The Equalizer: Season 4 Episode 9 – Review/ Recap

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Plot Recap

A Beachhouse Vacation – Delilah, Aunt Vi

With everyone knowing Delilah has potential plans to go away for college, it only makes sense to try to figure out as many ways as possible to spend time together. The goal was for Delilah, Aunt Vi, and Robyn to go to a beach house and chill, but as usual, Robyn had a task that kept her from joining her family.

Because of this, Delilah and Aunt Vi go alone, and while, originally, their focus is just on how beautiful the place is, it quickly switches up when they see someone in there. Aunt Vi quickly assumes the person could be dangerous, but Delilah talks her down. This, for the girl they encountered, ends up being a good thing. By talking to her and learning about her mom, Delilah is able to deduce the girl is the victim of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy, which may have saved the girl’s life.

I Got A Secret In Hungary – Harry, Mel, Fisk

Fisk’s project, which Harry has been helping with, is far more serious than he has previously let on. Not only is it not sanctioned by the CIA or any ABC department, but the person he is after is trying to mess with the electrical grid. So, Fisk and Harry have pinpointed them to somewhere in Hungary, and even though Harry doesn’t have much field experience, Fisk says he has to go with him and not tell Mel.

At this point, Harry has kept this hidden long enough, so rather than lie and go off to another country halfway across the world, he tells Mel what is going on, and she isn’t happy. With how many secrets exist in her family, she relied on Harry to be someone who told her the truth, and him not doing so is disappointing. Not to the point of flipping out and storming off, but a realization that, at the very least, Harry isn’t perfect, and like most, he keeps secrets, too.

Finishing What We Started – Robyn, Marcus, Captain Watkins, Randall

Letting Randall get away has weighed on Robyn, for she knows how important getting justice is for Marcus and his ex-partner’s family. However, Randall isn’t easy to pin down, and Captain Watkins is tightening that leash she has on Marcus by the episode. Yet, he’d rather be insubordinate and catch a cop killer or aide Robyn than walk the line.

Luckily for him, while Randall is smart, Robyn’s team is smarter, and while she has to prove to Marcus she has a handle on things more than once, eventually, she takes Randall down. This act seems to be what Marcus needed to step up a bit, and while he and Robyn don’t have that long-postponed date, they do kiss, and she seems to enjoy it.

Cast Guide

Character’s Name	Actor’s Name
Delilah	Laya DeLeon Hayes
Aunt Vi	Lorraine Toussaint
Harry	Adam Goldberg
Mel	Liza Lapira
Fisk	Donal Logue
Robyn	Queen Latifah
Marcus	Tory Kittles
Captain Watkins	Indira G. Wilson
Randall	Berton Colon

Review

Highlights

Delilah

Is Delilah’s storyline the best, outside of “The Equalizer?” No. However, I still appreciate that it’s all about growth with this character. She wants to help people and is learning that she can’t help everyone, but speaking up and doing what she can makes a difference. She can’t save the girl from her mother, but did help her realize she wasn’t as sick as her mom presented her to be. So, while we may not know what will come next, at least Delilah can believe she did more than turn a blind eye or allow Aunt Vi to ruin her life by calling the police.

Harry and Mel

This relationship, to me, is just so wonderful. They don’t have to be overtly romantic, slobbering on each other, because they have a solid relationship. They know they have each other’s back, previously believed neither lied to one another, and truly give you a marriage that feels very real in a fictionalized world.

So, to see Mel disappointed in Harry like that wasn’t heartbreaking, but it did present a shift. The kind where you don’t know if there might be long-term ramifications for what happened, but it is possible considering how the supporting characters have a more consistent storyline than the leads.

On The Fence

Marcus and Robyn

I just don’t see it. They undeniably work well together regarding cases, but there isn’t any romantic chemistry. To me, Robyn and him just aren’t ready for a relationship and what the other person offers, good and bad. Marcus has trust issues and is immature at times, and his career makes it so he can’t be all in without risking far more than his pension.

Then, with Robyn, she is approaching relationships like they aren’t going to work, she is married to her job to the point she puts it before her own child, so what is possible in the long term? What can this be beyond a go-to person when either wants love, affection, or just someone to talk to?

Captain Watkins Being All Bark and No Bite

Captain Watkins might be the only person who could save Marcus at this point, not in terms of saving him, as in his career, but to bring something interesting to the table for that character.

Her threatening him led to the idea that maybe she could be some kind of opposition that can’t be taken down, for she isn’t a villain. All she wants is for Marcus to follow the law, do what he is told, and not enable a vigilante with NYPD resources. There is nothing to argue against there, considering her position. Yet, they have yet to give Captain Watkins any bite. All she does is present threats without follow-through, which is getting frustrating.

Background Information

Episode Title	The Big Take
Release Date	5/12/2024
Network	CBS
Director(s)	Millicent Shelton
Writer(s)	Vanessa K. Herron, Onalee Hunter Hughes
Previous Episode	Season 4/ Episode 8
Series Page	The Equalizer
Character Guide	The Equalizer Cast and Character Guide

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