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The Continental is a mini-drama series premiered on Peacock on September 22, 2023. Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, and Shawn Simmons developed this action thriller series. Several John Wick Easter eggs are revealed in the first episode of The Continental, which serves as a prequel to the John Wick franchise, exploring Winston Scott's history.
The Continental is the first medium from the franchise without Keanu Reeves as John Wick. Set in the 1970s, the story follows a young Winston and how he becomes the boss of the assassin's hotel. The series is set in London, where Winston desperately searches for investors for his car parking scheme business. The official synopsis of The Continental reads:
"'The Continental' is an event series revealing the violent origins of the iconic hotel for assassins in the John Wick universe. Set in 1970s NYC, Winston Scott recruits a team to take on a vast conspiracy triggered by his brother's attack on The Continental. The bloody action drama explores the collision of family love, fate, and revenge."
John Wick Easter Eggs in The Continental
The summary of The Continental Episode 1 reads:
"Winston Scott, a former NYC street kid, is about to become a London businessman. However, he is pulled back to Manhattan by his estranged brother's attack on The Continental, a hotel run by a sadistic gangster. Winston sets out to find his brother and devises an escape plan with the help of allies. However, an army of High Table assassins stands in his way, threatening to thwart his plans."
When everything goes wrong, Winston orders a dirty martini, a choice that remains consistent throughout the franchise. The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 driven by John when he lost his wife and dog is iconic. The same model can be seen being used in The Continental, too.
Things related to John Wick are revealed in the opening credits as the artwork in the credits contains many John Wick posters and his interests, like skulls and firearms. The rule of The Continental is "no killing in the hotel." Even John Wick failed to follow this rule and became excommunicado for killing Santino D'Antonio in Chapter 2.
The series shows that this rule has been in place since the 1970s. The signature style of killing in the John Wick universe is headshots, and the series doesn't forget to include them with a little extra.
The first episode even ends with a main character dying in this style. The series features a scene with graffiti reading "Come out and play," a famous line spoken by the villain in the movie The Warriors.
The layers of references get more profound, as in John Wick 4, John is also targeted by a French group with a female DJ as their leader, a character borrowed from The Warriors movie. Fans may remember John's bulletproof jacket from the film. It is revealed that the idea was introduced to Cormac in the 1970s as a "hot new thing" in the criminal underworld. Gold coins are the currency, and the season starts with Winston's brother Frankie robbing a hefty amount of gold coins from the hotel vault.
"Guns, lots of guns," the famous line appears in The Continental, too, after becoming famous in The Matrix and John Wick: Chapter 3.
More details about The Continental Episode 1
The Continental was produced by Lionsgate Television and is reported to have only three episodes in its first season. The first episode successfully aired on September 22, 2023, while the second episode is set to air on September 29, 2023, and the season finale will be streamed on October 6, 2023. The main cast includes Colin Woodell, Ayomide Adegun, and Mel Gibson.
The second episode of The Continental promises more twists and turns.
