Robyn McCall is an agent with the CIA.
Was. Definitely was. Sometimes still is but not really and darn straight not officially.
Mostly she is 'The Equalizer'.
When she is not mother to a teenage daughter who usually does not want a mother but who most definitely still needs one.
"Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background, uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall comes across to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her 15-year-old daughter, Delilah. But to a trusted few, she is "The Equalizer" -- an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who's also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption."
So says the promo for this woman's adventures.
What we know from watching those adventures is that McCall had until very recently been an operative with the CIA and was considered to be one of their very best. Dissatisfaction with the way they did business plus regret for having always been away from her daughter on missions with the Agency considered vital but which she was less than thrilled with caused her to decide to walk away from her employment; that and she had more than a little regret over some of the things she had had to do as their agent.
She did not plan on this new vocation of being the one to turn to when the odds were against them. She was just in the right spot when a young woman in grave trouble needed some help. Being that help made her feel a whole lot better about herself than she had for some time and she decided helping was a whole lot better than hurting. Mind you, helping invariably means going up against some very nasty people who in turn invariably could use some hurting.
McCall is not totally alone when it comes to helping others.
William Bishop, the man who trained her and was her handler for quite some time lives in and operates out of New York City where McCall also lives, is around to lend a hand or an assault team or a clean-up detail if really needed. He is also likely to ask a quid-pro-quo for his assistance so while their friendship remains high, McCall knows calling on him can require pay-back. Apparently (I am not 100% certain) he is now "retired" from the CIA and has his own private security company but if so, the Agency is certainly his biggest client.
Melody "Mel" Bayani is a former U.S. Air Force sniper who owns a bar in the Big Apple and it is in the basement of that establishment that the "nerve center" for the operations is located. Besides being excellent with a long gun, she is quite good up close with her legs and arms.
Harry Keshegian is the husband of Bayani and is an extremely skilled hacker who got into trouble with some very nasty people and needed to disappear. He faked his own death, with the help of McCall (before we met them all) and now tends to not want to leave that basement where he has a very nice computer system set up.
Marcus Dante is an NYPD detective who is officially on the trail of a vigilante, McCall, but who reluctantly provides occasional assistance to, and received occasional assistance from, McCall.
Providing moral support and guidance is her Aunt Vi, who now lives with McCall and Delilah and is there with very intelligent and down-to-earth advice.