Kicking off in 2021, the crime drama The Equalizer was a fast hit on CBS. A refreshing reboot of a 1980s series of the same name, the show stars Queen Latifah as Robin McCall, an ex-CIA agent who fights criminals independently to help "equalize" the playing field for her clients.
February 2025 has been a busy renewal season for CBS series, with over a dozen comedy and drama shows confirmed to have new seasons in the 2025-2026 year. Tracker, NCIS, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, and Fire Country were all dramas that we know will definitely return with more episodes in the future. But so far, CBS has not said anything about the fate of The Equalizer.
The problem of renewing The Equalizer
Part of the reason why we haven't heard about whether there may be a season 6 is because unlike many of the other shows on CBS, The Equalizer is actually owned by Universal Television. And according to Deadline, negotiations about budgeting and new episode orders were also a last-minute decision before season 5. CBS and Universal have to come to an agreement about the show's future, unlike many other series at the network. (And if you're a fan of the FBI shows, they are in a similar situation).
So will there be a season 6 of The Equalizer? The short answer is that it's possible, but there are a few different outcomes in play. The show could continue into season 6 (likely with a tightened budget, which is what happened with FBI's renewal last year), but it's also possible that what is meant to be the season 5 finale episode instead becomes a finale for the series altogether.
There are new shows on the schedule
CBS is also looking at new series to pick-up, which may mean losing The Equalizer to a new show that takes its place in the schedule. However, it's also possible that one of the new shows CBS adds to its line-up is the reported spin-off for The Equalizer -- which means keeping fans within the world of the series even if the current series is canceled.
We don't yet have enough information from CBS and Universal Television about how all of this will shake out, but the additional contract negotiations and budget restrictions that The Equalizer has to go through make this situation frustrating. I hope that we can get more information in the coming weeks, but keep in mind that the season 5 renewal was not announced until April 2024, so it's possible we may not hear until later this spring about whether there will be a season 6.
The Equalizer airs Sundays at 10pm on CBS, with new episodes becoming available to stream on Paramount+ the day after they air. And if you still need to catch up on the series, seasons 1 through 4 are also currently available to stream on the platform.
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