Warning: Major spoilers for The Continental episode 1 “Brothers In Arms – Night 1” below!
John Wick prequel The Continental has plenty of easter eggs and nods to the movies for viewers to spot during episode 1. The supposed death of John Wick in the finale of Chapter 4 has ended – for now, at least – the main series, so it’s a good time to see if the franchise has legs beyond Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin. In addition to the upcoming movie spinoff Ballerina starring Ana de Armas, the first real test of a Wick-less outing is the Peacock TV miniseries The Continental.
Set in the ’70s, the prequel details how young Winston (Colin Woodell) came to become the manager of the titular hotel for assassins. It’s a series that welcomes both longtime followers of the John Wick movies, whilst also serving as a good introduction to newcomers. The iconic hotel is one of the big stars too, and from some familiar characters – such as a teenage Charon (Ayomide Adegun) – to the use of a certain car model, there are easter eggs aplenty for audiences to find.
11 The Continental’s Gold Coin Currency
The first episode kicks off when Winston’s estranged brother Frankie (Ben Robson) – who serves as the first episode’s stand-in for John Wick – steals an invaluable gold coin press from the hotel’s vault. This puts the manager Cormac (Mel Gibson) in a tough spot, while a High Table Adjudicator (Katie McGrath) is called in to untangle the mess. The gold coins go back to the first John Wick, where the killers who shelter in the Continental pay for everything – even drinks – with these coins.
The prequel also reveals what happens when someone tries to pay cash in the hotel. One of the new main characters is a detective named K.D. (Mishel Prada), who is on Frankie’s trail. She’s oblivious to the hotel’s true purpose, so when she wanders in and orders a drink, the bartender eyes her suspiciously when she hands over cash instead of a coin. Possibly to alleviate suspicions, she’s still allowed to buy the drink.
10 “Guns, Lots Of Guns”
When mounting a rescue for Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) in the original Matrix, Neo (Keanu Reeves) requested “Guns. Lots of guns.” This iconic line later made its way into John Wick: Chapter 3, when John requested “lots” of guns when he needed to fight off a High Table siege. The line returns once more at the end of The Continental’s first episode, where after narrowly surviving a hit, Winston heads back to Frankie’s gunrunner friends and says he needs “Guns. Lots Of Guns.” for the upcoming fight against Cormac.
9 Winston’s Martini Order
Winston is in London when episode 1 begins, hoping to secure investment for a car park scheme during a business lunch. The surly potential investor (played by Sleeping with the Enemy’s Patrick Bergin) doesn’t sound convinced, so a nervous Winston soon orders himself another “dirty martini.” Eagle-eyed fans of the franchise will recall this is also older Winston’s (Ian McShane) tipple of choice.
8 Uncle Charlie’s Mustang
Following the death of his wife in the original film, John Wick had few pleasures in life. One of them, however, was racing his sleek 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 around. Later, when his new puppy Daisy is killed during a home invasion and his beloved Mustang is stolen, this sets John off on his roaring rampage of revenge.
The same model Mustang plays a role in The Continental’s debut episode, where Winston requests a car from Uncle Charlie (Peter Greene). Charlie reluctantly gives him “Maria,” his prized Mustang whom he calls “The love of my life.” While he requests that Winston doesn’t scratch it, “Maria” is later put through her paces during a car chase.
7 Gun Fu
Part of what made the first John Wick feel so fresh was the action, which combined martial arts with gunplay. The sequels refined this style even further, while it also found its way into films like Atomic Blonde and Kate. The opening setpiece of The Continental sees Frankie having to fight off a wave of killers while fleeing with the gold coin press, and he uses Wick’s signature, graceful mix of guns and martial arts to do so.
6 The Adjudicator
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum introduced Asia Kate Dillon’s The Adjudicator, an agent of the High Table who is sent to deal with Wick and punish those who aided him. The Continental introduces a new Adjudicator, who is sent to retrieve the stolen coin press, punish those who stole it, and possibly remove Cormac as the manager for allowing it to happen. As in Chapter 3, McGrath’s Adjudicator never gets her hands dirty, and lets others dish out violence on her behalf.
5 Bulletproof Suits
John Wick: Chapter 2 introduced the concept of bulletproof suits, which have Kevlar sewn throughout them. These suits saved Wick on more than one occasion, with his signature move being to cover his face with his jacket during a particularly intense shootout. A bulletproof suit is quickly seen in the prequel, with a Seamstress introducing Cormac to the concept, implying they’re a hot new item in the criminal underworld back in the ’70s.
4 “Come Out And Play”
Aside from the nods to John Wick, the show also tips its hat to classic movies like Taxi Driver and The Warriors in its depiction of the grimy New York of the ’70s. A piece of graffiti seen in the background of one scene reads “Come out and play,” (via Slashfilm) which is a line spoken by David Patrick Kelly’s Warriors villain.
This reference goes a few layers deep, as the finale of Chapter 4 – which sees John being targeted by the gangs of Paris, who are directed by a female DJ over the radio – was directly ripped from The Warriors. David Patrick Kelly himself also played a small role in the first John Wick as Charlie, the cleaner.
3 Headshots. Lots Of Headshots
Wick’s most common form of execution is a headshot, and in each movie, he racked up dozens of them. The prequel show continues that proud tradition from the opening scene onwards, with Frankie always aiming for the head. The finale features some more headshots too, including, tragically, one of the main characters.
2 No Killing On Continental Grounds
One of the firmest rules of the Continental in the movies is that no “business” (AKA killing) is allowed to take place on hotel grounds. Adrianne Palicki’s Ms Perkins is executed for breaking this rule in the original, while Wick himself is made excommunicado for killing Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) in Chapter 2. This rule was in place in the ’70s too, which frustrates Cormac somewhat when he orders the death of henchman Mr. Avery (Peter Fancsikai) for his failure to find Frankie and the coin press.
Of course, the rule can be bent, as Cormac demonstrates. He tells Avery he will made excommunicado for his failure instead, so while he can walk out of the building alive, he and his wife and children will be put at risk. He instead suggests Avery take a jump from the hotel’s window instead; he soon follows the manager’s advice.
1 The Opening Credits
The opening and closing credits for The Continental’s first episode feature some stylish artwork, with lots of images that relate to the story; there’s even a major spoiler hidden in plain sight, though viewers won’t know that until the end of the episode. Some of this imagery pays homage to the various posters for the John Wick series too, from the fondness of skulls to the vast array of firearms it depicts.
