Summary
As surprising as it may sound,The Equalizer’s TV show spinoff outdid Denzel Washington’s movie series in one notable way.The Equalizerfranchise dates back to the ‘80s when co-creator Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim’s original spy TV series first premiered.The Equalizerran from 1985 and 1989, becoming a popular cult classic in the years after its cancelation.The Equalizerfocused on Edward Woodward’s title character, a former spy whose dark past and lethal skills allowed him to act as a hero for hire.The Equalizerwas rebooted as a Denzel Washington movie in 2014.
Antoine Fuqua’sThe Equalizerwas a huge hit that soon spawned a sequel. ByThe Equalizer 2’s ending, it was clear there was an appetite for more from the franchise. Thus, a TV reboot ofThe Equalizerstarring Queen Latifah premiered on CBS in 2021.The Equalizerseason 5is set to premiere later in 2024, proving that there is still plenty of interest in this procedural. As readers familiar with Fuqua’s movies may have guessed,The Equalizer’s TV spinoff is significantly less gruesome and brutal than the movies. However, this doesn’t mean the show is worse.
Where To Watch The Equalizer Trilogy
Here is where to watch The Equalizer trilogy at home, including 2023’s The Equalizer 3 and rental options for all three Robert McCall films.
The Equalizer TV Show Has A Better Rotten Tomatoes Score Than Denzel Washington’s Movie
The Equalizer’s Small-Screen Spinoff Beat Its Predecessor With Critics
Surprisingly,The Equalizer’s TV spinoff has a better Rotten Tomatoes rating than Denzel Washington’s first two moviesin the series.The Equalizer’s 67%Rotten Tomatoescritical rating is more impressive thanThe Equalizer’s 61% orThe Equalizer 2’s 52%, although not quite as good asThe Equalizer 3’s impressive 76%. If the ratings of all three movies in the trilogy are taken as an average,The Equalizer’s TV series still boasts a more impressive critical reception. This might explain its longevity, with the CBS series airing four seasons in three years and on track to begin a fifth despite production complications.
Queen Latifah’s Robyn McCall offers a fresh spin on the franchise’s premise.
Like the rest of the TV industry’s offerings,The Equalizer’s production was complicated first by the COVID-19 pandemic and later by the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Thus, the very existence ofThe Equalizerseason 5, alongside its high critical rating, is proof that the show is enduringly popular. Queen Latifah’s Robyn McCall offers a fresh spin on the franchise’s premise, andThe Equalizerseason 5 has already outdonethe original show’s number of seasons. Admittedly, it will be a long time beforeThe Equalizerhas as many episodes as its predecessor, but this remains an impressive achievement.
How The Equalizer Show Compares To Denzel Washington’s Movies
The Equalizer’s Story Was Softened For Television
WhileThe Equalizer’s TV spinoff isn’t as violent as Denzel Washington’s entries into the franchise, this isn’t the only difference between the show and the movies.The Equalizer’s TV spinoff is lighter in tone than the movies, thanks in part to Queen Latifah’s central performance. While McCall is far from a comedic character, she doesn’t carry herself with the same deathly serious solemnity as Washington’s taciturn antihero. As such,The Equalizer’s TV spinoff is warmer and more playful than Fuqua’s movies, merging the style of the movie series with a lighter touch reminiscent of TV’sLethal Weaponspinoff.
The heroine’s ingenuity is just as inventive and impressive as that of Washington’s Robert McCall.
LikeLethal Weapon’s TV show,The Equalizertakes a dark movie franchise and stays true to its roots while cleaning up its story for network TV. The heroine’s ingenuity is just as inventive and impressive as that of Washington’s Robert McCall, but her methods are less bloody and ruthless. WhileThe Equalizer 3’s endingsaw McCall become a remorseless, unstoppable angel of death, the show’s leading lady is more like an ordinary cop show’s heroine with a few extra tricks up her sleeve. In this way, Queen Latifah’s McCall is also influenced by MacGyver.
Are The Equalizer Show & Movies Connected?
The Equalizer’s TV Show World Isn’t Linked To The Movie Series
While Robert McCall and his television counterpart Robyn McCall might share a surname,The Equalizer’s TV show and movies do not take place in the same universe. At the very least, the series has not yet implied that the series and the movie franchise share the same continuity. This would be a tricky crossover to pull off, and not just because of Washington’s A-list status. Even without bringing Washington himself into the series,The EqualizerTV series could realistically add a supporting character from the movies to the show’s cast.
Washington’s Equalizer movies are less campy and light-hearted than the TV show.
However, this wouldn’t work due to the divergent tones of the two projects.Washington’sEqualizermoviesare less campy and light-hearted than the show, and discovering that both projects take place in the same fictional world is unlikely to make sense as a result. The harsher, darker tone of theEqualizermovies ensures that the show should instead continue to retain a fictional world of its own. Meanwhile,The EqualizerTV show’s critical success reinforces the validity of this approach.
