The Equalizer

The Equalizer-like so many shows from the 80's-is pure class.

It had a very dark premise. Robert McCall was a guy who helped people whose lives were in danger and had no one to turn to. Woodward was very serious and menacing as Robert McCall. McCall may not have been a young man and may not have been capable of jumping onto the top of a van or chasing after the bad guys on foot but he was dangerous. His voice was menacing and he put the fear into every bad guy he ever met. Once he took on an assignment (sometimes for no pay)he would not stop until he finished the job. Many of the bad guys were killed by McCall.

The best thing about this show was the premise. In the 1980's we had a lot of altruistic heroes (such as The A-Team and Michael Knight)who always helped the needy and always put the bad guy away-no matter how much above the law the bad guys thought they were. McCall was always there for people who needed him. That was the great thing about this show. Nowadays on TV, characters are out for themselves and will betray people on a whim, even the good guys. The likes of McCall were not like that-they were caring. No-body could kill them, scare them off or pay them off. They were true heroes.

A very strong series during its initial run and in the occasional burst of reruns that can be found occasionally.

Edward Woodward is a superb actor, and was a sharp contrast to most other private detectives of the day (and indeed, even today). The 80's might as well have been called the "Era of the P.I." with so many series centered around them (Magnum P.I., Simon and Simon, Riptide, even Miami Vice and the other police shows). But Robert McCall was an entirely different kind of detective. He was a seemingly mild mannered Englishman, who dressed sharply and drove a cool Jaguar. He rarely engaged in any kind of physical struggles, yet was probably the most menacing of any television P.I. While the others were jumping onto the hoods of cars and duking it out with the bad guys, McCall's quiet presence and absolute lack of any fear whatsoever was thrilling. The fact that a middle aged man who looks more like a University professor than a detective could look so menacing and literally HARDCORE speaks volumes about Woodward's acting capability.

Probably the best theme music ever written, as well.

"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.

Discovered The Equalizer on A&E. It had heart and I thoroughly enjoyed the interplay of the characters. I especially enjoyed the character of Jimmy played by Mark Margolis. You got glimpses into his life and wanted to know more. I wish someone would pick up the series again now that A&E has dropped it.

I doubt that I could call this an objectively excellent show, but I loved it. We all have worries and concerns in this world, and when The Equalizer would come on, it was as if someone showed up to take care of it all.

The violence was gratuitous, the hero flawed, the premises and execution over the top. Yet the team, headed by an effective if somewhat hammy Edward Woodward who is in turn flanked by Mickey Kostmayer, and Jimmy and Sterno, and the regulars - Control, Pete O'Phelan, Lt. Smalls, Scott, etc. - grew on us. So many budding actors, now famous, guested on this show.

In a key conversation, McCall tells Control how he wished the rain pouring outside could clear away all the human scum and filth that terrorizes society. McCall took it upon himself to do so.

I often wished that longer-term plot elements would take hold. At one point, McCall says to Saul Rubinek's character, "Jason, you set me up. I don't know why, but believe me, I will find out" - but nothing came of this. Some of today's shows, Alias for example, show the potential for twists and turns in long-term plot elements. So, while there were serial elements (ex. McCall's family tribulations), the episodes were largely stand-alone. The Equalizer had huge potential for groundbreaking storylines, but failed to realize it. Still, it provided me with my weekly dose of valued escapism.