The Equalizer

Previously On The Equalizer... I was trained by the best.

Damn right you were.

I serve as an equalizer.

I'm the one you call when can't call 911.

What do you need?I need those freaky-ass superpowers of yours.

We're not getting paid to do any of this.

We're making a choice to help people who need it.

I'm not too keen on private citizens

opening their own branch of law enforcement.

Detective Dante, that cop who's hunting you?

You like that he's looking for you.

This equalizing you're doing,

if you don't stop,

I have to come after you.

I'd be disappointed if you didn't.

Race you!

I'm gonna win.

Hi, Mr. Malcolm.Hi!

What's up, what's up? Ah.

Be careful, kings.

We will be!Okay!

Hey, Malcolm. Crystal.

How you doing, Ms. Sharpe?Not good.

My power went out again. I paid the bill.

Don't worry about it, Ms. Sharpe. I'll take care of it.

And you call me if you need anything else, okay?

Thank you, Malcolm.

See, they do crap like this to try

and force us out of the neighborhood

so they can build their damn buildings.

This is why we have to plan, organize and mobilize.

We have to hold our ground.

My bad.

We were talking about your date,

I love it when you get fired up.

Makes me wish I had some of that.

You do. You just have to tap into it.

So where is he taking you tonight?

Calypso Point. Oh...

Okay.

Question is, do I wear my lucky black dress

or my "still feeling you out" floral print dress?

Well, is he good-looking?

Well, then you have your answer.

Oh, I hate first dates.

Relax.

Try to enjoy yourself.

And if it goes bad,

just give me a call. I'll be there.

Hey, Malc, it's me.

Tonight was amazing.

Meet me on the stoop in five so I can tell you all about it.

This is the exact reason why

I didn't want to go in the first place.

What happened?

D hit a pothole, she freaked out

and almost crashed into a light post.

You know, I didn't freak out.

Maybe if you didn't grab the wheel,

I could've avoided it.

Oh, great, so now you're blaming me?

Listen, next time we go out,

you just have to pay more attention.

No, there won't be a next time.

I'm never driving again.

And it wasn't my fault.

She's spoiled is the problem.

You and her father gave her a cushy life.

What do you expect?

I don't know.

I don't like that nothing is ever her fault.

Eh, you were exactly the same.

I was nothing like that.Remember that conch shell

your father brought back from Jamaica?

It was the only vacation he took in his whole life.

He loved that thing.

Do you remember what happened to it?

Found it shattered on the floor.

You denied it until the cows came home.

But we knew.

I think your memory is fuzzy. I got to take this call.

: Uh-huh.

Hey, Harry. What's up?

If we don't want him to push us out,

then we have to stand and fight.

It's up to us to stop him.

Ain't nobody coming to save us.

This is my home, and I'm willing to fight for it.

Are you?

Wow. He was, uh, really gifted.

I'm sorry about your loss.

How does this work?

Start by telling me what happened.

Police claim that Malcolm jumped from his apartment window.

But that's impossible.

I was with him that day.

We made plans. Something happened.

Crys, you know Malc had a lot

of demons from back in the day.

Maybe we should consider that they finally caught up with him.

No. Malcolm wouldn't do this.

I'm sorry.

Did you take all these pictures?

Been shooting here for 30 years.

Somewhere along the way I became the neighborhood historian.

They're really beautiful, Charles.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Nothing to be sorry for.

It seems like the three of you were close friends.

If Malcolm didn't commit suicide,

who would want to come after him?

Not sure.

There are gangs terrorizing the neighborhood,

addicts in the park,

real estate developers trying to force everybody out.

Malcolm's the one

who stood up to them all.

When you do that, you piss a lot of people off.

There was a suicide note.

And it was verified to be in Malcolm's handwriting.

I know it doesn't make sense.

That's why we called you.

You seem really certain about Malcolm.

I have never been more certain about anything in my life.

Can you help?

Still can't believe it.

Malcolm's gone. It's over.

And if you were smart, you would take

one of those moving vouchers they offering

and get out of here like me.

You said, "If we want change, it's up to us."

My father used to say that.

Personal visit, Detective Dante?

I found this by Malcolm's window.

It's from a two-grand special edition pair

of Jordan 1 Frags.

Way out of Malcolm's price range.

2K for kicks?

It's offensive.

Man, those are fire. Do you think I could...?

Nope.ROBYN: Jays weren't in his apartment

or on his feet when he died.

But it doesn't scream foul play.

They could've belonged to a friend.

There was a history of drugs and depression.

Plus a note.

Points to suicide.

Well, normally I would agree.

But most suicide jumpers

land face-first.

Malcolm landed on his back,

which is more in line with being pushed

or falling.

Okay, but what about the note?

Wait. Look at that.

The syntax changes.

"Good kid, m.A.A.d city."

Malcolm had a Kendrick poster.

That's not a typo. That's the name of a track.

Play "m.A.A.d. city."

I ever tell you what my DJ handle was in high school?

DJ "I wish I was popular"?

Okay, babe, I'm gonna stop sharing with you

if you're gonna use it against me.

Just play the song, man.

Song's about a gang murder.

He was forced to write that note.

So, he knew he was gonna get killed,

and he left a clue in there the murderers wouldn't notice.

Damn. You have to be pretty clever

to pull that off under duress.

Crystal said there was a gang that was

terrorizing the area.

Gang task force database says

that is Bombers territory.

Dude named Kenya Bell runs the show.

Violent rep. Suspected in two murders.

You know, seems like a nice guy.

Why would a gang want a murder to look like a suicide?

I mean, why not just gun him down in the street?

Let's ask them.

Get your ass up!

You want in, we got to know that you can throw them hands.

They take you down again,

it's over. You feel me?

What the hell is this?

What kind of respectable organization starts off

a relationship with a new member like this?

Hey, who invited your moms?

Please.

I ain't ugly enough to be his moms.

You got jokes. That bike is mine.

What, that bike?

: Sorry, baby. It don't come with training wheels.

Killing you, dawg.

Yo, pat her down.

Nice kicks, Kenya.

Do I know you?ROBYN: I doubt it.

But I heard you knew Malcolm King.