Review of the Complete Series:
As an action TV show of the mid-1980s, THE EQUALIZER offers a far more adult and grittier viewing experience than something like THE A-TEAM, although like that series it's still rather formulaic and becomes predictable after a time. Edward Woodward is a neat bit of central casting, virtually reprising his role from the old British TV show CALLAN, playing a vigilante and former CIA agent who's now gone private, helping out various cases in a grim and downbeat New York.
As a prime time show this is far from explicit, yet it covers various adult concepts including racism, child exploitation and rape in a sensitive and even-handed way. Watching it today, it's chiefly of interest thanks to the character-led writing and the slew of guest actors, many of them appearing long before they became famous. The first three series remain solid in terms of quality, with the minor blip of Woodward's heart attack making the third series a little inconsistent. The fourth series is weaker and goes off into esoteric, arty territory which doesn't really work, so perhaps they should have ended with the third.
As an action TV show of the mid-1980s, THE EQUALIZER offers a far more adult and grittier viewing experience than something like THE A-TEAM, although like that series it's still rather formulaic and becomes predictable after a time. Edward Woodward is a neat bit of central casting, virtually reprising his role from the old British TV show CALLAN, playing a vigilante and former CIA agent who's now gone private, helping out various cases in a grim and downbeat New York.
As a prime time show this is far from explicit, yet it covers various adult concepts including racism, child exploitation and rape in a sensitive and even-handed way. Watching it today, it's chiefly of interest thanks to the character-led writing and the slew of guest actors, many of them appearing long before they became famous. The first three series remain solid in terms of quality, with the minor blip of Woodward's heart attack making the third series a little inconsistent. The fourth series is weaker and goes off into esoteric, arty territory which doesn't really work, so perhaps they should have ended with the third.