S04.E06: DOA

[DanaK]

Quote

When a former Chinese MSS agent is poisoned and comes to McCall for help, McCall tracks down the perpetrators and the antidote. Meanwhile, Aunt Vi encourages Dee to protest against a well-known climate change denier, on the CBS Original series THE EQUALIZER, Sunday, April 21 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+

 

[AnimeMania]

[AnimeMania]

I kind of liked this one even though I have seen all those ideas on other TV shows, I thought they came together nicely. I would still prefer they were helping the little people in the community find justice. The show went really hard on the Chinese government, corporations tend to be careful with what they say about China, but this episode wasn't pulling any punches. Did Robyn fly all the way to China and catch a flight back? You would have thought there was enough antidote in the vial for two people to share with enough left over so they could figure out how to make more if it was needed. The U.S. government would probably like some of that antidote on hand in case the Chinese Government decides to go on another murder spree.

[possibilities]

I guess we have to resign ourselves to the show no longer being about helping everyday people, but I don't know how much more of this show i actually want to watch.

It's so full of holes, it's absurd. 

Now the Chinese govt knows where the "secret lair" is under the bar, and they have clearly identified Robyn, and nobody seems worried that they will now be targets?

And it looks like they are setting up a love triangle with Miles wanting to get closer to Bobyn again, and Dante clearly being worried about that.

And they are trying to convince Delilah not to protest? Being arrested for civil disobedience is not going to ruin her fruture. What kind of BS double standard is this family applying?  And Delilah was so traumatized by being arrested at the protest that she is apologizing?

And Robyn can now perfectly casually go all vigilante and then call in Dante to finish it off? No questions about that?

Ugh. 

I will handwave a lot, but I'm just not enjoying this show the way I used to. It's disappointing.

[ebk57]

5 minutes ago, possibilities said:

It's so full of holes, it's absurd. 

I spend most of the hour telling Mr. ebk "this show is really stupid."  

I'm quite sure that after Robyn killed the guy on the plane and clawed her way back in, that she just turned the plane around, flew back and landed it.  Because...of course. 

Ah well.  It's mindless entertainment.  Totally mindless. 

[KWalkerInc]

Of course when they mentioned Miles suddenly getting a divorce a few episodes ago they were setting up a love triangle.  I highly doubt that Robyn keeping secrets was the only problem they had in their marriage and that everything would be great now just because Miles knows what she is doing.  I did laugh though at the highly ominous music that played at the end when he said he wanted in on the operation!

Given the lack of subtlety the show has with foreshadowing, I didn't care for the constant references to something happening to Mel, particuarly with her "I'm not afraid to die" speech.  Is having the character say this supposed to make everything okay for the viewers if something does happen?  It's not going to work on me!

[stonehaven]

I saw the synopsis and figured I would bow out of watching. I did catch the first ten minutes. Turned it off and watched a Sunday church service. Turned back in the last five minutes to see how it turned out. Founcd that I enjoyed the show that way. Sad as I used to enjoy this show and love the cast but I swear some network honchos have their "notes" all over this show and how to "improve" it.

Sigh....and they cancelled So Help Me Todd.....and weirdly Tracker seems to be the "helping little guys" out show now...

[michelec]

9 hours ago, ebk57 said:

I'm quite sure that after Robyn killed the guy on the plane and clawed her way back in, that she just turned the plane around, flew back and landed it.  Because...of course. 

There wasn't enough hand-waving away in the world to make this episode work.  In that scene, we found out that one of Robyn's superpowers is to avoid being sucked out of open planes at 10,000+ feet.

But my biggest WTF moment was Miles doing a complete 180 about what Robyn is up to post-CIA. "I'm in!" That's it? I guess the showrunners are aiming for a love triangle, but considering how Miles was so uneasy about Robyn's activities that he was willing to sue for sole custody of Delilah, this turnaround makes no sense. 

I'll grudgingly finish this season because I've invested so much time into it, but I don't know if I'll be back for season 5.

[Daff]

A new title should fix things: Robyn Saves the World (week after week after….).

[milkyaqua]

Yes, how exactly did Robyn get back?  I guess she held a gun to the pilot's head to get him or them to turn around.  Whatever show.  And yes, how would the Chinese government not now have Robyn and her folks on their radar?

Miles wanting in seems bizarre.  Robyn's spidey senses should be sounding alarms.

I think Robyn's problem with Delilah protesting, besides getting arrested/assaulted, is that protests these days are more extreme and that all the supposed protesters aren't necessarily there for the protest.

[blackwing]

I enjoyed this episode for the most part, despite the implausibilities.  Why would a Chinese sleeper agent seek out Robyn instead of, you know, someone actually with the CIA?  Whatever explanation he gave her doesn't really hold water since she wouldn't be in any position to solve his political issues.

The wife being an agent as well and meeting with that other agent in broad daylight was ridiculous.

But of course the most ridiculous part was Robyn getting onto the plane unseen, throwing the agent out of the open cargo door, holding on with just her hands.  Then what?  Surely the plane had a pilot or two.  In most movies, the pilot would have put the plane on auto-pilot and gone to investigate why the cargo door opened.  Did Robyn force him to turn the plane around?

I can only imagine that she parachuted out of the plane because if she had forced the plane to land, why wouldn't she have had both cases with her?  Why did she only take one vial of the antidote?  There were diamonds and a handful of other vials in that case.  Weren't those all antidote as well?

I find it ridiculous that there was only enough antidote for one person.  Surely those other vials were antidote as well.  The mom didn't deserve to die from the illness, she deserved to go to prison for treason.  What is the dad going to tell his kid now?  "Ummm sorry kid, I worked for the Chinese government but had a change of heart after they tried to kill me.  And it turns out your mom was a Chinese agent too but she was actually bad, she betrayed the United States, and China poisoned her to death.  I'll ask my friends if they know any good child psychiatrists."

The Delilah story was extraneous and unnecessary.  I like when Dee and Vi do things together and sometimes the story is interesting (like when Vi got arrested in the clothing store) but this protest was such a bad idea from the start, obviously it wouldn't end well.

[marceline]

I've gotten to the point where I mentally check out as soon as I hear the letters "CIA." I'm not interested in a spy drama.

I feel like the show uses M.E.L. (I hate that name) like some sort of magic to serve up whatever plot point they need.

"Hey M.E.L, give me background checks for the 200 people who live in these apartments. Then get all the traffic cam footage, play it back then zoom and enhance on the reflection in the puddle."

WTF?

In light of current events, the Delilah protest story just made my teeth itch but clearly it was written and taped before things popped off in the real world.

Are we looking at Miles vs. Dante? Because I don't care.

 

[possibilities]

15 hours ago, stonehaven said:

Tracker seems to be the "helping little guys" out show now...

Little guys who have $30,000 (sometimes more) to pay for an investigator to take their case-- which he solves in 2 or 3 days.

[andromeda331]

The main story was okay. I laughed when the wife turned out to be a sleeper agent too. Although I probably wasn't suppose too. Of course Robyn jumps on the plane and kills the guy in the air. 

I wanted to like Delilah's protesting story. But it wasn't good. Too bad I usually like Aunt Vi and Delilah's teaming up stories.

I hate the Miles vs Dante. It's really stupid and they completely changed Miles. I can't see why he would ever change his mind about Robyn's "job" and Delilah's safety because of her job. It's just so unnecessary. 

[Trini]

Fashion highlights: Robyn's patterned bomber jacket; and Mel's whole outfit.

I've said before that I don't really buy Mel and Harry as a couple, but they were cute this episode. And I wasn't thinking that they might be foreshadowing something with Mel, but I can see that, now that you mention it. :(

I suppose the B-plot with Dee probably would have ended badly in any case, but I don't like how it kinda put Vi in a bad light.

Years of procedurals made me suspicious of The Wife from the start, but her also being a secret Chinese spy was just too much; and I was not impressed by her supposed heroic sacrifice at the end. (And yeah, only one dose of the antidote was silly.)

Literally no one cares about Robyn's ex. They have got to be kidding me - teasing a triangle when Robyn and Dante have yet to even go on the most casual of first dates! (4 seasons in!!) I do not want to accept that this relationship will just be a perpetual tease! I swear, if I don't get some payoff....

Edited Sunday at 11:41 PM by Trini