Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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| Originally Aired | October 20, 2024 |
| Network | CBS |
| Director(s) | Geoffrey Wing Shotz |
| Writer(s) | Joseph C. Wilson |
| Character | ACTOR’S NAME |
| Miles | Stephen Bishop |
| Robyn | Queen Latifah |
| Dante | Tory Kittles |
| Mel | Liza Lapira |
| Delilah | Laya DeLeon Hayes |
| Harry | Adam Goldberg |
| Kevin | Alfred Lewis |
| Randi | Raigan Newton |
| Sarah | Adrienne Acevedo Lovette |
| Angel | Juan Javier Cardenas |
Storyline Recap
Holding On To What Remains – Miles, Robyn, Dante
Robyn is in a tough spot in her personal life. Miles is showing up and making a solid effort to reintegrate, but Robyn has lingering feelings for Dante. But with Robyn no longer having Mel and Dante working full-time, overtime, and around the clock, just getting a phone conversation in is tough. This leaves Robyn in a place where Miles might be overstepping some boundaries, but at least he is accessible.
Trying To Operate Without Mel – Mel, Delilah, Robyn, Harry, Kevin, Randi, Sarah
Robyn tries to work on the ground alone with Harry as her eyes as usual, but her latest case shows there are limits. For while Mel does yoga with Delilah and talks to her about senior year, Robyn is dealing with a teenager named Randi being kidnapped, Randi’s older brother, Kevin, revealing he stole a truck which surprisingly had guns in it, and with their foster mom Sarah not having a license to foster the 8 kids she has, they can’t go to the cops.
This sounds like a case right up Robyn’s alley, but the deeper she and Harry get into it, the more it seems Robyn might be in over her head.
Too Much For One Person – Dante, Mel, Delilah, Robyn, Harry, Randi, Kevin, Angel
You see, Robyn, while well-trained, doesn’t have the team she once did. Dante isn’t able to call in NYPD to provide support like he once did, no one is on the ground with Robyn like Mel was, and while Harry is peering and using any technology at his disposal, as shown when Mel has a panic attack, he can be taken off the console at a moment’s notice. Now, you may think, “What about Delilah?” but her help is neither asked for nor offered when it comes to Robyn, and because of that, Robyn, Randi, and Kevin almost die.
The new big villain for “The Equalizer” is a man named Angel who is not only a gun runner but also ruthless, and it is only by luck that Robyn escapes him, with the kids, with her life. But, with Angel being paranoid that people are onto him, who knows if Robyn may have a reason to watch her back – if she decides to venture out again, for with Harry focusing on Mel in Robyn’s time of need, there are feelings of betrayal.
New Character Descriptions
Raigan Newton as Randi
Juan Javier Cardenas as Angel 
Adrienne Acevedo Lovette as Sarah 
Alfred Lewis as Kevin
Sarah
Sarah is a former foster child who knows the pitfalls of the system. Hence, she takes kids from off the street, feeds them as much as she can, and is currently the maternal figure to 8.
Randi
Randi is an 11-year-old girl who, with her brother, was on the run and homeless before Sarah took her in.
Kevin
Kevin is Randi’s older brother. He knows how to hotwire cars and isn’t above stealing to make sure he and his sister are fed and to help Sarah out with making sure their community has food.
Angel Salazar
Angel Salazar is someone the United States ATF has been tracking for a while, mainly due to him getting hold of military-grade weapons and his group starting to expand from coast to coast, with brutality a part of his organization’s story.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- How will Delilah and Aunt Vi react to Robyn’s injuries, or will Miles keep it on the low?
Review
Highlights
The Tease Of Robyn Failing A Mission And Hitting A Wall
Robyn has had many close encounters, some of which have led to her allies losing her life. However, they are far and few between, and usually, things don’t involve children being harmed. But, five seasons in, it seems “The Equalizer” wants to up the stakes, and it could be submitted that it does just that with Robyn being shown to nearly fail the mission, almost being unable to save kids, and seemingly losing a tooth in the process.
A New & Worthy Adversary
One of the things “The Equalizer” has suffered from is not having a big bad who was a worthy adversary and being a semi-constant figure. Now, it isn’t clear if “The Equalizer” will use the same playbook it has done for past adversaries of Robyn and others and barely feature the villain. However, there is hope that with the show premiering in the fall, which usually means 18 episodes, Angel doesn’t take more than two to three episodes off, and people he supplies or is associated with may help keep his name in the memories of viewers.
On The Fence
Splitting Things Bi-Coastal
I was and am someone who isn’t a Detective Dante fan. He doesn’t make a great love interest whatsoever for Robyn, and having his solo thing doesn’t lead to hopes of a backdoor pilot, aka a spin-off, or getting special attention. I hoped he’d be written off or downgraded, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
With that in mind, I hope the split focus doesn’t last long. While I’m not a fan of Detective Dante, I also recognize it is better for the show if he is in New York City as that means more focus on Robyn’s exploits rather than building Detective Dante into something he is not.
Mel’s Recovery
Here is the thing: you want characters to grow and have emotion, not be able to take explosions, death, and life-threatening moments, episode by episode, and seem unaffected. However, the balance of showing these people are human while keeping them engaging, particularly in a show known for its action scenes, is delicate, and it is hard to say if that balance might be achieved with Mel. Now, granted, her being secure in staying out of things could allow Miles, maybe even Delilah to step in. But, if they do that, Mel’s place on the show becomes less critical.
Could they strictly make her Robyn’s friend and confidant? Could Mel become that character we occasionally see pop up who talks about the old times, but viewers actually saw those moments? Yes. However, like so much on this going forward, there is a need to ask if it can shift gears and stay consistent in a good way or if “The Equalizer” shows its age.
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