Why was The Equalizer canceled after five seasons?

After five seasons, The Equalizer has come to an end. While the fifth season wasn’t intended to be a series finale, it did work well as one, and that was due to some good planning by the writers.

The Equalizer had been on the bubble during season 4, and it wasn’t due to the show not getting the viewership. It came down to negotiations between CBS and Universal TV Studios, which is the production company behind the show. It looks like the same problem arose during season 5, and this time, the two companies couldn’t come to an agreement.

“Guns and Roses” – After a young girl is the victim of a shootout in her neighborhood, the team races to find out if a gang war is afoot and whether the crime is connected to a shipment of stolen guns McCall is chasing down. Meanwhile, love is in the air when Aunt Vi and Delilah prepare for their respective dates, on the CBS Original series THE EQUALIZER, Sunday, Feb. 16 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with

There were negotiations for a sixth and final season of The Equalizer

The original plan wasn’t to end The Equalizer with season 5. CBS and Universal were negotiating a deal that would see a sixth and final season of the series. It would have been a shortened season, giving the writers time to offer closure for each of the main characters.

Maybe we would have seen a wedding happen! After all, Dante was all set to propose during the romantic getaway at the end of season 5. We just know that there would have been some wedding planning to wrap up the series if allowed!

However, negotiations fell flat. CBS and Universal couldn’t come to an agreement when it came to financing the final episodes. And so, the fifth season became the last one.

“Decisions” – While on a romantic getaway, McCall and Dante are abruptly ambushed by Salazar and his army. Meanwhile, Aunt Vi finally decides to take the next step in her relationship with Captain Curtis, and Dee meets with her favorite author who may be able to help her get into her dream university, on the fifth season finale of the CBS Original series THE EQUALIZER, Sunday, May 4 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for

CBS’s schedule was looking a little packed!

For some, the decision to cancel The Equalizer wasn’t all that surprising. The series had started to see a downward tick in viewership, and the schedule for the 2025–2026 season is already looking packed. In fact, Einstein has had to move from the upcoming season to the 2026–2027 season.

While not surprising, it’s still disappointing, especially when it comes down to two businesses not being able to negotiate. It means that not only do the fans miss out, but the entire cast and crew miss out on finishing up the stories.

At least, The Equalizer season 5’s finale worked as a series finale. The writers planned ahead and learned from mistakes of other shows of the past. Now if only a certain FBI spinoff could have done the same thing!

The Equalizer is available to stream on Paramount+ and Tubi.

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