this debate, Patti arrives, having been subpoenaed by Powell, the Silver Terrace attorney, since she’ll be a very convincing witness. On the stand, she paints a picture of hardship and giving, despite the peeling paint. Eli objects; Powell says that since the city is exercising eminent domain, citing Silver Terrace as a blight, he’s trying to establish the veracity of their claim. Eli’s overruled. Patti says that while the neighborhood has problems, it’s “a long way from being written off for dead.” She shouts this last at Eli. He rises to ask her if she knows the legal meaning of “blight.” She yells “objection,” saying it’s condescending, and since she’s been a legal secretary since Eli’s diaper days, she knows an objectionable question when she hears one. The judge tells her to leave that to the lawyer. She simpers an apology, but objects to Eli’s next question before he can get it out. Taylor takes over and asks why Patti moved out and when she was last there. She asks if Patti remembers being carjacked there. Point!

The judge has taken Eli aside outside under the guise of talking about Eli’s illness and stuff. But really what he wants is to get his son-in-law a partnership with Salinski after the case is decided. Eli turns him down, saying that the request is a breach of ethics. The judge asks Eli, given his trouble with the bar, who people are going to believe.

And we’re back at Chen’s, where Eli says it’s about what he’s willing to do to win. Chen says it’s not about winning; Eli sardonically says it’s about saving lives and being God’s go-to-guy. Chen calls him a whiner. Eli doesn’t think God would totally go for bribery. Chen tells him about all the prophets and social revolutionaries who have broken the law in the past. Eli’s thrown into another quake-vision, opening a door to Patti in church, where she tells him, in the voice of Chen, to calm down. Her church crumbles around him. When Eli comes out of it, Chen tells him, chuckling, his visions are intense. And occasionally awesome.

Back at the firm, Eli manhandles Patti into a room to tell her that he sees the future and everyone’s going to die. I’m skipping the Punk’d joke. Patti asks if this is a lame way to get her to stop being mad. He insists that he’s got to get the people out, or, again, they’re all going to die. She chides him for playing her, but he says God’s giving him visions. Even if he’s not, the settlement is a good deal, and Patti could get them to take it. He says he knows he could be crazy, but what if he’s not?

Turk gives his testimony. He doesn’t remember it. The prosecution asks if he was juicing, but Turk won’t say. The prosecution breaks it down: his defense relies on Turk’s having gone insane from taking the steroids he’s insisted he hasn’t but which he has and won’t confirm. Turk says he’s fighting for his life. W. redirects, asking if Turk expects the jury to believe this was an accident; Turk says he may have wanted to hurt the guy, but he didn’t mean him harm. W. rests, and the prosecutor asks to call Mrs. Turk in rebuttal. W. objects, since this is probably a way around spousal privilege, but the judge overrules on the caveat that Mrs. Turk better not give privileged testimony.

Powell’s called a meeting with Taylor, Eli, and Salinski, and he’s pissed that someone’s managed to convince his clients to settle. Taylor asks for a moment alone with the client, and Powell leaves. Taylor says they shouldn’t settle; they’re at trial, they can win, and she thinks it’s better. Salinski agrees: if they wanted to settle, they should have done it before the trial. He leaves, and Taylor says she’s acting in the client’s best interest, not trying to evacuate a neighborhood based on crazy visions of the future. He wants to take the closing and tells Taylor firmly that even if she doesn’t believe the people are in danger she should believe that he believes it.

Mrs. Turk testifies that Turk was taking steroids the day that the killer pitch was hit. She says his mood altered, and he grew very angry. She was afraid for the coach, since Turk said he was going to kill him. W. gets to his feet and asks for an immediate mistrial. They clear the room, and Dowd argues that what she said on the stand was a privileged conversation, the sum of which is prejudicial for a jury. The judge is not cool on a mistrial. Dowd says that if this becomes a mistrial, Turk can’t be tried again because of double jeopardy, which Bennet says applies in the case of prosecutorial misconduct. The judge is tired of all the dick-swinging, and she won’t rule until she speaks to Mrs. Turk.

Eli’s working on his closing in his library-space. Maggie tells him talking to himself isn’t a good sign. He says he’s going to choke on the biggest case of his life. She says it’s real estate, not life or death. He’s like, not so much. She sits, asking what’s wrong. He won’t say, since she’ll think he’s crazy like everyone else. She says she can’t help if she doesn’t know. He tells her that if he loses, everyone will die. He just knows. She says, “Okay.” He’s like, you believe me? Really? Because it’s totally ludicrous that someone could see the future. She says she doesn’t know if he can see the future, but she knows he’s honest and sincere, and if he says something, she knows it’s true. She says it simply, but with the doe eyes of loooove. Eli: “I told my brother. I told Patti. Taylor. None of them believed me. You didn’t even hesitate.” He pauses. “You know, you’re pretty amazing.” He looks at her a moment, then leans in for the kiss. She recoils, telling him he can’t have it both ways. If nothing can happen, for serious, nothing can happen, and he has to stop doing this to her. And, while she’s often the dope in this situation, I feel bad for her. That’s not how you want your crush to come to you, especially after you’ve resigned yourself to rising above. And then I remember Eli thinks everyone’s going to die.

The judge has spoken with Mrs. Turk to confirm whether or not there’s been prosecutorial misconduct, in which case a mistrial assures double jeopardy. Mrs. Turk says that her statement was planned and coached by the prosecutor, who jumps to his feet and says she’s lying. The judge shuts him up. She finds for a mistrial and Turk can’t be tried again. Dowd is jubilant, and Turk is relieved. Bennet sees a look pass between the Turks, and… you know he knows, and that whole thing is just bullshit. Turk steps out to give his statement, all smiles.

Eli’s dirty judge has decided to rule without closing statements. The judge finds for Salinski, Silver Terrace is evacuated, and Eli’s won, though no one looks happy about it except Taylor.

Turk’s finishing paperwork with Dowd. Bennet provides him with some divorce papers, so the wife can’t get a jump on the assets. Turk sits, sighing, saying that they’re going to try to work it out. There’s a lot of love there. Bennet’s like, no there’s not. You conspired with her on this one. You planned this with jeopardy, and you walk. Turk is like, sorry you thought I was dumb, but I’m smart and I did what I had to do. Bennet isn’t impressed. Before he goes, Turk thanks Dowd, who looks crushed, and says he couldn’t have done it without him. Dowd tells Bennet not to say “I told you so.” Bennet can’t stop himself, saying that Dowd should have believed him when he said Turk stank of guilt, but people will figure it out when they see him with the cheating wife. Dowd, totally broken up, says he’ll get away with it: that’s what he does.

Taylor steps into the library space to congratulate Eli. She asks why Salinski would want the number for the judge’s son-in-law; he said Eli would know why he wanted it. Oh, Eli. She sits, begging him to tell her he didn’t do anything crazy to secure a win. Eli blows her off, saying he promised Maggie he’d proof something for her. Taylor says Maggie emailed the firm to say she was going to Ohio for a week, but Eli must not know anything about that, either. She leaves, pissed. His phone rings; it’s Patti, from her church. Eli’s like, get out get out get out! She hangs up on him, and Eli takes off.

Patti’s praying when Eli strides in to drag her out. She asks where his earthquake is. She’s wearing the same suit he saw her in during his vision. She tells him the last time she prayed here, her father was in the hospital, dying, and she hasn’t been there since. When he told her God talks to him, she thought, maybe. He insists he saw her there, and she tells him he saw nothing. God doesn’t talk to him. He’s sick, and he needs treatment. She says she was just praying for him. Eli regards her tearfully but leaves her be after some hesitation.

Dowd’s told W. about Turk’s evilness and douchebaggery. He wants WPK to drop him as a client, which W. says will cost them gajillions of dollars. Dowd says that this is about someone having committed murder and having made the firm an accomplice, which he doesn’t want his firm to be. W.’s surprised Dowd feels so strongly about it; he says that Dowd is now the rising star that Eli was before the aneurysm. Dowd’s showing leadership capabilities, and he’s convinced him to drop Turk as a client. Dowd thanks him.

Eli drops in on Chen. He says that Patti’s at the church, like in his vision, but absent the earthquake. Chen says maybe it was a metaphor; maybe he prevented it by winning. Eli wants proof of God. He wants proof! Chen’s like, what more proof do you need than what you’ve seen? Eli: “If that is proof that God is behind everything that’s happening to me, it also means he wanted me to hurt the people who love me the most. That he wanted me to break their hearts, break the law. He wanted me to force people out of their homes.” He doesn’t want to believe in that God. Chen says he knows it’s hard, but Eli throatily says that Chen can’t begin to know. Chen seems taken aback. Eli says that none of this is real or because of God, it’s his aneurysm, and it’s going to stop. He’s going to find a surgeon and get it out of his head. Chen yells that it could kill him. Eli says that if he doesn’t get it out now, he won’t have anything left to live for anyway. He waves his hands in defeat, and Chen watches him go.