Warning: spoilers ahead for the April 23 episode of The Equalizer Season 3, called "No Way Out."
The Equalizer hasn't been known to sidestep important issues over the three seasons that have aired on CBS so far, and "No Way Out" saw the show addressing the subject of domestic violence via none other than Vi, played by Lorraine Toussaint. Like the episode earlier this season that put Adam Goldberg's Harry through the wringer with the character's personal experiences with antisemitism, the case this week required Vi to revisit a very difficult time in her life to try and help a woman whose life was in danger in her own home. Toussaint spoke with CinemaBlend about the episode, the reveals about her character's backstory, and that powerful final scene with Queen Latifah.
The situation started when Vi realized that Angie, her friend and masseuse, was sporting a nasty bruise that didn't match her explanation of a simple accident. She realized that all signs pointed toward Angie being trapped in a situation of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, Doug, with their son Craig to worry about as well. Vi wouldn't accept Angie's attempts to deny what was happening, opening up about her own history of abuse and how much it took to leave the man responsible. She gave Angie the resources to reach out, which she finally did.
The case came to a bloody end when Robyn arrived in the nick of time to shoot Doug before he could hurt Vi or Angie any worse. Vi and Robyn had a tearful conversation to close the episode, when Vi felt guilty about not being able to shoot Doug. Robyn assured her aunt that it didn't make her weak that she's not a killer, even though it doesn't feel good. The final credits rolled after Vi finally said that she's so grateful to be alive, then broke down into sobs on Robyn's shoulder.
It was an emotional ending to an episode that was a lot heavier than what Vi usually goes through as a member of The Equalizer cast, and Lorraine Toussaint had high hopes for how the show would address the issue of domestic violence. Speaking with CinemaBlend, she shared that she and the writers had spoken about the fact that Vi lived a big life before she even arrived on the show, with "so much more below the surface that has brought her to this moment." The actress continued:
People come to me on the street all the time and say, 'Oh, I wish I had an Aunt Vi.' I go, 'I wish I had an Aunt Vi, too.' Because there's a kind of innate wisdom and knowledge that you'd have the feeling that there's very little that can really rock her. But that kind of wisdom has come from experience, and some of that experience has been hard won, and that's what makes her so compassionate. That's what makes her so understanding. She's been there and she's done it. She's experienced it. She's had to pack that suitcase in the night and run, and I really loved that the writers and [I] worked together to make it as truthful as possible, and as intimate as possible.
Who doesn't wish that they had an Aunt Vi of their own, honestly? Unfortunately in this situation of Vi speaking to a friend about domestic abuse, however, the wisdom came from her own experience with violence from a partner. As she told her friend in the episode, she wanted to help Angie the way that she wishes somebody had helped her back when she needed it. The actress continued:
For Vi, especially in this episode, to speak from the place of 'I' so that she wasn't just a busybody trying to get into people's business with nothing at stake, I think it was really important to set up the stakes so that Vi earned the right to speak, and step in and insist that this woman take her hand and walk out of this relationship with her and that she was going to companion her because she knew how difficult it is to do this by yourself, and that's one of the messages that this episode is putting forth.
Vi really didn't get through to Angie until she opened up about when somebody she'd trusted put her through hell, and she made it clear that she knew what Angie was feeling better than almost anybody else. And Vi delivered on being there for Angie, even when Doug hunted them down with an intent to not just hurt, but kill. Lorraine Toussaint went on:
I think if you see something, say something, and sometimes it means going the extra step [and] not just asking, 'Girl, are you okay?' and then accepting the 'Yeah, I'm fine' and moving on. But going back and saying 'Are you really okay? I don't think you are.' Putting yourself out there could make the difference between saving a woman's life or not. We all have to be braver in this kind of advocacy.
There were points in the episode where Vi absolutely could have stepped back behind the normal boundaries of a friendship, but she just couldn't do it when she suspected that Angie's life was in danger. She recognized the signs, acted, and saved the life of an innocent woman, and possibly her child as well.
And while Vi was nothing but strong for Angie throughout "No Way Out," she was finally able to really absorb what had happened and lean on a loved one by the end of the episode. Robyn was there to care for her aunt, leading to a raw show of emotion between both women.
When asked what it was like to perform such a raw scene, Lorraine Toussaint shared that she charges herself with "with going where no one has gone before in telling as much truth as I can" as an actor, so that audiences "identify with a human experience" and "allow the camera to see a truthful human experience." She continued:
Do those moments cost more? Absolutely. Those moments cost a great deal. So don't get me wrong – I'm not hoping to play those kinds of things every day, but when they're called for, and I determine that it's worth it, I will actually pay the price for those moments to be captured on screen. And it's a shared moment between Queen and I because at the core of what you're seeing is an incredibly delicate and intimate and tender exchange, that is between Queen and I, and as a byproduct, Robyn and Vi. But the safety that is established with Queen is paramount.
The raw emotion and tenderness between Vi and Robyn in that final scene of "No Way Out" came because of a comfort and "safety" between Lorraine Toussaint and Queen Latifah. The scene – and in fact, the show as a whole – might not work if the actresses didn't sell that family bond and intimacy, and it made for a cathartic end to a difficult episode. Toussaint went on to establish that Laya DeLeon Hayes, who plays Delilah, is key as well:
What happens is we create an environment of incredible safety and intimacy that allows that to happen in the ways in which it does happen. That's something that we've built, that Queen and I have built between us. Queen and Laya [DeLeon Hayes] and I have built in this family. The three women that you see on the screen really... are in love. [laughs] We're really in love with each other, deeply in love with each other and fiercely so and profoundly trust each other with our soft underbellies. So we're very safe with each other.
The love in the scenes back at home between Vi, Robyn, and Delilah isn't manufactured by the actresses, but truly felt between all three of them. A strong working relationship seems essential in episodes that cover particularly difficult subjects that hit close to home for the characters. Hopefully, however, Vi will get a break from danger in the next episode on CBS (or streaming via a Paramount+ subscription)!
The Equalizer itself is taking a brief break from primetime, as no new episode will air on Sunday, April 30, but the show will return the next week. Tune in to CBS on Sunday, May 7 for the next new episode of the hit drama, which has already been renewed for Season 4. With the Season 3 finale on May 21, now is the time to make sure not to miss any episodes and check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule for what you can watch over summer hiatus.
