#The Equalizer Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Hunting Grounds

Robyn and Dante’s relationship has changed forever, and it’s hard not to feel a little bit disappointed by it.

It was inevitable that being from different sides of the tracks would keep them apart, but I didn’t expect it to hit either of them like a ton of bricks this early into the show’s run.

The Equalizer Season 1 Episode 7 found them teaming up with a common goal in unmasking a serial killer to prevent the next death while simultaneously allowing them to set a man failed by the system go free.

Since the beginning, part of the attraction of The Equalizer has been how these two characters navigate their way to the truth.

Dante is always going to want to stay on the right side of the law. He’s by the book, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but his views are always going to conflict with Robyn’s.

She’s been trained differently and will push the envelope if it allows her to save the lives of those in need.

Opposites attract, and maybe that’s why I’ve been pondering a future for them throughout The Equalizer Season 1.

What the pair seem to like in each other is the mystery of their meetings. When one of them needs something from the other, they’ll flirt their way to the jackpot.

Queen Latifah and Tory Kittles have a lot of chemistry, and it really elevates every scene they are in together.

We should congratulate the casting team for this, and we should probably scowl at the writers for driving a wedge between the characters, but TV shows need conflict to succeed.

The episode was understandably darker than we’ve been accustomed to, but it was a nice way to show that the series can bring some levity to dark subject matters.

Tracking a serial killer while on opposite sides of the law cannot be an easy task, especially when Robyn is ruffling the feathers of the D.A.

It was obvious Dante was enamored at the prospect of cracking the case with Robyn.

They were each trying to find out everything they could about the other, and while it made for good TV, the heartbreak at the end of the case changed everything.

Robyn turning the gun on Carter’s father was her way of getting answers. Had she not went to that extreme, we probably wouldn’t have witnessed the duo saving Mia.

This viewer is firmly team Robyn, but maybe if Dante knew the full story, he would have understood her actions on a higher level.

It’s a tale as old as time, but Robyn and Dante are not going to work together if Dante can’t agree with her methods to keep people safe.

There’s a process, and Robyn is at ease with it. She wouldn’t harm someone unless they were bad or prevented her from saving a life. It’s as simple as that.

Dante being ambushed in his home by the killer was quite the curveball, especially since Robyn was partly responsible.

Her methods irked Carter, and he thought the best way to get his own back was to kill someone close to her.

The execution of the message coming through in the compound as Robyn wondered what it meant was on point. It amped up the suspense while simultaneously throwing a refreshing hard left turn at the audience.

It was the first case of its kind, and it also had the first outcome of its kind for Robyn.

She’s been putting too much heart into her cases and struggling to switch off when she’s at home.

Leaving the weight of these heavy cases is paramount if she wants to remain present in the lives of her aunt and daughter.

The only positive about Robyn and Dante’s drama this episode was Dante teaching Robyn to put the weight of her day on her keys, allowing her to put everything aside.

Let’s face it, Robyn was not paying attention to Aunt Vi, and her date could have had an ugly ending, especially considering she stayed out the whole night.

Robyn has dealt with some grisly cases, so she takes more precautions than your typical TV character, and I did chuckle a bit when she checked out everything there was to know about the date.

With the D.A. closing in on Robyn and Dante very likely to rat her out, it raises many questions about the show’s trajectory from here on out.

Even if she’s hauled in for questioning, I’m guessing the CIA will find a way to get her out. She is still indebted to the CIA, apparently.

Being deemed a vigilante will rub Robyn the wrong way because she doesn’t believe that she deserves credit for what she does.

Her methods are out of the ordinary, but now that the D.A. knows the bullet that shot Carter was not shot from inside the house, Robyn is in a lot of trouble.

Dante needs to pick a side and run with it, and if we’re to believe the way we left things, he’s going to spill everything there is to know about Robyn.

Now that her picture is out there, it will only be a matter of time before it all comes crashing down around Robyn.

That’s all I got, The Equalizer fans!

What did you think of the case of the week?

Do you think Dante is ready to tell everything to the D.A. about Robyn?

Remember, you can watch The Equalizer online right here via TV Fanatic.

Catch new episodes Sundays at 8/7c.

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.