The Equalizer (2021)
CBS | Release Date: February 7, 2021
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The GuardianLucy ManganAug 3, 2021
Season 1 Review: Script-wise, things are woeful. But the rest is great fun. It is another derivative but satisfying franchise that knows exactly what it is doing. Comfort watching in troubled times. Go out and find her. Read full review
60
The New YorkerDoreen St. FélixMar 30, 2021
Season 1 Review: It’s preppy blaxploitation. That’s not to say that I don’t dig watching McCall obliterate Trumps n’ Musks. I like the show best when it abandons righteousness and goes for camp. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushFeb 11, 2021
Season 1 Review: Gender reversal aside, there's little that's surprising about this reboot, which should make it a comfortable fit on Sundays. [15 - 28 Feb 2021, p.10]
60
CNNBrian LowryFeb 5, 2021
Season 1 Review: The Equalizer's evolution continues, from that stately old British gent in the 1980s to a couple of Denzel Washington movies to Queen Latifah in a new CBS series. But the character isn't all that's changed, as the show adopts more of a team concept than the original's loner, even if the basic template -- a pretty fun one -- still involves a shadowy savior of those in need. Read full review
52
Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewRob OwenFeb 4, 2021
Season 1 Review: It’s a high-quality cast of actors but they have little to do beyond dole out exposition that pushes the plot forward while supporting Robyn’s efforts to aid the helpless. Read full review
50
NewsdayVerne GayFeb 9, 2021
Season 1 Review: 100-proof, pure-grade, high-gloss, low-risk formula. Read full review
50
The New York TimesMike HaleFeb 4, 2021
Season 1 Review: Latifah puts a human face on the formulaic silliness and incapacitates faceless bad guys with aplomb, but there’s nothing in the pilot that requires her to do anything but coast on her charm. Read full review
50
VarietyCaroline FramkeFeb 4, 2021
Season 1 Review: Borne out of the cult ‘80s CBS show starring Edward Woodward and 2014 blockbuster starring Denzel Washington, the 2021 iteration of “The Equalizer” mashes the two versions together to create a basic show that leans on its star to keep things interesting. Read full review
42
IndieWireTambay ObensonFeb 8, 2021
Season 1 Review: There’s potential there for a compelling Robin Hood-esque fable that could be exciting. Alas, it’s CBS, and time will tell whether the show’s creators and showrunners, Andrew Marlowe and Terri Miller, will exploit any far more intriguing possibilities. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergFeb 5, 2021
Season 1 Review: There's a comfortable mediocrity to the formula that should land with many viewers. Critics, on the other hand, are more likely to lament that with this cast, so much more might be possible. And Young Dan still thinks a talking car or high-tech helicopter wouldn't hurt. Read full review
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