THE EQUALIZER Post-Mortem: Laya DeLeon Hayes on Delilah’s Short-Lived Secret and What Comes Next

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Sunday, November 20 episode of THE EQUALIZER, “A Time to Kill.”]

THE EQUALIZER’s Delilah (Laya DeLeon Hayes) started her secret training with Mel (Liza Lapira)—but she wasn’t able to contain the news for long.

When Delilah snuck out of her home, Aunt Vi (Lorraine Toussaint) heard the teen and followed her out. Unbeknownst to D, Aunt Vi watched her and Mel train.

But what comes next? Here, Hayes talks about Delilah’s short-lived secret, how she might play into the team’s work going forward, and more…

Aunt Vi saw Delilah training in the final moments. What can you preview about how she will react?
It’s gonna be interesting, without giving too much away, because throughout season 2 and then even beginning season 3 after McCall’s abduction, Aunt Vi and Delilah were really all they had; all they had was each other. And, mentally, they’re in the exact same space where they’re not completely sure how to handle McCall’s job and this new world that they’re in. So they rely on one another a lot in the show.

When [Vi] finds out about training, I think audiences will be surprised to see the reaction; [it] might be a bit different than what they’re going to expect, because there was even foreshadowing in [the] episodes before with Aunt Vi going to a shooting range and wanting to also take control of who she can protect, as well. And with them both being on that same wavelength, there’s going to be an understanding, but also a line and boundary of, “You can’t lie to your mother, either.” So stakes will still be high, but in terms of Delilah and Aunt Vi, they’re usually always on the same page. And it’ll be fun for people to see how that coincides with how McCall’s worlds are colliding, too. [Laughs.]

With Aunt Vi now aware, when Delilah finds that out, does she have any kind of delusion that she can actually keep this quiet from her mom for a little bit longer?
Yeah, I think the delusion is quickly over when she finds out Aunt Vi knows. [Laughs.] At that point, she’s been training with Mel for maybe two weeks, and Aunt Vi already knows what’s going on. It’s a pattern in EQUALIZER episodes and the relationship between McCall and Delilah: McCall is usually not too far off from what Delilah’s thinking.

So I think the delusion definitely wears off, and it’s this feeling of pressure now on Delilah’s shoulders to tell the truth to her mother. Also, they’ve been through so much in the past few seasons, where those walls are coming down, just to be brought up again—and that’s a hard thing to keep up. I think Delilah knows that in the back of her head— as much as she wants to take control and take agency of what she wants, and who she wants to protect, there is this feeling of guilt that is also very present as well.

There’s also a lovely moment within the episode where Robyn (Queen Latifah) comes to Delilah and asks for help with the emojis. What was your take when you read that scene and is this something we might see D doing for the team in the future?
I think that would be super helpful! One, because I have conversations like that all the time in my house, with my parents, where they’re like, wait, what does this button mean?…it’s a whole bunch of things.

I love that about our show, though—there’s so many different types of people, and also generations, throughout our episodes. And it’s nice to get the younger generation’s opinion, or their knowledge, on certain things that maybe people who are a bit older can’t fully understand.

And I think that’s definitely an option [to see Delilah do it again]; I’m not sure how the season will progress yet. But with her training, and also being able to dissect things that her mom or other people on the team can’t, it is something I will be so down for—to be a part of the team. So, hey, maybe I can start manifesting it, so it actually happens.

Fingers crossed! Looking to next week, Kelly Rowland guest stars as a musical superstar. Did you get the chance to meet her?
I didn’t get a chance to meet her, which was really disheartening. They don’t tell me anything on the show unless I ask! Even when we had Rick Ross guest star, I found out a day before he was starting to film. With Jada Pinkett Smith [in season 2], I was walking through the hallways of our set, and [she] was just behind me and I was like, “Yo, Jada, nice to meet you!” [Laughs.] So I’m just sitting there, in a fitting with wardrobe, and our wardrobe person was like, “Hey, I think Kelly Rowland is in this episode.” [And I’m like,] “Oh, shoot. That’s super cool.” And I’m excited to see her stuff. I’ve seen little clips already, and it looks great. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to meet her [some day]. Or maybe we’ll bring her character back.

Right now, Robyn and Dante (Tory Kittles) seem to be inching closer to taking their relationship to the next level. If that happens, how do you think Delilah might react?
The conversations I’ve had with the writers, especially considering Delilah’s dad and how he fits into this equation, I don’t think Delilah would be super opposed to another relationship with a certain Detective Dante. One, because she knows Dante and there was a bit of foreshadowing in the [last] episode, where Aunt Vi said something about the detective and, “Maybe we can bring him over for dinner?” And then there’s been moments as well in season 2 where it was like, “Hey, do you know Detective Dante?” So I don’t think she would be opposed to it.

Now, me, as a fan of the show, I am totally here for it. Frankly, I just want them together. And I think it’ll be an interesting dynamic, too, to see how Delilah’s dad and Dante, if they were ever to have a scene together, what that would be like, as well. But as far as Delilah, I think she’d be here for it. I think she’d be like, “Alright, that gives me more time to train.”

Looking at what you’ve filmed so far, what else are you excited for fans to see?
[With the] training, I think what will come with that is seeing Delilah really step into her own and seeing her confidence grow and evolve. And I’m really excited for audience members to see that, especially considering where her mentality was in season 1.

Training is going to be a really big part of her taking control of her own life, and she is even going to have a better relationship with her mom because of it. So I think people are going to be able to relate to Delilah a bit more, and McCall and Delilah’s relationship. Also, at the same time, root for her to be this fighter. So I’m excited for people to see Delilah’s arc in this season, because I’ve been really enjoying playing it.

THE EQUALIZER, Sundays, 8/7c, CBS

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