*The Equalizer’s unexpected cancellation hasn’t robbed fans of their total journey with the series and its characters.
To hear showrunner Joe Wilson tell it, he meant to do that, with ending his creation overall on a satisfying note with the finale to season 5 of “The Equalizer” doubling as a solid conclusion for the adventures of Queen Latifah’s Robyn McCall and her fellow do-gooders.
Contrary to shows that end their shows respective seasons with a cliffhanger, Wilson confessed to TV Insider that he went in a different direction, in light of no guarantees for “the Equalizer” to receive a sixth season.
His motivation?
“Equalizer” fans, plain and simple.
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Wilson and others involved with “The Equalizer” who did not want faithful viewers feeling cheated or incomplete because of the cancellation. As a result, it was decided that the season 5 finale would be more conclusive.
“It was definitely on purpose. We didn’t want to end with a cliffhanger,” Wilson confirmed to TV Insider. “Shows get a little older. We are going into our sixth season budget, and money becomes an issue. We weren’t sure what was going to happen, and if we did end up on that wrong side, we did not want the fans to feel incomplete or cheated in any way. So we designed it in a way that can feel like an ending, but there’s so much more to unpack.”
The cancellation of “The Equalizer” marks the end of the show’s reboot, following its initial run in the 1980’s under the same name.
The Latifah-led version premiered in February 2021, with the “Come Into My House” raptress portraying Robyn McCall, a former CIA agent who becomes a street vigilante for justice.
ScreenRant’s Matthew Biggin notes strong ratings pulled in during season 1. Despite a dip in ratings, a sixth season of “The Equalizer” seemed a no-brainer or CBS before it pulled the plug on the long-running action drama.
In his analysis, Biggin labeled “The Equalizer” as “a show that aimed to tell immersive stories and develop strong, layered characters over the course of its run,” while applauding Wilson for making what it felt was the right decision in how it ended the series.
“… It feels like the creative team could see the likelihood of a cancellation, and wanted to make sure the show got to conclude in a way that was satisfying to viewers, as well as making sense within the narrative structure of the show as a whole,” he mentioned.
“The fact that The Equalizer season 5 managed to tell its story, expand thematically, and wrap up the show in a way that felt right means viewers are rewarded for their investment. Robyn’s journey, and the impact her decisions had on her family and those closest to her, were explored over the course of the series, and it would not have felt right to leave loose ends in the series finale.”
“Other shows like The Equalizer have made this mistake in the past, and this has reduced the appeal of the series in the eyes of many,” continued Biggin. “Wilson’s decision was the correct one, and developing a series finale that can also serve as a season finale makes more sense creatively than having a cliffhanger ending that will never be resolved.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: Queen Latifah Breaks Silence on ‘The Equalizer’ Cancellation After 5 Seasons
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