The Equalizer: Season 4 Episode 8 – Review/ Recap
As Robyn pursues having a normal day at a block party, Detective Dante and Big Ben are in a fight for their lives after familiar faces hunt them down.
[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Recap
Some People Have Real Problems – Delilah, Cam, Tyrese, Mel
Cam, who at one time seemed like he could have been Delilah’s boyfriend or someone courting her, returns, and he is doing well for himself. Despite skipping the college route, he has an app for reselling high-end sneakers, and it’s successful.
Unfortunately, though, while he is doing well, his friend Tyrese isn’t, and at the block party where most of the episode takes place, Tyrese steals from the event and is caught. This leads to a standoff in which he points a gun at Cam and Delilah, and it takes Mel appearing to scare him off.
This encounter doesn’t drive what you may think, which is further training, but it does lead to Delilah going to Mel about feeling she could have or should have done more. Mel relates to this because of her veterans support group and tries to reassure Delilah that she did all she could and should, for you can’t save everyone, and sometimes you can’t provide their needs.
Final Words – Ben, Detective Dante
Detective Dante takes Ben, or tried to take him, to Patterson, NJ, for his former partner’s funeral, but we learn Detective Dante was set up. The parole officer may have been a plant to trap Detective Dante and damn if they didn’t nearly get him killed. Ultimately, Robyn saves the day after some creative defensive maneuvers by Detective Dante, but one notable thing comes from all of this: Big Ben reveals Detective Dante has a brother.
From what it seems, Big Ben, when he was away for holidays and other events, was with his other son, potentially other family, and this reveal only comes when Big Ben thought he was going to die. Luckily, or unluckily for him, his first son and Robyn get together in time to save him, even after massive blood loss.
So now we just have to wait for the other son to show up at the hospital or for Big Ben to wake up to explain himself further.
I Could Never Be Normal – Aunt Vi, Robyn, Miles
For most of the day, Robyn is able to enjoy a block party she has gone to for decades. She watches Aunt Vi set up for a peach cobbler competition, plays games, and hangs out with her daughter and her ex, Miles. Someone who follows up on his desire to work with her, and she is iffy about it. What doesn’t help is him, fresh from his breakup, asking Robyn out, which only complicates her decision-making.
But with the call from Detective Dante and having to kill someone like usual, Robyn questions can she do normal? Is a relationship in the cards for her, considering the amount of secrecy she has to play out? It ended things between her and Miles and despite her worries, Aunt Vi has faith in her. However, what she really has faith in is Detective Dante as she continues to push her niece in his direction.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- How does Aunt Vi feel about Miles? Is she still upset with him about trying to get full custody of Delilah?
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Delilah | Laya DeLeon Hayes |
| Cam | Nathaniel McIntyre |
| Tyrese | Khouri St.Surin |
| Mel | Liza Lapira |
| Ben | Danny Johnson |
| Detective Dante | Tory Kittles |
| Aunt Vi | Lorraine Toussaint |
| Robyn | Queen Latifah |
| Miles | Stephen Bishop |
New Character Description(s)
Tyrese
Tyrese is a friend of Cam whose life isn’t going so well. His mom has mental health struggles, which leads her to be violent, and alongside that, he is responsible for keeping his little sisters from going hungry. Add in him being a proud man, too big for sympathy or help, and it seems he is bound for a challenging road.
Review
Highlights
Delilah’s Storyline
Whether it is her time with Cam and Tyrese, leading to yet another reality check, in the string of the ones she has had for a while, or her conversation with Mel, Delilah continues to have a storyline worth noting. Mind you, it isn’t clear where this is going, as she assumingly comes upon graduation, in terms of what happens to the character once no longer beholden to high school. However, the way Delilah is set up and considering how big CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, is, it is easy to imagine a spin-off on multiple stations.
Robyn Realizing She Chose Against Being Normal
In many ways, I feel like Robyn addressing her relationship status was a means to explain and set up a potential shutdown of any relationships she could have. Whether it is Detective Dante or Miles, in the long term, it is pushed it wouldn’t work.
Now, this isn’t to say Robyn is against dating and having a sense of normalcy. However, the people in her household have barely learned to live with her lifestyle, so a man? Especially a man interesting enough to hold Robyn’s attention? Yeah, the chances of that working out aren’t all that high, and she knows it. But, again, that doesn’t mean the fantasy still isn’t a lovely thought.
On The Fence
Detective Dante and Big Ben
Detective Dante continues to flounder. Yes, he had a cool handful of action scenes, but I’d submit that his storyline with Big Ben is weak, his flirtationship with Robyn is not an asset to the show, and the overall character probably needs to be retooled. I’m not sure how, like maybe him pursuing being the captain rather than just another detective, but he needs a stronger storyline than what he has.
For now, even compared to Aunt Vi’s stop-and-go arc, Detective Marcus Dante has the weakest storyline on “The Equalizer.”
Background Information
| Episode Title | Condemned |
| Release Date | May 5, 2024 |
| Network | CBS |
| Director(s) | Cheryl Dunye |
| Writer(s) | Joseph C. Wilson, Rob Hanning |
| Previous Episode | Season 4/ Episode 7 |
| Series Page | The Equalizer |
| Character Guide | The Equalizer Cast and Character Guide |
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