CBS rolled out its renewals and cancellations in the 2024-2025 TV season rather than announcing the fates of the full slate at once. The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah, Tory Kittles, Liza Lapira, and Adam Goldberg, was the last show standing until early May in the 2025 TV schedule. Alas, joins like two FBI shows and Shemar Moore's S.W.A.T. (again), the series has been cancelled by CBS, and fans only have one episode left before the only option for reliving the action will be by streaming older installments with a Paramount+ subscription.
Queen Latifah herself wasted no time in posting a message in reaction to the news, and it's worth looking ahead at what to look forward to (or dread) out of the series finale on May 4.
The Equalizer Cancelled After 5 Seasons, And Queen Latifah Has thoughts
News of the cancellation came late on the Friday night before the finale, so the sad news may not have circulated much in the immediate aftermath. According to Deadline, a possibility to bring The Equalizer back at least one more time was a 13-episode sixth and final season, with producers and Queen Latifah reportedly making budget concessions to CBS for that possibility.
Whatever debates may have been happening behind the scenes, the show will not return, the potential spinoff is not moving forward, and it's said that Universal Television is not planning to shop The Equalizer around to be rescued by another network or streamer.
While the cancellation undoubtedly stings for fans, hopefully Queen Latifah's message on Instagram will be a bit soothing. The leading lady.executive producer wrote:
Stepping into a kick-ass role like Robyn was everything I hoped it would be. Shakim and I at Flavor Unit are always excited to bring these kinds of roles and projects to life—and then we just hope you love them as much as we do. The Equalizer blew past every dream we had for it, and having the opportunity to do this for five seasons honestly feels surreal. Thank you to our amazing cast, crew, and producers and writers! And I can’t say enough about the FANS!Y’all have been so loyal, so loud, and so ride-or-die—and that’s exactly why we keep doing this. We can’t thank you enough. It means the world to us. And don’t worry—I’ll be back kicking ass in something new real soon. Can’t wait to share it with you.
The Equalizer being cancelled obviously wasn't the ideal result of any deliberations at CBS, but Queen Latifah's first public response to the decision was positive and focused on the great parts of the experience. Specifically addressing the "ride-or-die" fans just ahead of the series finale was a lovely move by the star, and I'm just hoping that the finale ends in a satisfying way rather than a stressful cliffhanger that will never be resolved.
And on that note...
What To Expect From The Series Finale
The cancellation news coming less than 48 hours before the season finale – and now series finale – airs on CBS of course means that it's far too late to film a different ending than the one originally produced. The Deadline report states that The Equalizer creative team did plan the Season 5 finale in a way that could double as a series finale. That should come as some relief – The Equalizer has delivered big cliffhangers in finales before! Per CBS' episode description, here's what to expect:
While on a romantic getaway, McCall and Dante are abruptly ambushed by Salazar and his army. Meanwhile, Aunt Vi finally decides to take the next step in her relationship with Captain Curtis, and Dee meets with her favorite author who may be able to help her get into her dream university.
So much for a romantic getaway! It's hard to predict how that storyline could go down or end just based on preview material, but hopefully Dee's meeting with her favorite author is a nice way to end her story of The Equalizer. As for McCall and Dante, the promo sheds more light on just how unromantic their getaway is going to get:
Maybe they'll get a few minutes to enjoy the cabin before it's invaded by gun-toting bad guys? Nothing is ever too straightforward for Robyn McCall on The Equalizer! The promo also doesn't give away any of what happens in any of the subplots, so we'll all just have to tune in for these characters' primetime swan songs.
The series finale of The Equalizer airs on Sunday, May 4 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, following the penultimate episode of Watson (with the return of Randall Park's Moriarty) at 9 p.m. ET and the long-awaited return of Melissa Roxburgh as Dory Shaw on Tracker at 8 p.m. ET. All three shows are also available streaming on Paramount+.
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