The Equalizer Season 5 Episode 5 Review: Take My Life…Please!

The Equalizer Season 5 Episode 5, “Take My Life…Please!” brings great news: Aunt Vi’s biopsy result is negative. Even though Robyn doesn’t have more than an episode to grasp what’s going on, the negative result is what viewers were looking forward to.

The way Robyn finds out about the biopsy and how the results are delivered perfectly represent the relationship these women have. However, what stands out the most is the reminder Robyn gives Aunt Vi: they will be there for her like she has been there for them.

Once again, the show reminds viewers that even though the action is essential, the relationships and the love these characters have for each other hold the episodes together.

Truth be told, The Equalizer has been doing a fantastic job of standing on its own beyond the franchise that brought it to life. Robyn’s character alone wouldn’t be able to do so, but her leadership pushes the show forward.

In an age when everything seems to have been done already, the show continues to bring fresh and innovative cases to the screen every episode. There has never been an episode or a story that feels repetitive.

On the contrary, it always feels like the characters can show their expertise and share their stories without the viewers feeling bored or like the show is going in circles. This is highly remarkable after five seasons.

“Take My Life…Please!” is proof of that. A comedian who asks his friends to kill him but suddenly finds himself targeted by someone else is new to the show. It is also different from the cases in which the victim has been abducted or is running away from a threat.

These different cases will keep the show alive and the audience tuning in for more week after week.

One would be wrong if one thought Mel being back would ease the tension between her and Robyn. The first part of the episode shows how worried Robyn is about Mel coming back to work too early.

It isn’t that she doesn’t want Mel around (she knows she needs her), but the fact that she doesn’t want Mel to feel ready when she isn’t. She second-guesses whether her friend can show up when needed and pull the trigger.

However, the second-guessing could cost her more than trusting Mel. If Robyn shuts Mel out of the case and tries to take on everything alone, it could backfire on her.

Luckily, she listens to Mel, which ultimately solves the case. Without Mel’s gut instinct and her skills, Robyn wouldn’t have found the person behind Craig’s death threat—or it would have taken her a lot longer.

That tension and awkwardness between best friends finally dissipate as they close this case. Robyn congratulating Mel on a job well done is what her friend needed to hear after choosing to come back.

Any trace of a love triangle between Robyn, Dante, and Miles seems to be entirely eradicated by Robyn toward the end of the episode when she admits to Aunt Vi that she still has feelings for Dante. Even after trying to compartmentalize her feelings and pushing him away when he tried to kiss her, Robyn still can’t keep her feelings away.

Maybe it is because they are too alike, but Robyn seems to believe her relationship with Dante is worth fighting for. The chemistry might not always be onscreen, but it is present during The Equalizer Season 5 Episode 5, “Take My Life…Please!”

The biggest issue this couple has is that they haven’t had the time to explore their relationship before Dante got shipped out to Los Angeles. We have seen the relationship build moment by moment from hate to friendship to love. Now, it might be time for that love to come to fruition.

Whatever happened between them before Dante left isn’t enough to prove to Robyn that they are a solid couple that could take long-distance. But maybe if she decides to listen to her feelings instead of her thoughts this time, it might work out.

The Equalizer Season 5 Episode 5, “Take My Life…Please!” reminds us the show stays fresh even as it gets deeper into the seasons. However, it also keeps the feeling of familiarity and homeliness we all feel when watching it alive.

Starting the episodes (or most of them) with the three women having conversations at home and ending it the same way brings each episode full circle. But it also gives us a closer look at who Robyn is beyond her job.

In those moments when she gets to lower her guard, be herself, and open up to her Aunt, the show reminds us what it truly is about. These characters, who have grown in the last five seasons, are why we tune in every week. Yes, the cases are important, but the people make it worthwhile.

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The Equalizer airs Sundays at 10/9c on CBS.

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