The Continentalis technically a miniseries, but it has the structure of three feature-length films. It’s oddly reminiscent of old-school serials that played in theaters sixty or seventy years ago. The pacing necessitated a simple format. The first episode establishes the stakes, the second brings the team together, and the third is the action blowout. Subsequently, the final episode is by far the best of the trilogy.
“Night 3: Theater of Pain” comes to the small screen from returning talent.Director Albert Hughes andscreenwriters Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, and Ken Kristensen have worked on previous episodes. Coolidge, Ward, and episodes one and two writer Shawn Simmons developed the series for Lionsgate. The “event series” format was their idea.The Continentalwas reportedly pitched as an origin story for multiple characters rather than focusing on Winston and Charon. There have been issues, but it’s fair to call this premise an improvement.
The Continentalhas reached its climax. The show has spent around 160 minutes building up to the final 90. The miniseries is entirely dependent on this episode. Luckily, the payoff is worth the wait. Winston Scott’s team includes several engaging figures in and out of action scenes. Equipping everyone with a different weapon, fighting style, and visual presentation ensurestheSuicide Squadviberemains. They have a sniper, a demoman, a martial artist, a knife expert, and Winston taking on the usual jack-of-all-trades role. On the villain’s team, Cormac has an army of goons wielding a wild assortment of weapons. It starts to look like the fight scene fromAnchormanat points, but it’s as amusing as it is silly. There are a few fun twists, several sources of payoff, and even some well-handled emotional catharsis for almost every character. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but “Theater of Pain” is whereThe Continentalcomes together, and its vision becomes clear.
The Continentaldelivers a few excellent prolonged action scenes. At points, it capturesJohn Wick’s talent for finding humor in its violent shootouts. There’s an element of “one thing after another"comical misfortune to certain scenesinJohn Wick. John will fall down a flight of stairs ten times, deliver a random henchman an absurdly excessive demise, or use a piece of set decoration to dispense of his target, and the audience will laugh while also sucking air in through their teeth.The Continentallands a few of those sight gags in its final episode. Unfortunately, its sense of humor in dialogue remains insufferable. It’s worse here than ever.Mel Gibson, a man who should not be in anything, gets to do a torturous routine after inhaling some unnamed drugs. It’s hard not to assume he improvised half his lines. They hired him to do an impression of himself, and he’s evidently worse at it than a lot of standup comedians. Fans know how this series has to end, so at least they have that to look forward to.
Almost every aspect ofThe Continentalis in limbo. Its production design budget falls between that of a usual TV drama and the movies. The action scenes are better than anything one could see onThe Rookiebut much weaker thanJohn Wick. The characters are compelling, but the strange pacing keeps them from being explored thoroughly. An intriguing thematicelement runs betweenWickandThe Continentalbut isn’t depicted well.Wickis about the cycle of revenge. Each step Wick takes into the underworld prompts reprisal, forcing him to take another step. Even in death, no one is free from the dense web of violence and guilt.The Continental’s characters pick up fragments of that idea, but it’s spread too thin to work in every case. It’s admirable of them to try to maintain symbolism, but they don’t always nail it.
As a full series,The Continentalis a fun distraction above anything else. Anyone planning a watch party for theJohn Wickfranchise can comfortably skip it. Itfails in its central task, doing nothing to expand the eponymous world. If it was a proof of concept, it aimed too low. If it was meant to ignite other spin-offs, it can’t hope to sustain that level of enthusiasm.The Continentalsubsequently becomes something of a dead end. It’s a part of the franchise that fans may briefly enjoy, then regularly ignore. TV spin-offs for film franchises aren’t new, but they’re rarely anyone’s favorite aspect of the IP.The Continentalisn’t necessary, which is a point in its favor. No one needs to watch the series to understand the plot of the films. It’snot revealing any secrets. It’s just a fun walk into a world that feels somewhat similar with characters that happen to share names. Don’t expect too much from it. It’ll be an engaging ride.
The Continentaldoesn’t accomplish everything it sets out to do, but it is well worth a watch regardless. As a part ofthe World of John Wick, it’sthe weakest of the pack. As a period action dramedy, it’s a lot of fun. It’s probably better watched in one sitting. All three episodes ofThe Continentalare available now on Peacock. Consider checking in. Just don’t expect too much out of your stay.
The Continental
Cast
Episode 3: Winston Scott leads the final assault on the titular hotel to take Cormac down for good.
MORE:The Continental: From the World of John Wick Episode 1 Review
