# The Equalizer (2021)

> A former CIA operative turned private helper uses her hidden skills to protect people who have nowhere else to turn.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/80396

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 74
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: crime, drama, action
- Created by: Andrew W. Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Queen Latifah, Tory Kittles, Adam Goldberg, Liza Lapira, Laya DeLeon Hayes, Lorraine Toussaint, Chris Noth, Charlie Semine
- TMDB rating: 5.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11242246/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, brisk, tense, empowering, urban

## What critics say

Audience reception is negative, with the series' early seasons holding up modestly while the fifth season drew its lowest ratings.

## Synopsis

The Equalizer (2021-2025) is a American network crime drama series created by Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller for CBS. Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic former CIA operative who quietly takes on cases for people with nowhere else to turn, and her work is shaped by a hidden past she guards closely. Tory Kittles plays Detective Marcus Dante, a police officer whose path intersects with hers, while Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian and Liza Lapira as Melody Bayan add a support network of allies who help her operate from a secret base. The engine of each episode is a new client in trouble, whether threatened by criminals, cornered by corrupt interests or hunted through the dark web, and Robyn must decide how far to go to protect them. The series runs five seasons with seventy-four episodes, built mostly as a case of the week format with serialized threads about her past and her family. Its tone is brisk and action driven, with a gritty urban atmosphere and a steady pull toward justice. Fans of The Equalizer films, Burn Notice and Alias will find familiar pleasures in its lone operative, its vigilante streak and its mix of tense confrontations and personal stakes.

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