The Equalizer (1985 TV series) season 2

The second season of The Equalizer premiered on CBS on October 8, 1986 (1986-10-08) and ended May 27, 1987 (1987-05-27) after 22 episodes.

In season two, McCall faces Agency operatives who go too far, over-zealous vigilantes, a corrupt judge who abuses women, corrupt cops who abuse women, more than one hit-man, more than one mobster, crack cocaine drug dealers, heroin smugglers, a lunatic mercenary, a vengeful prisoner of war, gang rapists, an arsonist, a con-man, a con-woman, bookies, kid-nappers, baby-nappers, KGB provocateurs, gunrunners, extortionists, sex-ploiters, a peeping Tom, a serial killer, and of course thieves and robbers.

He saves an operative from suicide, clears Control in a Senate inquest, saves two marriages, saves a boy from using a gun, bails out a gambling addict, rescues a teen from pornographers, rescues an invalid from her own family, and tries his best to save a drug addict.

McCall helps Mickey help his Father-brother, takes Control as a client, and learns he has a daughter by a former lover.

He loses one love interest to an assassin, confesses what he does for a living to a second, saves a third from a murder rap, and is psychoanalyzed by a fourth.

• Lori Loughlin as Jenny Morrow, who calls The Equalizer, furious because she believes McCall helped the Agency abduct her father Frank.
• Martin Shakar as Frank Morrow, abducted for writing an exposé detailing the atrocities committed by Latin American dictator, General Astiz, for whom McCall designed a coup.
• Jaime Sánchez as Vincente, who works for the Astiz regime.^[30]
• James Rebhorn as Eric, an Agency operative who colludes with Vincente.
• Tim de Zarn as Stoller, an Agency operative working with Eric.
• Kelly Lynch as a Bartender in The Paradise club.^[30]

• Jessica Harper as Kate Parnell, a music critic and former art critic before being blinded eight years prior in a brutal sexual assault. She hears the voice of the man responsible and hires The Equalizer.
• Michael Parks as Logan, who is suicidal after sixteen years of Company action and a failed mission that killed the teen boy he was protecting. McCall hires Logan to protect Kate.
• Brad Sullivan as Joshua, a former Company computer expert enlisted to create a voice simulation.
• Ashford & Simpson as Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who Kate reviews at a club performing their 1986 #4 R&B hit single "Count Your Blessings" from their Real Love album.
• Thomas A. Carlin as the Doorman Jeremy, whose drunken negligence nearly results in Kate's murder.
• Tanya Berezin as a Secretary, for Julian Coe.
• Alice Drummond as a Kind Woman, who tries to help Kate.^[36]

• Tammy Grimes as Julia Jacobs, a widow whose business is vandalized, and is being harassed to pay her husband's debt. She calls The Equalizer for help, then wants to know him on a personal level.
• Jennifer Grey as Valerie Jacobs, Julia's daughter, and NYU film student, targeted for something she captured on video.
• Lewis J. Stadlen as Mr. Cooper, who hires thugs to intimidate Julia.
• Lewis Van Bergen as Zahn, an assassin whose specialty is bomb-making.
• Bruce Altman as Michaels, a thuggish debt collector working for Cooper.
• Zach Grenier as Wirth, a thuggish debt collector working for Cooper.
• Patrick Kilpatrick as Webster, a police officer that questions Valerie after her mother's death.^[25]

• Christian Slater as Michael Winslow, a bored teen who takes a hearse for a joyride unaware of the crack cocaine in the casket, getting him into big trouble when Steve decides to sell the drugs.
• Olga Bellin as Ruth Winslow, Mike's mother, who calls The Equalizer for help.
• Eddie Jones plays Mr. Winslow, Mike's father who, as a Vietnam veteran, wants to go with McCall to protect his son.
• Roger Robinson as Norton R. Selby, the hearse owner, and a criminal who has his own boss to answer to.
• Kristen Vigard as Rachel, a drug addict who is a friend of Mike and Steve, two whom she provides her "connection" with dire consequences. McCall tries to save her from herself."^[28]

• Lenny Von Dohlen as Dan Turner, a civil servant and part time National Guard Lieutenant who is arrested after trying to help Nancy Polinski, who was stabbed during an attempted rape. Initially rejecting McCall's help, Dan wants to hunt down the murderer himself, until Dillon comes after him.
• Bill Sadler as Rick Dillon, a deranged mercenary who hates the military and officers in particular.
• Caroline Kava as an unnamed Mercenary Recruiter, who owns the Ammo Dump, a club for "cattle call" meetings.
• Olympia Dukakis as Judge Paula G. Walsh, who releases Dan on his own recognizance during arraignment, with $10,000 bail, and certain assurances which she clearly states for anyone who would protest.
• Edward Binns as Father Martin O'Donohugh, who calls his army buddy The Equalizer for Dan on Lorraine's behalf, and provides his mercenary contacts.
• J. J. Johnston as Frank Polinski, Nancy's father who is angered at the Judge's ruling and tries to assault Dan.
• Sam Coppola as Leo Barnes, who witnesses Dan over Nancy's body and calls the police.^[41]

• Frances Fisher as Amanda Kaufman, who survives a brutal gang-rape in the subway. She doesn't want revenge; only for McCall to find her husband before he's hurt or arrested for killing them.
• Thomas G. Waites as Jim Kaufman, Amanda's husband, who feels guilty he did not walk her home that night; feeling responsible, he gets angry, and goes hunting.
• Madeleine Potter as Zena, who arranges counseling for her best friend Amanda, but is also the rapists' next target.
• Matthew Cowles as Rapist #2, one of three who roam as a gang.
• Lisa Banes as Allison, McCall's love interest, who wonders what Robert really does for a living, and listens to his story.
• Tim Guinee as Rick Franklin, who hassles women in the subway.
• Mark Boone Junior as Time, who hassles women in the subway.^[37]

• Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio as Thomas Marley Jr., an arsonist and son of incarcerated mobster Thomas Marley Sr., whom he's trying to free by framing McCall to discredit his testimony.
• Lisa Pelikan as Anne Fitzgerald, a waitress at Teddie's, who hires McCall to protect her from being killed as her name has repeatedly appeared in the obituaries.
• Leonardo Cimino as Thomas Marley Sr., who directs his son's activities from jail while awaiting trial for RICO charges, at which time McCall will testify against him.
• William Hickey as Tom Clark, an elderly blind conman who fakes being hit by McCall's Jaguar, as part of Marley Junior's frame-up.
• Sully Boyar as Judge Maurice Sanderling, who denies McCall bail at arraignment.
• Mickey Freeman as a Comedian, at Teddie's comedy club.
• Laura Dean as Terry, a hooker who phoned in the obituaries on Marley Junior's behalf.^[26]

• Novella Nelson as Miriam Blain, the mother of two boys, Randy and Eugene. She calls McCall when Randy's death is ruled an accident.
• Donald Buka as Ben Carrigan, the eldest in the West Grove Citizen's Patrol (WGCP), who gets beaten when they think he has sold them out.
• Joe Grifasi as Lt. Vocek, who believes the WGCP when they lie about Randy committing a crime.
• Giancarlo Esposito as Jumpin' Jack, a local thug from whom Eugene tries to buy a gun to go after the WGCP.^[34]
• Denise Dumont as Maria Rivera, whose son Roberto is kidnapped to fix the outcome of a horse race between Survivor Too and Notaquita.
• Paul Gleason as Greenleaf, who learns of Roberto's kidnapping and tries to cash in as well.
• Roberts Blossom as Oscar Peabody, Notaquita's trainer.

• Robert O'Reilly as Chance, a bookie who wants to secure the outcome of the race by any means.
• Ted Ross as Pike, Chance's associate.^[29]
• Warner Wolf in a cameo, announcing horse racing news on television.
• Nestor Serrano as Barry, a "blind" bookie that Raines utilizes.^[29]
• Dennis Christopher as Father Nicholas Kostmayer, Mickey Kostmayer's brother, who hears a confession from Stephen, who is murdered in a drive-by shooting.
• Colin Fox as a Bishop, who oversees Father Kostmayer and enlists police protection from Lt. Elmer.
• Donna Fiducia as newscaster Diane Waters
• Lanny Flaherty as Policeman #2^[31]

• Michele Dotrice as Vanessa Daniels, a widow whose newborn son Tommy is taken by a woman posing as a nurse.
• David Margulies as Eugene Whitman, the hospital's Chief of Administration, who arranges adoptions on the side.
• Michael Margotta as Norrell, an illegal adoption broker who is trying to secure a large sum from a foreign client.
• Sam Schacht as Frank Carter, an FBI agent, who believes the kidnapper is either a disturbed person or will demand a ransom.
• Jana Schneider as an unnamed Woman, who poses as nurse to kidnap babies for Norrell.
• Aharon Ipalé as Hector Kouros, a client seeking to adopt, no matter the means. As an asset, he has pull with Agency and diplomatic immunity.
• Carol Woods as Second Nurse (surname Franks in dialog), who alerts security.^[42]

• James Remar as Tremayne, who hired a hit-man to kill his wife before his divorce costs him millions of dollars.
• Patricia Charbonneau as Sally Stevens, a highrise steel worker who witnesses a woman being murdered across from her construction site, and becomes the next target when Jordan and Tremayne notice her watching them.
• Michael Wincott as Jordan, the hit-man who kills Mr. Tremayne's wife.
• Doris Belack as Dorian, who runs a clothing store and provides McCall a vital clue.^[27]
• Liane Curtis as Elaine Ferris, a United Central Bank teller who becomes a hit-man's next target after her KGB uncle John Ferman is killed for top-secret files copied from Control.
• Brian Bedford as Paul Coble, a KGB hit-man from whom Control needs protection.
• Dan Ziskie as an unnamed Detective, sent to investigate the break-in at Elaine's apartment.
• Paula Trueman as Mrs. Hammerschmidt, Elaine's neighbor who has a coded letter from her uncle.
• Josh Mostel as Winston Erdlow, Elaine's boss at the bank.^[43]

• John Cullum as Judge Howard Tainey, who extorts Lisa Hughes for sex in exchange for a reduced sentence or vacated conviction for her husband Jake.
• John Laughlin as Jake Hughes, Lisa's husband and tugboat skipper who was framed for heroin possession.
• Raymond Serra as Antonio, who had Jake framed for refusing to smuggle for him.
• Cynthia Harris as Judge Paula G. Walsh, appointed at the same time as Judge Tainey, but he has advanced far beyond her because someone is pulling strings.
• Louis Zorich as Zeke, a dock dispatcher who was recently fired.
• Rocco Sisto as Frank, who works for Antonio.^[35]

• Melissa Sue Anderson as Yvette Marcel, Phillipe and Manon's daughter, and Control's goddaughter, who is kidnapped and threatened to discover the identity of Chrysalis or her father will be killed. She asks her godfather for help.
• Anthony Zerbe as Phillipe Marcel, a Police Inspector from Quebec who has been aiding a joint American/Canadian task force to dismantle organized crime along the Eastern seaboard, using a confidential informant code-named Chrysalis.
• George DiCenzo as Frank Dorgan, a mob boss who has Yvette kidnapped by his enforcer, Ernie Slackman, and has his is own capo associates to answer to, thus the pressure to uncover and silence Chrysalis.
• Jon Polito as Carmack, Dorgan's underling and associate of twenty-years, who holds a secret he doesn't want Dorgan to discover.^[23]
• Frank Adonis as Limo Driver, for Dorgan, and his "left" hand man in the confrontation at the end of Part 2.^[24]

• Lindsay Crouse as Sarah McGee, an inventory control specialist at munitions manufacturer Armstech, who's fleeing a Pennsylvania warrant, framed for killing Sgt. Cole's partner. She becomes romantically involved with McCall.
• Kevin Spacey as Detective Sergeant Gunther Cole, a corrupt cop who is working with Max, Sarah's former lover who used her to gain access to Armstech.
• Leon Russom as NYPD Sergeant Worley, who interrogates McCall with Sgt. Cole present.
• Bruce Hubbard as Manager, at a club where McCall and Sarah search for Max.^[38]

• Trey Wilson as Peter Marstand, a buyer of underage photos. He tells Griswald to bring Lynn Rowan to the launch party for his new architectural magazine.
• Kario Salem as Griswald, who runs an "art" studio, and supplies photos and girls to clients.
• Bethel Leslie as Woman on Street, who knows Judy's game of exploitation, berates her for it, and tips McCall in the right direction, for a $20 and a promise of reward.
• Ed Lauter as Walter Rowan, Lynne's father and abusive husband, who swore he'd never be like his own abusive father.
• Anne Carlisle as an Advertiser at Marstand's party.
• Tim Cappello as a Shopkeeper of adult material, who receives underage magazines on the down-low every month, cash only.
• Leslie Lyles as Woman
• Rick Aviles as Scam who promises Lynn "A Place to Stay" and a way to make $50.^[39]

• Patricia Kalember as Dr. Stephanie Davis, a psychiatrist who hires McCall to stop a peeping Tom. They begin a romance, and she profiles a serial killer against whom he protects her.
• Mitchell Lichtenstein as Alex Hayes, a serial killer who targets middle-aged women, and hires The Equalizer to kill him as he cannot control himself.
• Lois Smith as Dorothy Hermes, a theatre actress who plays a mother to help McCall against serial killer Hayes. McCall must save her from him, and she will have one more very important role to play.
• Chris Elliott as Rags Maloney, a peeping Tom who, when caught in the act, says he's a cable guy setting up a dish.^[32]
• Gale Garnett as Frances, a legal secretary who becomes Hayes' next victim when she misses her bus.^[32]

• Robert X. Modica as Terrance Booth who has a WWII grudge against Harry Dawson, whom he terrorizes and finally abducts, intending to execute as a traitor.
• Mike Nussbaum as Harry Dawson, who runs the store where Jenny Morrow works. He is beaten by thugs and his store vandalized; he suspects Victor Thorpe.
• Kaiulani Lee as Lorraine Watson, who questions Control at a Senate Hearing where McCall is testifying
• Quentin Crisp as Ernie Frick, a theater set designer who is hired to recreate "Barracks M," a stalag where Booth and Dawson were held during WWII.
• Marco St. John as Victor Thorpe, a real estate developer who is buying up the neighborhood.
• Ira Lewis as Porter, a thug who beats Harry and vandalizes his store.^[33]

• Barbara Garrick as Deborah Whitten, an invalid who is being terrorized by nightmares of a hooded figure trying to killer her even when she wakes.
• Mark Soper as Ken Whitten Jr., Deborah's cousin.
• Charles Keating as Kenneth Whitten, Deborah's uncle who keeps police away by sequestering her in another house, calling her psychiatrist, and suggests institutionalization.
• William H. Macy as Dr. Spaulding, Deborah's psychiatrist, to whom she describes her visions.^[40]

• John Goodman as Harold Winter, a single father who worked as a security specialist for a chemical company, Chemerc. Let go for selling company secrets, he's being pressured to provide re-entry into Chemerc to commit yet another crime. He wants to back out, but has already taken a down payment. So he is threatened with jail time and losing his son Chris to the foster system.
• Steve Buscemi as Archie, who runs Wizard-o-Electro electronics store where Harold arranges for a machine to copy an access card.
• David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter) as Garnet, who works as Slate's "muscle" doing his dirty work.

• Joe Morton as Slate, who is after something very specific from Chemerc. He also has a silent partner in crime which he has not told Harold about, and both have been using Harold.
• Stewart Copeland as a Pickpocket, who steals a key card to access Chemerc.
• Graham Beckel as George Hershey, Harold's former boss at Chemerc, who is putting the moves on Joan Hawkins who cares more for Harold.^[44]

Executive Producer Coleman Luck stated, in The Story of The Equalizer special for the DVD boxset, that Universal had requested a script for a crossover episode with Magnum, P.I., despite objections from The Equalizer crew that the two shows were too different in tone; The Equalizer darker, and Magnum P.I. lighter. Ultimately the episode was never filmed, but its script was adapted, changed, and ultimately aired as "Beyond Control."^[43]

• The Equalizer at IMDb
• List of The Equalizer episodes at epguides.com