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The latest episode of The Equalizer just aired, and it had mammoth expectations to shoulder. It was the first episode after the break and the one with highly-anticipated guest star Jada Pinkett Smith. Titled "Legacies," it dealt with a decades-old stolen painting and a dying woman's wish to retrieve it.
The episode built up a very potent and emotionally debilitating environment around the case, making Jessie Cook's (Jada Pinkett Smith) intervention look natural. The episode also succeeds in other ways but fails in some. Read on for a detailed review of The Equalizer Season 2 Episode 10.
The Equalizer review: Cook and Call on the roll
As teased earlier, Jessie Cook and Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) have a previous connection from working on a case before. McCall does not like working with Jessie, and as we know, making McCall change her mind is difficult, to say the least.
So the first challenge for the episode is to establish an environment where McCall will be willing to work with Jessie Cook. This comes about differently than what most fans would have expected. It is not a global catastrophe or a large-scale terrorist attempt, but an emotional appeal and a race against time to fulfill a dying woman's wish (and of course, serve justice).
Soon after, the episode dives into the history behind the fabled item, and the selfish Jessie Cook is onboard in no time. A large part of the episode deals with friendly but bitter banter between Cook and McCall, which is fun to watch, and doesn't take the focus off the main events.
One thing keeps leading to another, and soon, the stolen painting is linked to money-laundering when McCall and Cook break into a very secure vault. This sequence is intriguing as it is establishes that Cook and McCall are excellent as a team, just not in their heads.
Smith and Latifah's chemistry shines throughout, and it becomes pretty obvious just why this episode was so hotly anticipated by fans.
After this point in the episode, however, the script feels a bit forced, as Cook almost forcibly transitions into the selfish woman she is "supposed" to be.
This is seemingly in an effort to rehash the tired old cliche of the the anti-hero changing their mind at the last moment, and Cook is the one to rescue them in the end. Though this sequence is engaging, the entire transition seems forced and too quickly wrapped up.
The technical aspects of The Equalizer
So far, the show has technically been very sound. This episode is no different. It has good sound design, clean camerawork, and a well-written script (at least, for the most part). The thing that stands out in this episode is the color grading, especially in the sequence where Cook and Robyn enter the vaults.
Additionally, the pacing was good too. Despite the common plotline (and the expected twist), the episode ends up being very engaging. Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith have brilliant chemistry between them. Liza Lapira (Mel) also does a great job in this episode.
All in all, this was an enjoyable episode despite the very predictable twist. For The Equalizer fans, it is quite a treat, while for others, it is a good watch nonetheless, if not an unforgettable one.
The next episode of The Equalizer will be out on March 6, 2022.
