Queen Latifah and Tory Kittles Return for Season 5 of 'The Equalizer' on CBS

Robyn McCall is back! The Equalizer and her team return for a fifth season albeit with a few less members. With Mel ( Liza Lapira ) taking a step back from the team and Marcus Dante ( Tory Kittles ) off to a new job in California, can Robyn and Harry ( Adam Goldberg ) continue their own brand of vigilante justice? Will they recruit new players into the game?

Here's what we know so far about season 5 of The Equalizer :

When does Season 5 of The Equalizer premiere?

Due to NFL Sunday games, The Equalizer Season 5 will premiere at 9:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 20 on CBS. The following week's episode (Oct. 27) will also release at 9:30 p.m. After the first two late starts, the series will return to its regular Sunday time slot at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Episodes can be live streamed on Paramount+ or streamed on demand the next day.

What is The Equalizer about?

The Equalizer follows former CIA agent Robyn McCall ( Queen Latifah ) as she helps those with nowhere to turn find vigilante justice.

Is The Equalizer based on other material?

The current incarnation of The Equalizer is a gender-switched, re-imagining of the 1980s series of the same name that starred Edward Woodward in the titular role.

What happened in previous seasons of The Equalizer ?

Season 1 introduced audiences to Robyn McCall, a former CIA agent who takes up the mantel of "The Equalizer, " a private citizen helping the poor and downtrodden right their wrongs. She is dogged by Detective Marcus Dante ( Tory Kittles ), who is determined to discover the identity of the mysterious urban Robin Hood. By the end of the season, both Robyn's Aunt Vi ( Lorraine Toussaint ) and Robyn's daughter, Delilah ( Laya DeLeon Hayes ) had finally learned what Robyn does—and it't not run an international nonprofit.

Related: Queen Latifah Talks Spies, Lies and Allies in The Equalizer

The next few seasons continued McCall's vigilante justice with Dante helping her along the way. After being profiled, kidnapped and beaten by white cops, Dante finds himself disillusioned with the badge and turns his in. In the Season 4 finale, Mel ( Liza Lapira ) steps away from the team to process her own trauma though her husband, Harry ( Adam Goldberg ) stays on. Delilah makes a decision on military school and Dante takes a job with a Task Force in Los Angeles.

Where is The Equalizer filmed?

Queen Latifah is a native of New Jersey and has made it a point throughout her career to support her home state. And she’s staying true to that mission with The Equalizer which is filmed in New York City, Paterson, Newark and Jersey City, N.J. and the surrounding areas.

Has The Equalizer been picked up for Season 6?

No word yet if The Equalizer has been picked up for a sixth season or beyond. Check back here for updates.

What happens in the Season 5 premiere of The Equalizer ?

In the Season 5 premiere of The Equalizer, McCall races to rescue two siblings who run into trouble after stealing a grocery truck carrying firearms. Meanwhile, Harry and Delilah help Mel through her trauma in the aftermath of her kidnapping.

Meet the cast of The Equalizer

Queen Latifah (Robyn McCall)

Queen Latifah returns as the titular character, Robyn McCall. With Mel and Dante no longer on the team, it's just Robyn and Harry working to continue their special brand of justice. Can they continue to do all the work? Or will they need to recruit some new blood?

Latifah, whose real name is Dana Owens , is a singer, rapper, and actor. She has won Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAG awards. She has also been nominated for an Academy Award. Queen Latifah released her debut album at the age of 19!

Fun fact: Queen Latifah was the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Holllywood Walk of Fame!

Lorraine Toussaint (Aunt Vi)

Robyn's Aunt Vi is Robyn's rock and offers stability in the home life she has built for her daughter. Vi heads the household when Robyn is out on a mission.

The SAG Award-winning performer is best known for her roles in Selma, Orange Is the New Black and Friday Night Lights . Along with her role on The Equalizer , Toussaint can be seen playing opposite Bryan Cranston on Your Honor on Showtime.

Fun fact: Toussaint was born in Trinidad but moved to New York with her family when she was 10 years old.

Related: The Equalizer 's Lorraine Toussaint on Keeping Secrets, Law & Order and Black Lives Matter

Laya DeLeon Hayes (Delilah)

Delilah is entering her senior year in high school and  has a lot of decisions to make including college.

Hayes' previous credits include Grey's Anatomy , J ust Add Magic, Liv & Maddie and Quantico .

Fun fact: Hayes has had a very successful career as a voiceover artist, voicing the titular role of Doc McStuffins since the age of 9.

Related: Laya DeLeon Hayes Reveals What It's Like Working With Queen Latifah and What Happens When Cameras Aren't Rolling

Tory Kittles (Dante)

With Dante taking the job in Los Angeles, will he and Robyn try to keep the flames going in their relationship or is it "sayonara" for now?

Kittles' previous television credits include True Detective, Sons of Anarchy and Colony. His film credits include Bessie (opposite Queen Latifah), Olympus Has Fallen and Tigerland.

Fun fact: Kittles hails from the small town of Lawtey, Florida. The town has the dubious distinction of being one of only two official speed traps designated by the American Automobile Association.

Related: Tory Kittles Talks About the Developing Romance on The Equalizer

Adam Goldberg (Harry)

Harry deals with disassembling his AI assistant M.E.L., helping Robyn as essentially the only other member of their team, and being supportive of his wife's decision to step away from the team and deal with her trauma.

Goldberg is best known for his roles in Saving Private Ryan , Dazed and Confused and A Beautiful Mind .

Liza Lapira (Mel)

Mel has taken a step back from the team to deal with the traumas in her past. Will she ever recover and re-join the team? Or is bartending the only thing in her future?

Lapira was previously on the CBS series, Battle Creek, with Josh Duhamel, Dean Winters and Kal Penn .

Fun fact: Her nickname is Minnie.

Related: Liza Lapira's Real-Life Experiences Take Center Stage as The Equalizer Tackles Asian American Hate

Donal Logue (Colton Fisk)

Logue is seen as the would-be replacement for Robyn's mentor Bishop, who was killed off in Season 2 following Chris Noth 's sexual harassment scandal. He is best known for his roles in Grounded for Life, Gotham and ER.

Fun fact: Logue has three sisters!

Stephen Bishop (Miles)

Miles is Robyn's ex and Delilah's father. After asking him for help last season, Miles has been showing up a lot just to offer help to Robyn and her family. Is he hoping for a reconciliation or genuinely there to help out? Bishop's previous credits include Imposters, Friday Night Lights, and Criminal Minds.

Who are the guest stars in The Equalizer season 5?

No word yet on who will guest star in the upcoming Season 5 of The Equalizer.

When asked about the possibility of Denzel Washington (who is currently playing The Equalizer in the film franchise) making a guest appearance on the show, Latifah told Variety , "Who knows what could happen, but, I’m looking forward to whatever he’s gonna do, because I know when he gets in the zone, it gets in the zone. I’m gonna keep doing TV's Robyn McCall and let him keep rocking the movie version of McCall; I know we’ll both continue to deliver."

Another possible guest star is Latifah's Joyful Noise co-star, Dolly Parton . In the same interview with Variety, Latifah said, “Dolly literally wrote me a letter like, ‘You are a badass on that show!" I may have to call and ask if she wants to be on.”

What happened to Chris Noth's character, William Bishop, on The Equalizer ?

Robyn's CIA contact and confidante, William Bishop ( Chris Noth ) was written off the show after several sexual assault allegations against the actor were made—all of which the actor has denied. While the character's absence was intially explained as overseas undercover work that required Bishop to go radio silent, he was later killed off when the plane he was in came under attack from Mason Quinn ( Chris Vance ), a sociopath that had tried to kill McCall in the past.

Related: Check Out the Creative Way The Equalizer Producers Killed Off Chris Noth's Character

When is filming for Season 5 of The Equalizer ?

Filming is already underway!

How many episodes will there be in Season 5 of The Equalizer ?

Season 5 of The Equalizer will have a total of 10 episodes.

What day is The Equalizer on?

New episodes of The Equalizer will air Sundays on CBS.

What time is The Equalizer on?

Aside from the season premiere and the second episode which will air at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, episodes of The Equalizer will air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

How to stream The Equalizer Season 5

You can stream the first two seasons of The Equalizer on various subscription platforms like Paramount+, Hulu and Amazon's Prime Video or purchase individual episodes on iTunes.

Does Parade have a sneak peek of the season premiere of The Equalizer ?

Ask and ye shall receive! Check out this Parade exclusive sneak peek of the season premiere of The Equalizer.

Check out images from the new season of The Equalizer

Take a look select images from the Season 5 premiere of The Equalizer.

Next, Everything You Need to Know About Season 2 of The Equalizer