Vigilante Week Minisode: The Equalizer (Original & Recent) TV Series Review

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_05]: When there's nowhere to turn, help is as near as your phone.

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_05]: You call and I will be there.

[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_05]: The Equalizer, premiering Wednesday, September 18th.

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_05]: This is CBS.

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_04]: Say hello.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_06]: Let go of me!

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_06]: Neighborhood watch.

[00:00:23] [SPEAKER_06]: Maybe you should mind your own business.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_06]: I've tried.

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_06]: But it turns out I'm really bad at it.

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_04]: What's up with you, Mom?

[00:00:32] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know where you quit your job last month and won't talk about it.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_04]: You love traveling all over the world, being the big shot at your charity.

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_06]: It's complicated.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_05]: This new side gig of yours is raising questions.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_06]: The company must be pretty desperate if they sent you a skinny ass up here.

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER_05]: Well, they figured you'd kill anybody else.

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_05]: They want you back, Robin.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_05]: You're the best they had.

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't work for them anymore.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm using my powers for good.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_06]: Why do I have a feeling this is not a social call?

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_06]: I need you freaky ass superpowers.

[00:01:06] [SPEAKER_06]: This world is just looking for a reason to put a young black girl on that side of the fence.

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_06]: Don't help them.

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_06]: When I can't sleep, it's not because all the things I've done.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_06]: It's because of all the people I couldn't save.

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Do you really think she could help?

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_04]: If anyone can.

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_04]: That's McCall.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_04]: How many people are out there desperate with no way to turn?

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_06]: They have some way to turn.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_06]: To me.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_06]: What do you call when you can't call 911?

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a chapter.

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_07]: Review show.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a chapter.

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_07]: Review show.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_07]: Chapter.

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_07]: Review show.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Love doing some of these solo reviews.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_02]: It's just cool to just sum up just stuff that is part of our childhoods.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_02]: That's from a different period.

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_02]: The people have talked about, but not everyone has seen.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_02]: So I am talking about the one.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_02]: The only.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_02]: The only.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Original equalizer 80s TV show.

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_02]: You might have heard of it.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_02]: You might have been.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_02]: A weary of other shows that are heavily inspired by it.

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_02]: How can they not?

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Especially person of interest.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_02]: No where man.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_02]: The pretenders.

[00:03:21] [SPEAKER_02]: All kinds of shows which just kind of had a character just acting outside his usual modus operandi.

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_02]: There's plenty of other shows that got badass vigilantes and just other guys who've been the rules or work a secret underground.

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_02]: And it was created by Canadian writer co-created by Canadian co-writer Michael Sloan and Richard Lindham.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_02]: But Michael Sloan has since gone on to even do three different books, which I've also reviewed that chronicle.

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Just the character ever since the success of the Denzel Washington movies of the same name and to those movies credits.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_02]: I think much like the TV show and Tom Cruise version of Mission Impossible you can enjoy either because both are just so well grounded.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_02]: You know they just are that kind of thing where it's just very easy to bring to life and you just feel just so blown away by it.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Where you're just like wow how did they come up with such a clever concept?

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_02]: It's just so solid.

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I must applaud them that they did a hell of a good job.

[00:04:41] [SPEAKER_02]: And all together just what really makes this click I think is just how they just go about what they do.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And the title theme by the police, former drummer Stuart Copeland is to die for.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_02]: It's just dynamite.

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, I especially applaud just how they came up with this concept to begin with.

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Joel Surnow who was the creator of La Femme Niquita TV show also worked on it.

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_02]: He later created the show 24 and yeah Edward Woodward is just you know Sir Edward Woodward has since left us since 09 but I think the reason this four season show gets talked about quite a lot is just because it's just very intriguing.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_02]: It reruns of its occasionally show on Get TV the Sony channel but just it was dark without being violent or gritty but I liked how again you know just it's a former CIA operative kind of basically just being a gun for hire and just getting people out of predicaments they couldn't control.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_02]: And you know just using his former spy and special forces skills.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Now, he was different enough from just, you know, the current movie version, but special in his own right and I literally can't tell you what I like more obviously, I'm a huge Denzel Washington fan.

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I consider Robert McCall one of his many great action tough guy roles but this is as much at Woodward's role in that he just you know he comes across so many colorful characters often former military and former lovers and he takes down all kinds of people

[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_02]: serial killers dirty cops and was never graphic Robert Mitchum that's good old screen legend made a rare two part guest spot as a operative he was helping get out of trouble and there's plenty of other actors on here before they were famous and you know

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_02]: there are no slouches either.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Keisuke Ravajka who's made a living being a voice actor was good as his second in command who kind of helps him out of certain retrievals and it just was very suspenseful without being just dead on just like in your face blind for just too much.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't ever trying to be a gratuitous show you know even with 80 standards in place but just I must applaud anybody who can come up with an original concept like this because you know this was no easy deal it got canceled for very dumb reasons but you know it is what it is I some stuff is out of control but I felt like it wrapped up on a solid note without

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_02]: feeling like there was somebody still left in there but yeah it's just a very giving show and I think you can also applaud it for keeping this much suspense while also maintaining that every character gets some

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_02]: down time it's not a shootout every minute I can't think of a single episode that really dragged there was some that clearly outdated but never anything that felt like an uninspired case of the week kind of deal just the right kind of edgy 80s TV show and

[00:08:55] [SPEAKER_02]: and I must applaud them for also just deciding that hey you know you know the premise you know what makes him tick now how's he going to get out of this and

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_02]: he had plenty of other cool recurring villains and other spy operatives while trying to repair a damaged relationship with his kids and

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_02]: just kudos to Edward Woodward you know a veteran of the screen probably best known for working with filmmaker obviously filmmaker bears forward on a bunch of production some other Shakespearean type stuff the original wicker man

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_02]: and even just make another just rare appearances he survived by one of his sons who's a Indian actor and filmmaker Peter Woodward

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_02]: and but in this role you know he just essentially feel he's a gentle giant at times while also being again just he makes do on his promise there's never any just cheap

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_02]: and just one liners or but he still has a bit of just oh yeah I'll show you but he somehow naturalizes it without making it be you know an unintentionally amusing slugfest so with for do let's move on to the current iteration

[00:10:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Robin McCall okay you've heard the trailer now yep this was a recreated new version going on its fourth season now yeah I was pretty cool with this there's a lot of law and order producers and directors working on this as well as

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_02]: other guys who do a lot of B action directed video movies and stuff like shows like SWAT produced by John Davis that's right the producer of Predator and

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_02]: the new version of shaft and plenty of other just blockbusters that he did with Jill Silver like as well as just for your clock hi chamber yeah that he's done a lot stuff for Fox and

[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_02]: this shows like some other TV productions it's just comfort food it's never going to be make my top 10 list but I got to give everybody a moment of its time and this is very well casted very surprisingly

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Tori kiddles he might know from sons of anarchy Olympus has fallen tried to cost concrete and miracle at St. Anna you know he's another character actor who's risen for the ranks and he did really good here as and he is basically assigned to the role as the cop who's not sure if he can trust this former CIA operative

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Queen Latifah is in good shape here and you know she's always been a very understated dramatic actress when it's time to play ball and

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_02]: you know I'm tired of just so many of these damn toxic comments online like guys people do not have to be gorgeous or

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_02]: you know like extremely fit or your typical version of an action star that's boring and that's just you know why gatekeep why we can have nice things we do have nice things here on the show and

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Randy's disc who's worked on all kinds of shows including NYPD blue bones, Resolute Niles and plenty of other comedies and dramas for TV is also one of the recurring producers and directors on here and he did he was no slapshiter he I can often tell if it's an episode by him he just has really good with moving his cameras around

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_02]: and all together I mean the supporting cast let's get to that so it you know Queen Latifah you know just lives with her aunt played by Lorraine Toussaint you might know from any day now plenty of other dramas dangerous minds to be one

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_02]: and still powerful still got it her mentor was played by Chris Knoth you know Logan from law and order Mr. Big from Sex and City unfortunately Mr. Knoth was one of the other recent actors who had some unprofessional behind the scenes me too crap and he was let go after the second season they had to write in his death

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_02]: but that worked for the better of the show they just had more enemies they added to the roster and

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_02]: but the two main helpers that help out Robin our new equalizer our Adam Goldberg you might know is the Jewish soldier in saying Private Ryan as well as others morning stuff on

[00:14:10] [SPEAKER_02]: and just beautiful mine and a deja vu you know he's just he's been all kinds of companies just always the go to just one of those New York actors you are instantly recognized and

[00:14:26] [SPEAKER_02]: you know he's been typecast for a while is kind of the geek or hacker guy he in fact even did that on the taken TV show which I also recommend but

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_02]: you know sludge here he was really awesome he he's going to town and he just looks like he's enjoying himself.

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Melody former USS sniper who owns a bar that acts as the secret base for this operation see that's a nice spin on it. That's not something I can say about any other reboot or remake you know when

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_02]: any other show would have just been on inspired and relied on just the actors to carry this they changed out this whole thing they went their own way with it and they got comfortable doing it

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_02]: and they took off what else can I say that's cool and yeah Lisa LaPera she's no slouch she she's one of those other Asian American actresses who's been on stage in various independent movies you might have seen her in Brown Sugar 21 one of the

[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_02]: very small part she's also wasn't clover filled but yeah she's you know she's a cutie but she has really grown as an actress the more I've seen her she's just very very unpredictable I she can be very charming or she can be very amusing

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_02]: I personally recall her from episodes of ER and a hysterical episode of Psych but yeah she had some other recurring roles including Dollhouse and Huff but her best role in my opinion and just I think just for most people who might recognize her would probably be on NCIS where she played an agent who was bribed into kind of doing some being a trader to save her kid.

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_02]: It was a very tragic storyline but she she know that she owned it and she stayed busy but this is a really good comeback role for her you know and after con man she just she just kept getting on various sitcoms but again she can do drama and she's light here

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_02]: but you know she plays ball and she very much like the wingman on the original version of the show she she basically you know Adam does all the hacking and occasionally might help out or do a retrieval but Lisa's character you know Mel is essentially the second in command doing some of the driving and other dangerous saboteur and locating putting gadgets on stuff.

[00:17:10] [SPEAKER_02]: You know as for the visual style.

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_02]: I it doesn't really.

[00:17:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Stand out but it does serve its purpose it doesn't feel.

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Overstaged or limited it's just right it's.

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_02]: It's still a very engaging look and I can see why so many signed off on this like this is a good use of everybody's brand it really is.

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_02]: And honestly you know I will watch Queen Latifah and anything she really has just grown so much as an actress you know she was always a very respectable rap artist growing up and just seeing her on that stage and.

[00:17:53] [SPEAKER_02]: She's just she is the queen for a reason because she sees everybody's grandmother and what I mean by that she just he.

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Literally gives it her all and.

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Puds everyone at ease like you want to talk about de-stressing this is practically what she's doing and.

[00:18:18] [SPEAKER_02]: My bad so this is not by Sony this is actually by Universal but good use of the format and.

[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_02]: The seasons were very short.

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_02]: You know literally season one and two aired in the same year that's how short it was but yeah season three gone on track.

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_02]: And season four will be right around the corner but.

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Very simple there were some interesting guest stars I vaguely recall the Jada Pinkett episode where she played a former pal of.

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Latifah's who you know Robbins who has become a master's thief I personally dug the Kelly Rowland you might know from Destiny's Child but.

[00:18:57] [SPEAKER_02]: And you might say can you're so white why you listen to Destiny's Child I didn't buy and my Kelly Rowland solo singing career.

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER_02]: And she's a very smart business woman but.

[00:19:09] [SPEAKER_02]: I admire people who get their dreams and they haven't come to life but that's not what I'm about there were some other good guest stars to Donald Logue he might have seen in various villain roles and sitcoms he was good.

[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_02]: And.

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Just everybody was very very intimidating and when they appeared on screen Brett Dalton there's another guy you might know him from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_02]: His recent work on taking over the role of God of War well not the main role but one of the main key roles.

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_02]: And.

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_02]: As well as.

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Just other historical voiceovers like Robot Chicken he was recently on Chicago Fire but.

[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah no he's he's another cool cat and he was intimidating but.

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_02]: I dig how they portray the crime underworld on here it's not trying to have actors just play to the camera like other scripted shows we know and love or hate do too much of.

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_02]: But yeah.

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_02]: One of the producers unfortunately has recently passed the name was.

[00:20:23] [SPEAKER_01]: What was that.

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Lindham yeah Richard Lindham the original co creator of the original equalizer Wow OK so he and Michael Sloan were both very involved but that's cool but.

[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_02]: So far I've just seen people just talk trash about this without actually seeing it I don't know about the trailers but I went in blind and I was very.

[00:20:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Just very taken back by it I thought it cut the mustard now.

[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Well the other key directors on here is Benny Boom who is best known for directing the Tupac Shakar movie all eyes on me as well as again various episodes of all American black lightning.

[00:21:14] [SPEAKER_02]: And the new Magnum PI which is not a show I can recommend he's got a good visual style.

[00:21:20] [SPEAKER_02]: But all together I mean.

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Just it's not over edited it's not a music video style it's it's just right just comfort food.

[00:21:32] [SPEAKER_02]: I understand why it was on at the same night says still team or SWAT just that same kind of Sunday crowd.

[00:21:41] [SPEAKER_02]: But again you know they don't all have to be in me winning.

[00:21:46] [SPEAKER_02]: They can all be straightforward never do I watch the show and I feel like it's running out of steam.

[00:21:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Nor do I feel like it is just sending false messages or brainwashing and you know again she's a vigilante so it's not there's no propaganda.

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And you know again if you're just looking for something just very easy that again I mean other shows that essentially were kind of like the equalizer like prison break or for notice it's that same kind of feel as just getting the job done slam bang frills and kudos to him for deciding to be that.

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Gripping and going their own way because and you know it's not going to be for everybody but you know I have seen so much worse.

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_02]: I can't say hey they didn't have a vision they weren't comfortable doing their own thing they were in it just for the money.

[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_02]: No they knew exactly what they were doing when they signed up.

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_02]: And I applaud them you know not everybody has to be a martial artist not everybody has to be just some you know just nonstop you know over stylized music video guy and those have their purpose to you know it just a bunch of people have been working for years and they're doing their own twist on the thing.

[00:23:16] [SPEAKER_02]: I can watch an episode without being offended or feeling like my time has been stolen or like again they they had a vision that never do I feel like hey these guys made shit up and suck they're not organized they're just full of it now they knew what they were making.

[00:23:40] [SPEAKER_02]: And I definitely feel like it's a little more for an NCIS kind of crowd but that's just a sign of the times you know NCIS is awesome.

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_02]: It's not.

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_02]: It's groundbreaking but and it's not my personal favorite show but it serves its purpose there's a reason it's been on for 20 years and this I feel like they could do this up to season six maybe seven let it go from there.

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_02]: And let Latifah keep giving her dramatic performance in this version of the character.

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Now personally I will say the best version of the character is the Denzel Washington movies which is not something I can say every day but I love director Antoine Foquois gritty style and Richard Winks scripting on that.

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Now obviously most will probably side with the 80s show and that's fair.

[00:24:26] [SPEAKER_02]: This is all apples and oranges which is more than I can say about which is your favorite version of the fugitive or Mission Impossible you know it just that gets to over the top and most of the time people just getting the shouting matches over that you know that this doesn't have to be what is my favorite version of Batman or Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes.

[00:24:47] [SPEAKER_02]: It can all be enjoyed and in this case I'm giving applause to both versions of the show.

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_02]: It's the same formula just done a little different each time you know 80s show was more suspenseful and mixed in with some of the same kind of grit that you saw in shows that kind of came out after Miami Vice and St. Elsewhere.

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_02]: The movies for their own stylized thing kind of an answer to the born identity and New James Bond movies and I applauded them for their own kind of suspense and gritty villains.

[00:25:25] [SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't for everyone but I'll take a many day overtaken and I consider it a worthy foe to the John Wick kind of movies except John Wick has a soul but equalizer has heart.

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Think about that long and hard.

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER_02]: This show I applaud it for not coming out simultaneously with the new movies.

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_02]: The only thing missing is I'd like to see some other kind of tough gal chick on here like maybe Taraji P. Henson maybe she could show up as a sister of Robin hoping her out of a jam that be pretty cool but yeah.

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_02]: The new show is just more about just kind of retrieve the person you know kind of more like the transporter just get them out and then get home.

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_02]: Occasionally she's got to help her family out of a jam but it's definitely just more for the SWAT and NCIS crowd like I say you'll know when you see it you'll get my what I mean by that just based on the visual style and just how it's going to be.

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_02]: So it's edited together and that's okay.

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_02]: It serves a purpose and also I just I just applaud anybody who can do their own take on something without just pissing everybody off and it's not going to make a top show of the year but it's still I watch it anytime it's on it gets the job done and applied all free versions that they knew again.

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_02]: How to assemble solid cast and create some suspense and just take off so thank you for listening all you want to reach us on the web please don't hesitate we are.

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