The Equalizer

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The 184 users who count themselves as The Equalizer fans have written a total of 7 reviews.

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GOT A PROBLEM?
ODDS AGAINST YOU?
CALL THE EQUALIZER!

The Equalizer (Robert McCall) is a former agent of a shadowy, unnamed government agency, who is trying to make up for the unspoken sins of his past. His atonement comes in the form of an advertisement in the... more »

GOT A PROBLEM?
ODDS AGAINST YOU?
CALL THE EQUALIZER!

The Equalizer (Robert McCall) is a former agent of a shadowy, unnamed government agency, who is trying to make up for the unspoken sins of his past. His atonement comes in the form of an advertisement in the newspaper that features the above quote. McCall uses his finely honed skills, and occasionally, the agents and resources from his old agency, to combat the injustices perpetrated against those who can't seek protection from the law. He battles corrupt politicians, abusive husbands, greedy corporate executives, stalkers, kidnappers and gangsters to avenge those who are helpless. Sometimes, McCall's past comes back to haunt him when spies and international terrorists set foot in New York City and his former employer drags him back in to help track them down.

In McCall's dark world, few people can be trusted. One man he always relies on is his former fellow agent, Mickey Kostmayer, who often assists McCall in his cases. Another is his former boss, a man known only as Control, who pulls government strings to give McCall a hand when he can.

British actor Edward Woodward plays Robert McCall to perfection, bringing a dark undercurrent of anger and sorrow to the man while still allowing his compassion for the downtrodden to show through. The series ran for four years on CBS, premiering in 1985 and ending in 1989.

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Special Thanks to the late Donna Lemaster, who started this episode guide
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• Need to know an episode name

  Can anyone tell me the name of a particular episode.  I videoed most of the series, excepting for series 3 which unfortunat...more »

  Can anyone tell me the name of a particular episode.  I videoed most of the series, excepting for series 3 which unfortunately I missed most of.  The episode I need the name of (missed the beginning and the credits at the end) has to do with a family who stay at McCall's apartment.  McCall is/was getting his kitchen redone but was having trouble with the builder.  In the end the father of the family fixes up the kitchen while McCall deals with the people who are harassing him.  I don't know which series it was from either.  If anyone can help with the name it would be appreciated.  I am in the process of putting them all on DVD and want to slot it into the right spot. less «

  eremecarg Last online Dec 31, 1969
  5 comments, last one Sep 7, 2008 + Add Comment

• Question about Kostmayer

  Which episode of Equalizer do they show Mickey Kostmayer with a bunch of guns, or even one machine gun? Anyone have a screen cap of that?

  Which episode of Equalizer do they show Mickey Kostmayer with a bunch of guns, or even one machine gun? Anyone have a screen cap of that? less «

  TheDervish Last online 1 day, 4 hrs ago
  4 comments, last one May 16, 2008 + Add Comment

• Submission Guidelines

  Submission Guidelines : Please follow all the guidelines set up by the TV.com staff. The following is a brief summary o...more »

  Submission Guidelines : Please follow all the guidelines set up by the TV.com staff. The following is a brief summary of the basic guidelines. Please PM me if you have any questions about submissions. Episode Summaries : This information should be brief and include the overall bases of the episode. Please do not include any spoilers or outcomes in the summaries. This should be actual information, no opinions and should be in your own words. Episode Recaps : This information should be as comprehensive as possible, containing all plot elements and outcomes from that episode. This should be factual information, no opinions or predictions and should be in your own words. This should follow the flow of the episode. Stars : These are the actors that appear in all episodes of the season and/or are in the main credits of the show. Recurring Stars : A guest star who appears in more than one non-back-to-back episode playing the same character. If a guest star only recurs in a few consecutive episodes of a story arc, I don't consider that as recurring. But if they appear again in a somewhat later episode, then that is recurring. *All stars and recurring stars are available to be imported. *Please spell out the ranks for all stars and guest stars i.e. use Lieutenant instead of Lt. *Please add all stars in one submission. If you add guest stars in multiple submissions please explain why or they will be rejected. This also goes with all crew members. Quotes : These should be exact statements made be the characters in that episode. All quotes must be in the approved format: * Name : Quote. Action/background/context should be in parentheses and italics. If placing ( ) between name and quote, please place after the colon. Trivia : Trivia is specific to events that aired or are contained in the episode. It is specific to the episode. *Example: Something that changes from one scene to another that should not have changed. An actor who making a statement but their lips are not moving. Notes : These are events that are off camera and deal with the actors, producers etc. *Example: An actor walking off a set would be a note. Allusions : This is a direct or passing reference to another TV program, a movie, a piece of music, or a book. Make sure to always reference the original media and if necessary explain it. Please note how this ties into the actual episode. Just because it resembles another piece of media does not make it an allusion, it should allude to something relevant to this episode and the action on screen. Please include sources for the information you are submitting. Any submissions copied from another website will be rejected. less «

  Catwoman87531 Last online 2 hrs, 9 mins ago
  1 comments, last one Feb 15, 2008 + Add Comment

•  

  10 Perfect

  A Chinese gang has targeted the son of a wealthy Chinese businessman, but they kidnap the son of his maid instead. McCall must find and rescue the boy. hide « show »

  In the pilot, ex-super spy Robert McCall is sometimes uncertain how to proceed and makes errors in judgment. In the second episode, China Rain, he is in complete control and uses contacts and methods from his sordid past to craft the perfect strategy to save the kidnapped boy. The night club scene in China Rain establishes this side of McCall's persona for the series. This becomes evident immediately as he walks through the club. In his perfectly-cut, dark, conservative suit (with the signature lapel pin), this slightly overweight, fifty-something man should feel glaringly out of place among the young Chinese dressed in the latest 1985 fashions. But he is not. McCall is supremely self-aware and self-confident, and anything but out of place. And everyone knows it. This is someone to watch out for.
  
  In the ensuing conversation with night club owner and former associate, Tommy Lee, McCall's reveals new sides of his interaction with the world and Edward Woodward reveals his range of acting skills. With small gestures, voice modifications, and facial changes, his tone varies from (albeit false) cordiality, to quietly menacing, to calm but clearly threatening. For example, a few words, and a tightening of his voice and lips reveal how dangerous he is when they talk about an incident from their past. How is his hand, she asks? He replies that he saw Paul Lau a year ago in Hong Kong. Did he ever found out whether Lau had given him up? McCall returns in a low voice filled with menace that he (Lau) is still alive, isn't he? Viewers next find more out about the job McCall has resigned from and his disgust about it: this time his mission was providing protection for Tommy Lee's heroin running. Tommy taunts him by saying he did everything for the ring but earn the money. Revulsion showing on his face with the heroin running, but also with himself for having facilitated it, McCall immediately changes the subject to the reason he is there: to find a little Chinese boy. Tommy cannot believe that a man like McCall is here about some Chinese kid. But yes, that is why he is here. What's in it for her? There's nothing in it for her. She's got enough nothing already. Now his tone turns even more menacing when he spits out that it's for OLD TIMES; she understands immediately that he can be very dangerous to her. Suitably frightened, she gives him information. When it isn't enough for McCall, she says that she owes him, but not enough to go to war. In yet a different tone, he snarls that HE is the war she has to avoid. Knowing she indeed wants to avoid this man's enmity, she reveals a secret which leads to his finding the boy.
  
  There are other aspects of this episode that are noteworthy. The view of McCall in the darkened apartment listening to the businessman's telephone conversation from a perspective outside a rain streaked window is an example of the show's cinematographic excellence. We learn about McCall's methods through his meticulous planning of the police diversion and his use of former colleagues to find information. And, perhaps most noteworthy, the episode introduces the interaction between McCall and Mickey with some of their most memorable banter, for example their wry interchange while planning the rescue (McCall: I have set up a diversion. Mickey: What do we need a diversion for? Just kick in the door and hose the room. McCall: Mickey, there is a 5 year old boy in there. Mickey: Oh, yeah, we're going to need a diversion. McCall: I have set up a diversion.) This episode also has one of my favorite endings. McCall carries the little boy in his arms back to the apartment where his mother is waiting. Her back is turned when he puts the boy down. The boy says Mama and the mother turns as the boy rushes into her arms, underscored by the series' signature music. McCall finds out how it feels to do a good deed and we see whisper of a smile. Maybe he can be redeemed after all.

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  Servus69 Added Jan 30, 2009 All my reviews
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  9 Superb

  Great show with the excellent Edward Woodward, and a great opening theme tune! hide « show »

  I used to love this show when I was younger. It features Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) as a former secret agent of a shadowy organisation just refered to as 'the Company'.
  
  Set in New York, McCall helps people in trouble from all sorts of miscreants, whether they be rapists, drug-dealers, murderers or kidnappers or other such nasty folk!
  
  He'd offer his services 'for free' but insist that he would call upon his clients in the future for their help, and they could not refuse him.
  
  The show also has a great opening soundtrack and incidental music. It was composed by Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of the band 'The Police'.
  
  There are so many good things about this show, and Edward Woodward plays his role expertly, along with an endless stream of guest stars. Watch it if you get the chance.

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  Vertibrains Added Dec 13, 2007 All my reviews
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  7.3 Good

  Must see! hide « show »

  The Equalizer" was an action-adventure TV series unlike any that I had ever seen before. It effectively mixed espionage, crime drama, and the private eye genres into a wonderful film noir package. Robert McCall (played to perfection by Edward Woodward) was no Mike Hammer, nor was he meant to be. He relied more on brains than brawn and his plans worked like a game of chess. Whether he attended an embassy affair or was running down a lead on a guns dealer in the South Bronx, McCall seemed right at home.
  
  Disenchanted with his cloak-and-dagger life in the CIA, and perhaps seeking some redemption for some of his darker exploits in the name of God and Country, he broke away from "the Company," and offered his services to people in trouble.
  
  McCall's strength was his abilities as a strategist and tactician. Although he was quite able in shootouts and fisticuffs, he tended to leave the rough stuff to other operatives who sometimes took time off from their day jobs (usually in the CIA) to work for McCall. One of his most trusted colleagues was his comrade-in-arms Mickey Kostmeyer (played by Keith Szarabajka), a Company man who seemed willing to dive into any dangerous situation for the thrill.
  
  Although McCall resigned from the CIA, he continued to maintain contact with his friend and former boss, a man known only as Control (played by Robert Lansing). There is a history of camraderie between Control and McCall, but Control's job tends to get in the way of that friendship. When one of Control's operations involved lying to McCall, and McCall confronted him, Control's only response was, "It's what I do for a living, Robert."
  
  All in all, a wonderful show with high production values. I'm only sorry it lasted four seasons.

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  da_dunker Added May 2, 2007 All my reviews
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  10 Perfect

  A very cool show. hide « show »

  The Equalizer is perhaps one of the best crime fighting shows on the small screen. The character Robert McCall is a well conceived character. His jaguar is a very cool sidekick and provides a very sleek supporting role for McCall. It's a very original show to come across television. Edward Woodward portrays McCall really well, he becomes McCall. This show is a serious show, people die on the show, from time to time there are gunfights. Another feature of the show is the cool musical theme that gives The Equalizer a very harmonic soundtrack. I give this show a 2 thumbs up.

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  sfviewer Added Aug 3, 2006 All my reviews
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  10 Perfect

  His advertisement reads, 'Got a problem? Odds against you? Need help? Call - The Equalizer'.
  
  Ex CIA Agent seeks to use his talents to aide those who have little or no chance or extricating themselves on their own and no resources willing hide « show »

  The Equalizer, Robert McCall, was the dark hero, unlike the other shows of this period, he was ivolved in helping people despite the cost to himself, his personal life and regardless of sometimes not being wanted. A man with a past who did what was needed to help those in need.
  
  Robert McCall was not the young sexy hunk with the hip night clubs or talking cars but the mature man of experience who sought to give back some good to a world he had seen to much bad of.
  
  Intelligent and often sarcastically witty, the show was before it's time and inventive despite dealing with many issues that were taboo at the time. 1 episode was not universally aired due to the topic therein.
  
  Edward Woodward was appealing and comforting as the hero in the black hat, capable, conversant and knowledgable, he made the show what it was...a before it's time classic.
  
  Guest stars included Robert Mitchum, Richard Jordan, Robert Lansing, Christian Slater, Kevin Spacey, Adam Ant, Telly Savalas, and many more.
  
  It would be great to see the series re air before the movie was released...and it is too much to hope that Edward Woodward or his son Peter will be in the movie.
  
  It was not the actor's accent that made the show, it was his style combined with calm strength...distinguished but not flashy or pretentious. Fitting the mold will not be easy.

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  Keishamarie Added May 12, 2006 All my reviews