Originally published September 20, 2023. Updated October 6, 2023.
Chris Connor reviews the first episode of The Continental…
John Wick proved a surprise smash in 2014. The world of the hitman and The Continental has continued to expand since this year’s gargantuan Chapter 4 and upcoming spinoff film Ballerina with Ana de Armas. The Wick universe expands further with The Continental, a 1970s set three-part miniseries, focused on the earlier days of Winston Scott, played memorably in the films by Ian McShane and here by Colin Woodell.
It’s clear from the outset that the series will deliver the action fans anticipate with this being a John Wick adjacent project, within the opening 10 minutes there is a frenetic stairwell shootout, in the style of those we see in the films. Obviously, with this being a miniseries rather than a film, the pace is more relaxed allowing the story to breathe, not quite as frenetic as the Wick films.
We follow Winston as he tries to figure out what has befallen his long-lost brother Frankie (Ben Robson) and what ties this to Mel Gibson’s Cormac who runs the New York Continental at this point in time. Winston has been out of the game for some time now, trying to start a new life for himself in London but is pulled back into the world of the High Table suddenly, upending his successful renaissance.
Oddly the series seems more willing to link to real-world events with a heavy 70s soundtrack full of Rock and Disco classics reminding us of the era. There are frequent references to the Vietnam War and the music scene of the time, mentioning David Bowie and Lou Reed. The films while excelling in the action department can feel a tad removed from reality so this is an interesting choice.
The production design is top draw, bringing the grimy and seedy world of 70s New York to life and showing us key components of the Wick universe at earlier points. It will be intriguing to see how several elements introduced here unfold in the remaining two episodes with several threads introduced as an escalation feels inevitable.
While he may not be Ian McShane, Colin Woodell does a fine job portraying a younger Winston, even if the accent may differ a tad to his later one. There is a clear desperation to escape his predicament and return to his new life but also a desire to help his brother out of his predicament. Ben Robson’s Frankie gets more of the action, showing an aptitude for it while Mel Gibson’s is a more reserved role with a handful of fleeting appearances though it seems safe to say we can expect his role to grow by the series’ end. We also get a brief glimpse at the menacing and mysterious adjudicator played by Merlin’s Katie McGrath, representing The High Table and it will be fascinating to see how she crosses paths with the rest of our main cast.
If not quite as frenetic and explosive as the films that came before it The Continental’s opening episode does some solid work laying the foundations for the world we’ve come to know in 1970s New York, the episode length may be on the long side but there seems plenty of scale to this story and it will likely capture the interest of fans, wanting to know how Winston became the doting father figure to John that we come to know and love.
Chris Connor
