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Ladies and gentelmen, we have arrived. The 88th and final episode of the hit 80s show The Equalizer, and the 94th and final episode of our podcast The Equalizers. The episode itself doesn't provide any closure for the original series, but at least it's one last bonkers plotline - Ving Rhames, playing what we assume is a first draft version of Marsellus Wallace, is a drug lord who employs specifcally injured athletes, and EQ has to protect a teenager Willy whose football is ending short because of a bad knee. But whereas the episode doesn't give any kind of grand sendoff to the series, Chris, Chuck, and Vince (yes Vince!) do their best to make up for it. We got together and MST3K'd this guy, having our own party and sending off our podcast in style. It's a different format and different sound because we wanted to go all out to celebrate The Equalizer. This episode was a blast as was this entire ride. Thank you to everyone who came along with us.

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We're between seasons now so it's a fun time to cover some different territory... but not that different. We watched a 45 minute featurette included in an Equalizer DVD set called The Story of The Equalizer. We all know the show deserves a sweeping documentary highlighting the impact of the show, how it fit into the late 80s culture, ideally with a realistic presentation of the strengths and endearing weaknesses of the show itself. This isn't quite that. This is four interviews plus clips of the show and that's about it. And even when Keith Szarabajka is containing his bitterness at being overlooked to carry the show while Edward Woodward was recovering from a heart attack, it's all a rather rose-tinted view of the show. Still there are some good stories about the show, some great stories about Robert Mitchum, and now we're even better poised to take on the final season.

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Season 2 finale! And it's a doozy. The guest list is a veritable Coen brothers movie / Monsters Inc voice cast. Pre-Roseanne John Goodman is an honest down-on-his-luck unemployed father forced into a criminal conspiracy to steal plutonium. Pre-Mr. Pink Steve Buscemi is a sleazy guy working in a sleazy electronics store. Pre-Hot Hot Hot Buster Poindexter (released later in summer 87) is a henchman. And amidst his prolific career as Equalizer composer / Police drummer, Stewart Copeland cameos as a pickpocket-for-hire. And the original EQ isn't the only episode with esteemed guest stars - our own Vince Recupito is back to cover this momentous finale. It's safe to say we are not just podcasting about a TV show from the 80s; we are historians and we are making history.

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The Equalizer show packs a lot into their season finale: Agency intrigue, flashbacks, past romances, a casino with a back room for the mobsters that own the place and one of those secret buttons under the roulette table. Some episode superlatives: more female guest stars than usual, more gruesome crime scenes than we're used to, and a rare plot twist. And we, your fearless guides on this journey, reflect on this season finale and look hopefully towards the future (season four of The Equalizer).

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Penultimate episode! We all remember the gaming mastermind Leon from the 1980 movie Midnight Madness who set off five teams on an epic scavenger hunt just for his own whimsy. Similarly in Endgame, the Equalizer goes up against an old dude who is really into "war games" - which unfortunately are less about Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, and more about an elaborate recreation of the Battle of Gettysburg with little toy soldiers in his office. And this old dude's fixation on strategic games has bled into a real life game of vengeance aimed at an attorney and her sister (who happen to be pretty messed up themselves). Not necessarily a top tier EQ episode, but Chris and Chuck are on the home stretch and still giving it everything they got, including perhaps the best On This Date segment yet as Chris shows us what he's made of with a heartfelt serenade.

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In the season finale, McCall protects a woman from her neighbor who's a whole thing - backed by the agency, dealing with Europe's biggest drug dealer, possibly out to assassinate the ambassador of the continent of Africa, not to mention waving his gun around in the hallway and being totally inconsiderate. This aired back when season finales meant not so much a culimation of an entire season's worth of plot building but rather maybe the well's run dry on what the Equalizer could possibly help someone with. Luckily for us the fount of details to make fun of overfloweth.

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The penulimate episode of season 3 sees the return of actor's actor Michael Parks as Paul Gray whose family (teenage son and wife suffering from MS) is in danger because a man he testified against is inexplicably out of prison. Some great Mickey time in this one (long overdo), plus a crazily plotted action scene, expectedly awkard portrayal of Paula Gray's condition, and some fiery Equalizer lectures to their lame teenage son. It's happened before that episodes waver as we get close to the end of the season, but this one is still a solid true-to-form Equalizer.

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This one is a bit of a departure. And by a bit, we mean it seems like someone switched an Equalizer script with a Scooby Doo script at the last minute and it was too late to turn back (we'll look for a corresponding Scooby Doo where a woman is being hunted by the KGB in gritty 80s Times Square). EQ and his doofus son Scott help a woman haunted by a mysterious man in black in her dreams... and maybe in real life! Is it all in her head? Is her rich family behind it or just especially negligent? Will her therapist William H Macy help her battle her own psyche? Will The Equalizer bounce around genres in the upcoming season? There's more questions than answers in this intrguing episode.

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The antipenultimate Equalizer episode. This one is... woo boy. The Equalizer is going against a local chapter of neonazi skinheads including a childhood friend of Mickey's. Does the episode approach the topic delicately? Well it starts right off with stock footage of the Third Reich and sails on from there. At the very least, the viewpoint of the Equalizer and the show is in line with today's sensibilities. That said, maybe for the best that so much off the plot focused on weird white supremacy middle management. It's a very strange angle on a very real and sensitive topic. Similarly, Chris and Chuck handle the coverage of this episode with the delicacy of a runaway elephant.

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It's the classic tale of an independent inventor (Dan Hedaya) getting an idea stolen from him by a big company. Except in the Equalizer universe, it happens every so often that terrorists take CEOs hostage; terrorism groups like Red Wind that we find out have some kind of deal with the CEO of the company that's shutting out Dan Hedaya! Plus the Equalizer does some reluctant family therapy with Dan Hedaya's family by making them fix his kitchen. Oh and the company's name is Penatrax.

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Ladies and gentlemen, strap yourselves in. William Zabka is back as Scott McCall aka Son of the Equalizer. And with EQ out of town, Scott is trying to do some equalizing himself, namely protecting his girlfriend Lori Laughlin (!) and her boss from a man seeking vengeance for a double cross at a WWII POW camp. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for the EQ episode: EQ and Control in DC sub-sub committee meetings; Quentin Crisp as an older Liberace-type Broadway icon turned set designer for criminal's evil whims; Monuments Men-esque Nazi art thievery; Zabka's traded a violin for a guitar; so much more. And the EQ episode itself is just the tip of the iceberg for what we consider our duty to cover in this podcast episode.

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We've seen plenty of damsel in distress plotlines, but this one starts at crazy and builds to "What is even going on?" A woman is terrorized by her ex-husband's weird gaslighting schemes that are tough to prove. But crazy schemes are right up The Equalizer's alley; he counters with gauging with "Hm what effect will it have on this guy if I pretend to take a romantic interest in his ex-wife?" ... and then, to the viewer's surprise, they actually do take a romantic interest in each other. Warning: The episode itself, with its ever-increasing absurdity paired with the May-December romance, has in some cases (ours) led to nausea.

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New York City in 1989. When the wheels of justice can't convict obviously guilty criminals because of legal loopholes, those criminals run free and, once they get drugged up, they can go out and spend the day terrorizing innocent people without any consequences. This is the case for The Equalizer in this episode, so much so that while he's trying to stop a man who's out for vengeance to right a legal wrong, that guy gets beat to the punch by ANOTHER dude who's out for vengeance to right a legal wrong, just in a more general sense. This episode has emotions, it has an EQ-patented intricate plan that explodes, and it acts as a "Stay Away" sign for anyone thinking of visiting NYC.

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Picture this: You're in an improv group asking for a situation and someone shouts "A ladies man who has 36 hours to give some bad guys some unknown thing a woman gave him." First you'd be like "uh, what?" which would be perfectly valid, there are things to pick apart right off the bat and many red flags that you shouldn't proceed. But if you do go for it, even if you're one of those What's My Line? guys, you would not approach what weird wild stuff happens in this season one episode of The Equalizer. We really want to say more but we don't want to spoil it and this podcasting platform might not be able to handle such craziness in a description field.

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There's a serial killer loose but more importantly, The Equalizer has found himself a ladyfriend. And as he'll tell you, she's quite the dish. Not only that, she's a therapist, and she can help him go all Freud 101 on that serial killer, so much so that EQ's main strategy to combat him is to psych that mother out. And does this ladyfriend feel the same for the Equalizer? Oh yes she does. And just how much younger is she? Oh really? Jesus. So is it like a silver fox piss-off-the-parents thing? Anyways, we'll get to the bottom of all that in the podcast.

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Two hooligans take over Pete's, the Irish pub that Robert McCall bought earlier this season. Among the hostages are Mickey and Pete (note, a woman), both agents (current and former) who you'd think could easily take on these amateur thugs (and could more to do on the show as well). But no it's Equalizer who goes around learning more about the hooligans (learning a little too much, file under Bizarrely Graphic Details), then mediating a deal (which of course goes awry and the bad guys get shot). Another stellar EQ bottle episode, and also we break down the Police Academy movies.

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A lighter episode of The Equalizer. Yes there's still some grisly violence but this time that's paired up with a lighter mystery plot, a diamond heist, and a spunky new sidekick for Robert McCall. EQ is helping out Mrs. Rutherford (Maureen Stapleton), an older woman who's witnessed a murder and whose head is otherwise in the clouds from all the cheap mystery novels she reads. And she insists on a female bodyguard, so on Mickey's recommendation EQ enlists the help of Trudy Collins (Laura San Giacomo) who looks straight out of Desperately Seeking Susan. All that plus a mystery plot twist and a rather gratuitous strip club scene. Chris and Chuck dig deep into the episode as well as into the Florentine Diamond, Indy 500 pace cars, and the Kinsey report.

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The Equalizer goes all Die Hard two years before Die Hard came out. Patricia Clarkson is getting married, Robert McCall is attending and has to step into action when a group of terrorists led by Tony Shaloub break in and take the wedding hostage. Almost all the action takes place in this hotel, including Mickey coming in to help, and Robert getting more gruesome than we've ever seen him before. Top tier Equalizer episode.

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It was a simpler time for serial killers. Pre-Hannibal Lecter it wasn't about a psychology, it was enough that someone killed multiple people and had some gimmick, let's say, sure, orchids. The Equalizer takes on the show's first serial killer as well as help a woman free herself from a pimp, all the while endangering his clients, his old friends, and probably a few bystanders. Top tier Equalizer episode.

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The streets of NYC in 1987 were harsh. For a runaway teenager once you step foot in that city, you're on the fast track to a hellish existence for the rest of your short life. The only way you can survive is with the help of a retired secret agent who offers his services in classified ads, and he's a pretty busy guy. In this Very Special Episode (with a message before the end credits and everything), The Equalizer addresses these topics - runaways, the exploitation of minors, domestic abuse - with the delicacy of last episode's car bomb.

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Another Equalizer episode with international intrigue. Whereas last week dealt with Bulgarian ambassadors, this time we got a team of torturers in town working for the Chilean government. But as with every Equalizer episode, the creators add some additional, crazy intrugue of their own: The head torturer (Randall Payne) just happens to be the same man who killed Robert McCall's father; we get a flashback/dream sequence with the Equalizer talking to his father, played by Edward Woodward's real life son Tim Woodward; plus the torture sequences have less polish than our 21st century sensibilities are accustomed to, so that's kinda weird. Chris and Chuck go deep on Chilean history, pronounce "Pinochet" in every way possible, and salute Robert Lansing for his final appearance as Control.

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The Equalizer helps out a down-on-their-luck family who needs welfare assistance in the time of Reaganomics. This one surely had people chatting at the water cooler as they waited for their inter-office mail. This hit the topic thoroughly, between Mickey "Bootstraps" Kostmayer, the actual streets of NYC, multiple levels of capitalists and welfare programs, even the media. The usual Equalizer crazy antics made way for a renowned director (Tobe Hooper) and a top-tier guest spot by new-on-the-scene Michael Rooker. We don't solve all of the nation's problems in our discussion of this episode, but we got to most of them.

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A powerhouse episode. The most ambitious cinematography on this show yet as the Equalizer flashes back to his work on the field long ago. Someone from his past is back in town, a double crosser with the ominous name: Brian. Also a pre-Clarissa Melissa Joan Hart calls the Equalizer since her dad is set to be released from prison. Come for the recap. Stay for the guest star career connections, the historical context, and the deep thematic analyses.

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We get it. A lot of us aren't really in the mood to watch Kevin Spacey in anything. And if you are, it'll probably be to watch some classic 90s movie, or to hate watch K-PAX. So instead of writing about him (though he does give a top level EQ villain performance), we'll focus on the romantic sparks flying between Robert McCall and guest Lindsay Crouse, much more complex than the typical damsel in distress. Good plot, good characters. Sure it had an inevitable action scene in an abandoned warehouse, but even the warehouse was better than average, some top tier catwalks. The Equalizer came out of their epic two parter with guns (and grenades) a blazing.

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A big episode for the larger Equalizer through-story: First, the second appearance of Kay: Equalizer's ex-wife and Scott's mother. Shirley Knight got a Best Guest Actress Emmy nomination for her "You were never there for us... and now look what you've done: Scott's been kidnapped by the Bulgarian Embassy" scenes with Edward Woodward. Secondly, this episode is a series wrap for William Zabka, and what a way to go: a training montage, thwarting the Bulgarians, losing his innocence, listening an opera album on headphones. It's a tour de force. And then the action itself - brotherly strife between two Bulgarian spies by two veteran guest stars of the show - packs a punch and checks off one more country whose spies the Equalizer has taken head on.

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Part two of the final of four Equalizer two-parters. Everyone knows EQ is Yvette's real father, there's a lot of emotional regrouping after that. Then the bad dude that threw Manon back in everyone's life starts kidnapping people and EQ sets himself up to take down that guy from the inside, which he does in an especially epic fashion. Like its "mysterious" title, the episode ends on a note of ambiguity. We break that down as well as the roles of Scott and Control, and the pressing matter of responding via podcast to six year old tumblr posts.

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Equalizer episode or early precursor to the X-Files? Another superlative episode, the most sci-fi episode to date. This one reinforces once again that audiences have no idea what to expect when they sit down to watch an Equalizer episode. EQ helps a man who calls himself Seti (nudge nudge, UFO nerds) who believes he is part of a large cosmic battle but who is for real being targeted by assassins. That would be enough but this episode just keeps giving - Bunk from The Wire as a psychologist monitoring this odd alien guy; a spacey kaleidoscope; some budget 80s special effects; and another odd inclusion of a young girl in trouble (Angela Goethals not long before Home Alone). Is the show hinting that UFOs are real? Are they in fact real? Chris and Chuck provide conclusive answers to that question and many more in this can't-miss episode.

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Second half of a two parter! We see just what the freedom of the two part format gives the show: deeper relationships, deeper drama, denser plots. At times it helps (a rift between EQ and Mickey? We're doing it). At times it brings more focus to plot points you might otherwise gloss over (wait, they're "delaying" a bomb?). We're not saying it's as epic as say Kill Bill 1 and 2. We're just saying that the next Equalizer "Manon" two parter (Memories of Manon in season three) has a lot to live up to.

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Theoretically the Equalizer audiences in the late 1980s were demanding a) more Mary Ingalls b) of all the areas in EQ's mysterious past we could explore, let's explore more of his past romance with Manon; explore as much of that sliver of his backstory as possible, then we can move on to the rest of his sordid, intriguing past that's been hinted at so much. Or maybe the creators just thought the audiences were demanding that, but either way that's what we got. It's a bit of a reunion: Yvette's back, still unaware EQ is her biological father; Marcel's back, Scott too, even Jimmy and schlubby Sterno. There are some dark themes, dreams, despair, and setting up a lot of pins for Mystery of Manon Part 2 to knock down.

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Once again, the tremendous trio Chris, Vince, and Chuck providing what everybody needs - a detailed breakdown of classic Equalizer episodes. It's the #3 episode of 1986, a bit back to the basics after the first two episodes grandly kicked off the new year. There's a lot to pick apart as the Equalizer dives into the colorful yet vague world of window washing unions the only way he knows how - faking a drug deal so the guy who, it turns out, likes sticking up drug deals in his spare time gets caught red-handed with a lot of drugs the Equalizer acquired somehow... and with Super Fly's help.

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Almost three years before Home Alone, a seven year old Macaulay Culkin appeared in The Equalizer, his second credit. That in itself is worth the price of admission to watch this episode for free on nbc.com. You can tell he was bound for greatness. We just wish the creators of The Equalizer realized how proficient he would be at tricking his kidnappers and setting clever booby traps. Missed opportunity. This episode is also notable for stretching the possibilities of what's allowed under diplomatic immunity; the triumphant return of Mickey Kostmayer; and the final appearance of Richard Jordan as Harley Gage, initially brought in to pick up the slack after Edward Woodward's heart attack. We try to honor his departure... since the show itself did not.

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Just like other epic shows like The Sopranos or Breaking Bad, we at this Equalizer podcast have a different schedule for the second half of our final season. In our case, what has usually been a weekly show is now... every month or so. But like Gideon's army of three hundred against the Midianites, we are charging ahead with trumpets blaring. And 17 Zebra is a doozy of an episode to come back to: legendary Equalizer guest William Atherton (jerk from Real Genius, Die Hard, Ghostbusters) stars as an esteemed paramedic who is so fed up with the drunks, winos, and junkies he picks up that he starts killing them! If that wasn't enough, we go deep on every Bible verse McCall tosses around. Just like a prayer we will take you there, listeners.

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Folks, there's a lot to process here. We've got the first Equalizer two parter which means a big cliffhanger ending. We've got perhaps the biggest dramatic bomb drop moment for the Equalizer. And we've got Little House on the Prairie's Melissa Sue Anderson, a big deal for any Prairie-head out there, like our very own Chris Daniels. Hear how a police inspector from Quebec can take down all the Mafia on America's east coast, just how closely Anderson is tied to the show, and what the Equalizer and his gym trainer consider "psychological torture".

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A florist unrealistically falls into danger with an unrealistic organization specializing in the hazily-defined criminal network of dead drops. But whatever, the important thing is that this is a big great "gang's all here" epsisode. For this nonsense case, Robert is calling all his agency friends (Mickey, Jimmy, Sterno, Dana), battling Jason the annoying agency guy, and checking in his old friend Control. The odd plot is overshadowed by watching the Equalizer lead a team of all his agency buds. And then at the end, he goes up against the dad of Brandon and Brenda Walsh.

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Stephen Lang - the villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar - is similarly evil in this one, though his victims aren't the Na'vis but rather his character's own wife and daughter. Like most episodes dealing with ugly topics, the viewpoint of the show is good but the execution gets uncomfortable, being from 1989 and all. Shaking up the episode: a) Lang's character takes out a restraining order against the Equalizer (future EQ villains take note) b) the daughter escapes into her imagination along with her old/creepy/evil dolls, making this the most that The Equalizer has ever dipped into the fantasy genre. We wouldn't say it's the easiest Equalizer episode to watch, but of course we're established professionals so this podcast episode goes down easy as always.

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This one is the most "Equalizer After Dark" episode so far. From the title, you'd think it was about some sort of criminal enterprise centered around Atari machines, but no... this episode deals with a brothel taking videos of the prostitutes in employs, then blackmailing them to keep working. And we kid you not, the phrase "Whore Wars" is actually used by an actual character on this actual show to describe the situation. We dive deep into what could have made this episode better, as well as congratulate Stewart Copeland on his recent Grammy win.

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Music Credit: 2022 Royalty Free Music for Free: Wisdom in the Sun Music Credit: Mind Relaxing Music: France music romantic old

Oh boy, this one is doozy. It answers the question we've all had at some point: What if you put together the docks and legal angles of season two of The Wire with the movie Indecent Proposal, then crank the creepiness up to 11? You'd come out with this episode of The Equalizer. It's creepier than you might expect, with an otherwise dense plot mixed in with classic EQ far-fetched shenanigans. Top tier episode. Also we dive into the composer of the music from The Equalizer, Stewart Copeland from The Police!

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The Equalizer defending the current husband... of his ex-wife! Against a crazy dude just out of prison who has a cough... and it's fatal. The problem of this episode we've seen the Equalizer solve before, but the cast is great in this one - some legends, some up-and-comers, all very strong. This episode is the first one aired in 1986 after a few weeks off over the holidays, and they came in swinging.

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If absolutely nothing else, just check out that cast list. There's a new gang leader on the dire streets of NYC and he's turning on impressionable teens to the rough life: robbing pawn shops, running around, and basking in their misdeeds in their abandoned underground amusement park. You just don't want to get messed up with them, though if you do, you're pretty much guaranteed steady work in the entertainment business for at least forty years. The crazy plot itself would be more at home in a comic book, but this episode is definitely worth it for to see their recognizable faces in what seems like an extended headshot session for their "tough guy" shot.

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A deeper dive into the Agency than we've had in a while. The Agency gets infiltrated by a KGB! Control has to find all the copies they made before KGB gets their hands on it... and before they get their hands on him! Mickey's on the case too to break some code. Plus bombs, poison needles, a coffin factory, and some thick thick tension between Control and the Equalizer. Also we feature a new format to the show: Chris and Chuck somehow able to break down everything the Equalizer is putting out there within an hour!

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Equalizer Christmas episode! Like all classic Christmas stories (Wonderful Life, Christmas Carol), this one oddly revolves around crusty old bankers. To add Equalizer flair, this banker is also the negligent landlord of some pleasant old "geezers"... and an aspiring arsonist... and hires a hit against his wife. A lot to dissect in this one, like opening individually wrapped Russian dolls.

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Another Equalizer special episode. This time he is helping the victims of a band of burglars who target deaf people. Among them, a young Cynthia Nixon in an impressive performance as a deaf person who calls on the Equalizer and has to mediate between him and her hothead fiancee. This episode takes on its special episode topic from many angles but as we note there are a few omissions (What do Cynthina and her fiancee do besides being deaf?), a few cut corners (Do people really just stand around the Center For The Deaf), and a few Equalizer-spiked additions ("What if the attack against the burglars was somehow hearing-themed?"). All that plus Chris shared his own stories about the topic which somehow break the podcast.

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The first episode of 1988 and... it's not off to a good start. There's an undercover cop who gets in too deep and Amanda Plummer, the police station switchboard operator, hears too much. Sounds compelling, and under different circumstances this could have a been a 42-minute version of The Departed or A Scanner Darkly. Instead we have this amalgam of missed opportunities. Not that we're at a loss for words; we go through what could have made this better, how this compares to other Equalizer duds (few and far between), dive deep into band members gone solo, and look hopefully towards a brighter future for 1988 Equalizer.

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Equalizer clip show! Control is on trial by an Agency Tribunal, with a judge and prosecutor and big agency flag and everything. The agency thinks that all the help Control has given The Equalizer could be considered treason, so they review all of these as evidence... which is where the clips come in. It's a unique clip show, only 30% or so clips, and by the Morrison Directives (one of several agency phrases in the episode), if he's found guilty he gets the chair! We go deep on the episode and clip shows in general, as well as expressing our love of Debbie Gibson.

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A female construction worker sees a murder while high up on a building construction site. No one takes her seriously except of course Robert McCall, the Equalizer. Only thing is, Equalizer's only documented fear is a fear of heights! The two of them bond (and maybe more) over their vulnerabilities and team up with Mickey to solve this mystery, a mystery which includes hit men, a bomb, hiding a body... seemingly no motive... barely any details at all, really... just enough to drive us crazy.

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The Equalizer has to save a health clinic in the slum from being overrun by a glam apocalyptic street gang, and all without using a gun. Not because he lost his whole arsenal of guns or anything, but the new doctor in town insists... and because he's had some rare troubled thoughts about his past aided by a theatrical pantomime shooting gallery where ex-agents go to think.

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A bittersweet episode, given the recent passing of Mark Margolis. It's his last episode as lovable Jimmy on The Equalizer and packs the most emotional punch. Jimmy acts as Big Brother to a fatherless boy named Tomas. It's a sweet relationship but gets a bit muddy when the boy's father shows up, and then a cartel and the agency and the DOJ are all chasing after him. We pay tribute to Mark Margolis the actor and the character Jimmy while also wondering if Jimmy is really a good fit for the Big Brother program. Also featuring a great guest spot by Hector Elizondo, snake tattoos, and more EQ series callbacks than usual, e.g. microdots.

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Possibly the most very special episode in the entire run of the show, the Equalizer (aka Mr. Manhattan) and Harley Gage have to protect a boy who has AIDS from some very concerned dads in the neighborhood. Because this is The Equalizer, instead of civilized community discourses these dads opt for smoke bombs, animal masks, and kniving furniture. Kudos to the show, there weren't many TV shows addressing this topic in the 80s; and despite the cartoonish bad guys, the show's viewpoint holds up pretty well, especially compared to other shows. Also it's a bona fide Christmas episode and the first appearance of Pete's, McCall's favorite restaurant. The specialness lives on through the years to make this a very special podcast episode.

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With a title like this, you know this episode is explicitly designed to tug at your heartstrings. And tug it does! And who's there to help? None other than Michele Dotrice whom Edward Woodward marries the month after this episode airs! Not only that, but the real life married couple Loraine Despres and Carleton Eastlake worked on the script together! The plot does not disappoint: a stolen newborn baby, the sordid world of baby brokerages, and Mickey's soon-to-be iconic (probably) diversion techniques. Show note: Chuck apologizes for the frog in his throat and referring to the Dotrice family as Doltrice several times but oddly not every time.

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We've seen it before - a woman looking for an escape from her boring household goes into the city, then within an hour is in way over her head. In this case, she's the target of a trained assassin! Luckily her friend knows of this guy called the Equalizer who can help protect her, take on the larger assassin racket, and maybe even help her marriage. Some great stuff, including Robert McCall consulting Dana, the expert on the seedy underbelly of New York City.

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Is tackling religion, the KGB, and Polish trade unions too much for one tv episode? Not for the Equalizer! And not only that, this episode marks the return of EQ's trigger happy sidekick Mickey Kostmayer! The two of them have to protect a priest (Mickey's brother, ooh, character development) who must keep his silence after a member of Solidarity confides in him. And the KGB's in there too giving the whole thing an Americans vibe. Top tier episode!

Additional audion credit: bkarwowski, Stockwaves @equalizerspod equalizerspodcast at gmail dot com

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The Equalizer often butts heads with the police department for doing the work he feels they should be doing. His judgemental eye turns to the city courthouse this episode after a client of his needs protection from two vengeful bump-and-runners. Also on his plate (get this) - a serial killer who believes he's acting with the same moral code as the Equalizer! Also Robert's loyal cohort Mickey makes his triumphant return, this time showcasing his softer side as he falls in love with the woman he's protecting. Lotta levels in this one.

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The Equalizer show takes the Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera (which debuted the year before) and makes it its own. No, none of the singing, nor any emotional complexity nor any sentiment of who's the real monster nor any nuance in general. But it does have a deformed guy terrorizing a Broadway theater. And instead of a chandelier crashing there's Molotov cocktails. And the original didn't have any mention of freebasing cocaine explosions, so this episode rights that wrong. It's a bona fide bottle episode and wild wild ride. Come for the recap, stay for our deep dives into Phantom, its themes and legacy, and how well it fits into The Equalizer mold. That's all I ask of you.

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The Equalizer has an Outbreak episode - EQ has to stop a deadly disease from spreading outside of New York City. You may think you know what to expect from an episode like this, but the classic beats of the Equalizer totally overtake the beats of a typical pandemic story. Like in this one, the only way to stop the spread is to locate the biggest illegal arms dealer in New York who happens to be Mr. Strickland from Back to the Future wearing a Pirates cap. And the infectious disease plot is further pushed aside by perhaps the most bizarre EQ romance to date - the rekindling of a long-ago relationship that, from what we learn of it, is rather creepy. A bonkers episode that is unpredicatable to the last minute.

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Once again, the Equalizer is on location in New Jersey! This time at Monmouth Park after a jockey's son is kidnapped so that some bookies can win big. A nice departure for the Equalizer, and a nice departure point for us to discuss Star Trek 4 The Voyage Home, Rocky 4, Hot Shots, the Super Bowl Shuffle, and more. That's what's nice about The Equalizer, it's an inspiration.

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Folks, this one is must see TV. It's got so many elements of a great Equalizer episode - several celebrities, bad guys who can't stop talking how bad they are, a ludicrous portrayal of the world of crime, and a complicated Equalizer plan that makes no sense (but does include him deep undercover as a suave player in the drug scene). It's got family strife, martial arts, and one of the most memorably bizarre scenes of the show to date.

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We're calling it now, this episode is an instant classic, if anything because it has its own theme song: Shadow Man. A clairvoyant woman helps EQ and Harley Gage track down a serial killer. The newspapers call that guy the Scrapbook Killer but his real inspiration is a hit song by the band "Archon". And that song... is Shadow Man. Between psychic visions and the 80s rock scene, this episode is venturing into new territories, which of course it does in a fresh and informed manner. For example, it shows the way rock concerts used to be promoted in most major cities back then that time nearly forgot about but we remember, and honestly, we'd like to see rock flags come back.

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A mobster's son is kidnapped; EQ helps his wife extricate her son from the inevitability of a life in the mafia. On the whole this is a rather thin episode considering a) recent heavy-hitting and very special episodes b) it's hard not to compare this plot of mafia domestic issues with The Sopranos which got just a tad more intricate and nuanced. That said our podcast coverage of this episode has got poetry, it's got Bible verses, it's contemplative. Making the episode has made our outlook on life that much more optimistic and informed, as we are sure it will for our listeners listening to it. Where this inspiration comes from, whether it's from The Equalizer, from our own lives, a combination or the collaboration - who knows, but there's probably some sonnet out there for that.

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A meaty concept: The Equalizer goes up against a ragtag citizens patrol group. Between them, a vengeful brother, and the actual police, the show could reflect on different viewpoints and methods for doling out justice. But unfortunately we don't get much of that and those searching for larger themes might be left wanting. But there's still plenty of absurdity, some good bursts of action, a punchline to one of the few through stories (Jimmy's divorce), not to mention both Gus Fring and Hector Salamanca from Breaking Bad in the same episode! (unfortunately not in the same scene).

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The Equalizer teams with a hitman to save the life of a woman they were both romantically involved with! Take a guess, of the three men - Robert McCall; a hitman; her current husband, an embassador - which one she loves most? And can never shake from her mind after all these years. Also there's a new personality at the agency who is not a fan of McCall. And a chase on an aircraft carrier. Top tier TV!

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To paraphrase the IMDB episode description: "There's a very dense plot concerning a Congressional hearing about a Mafia-funded shadow army overthrowing dictators. And very separately in addition, McCall continues his recovery." On one hand we have J.T. Walsh, an all time great guest star, along with a full cast of regulars - Mickey, Control, Bagler, and Alice Shepard jezebelling over J.T. Walsh's heroism. All that plus multiple assassination attempts that were, like all failed assassinations, poorly executed. This is Edward Woodward's first episode back in scenes alongside the cast since his heart attack, making us wish we could retroactively petition the CBS execs to please let the man recover more before returning to work.

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Robert McCall and his son Scott (William Zabka) are off to a cabin to chop some wood and have a special talk. But soon they have to protect a hitchiking woman (Dana Barrow, Audrey Griswald!) -- and themselves! -- from a bunch of country hoodlums (led by Bradley Whitford!). Also Ed O'Neil and Kelso from Scrubs! The story is narrower in focus than previous episodes, but that just makes the plotholes that much bigger.

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First episode of 1989. This is a very special episode that doesn't seem to know what to do with its very special topic. How is The Equalizer - who in the 3 1/3 seasons we've seen so far seems to enjoy guns and the freedom to shoot more or less anyone he wants based on his own idea of justice - going to deal with a friend's wife who's bringing everybody down with this whole gun control thing. It's the first time in a while that McCalls's views seem antiquated compared to modern day. We cover the episode much more thoroughly than the episode covered the original topic.

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The second in the two parter that answers the question: What will become of Robert McCall in the world of the Equalizer now that in real life Edward Woodward has suffered a heart attack? Compared to last episode, the prognosis is not so good. He's locked up in a super secret (but highly accessible) KGB fortress building (conveniently not to far from NYC), unconscious and recovering from a gunshot. Very special guest Robert Mitchum and new character Harley Gage get into crazy shenigans breaking in, talking with Russian accents, shocking themselves for some reason, seducing double agents, blowing things up, brandishing Uzis, and finally escaping with EQ on a helicopter. Once again, your humble Equalizer podcasters are the only ones out there breaking it down and considering all the ramifications in the larger Equalizer universe.

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"The best of season 2 so far." Heard it here first. After a few weeks of women in (creepy 80s) peril, we're back to a fun crazy Equalizer. He's been framed for murder! By Vincent D'Onofrio! Who's an arsonist! And the Equalizer has to be sprung from prison by Control! A lot of weird plot points, action scenes, gadgets, bold criminal psychology, and an ending which may hint at a new focus for the Equalizer in the future (or maybe not). Top tier Equalizer episode which of course means the topmost tier of television in general.

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We knew it was coming. During the filming of season three, Edward Woodward suffered a heart attack and the show The Equalizer carried on. What we didn't know is just how they would handle it. First, they had to throw together a story fast -a KGB kidnapping with some agency scheming, check. Second, introducing a new character in the EQ universe who may carry the EQ torch in case Woodward can't continue with the show, check. Finally, some big star power (for the CBS demographic) who may not necessarily have a detectable resting heart rate. A lot of craziness, a lot of world building, quite the setup to this unexpected but necessary two parter, and our introduction to this new phase of the show. We just wish we could have sent Edward Woodward some flowers in 1987, just as his character has done more than once, awkwardly, to women in distress in the show.

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The KGB tries to reprogram Mickey's mind to turn on the Equalizer. But there's one thing the KGB didn't plan on: Mickey's heart, filled with love you can only get when you loyally assist your ex-secret agent coworker's weird new Equalizing business. This is first time the show has delved into sci-fi and easily the trippiest Equalizer episode. We break it down and place it in the history of the topic of memory fluidity in movies, as well as break down the entire sixth season of Black Mirror.

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Louie Ganucci (Burt Young!) gets involved in the dumbest heist and needs protection against the local mob boss (Joseph Wiseman - Dr No!). Louie's son (Ilan Mitchell-Smith - Weird Science!) brings in the Equalizer to mediate as only he knows how - go right to the highest bad guy with an elaborate plan that could only work within this show's specific fictional universe. Also there's some other team of bad guys.... and a 3 minute second plotline about a Norma Desmond type.

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Look, we know. It's another plotline with a woman getting assaulted. This season's got a lot of those. But if we get past that, there's a lot of stuff to report on - like how EQ goes to a computer data friend to triangulate the criminals, or Equalizer getting uncharacteristically emotional. Or hey, the Equalizer's on a date! It's been a while! Good for him, he's found love and he's more in touch with himself. Let's just focus on that and forget everything else.

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The plot on its own: The Equalizer goes up against a crazy mercenary killer who framed a National Guardsmen for murder. Sure that's probably a passably entertaining hour of television. But if we know the Equalizer a) "crazy" will be over-the-top deranged evil b) the world of mercenaries will be portrayed purely for entertainment and not based in reality c) they'll throw in some other out-there details just to taste, in this case religion and the paranormal. Similarly we pack the podcast for maximum entertainment: scene reads, analysis, and Soldier of Fortune magazine.

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There are two sides to this episode. On one hand is a relatively tight plot about a violent resistance movement to the Apartheid, including an opening segment of footage from South Africa and even Desmond Tutu... not to mention a rogue Afrikaner, the NIS, and some grenades. On the other hand, there is Scott's first appearance in Season 4, featuring an even more majestic mane of hair, an actual music performance by his light jazz/peppy Muzak band, and repeatedly pulling a race card on his dad. Leave it to The Equalizer to bring together that doofus character with a very special episode that deals with a current topic more than any other episode to date.

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The Equalizer is hired by a rookie female police officer assigned to a team of officers who are oh boy so corrupt in just everything they do, from junior high antics to psychotic pure evil. Robert McCall's strategy is to play mind games on them, from the irritating and mundane to the most oddball scene in the show yet.

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We're still in a limbo between the epic first three episodes of season three and when the show has to radically adjust to Edward Woodward's mild heart attack and he has to step away for a stretch. We categorize this one as "KGB Light": a bittersweet romance between a Russian defector and a scientist escaping Russian custody while in the States, some parallels between the scientist's plight and how EQ felt in the agency, and my god the coats in this episode, people. Definite Americans vibes here. Guest starring Michael Moriarty (Law & Order) and Maureen Mueller who, given her resemblence this episode, would have been a star had they made a Lauren Bacall biopic in the mid 80s.

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A 16 year old Christian Slater stars as Michael Winslow (just let that sink in for a minute) who stumbles into a dangerous world of drugs after taking joyride in a hearse which contains a coffin filled with crack. I mean, do we still need to keep describing this episode? It should go without saying that this world of drugs is nowhere near reality. Also the Equalizer is at his most bloodthirsty, just going around murdering criminals. Another can't miss episode.

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The Equalizer dives into the hollow amoral music industry. A slimy agent, Greg Rivers, is trying to take advantage of a new young talent, Beverly Heat, but is having difficulty because his previous protégé, Gina Rox, is defiantly standing up to Greg and the music industry that spat her out. Greg gets more and more erratic not least because EQ and Mickey are contuinually taunting him for about a week straight. Great episode and great view of the 80s music scene from EQ's viewpoint.

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What happens when a Midwestern family goes against their better judgement and visits New York City? About the only thing that can happen - their teenager daughter is whisked away by a charming but evil Adam Ant. Luckily these out-of-towners hear tell of a certain individual known as The Equalizer. Also Robert McCall has a love interest! Tons of great guest stars - Adam Ant, JT Walsh (flexing his acting chops), Luis Guzman, Lori Petty, David Allen Grier, Richard Portnow.

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Yes this episode feels a little like a snap back to reality after the epic two parter that started the season and the potential Emmy bait acting performance in #3 (Vincent D'Onofrio in Suspicion of Innocence). Still, this one has a lot going for it: a focus on Wall Street, skeevy insider trading, some sneaky audience deception (possibly a first on the show), and some third act stunts complete with a human cannonball net. All that plus a spotlight on a lovely 20 foot patch of grassy coastline just off of some expressway in NYC.

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So. There's a lot of words to throw around - problematic, of its time, doesn't age well. A few things are for sure. This is a very special episode. The Equalizer (the show and the character) had its heart in the right place. And this episode is not to be missed. Following an epic two parter that started the season, The Equalizer turns its focus to a mentally disabled man falsely accused of murder. And Vincent D'Onofrio gives it his absolute all as the lead guest performer. And this is 1987, and The Equalizer isn't much known for subtely. Yeah, there's a lot to process. And process it we do, diligently cataloging other similar performances of the time and the larger topic of how to view past representations of sensitives issues. A very special podcast episode about a very special episode.

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The Equalizer dives deep into a great story set in the gritty side of Chinatown. Lots of action, a love story, father/son drama, importing heroin, a seedy club/massage parlor called The Rose of Bangkok, explosions, kickboxing, some great Equalizer/Control arguments about morality, and strong Asian cast (though not necessarily Thai as the story calls for). A great one to watch while the country still has James Hong fever after EEAAO. Chris and Chuck bravely break it down as always, this time taking from their toolbox something they haven't used in a while, a dramatic scene read.

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It's not easy to make show that focuses on Russian spies yet has zero international intrigue, but The Equalizer finds a way. First every action scene has to make no sense off the bat then get weirder from there. For quieter scenes, have Robert unbutton way too many shirt buttons. And for good measure, add a second plot with a teenager terrorized by a gang straight out of a community theater production of Grease.

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Listen. Episode 2 of season 2 was amazing. Episode 4 is amazing too. But they're not all winners. You'd think an episode starring Jennifer Grey which aired halfway Ferris Bueller and Dirty Dancing would be can't miss TV. Every show is entitled to a dip in quality every once in a while. But is it so bad it's good? Is it an underappreciated gem? Yeah I guess and probably not, respectively. But are we still here recapping it? Man, we had a hazy few years where we were accepting deals with gypsies and witches left and right and we're still sorting through a lot of paperwork, but yes yes we're still here.

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There is another street gang in the Equalizer universe, and just like the others, it has no apparent business plan or any kind of plan really outside of revelling in being terrors in their community. This gang, the Demon Lords, commit a crime in their high school much much worse than their otherwise Greasers "spitballs and goofing in the hallways" demeanor. Equalizer is on the case as a teacher this time, going all Dangerous Minds on them. Also Mickey's got a spiffy new short haircut which sparks Chris to think back to his skateboarding past.

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Episode 2. The first episode after the "establish several throughline plots" pilot. The Equalizer is called in to help return a kidnapped boy. But he's going to need help... Cue the first appearance of his up-for-anything agency cohort Mickey Kostmayer. You'd think with a more straightforward episode we'd have less to talk about, but you'd be wrong. In fact, who do you think you are thinking that? This is The Equalizer, there are endless things to pick apart.

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Directed by: Alan Metzger Written by : Coleman Luck Featuring: Telly Savalas, William Atherton, Moira Sinise

Yowza. Once again, they are starting out strong for season three - a two parter airing on the same night, grabbing America by their lapels and saying "We're back and we're not messing around." And it's hard to start out any more grandiose plotline than William Atherton threating to poison the entire city of New York, and God appearing to Telly Savalas and absolving him of his horrible past. We were blown away by the first part last week, and turns out that was just an appetizer, just setting the stage for all the craziness in this episode. Great outdoor shots of the city, nutso plotlines, and lots of screentime for Savalas and Atherton to shine. An amazing episode that bodes well for the rest of season three.

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True, it's getting harder to watch old Equalizers lately: it's somehow disappeared from Roku apps and nbc.com is sometimes flaky ( https://www.nbc.com/the-equalizer ), BUT this is one jam-packed entertaining episode that needs to be seen. And yes sure true, the larger plot of this episode is a pretty rough (a woman hears the voice of her attacker who made her blind), BUT see what flowers are at your feet: a powerhouse cast; poetry analysis (which our own Chris Daniels guides us through); a blockbuster-grade plot to find the attacker through voice recognition; and, the purple jumpsuited elephant in the room, an extended musical performance by Ashford and Simpson! Absolutely not to be missed.

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We're back, baby! Season 4 of the Equalizers podcast is officially afoot, and the original Equalizer gives us another classic to start us off. Stanley Tucci as a scheming NYC politician frames one of his workers and she ends up in a mental institution. The Equalizer and Pete (in her final EQ episode) pose as new patients to help her out (EQ undercover, always a treat). Also an early role for Wendell "Bunk Moreland" Pierce. Plus we go over the landscape of the 88-89 TV season, what the landscape is for the final EQ season and the last TV season of the 80s. Join us as we start what is sure later to be heralded as a groundbreaking season of podcasting.

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Directed by: Alan Metzger Written by : Coleman Luck Featuring: Telly Savalas, William Atherton, Moira Sinise

We are back! And The Equalizer is back for an all new season, number three, and they didn't just go big for their season premiere, they went for an all out television event. All stops have been pulled, the breaks are noticeably unpumped. It's a power play against Dynasty, and it's telling St. Elsewhere to go far elsewhere. Move over Magnum PI, you can start your eighth season next week. For the only time in its run, The Equalizer aired both parts of a two parter on the same night. And what a two parter - car crashes, Italian radicals, heaven, hell, God, the devil. Not only that, they're doubling down on guest stars - the legendary Telly Savalas as a monk who also happens to consult for the FBI. And not just any villian but perhaps the biggest "hey that guy" villains of the 80s, William Atherton (evil in Real Genius, jerk in Ghostbuster, unethical in Die Hard). Join us as we break down the new season and dig into the first half of this epic two parter.

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It's an all new season of The Equalizer! What fresh new angle will the show take now that it's had some time to regroup? The establishment of a season-long story arc? A new look for Robert? A new intro sequence at least? Or does it seek to prove that the formula works, let's just stick to what we know. That's closer to what we get, but it still packs a punch: William Zabka (returning as EQ's son), Lori Loughlin (!), James Reborn (aka Oh yeah, that guy), a new branch of the agency, EQ's seldom-seen gun room (!!). Season 2 is the highest rated season of the show, so strap in everybody!

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Like most pilots, this one packs in a lot - gotta give the audience a taste of every aspect of what they're in store for with this brand new show. In this one:

1. Robert McCall (EQ) breaking from the agency and posting his iconic ad in the classifieds.
2. EQ trying to make amends with his son.
3. Equalizing #1, large scale: a communications company blackmailing senators!
4. Equalizing #2, personable scale: a woman has a dangerous stalker.

... and a lot of establishing that he is "the Equalizer" and just what exactly equalizing means.

Note: This is pure episodic TV, very few larger plots and themes, so no need to listen in order. This podcast, like say the celebrated show Parks+Rec, had a gestation period, and our full crew kicked in on season 1 episode 16, so you might want to skip ahead.

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