The Checklist: The Equalizer (S4 Ep5) “The Day of the Covenant”
I classify The Equalizer as one of the unsung heroes of the 1980’s… both the show and the character. As much as I love the pure fun of other shows from the era like The A-Team and Knight Rider, I appreciate the fact that The Equalizer had a little more substance to it. I also appreciate Edward Woodward’s portrayal of Robert McCall, one of the most unique characters in television history.
In this edition of The Checklist, I’m going to take a look at another episode from the fourth and final season of the series. The episode is entitled “The Day of the Covenant”.
- Synopsis: Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) assists a young musician/student activist from South Africa named Zandili after she is nearly killed by a man who believes Zandili is a terrorist who killed his wife back in South Africa.
1. Is this a Scott episode?
One of the recurring characters during The Equalizer’s four season run was that of Scott McCall, Robert’s estranged son. William Zabka (Shootfighter: Fight to the Death) starred as Scott, a refreshing change from the usual “bad boy” character he played in classic 80’s movies like Back to School and The Karate Kid. Scott does not only make an appearance in this episode, he is a major player. Not only is he making beautiful music with Zandili on stage, he’s making beautiful music with her off stage too… if you know what I mean. Scott’s vested interest in Zandili’s safety causes him to butt heads with his father on more than one occasion, which is part of their dynamic through the entire series. They aren’t your typical TV father and son, but you still know they care about one another. 1/1
2. Does Robert get assistance from any of his former spy buddies?
Robert enlists the help of his most frequent collaborator, Mickey Kostmayer, played by Keith Szarabajka, in this episode. In addition to helping Robert keep Zandili safe, Kostmayer uses one of his many informants on the street to get some information about Zandili that she is not so willing to share. Mickey being in this episode is really no surprise, when you consider Szarabajka is second only to the star of the show, Edward Woodward, in number of appearances on the show. 2/2
3. Is this a “very special” episode?
I have mentioned in past editions of The Checklist, that The Equalizer was not afraid to tackle some tough topics. “The Day of the Covenenat” covers the always controversial issue of racism and Apartheid in South Africa. There are even two instances where Scott wrongly accuses Robert of being a bigot. This leads to a classic verbal dressing down of Scott as only Robert McCall could do. Woodward is highly entertaining when he gets angry. 3/3
4. Does Robert’s Jag make an appearance?
While we don’t get to see Robert tooling around town in his super classy Jag, we do see the luxury car parked in the background in two scenes. Since I’m talking about Robert’s parked car, I would like to point out that in New York City of all places, Robert McCall always manages to park right in front of wherever he needs to be. He is one lucky driver. 4/4
5. Were there any notable guest stars?
Aside from William Zabka, it appeared this may have been an episode that didn’t feature any other notable guest stars. But then right at the end of the show, they snuck in Tobin Bell. Bell played the Deputy Secretary of the South African parliament, who had just arrived in New York and was the target of Zandili and her fellow freedom fighters. Bell is most known for his work in the horror genre, specifically the Saw franchise. But he has been known to dabble in the field of action entertainment in movies like Best of the Best 4: Without Warning and Black Mask 2: City of Masks. 5/5
- Final Score = 5/5 (100%) You just don’t get any more Equalizer than this! The William Zabka episodes are almost always my favorite of each season and this was no exception.
