The Equalizer Season 5 Episode 15, “Deception,” begins with Harry (Adam Goldberg) meeting Mel (Liza Lapira) at a bar. She is upset because he tracked her, and he defends himself by saying it was all he could do since she isn’t telling him the truth. When he tries to grab her and bring her with him, she slaps him.
Before we begin to wonder what’s going on, we see Robyn (Queen Latifah) canceling her plans with Dante (Tory Kittles) because she needs to stay home to resolve some issues with Delilah (Laya DeLeon Hayes). She then walks to the kitchen where Aunt Vi (Lorraine Toussaint) prepares a special hangover-cure breakfast for Delilah. As the teenager enters the kitchen, Aunt Vi leaves to spend the day with Evelyn (Michael Michele).
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The Equalizer, “Deception”
Evelyn tells Aunt Vi about a new man she is dating. She remarks on how rich he is and the fact that he promised he would take her to Paris for a weekend getaway. Before Aunt Vi can leave, Evelyn asks her to stay for lunch so she can meet Nigel.
Meanwhile, Robyn talks to Delilah about how out of character her behavior has been and how dangerous this can be. When the girl apologizes to her mom, Robyn tells her is not entirely her fault because she should have seen something was happening with her. She tells her she will take the day off work and instead focus on spending quality time with her.
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As Delilah is changing for the day, Robyn calls Harry to let him know she will be unavailable for the day. He asks her if she has noticed anything weird with Mel because she left very early that morning. Harry mentions Mel has been doing this quite often lately, not telling him exactly where she is going.
That is when we see Mel parking on the street and a random guy yelling at her from his car, claiming that it is his spot. When he gets out of the car and approaches Mel, she tells him the parking space is public, so she won’t be moving. The man starts clapping in her face, demanding she move her car, and she pulls a gun and points it at him to leave her alone.
Is Everyone Okay?
Robyn and Delilah begin working on her father’s car to fix what happened when Dee took the car out with Cam. The mother explains she used to spend hours working on the car with her father because it led to them having good conversations. She now wants to do the same with her daughter.
Mel arrives in therapy, telling her doctor what happened that morning. The therapist asks if she has spoken to Harry about her recent panic attack episodes, but Mel claims she hasn’t had a chance. When asked why this is, she explains she is embarrassed because asking for help feels like a sign of weakness.
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While Aunt Vi has lunch with Evelyn and Nigel, he takes a phone call from an investor who is backing out from a “can’t miss opportunity.” Aunt Vi asks about this opportunity, and Nigel explains it’s for land in the Bahamas where there is oil. Not believing what he is saying, Aunt Vi asks if he has proof of this. Shortly after, Nigel walks out, and Evelyn reprimands Aunt Vi for interrogating her new boyfriend instead of simply being happy for her.
Start The Engine
After therapy, Mel decides it’s time to tell Harry about her episodes. However, by the time she arrives at the bar and gets ready to tell him, Aunt Vi shows up, asking for help. She explains the situation with Evelyn’s new boyfriend and asks them to look into his past. At that moment, Harry starts looking into Nigel and everything seems to be checking out. He tells her he will keep digging in case he can find something else.
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As they continue to work on the car, Robyn asks Delilah why she reacted the way she did after getting a rejection letter. When Dee tries to excuse herself by saying it was the easiest school she applied to, Robyn begins to talk about cars. She mentions how working on cars can seem stable, but unpredictable things can pop up here and there. That is how life can be, so she reminds Dee what matters is how you react in those situations.
Robyn then starts the car and asks Dee if she wants to go for a ride.
Deception Is Brewing
Based on the information she got from Harry, Aunt Vi decides to call Nigel and apologize for her behavior. However, we see that when he hangs up with Aunt Vi, Nigel opens the door to a bathroom where a woman is waiting for him in the bathtub. He then tells her he can’t wait to take her to Paris.
At the same time, Harry calls Aunt Vi again and tells her he found more information on Nigel. He discovered the man has different profiles on dating apps and uses different names. The one thing he has in common is that he always connects with professional women who have recently retired. Before bringing this information to Evelyn, Aunt Vi wants to talk to one of the women who dated Nigel before.
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Aunt Vi speaks to the woman who dated Nigel before Evelyn, and she tells her about the con he played on her. Nigel promised an investment opportunity she couldn’t miss, so she gave him $100,000. Shortly after, Nigel disappeared with her money. When she tried to file a report, the police told her there was nothing they could do because she signed the check as a gift.
Meanwhile, Robyn and Delilah are out for a ride. When Dee goes through a speedbump, the glove compartment opens, and a piece of paper with lyrics Robyn wrote when she was 17 falls on her lap. She then tells her daughter about how the lyrics made her dad feel and how he took her to a milkshake place nearby. Dee mentions they reopened that place, so they decide to drive there.
Harry Calling Dante
While Robyn gets the milkshakes, Delilah receives a message that makes her walk away. When Robyn comes out, Dee is gone, and the car is parked outside.
Aunt Vi calls Evelyn to tell her what Harry found out about Nigel. She mentions the woman and the money he took, but her warning is too late. Evelyn signed a check for $250,000 as a gift because Nigel told her it would be better that way for their taxes.
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Aunt Vi calls Dante and tells him about Evelyn, but he mentions there isn’t much he can do. He tells her the same thing happened to his friend’s mom, and he’s been trying to catch men like that ever since. After hanging up, Aunt Vi arrives at Evelyn’s place. Her friend tells her she tried talking to Nige,l but his phone was disconnected. Before she can say more, she faints, and Aunt Vi notices she took pills with wine.
Harry also calls Dante but to talk about Mel’s behavior. All Dante tells him is to speak directly to Mel.
Mel Is Not Okay
The Equalizer Season 5 Episode 15, “Deception,” takes us back to the first scene with Mel slapping Harry and telling him their marriage is over. The two begin to argue about their money, and that is when we see Nigel sitting behind them. As Harry walks out, Nigel comes over to Mel and offers to buy her a drink.
Aunt Vi calls Harry, and he explains the money is in a bank on Caiman Island, and he has no time to hack it because Nigel has a plane ticket to leave in a few hours. The only way they can get the information is by Mel planting a Trojan horse on his phone. That is when we see Nigel telling Mel he is a money manager.
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Mel asks Nigel if he is taking on new clients. At first, he claims to be very selective, but he soon mentions a “can’t miss opportunity” he can talk to her about once he returns from his trip. They exchange information through airdrop, allowing Harry to install the virus on his phone. However, this is when Mel has a panic attack, accidentally breaking a glass and cutting her hand. As she runs to the bathroom, she drops her phone, and Nigel sees they are hacking him. Harry runs inside to find Mel crying in the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Robyn finds Delilah walking down the street and reprimands her for leaving the car alone with the keys. Dee starts crying because her three best friends have got into Princeton, and they won’t be able to go together. Robyn says this might be a blessing because getting out of her comfort zone will allow her to grow. When Dee complains, saying going to an Ivy League sets you for life, Robyn tells her that’s just something Miles believes but not always true.
Dante to The Rescue on The Equalizer
Aunt Vi does her best to reassure Evelyn that everything will be okay, but her friend doesn’t believe her. She is upset she lost all of her retirement money, and she feels stupid for believing she could have another chance at love. Aunt Vi reminds her she doesn’t need a partner to be happy.
Nigel arrives at the airport, but Dante, in disguise, punches him unconscious and unlocks his phone with his face, giving Harry a chance to hack the phone. Mel is content that Dante was able to save the day but feels guilty for what happened earlier. She finally uses this opportunity to open up to Harry about her episodes and her shame. While she claims no judgment is hard for her, Harry promises to always have her back.
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Robyn drives Dee to a corner and tells her that is where she got caught stealing a car. She tells her what happened changed her life and helped shape her so she can do the same about her college rejection.
The Equalizer airs on Sundays on CBS.
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