The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 ending explained: Do Robyn and Dante catch Salazar in the end? 

The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 premiered on CBS on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The crime drama series returned after a winter break of more than two months. The episode titled Guns and Roses is directed by Carl Seaton and written by Holly Harold.

In the episode, Robyn and Dante team up to catch the drug cartel boss Angel Salazar, whose criminal activities extend to stealing weapons from military shipments. He aims to gain access to the Iron Pipeline to expand his weapon trafficking business. Despite Robyn and Dante's best efforts to capture Salazar, he escapes at the end of the episode.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Equalizer season 5 episode 8.

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Robyn confronts an old enemy in The Equalizer season 5 episode 8

Robyn McCall and Marcus Dante as seen in The Equalizer season 5 (Image via Instagram/@queenlatifah)

The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 begins with a 6-year-old girl named Jessie falling victim to a drive-by shootout while watching cartoons in her living room. Her grandmother, Nora, rushes her to the hospital after finding her bleeding and unconscious. As Jessie recuperates, Nora urges Robyn to find her killer, claiming that the crimes from her neighborhood are not a "top priority" for the cops.

After going through police records, Harry informs Robyn and Mel that the killing was gang-related. Jessie's killer, Trick Collins from the Sixth Street Mafia gang, was aiming to shoot at the rival gang, Shotta Boys, when Jessie came in the crossfire. The cops have solved the case, but they cannot arrest Trick until they find the missing murder weapon.

Robyn suspects her old nemesis, Angel Salazar, 's involvement and fears the gun belongs to the shipment he previously stole from Camp Pendleton, which she failed to stop.

Her team locates the gun after interrogating Trick's accomplice, Gerald Jackson, whom they identify from security footage. With the murder weapon found, the cops waste no time in arresting Trick. But, when Robyn goes to share the news with Nora, she is heartbroken to learn that Jessie succumbed to her injuries and died. Determined to catch Salazar, Robyn enlists Dante's help.

Mel and Harry as seen in The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 (Image via Instagram/@theequalizercbs)

Harry traces the gun's serial number to a shipment that was stolen by Salazar while en route to a military base. Harry and Mel visit the gun manufacturing company, Kelley & Beech, to get more information about the stolen shipment. Mr. Thompson, the manager, reveals that they lost five shipments over the last few months.

Harry hacks the company's system and figures out that an upcoming shipment filled with explosives will be hijacked next. Mel and Robyn try to stop Salazar before he hijacks the truck but fail to do so.

Harry discovers that the manager, Mr. Thompson, is alerting Salazar about his shipments, and the team gets to the warehouse's location after interrogating him.

At the warehouse, Robyn and Dante discover that the shipment has already been left in six trucks. They chase the trucks down only to find them empty as well. After returning to the warehouse, they notice a hidden doorway and nab the perpetrators in the midst of finalizing a deal. Just then, the NYPD shows up and arrests the culprits, but Salazar is nowhere to be found.

Robyn visits Nora and promises to bring Salazar to justice at all costs.

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Who is Angel Salazar?

Marcus Dante as seen in The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 (Image via Instagram/@theequalizercbs)

Angel Salazar is a drug cartel boss who crossed paths with Robyn in the past. He steals shipments of weapons as he wants to expand his criminal empire. These guns reach the streets, leading to increased gun-related violence and the death of innocent victims like Jessie.

The drug kingpin's extended outreach catches the attention of Dante's FTF team, who are working from Dante's former precinct in New York. They notice he is looking to take control of the Iron Pipeline, which will enable him to traffic weapons from Miami to Maine if he succeeds.

Dante calls Robyn to the precinct to show her the latest evidence in Salazar's case. She identifies his girlfriend, Celeste Nolan. The duo approaches her about Salazar, but she feigns ignorance on her part.

During their brief interaction, Robyn places a listening device on Celeste, and her team listens in as she tells Salazar about the meeting. Worried that she is compromised, Salazar kills her and escapes before Robyn and Dante can intervene.

After escaping from the warehouse in the climax of The Equalizer season 5 episode 8, Salazar is seen with the two investors he met earlier in the episode. He kills one of them and coerces the other to finalize a deal with him.

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Dante and Robyn rekindle their romance in The Equalizer season 5 episode 8

Delilah and Cam as seen in The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 (Image via Instagram/@theequalizercbs)

Back at home, Delilah invites her boyfriend Cam over for a date. She shows him her mother's Chevelle after he mentions he loves cars, and they take it for a spin at Cam's insistence.

He kisses Delilah while she is driving to calm her nerves, but it ends with the car getting rear-ended. She is left with no option but to get the car towed. Robyn gets upset when she finds out that the car belonged to her father and grounds her daughter in anger.

Meanwhile, Aunt Vi goes on a date with Captain Curtis. They take a painting class together and discuss what they are looking for in a partner. Curtis ends up painting her, leaving Aunt Vi impressed, and they agree to see each other again.

After a stressful day, Robyn and Dante go for a walk together. They decide to rekindle their relationship after he informs her of his plans to stay in New York. The episode ends with Dante receiving a letter from his father.

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Viewers can watch The Equalizer season 5 episode 8 on Paramount+.