The Pop Ninja Blog: '80s TV Remakes part two
This week we will continue our dive into current television remakes of '80s classics. This is one that I was very skeptical of when it was announced, but I gave it a chance and surprisingly, I thought it was good!
'80s TV Remakes: part two
The Equalizer
The CBS series, "The Equalizer", starring Queen Latifah, is in its 3rd season on CBS. It's an action/crime drama, a remake of the series of the same name that ran from '85-'89. The original series also has a movie franchise which stars Denzel Washington as the Equalizer. A third movie in that franchise is in production right now.
The original '80s series starred Edward Woodward as a retired intelligence operative who now works as sort of a P.I. who helps clients who can't turn to the police "equalize" the odds that they are up against. CBS has done a gender swap with the title character and this time around, the character of "Robert McCall" who was an old white guy is now "Robyn McCall", a middle-aged black woman who is an ex operative and also helps "equalize" problems.
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| Edward Woodward as the original Equalizer |
I'll be honest here... when I first heard that this remake series was being made, I thought it was joke. You know how on April Fool's day a lot of companies announce fake projects as an April Fool's gag? Well, I thought this was a joke when they announced that Queen Latifah was going to play this role. To me, Latifah does mostly comedies and there's no way I could picture her in an action role like this. I also thought to myself that if this show was in fact being made that it would tank in the first couple of episodes and that would be that. What a completely horrible idea I though.
Well, the show indeed came out in 2021 and I thought that I would watch the pilot episode just to see the train wreck that I just knew it was going to be.
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| Queen Latifah as the new Equalizer |
Let me tell y'all something... I loved the show and I loved Queen Latifah in the role. I was pleasantly surprised by her strong performance and the direction the producers took this version of the series. After that first episode I was hooked and have watched every episode since. The storylines are gripping and I will admit that somewhere in every episode at least once, this old white man tears up and gets emotional. lol. I love this series.
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| (L) Tory Kittles as detective Dante |
The Cast
Besides Queen Latifah, there is a great supporting cast in this series. I would like to first mention Tory Kittles who plays police detective Marcus Dante. He is an amazing actor and when he is in a scene I am glued to the screen. This actor has such a commanding screen presence and is pure gold. I would love to check out his other work because he is that good.
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| McCall visits with Harry and Mel |
Latifah's character also has a duo that has her back on missions, a married couple consisting of Harry, one of the best computer hackers in the world, played by Adam Goldberg and Harry's wife, Mel, played by actress Liza Lapira.
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| Aunt Vi and Delilah |
Also, Latifah's character has a teenage daughter, Delilah, played by Laya DeLeaon Hayes. Finally, rounding out the cast is Aunt Vi, played by Lorraine Toussaint. A lot of the emotional moments in the show for me come from the side storylines of Robyn, her daughter Delilah, and Aunt Vi. I can relate to Robyn raising her daughter as a single mom struggling to balance work and home life. I did the same thing as a single dad. This part of the show really tugs at my heart and I tear up in just about every episode watching Robyn try to keep her daughter safe, make it to her daughter's recital, give her daughter advice, get into arguments with her daughter, etc. Aunt Vi is the rock that everyone depends on and the voice of reason.
I must say that The Equalizer is a delightful blend of action and drama, so I think it will appeal to those who like both types of shows. It's in the third season and I hope it gets many more.
Alright Ninjas, that's it for this week! . Check out "The Equalizer" and leave us a comment about what you think of it.
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| Denzel Washington as the Equalizer in the films |
Also, I'm looking forward to the third installment of the Equalizer movie franchise which is set to hit theaters on September 1st, 2023.
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