The origins of The Continental, like John Wick's early years, are a mystery. This series promises us answers and—of course—a lot of action. The series is officially called: The Continental: From the World of John Wick. Fans of the better action films know enough. The John Wick films are known for their hard-hitting, unrelenting action. All four John Wick films received good ratings. Can the series match the films or is this yet another spin-off that quietly disappears after the first season?
The Continental is about the early years of Winston Scott (Colin Woodell, The Flight Attendant). The '70s, to be precise. He is still a young guy who is suddenly brought to the US to find his estranged brother. That brother has really pissed off one Cormac O'Connor (Mel Gibson, Complete Savages) by stealing something from his safe. Cormac is an unscrupulous criminal and the boss of The Continental. Yes, the famous hotel from the films that later becomes Winston's.
Over the course of the first part, we also encounter a group of arms dealers, and a female detective chasing them. What exactly their role in this story will be will only become clear later. A few well-known characters also appear, but you can discover them yourself. What is certain is that several lives are at stake, including Winston's.
The professional critics were quite divided about this first part. One half thinks that it could have been a bit more interesting, the other half thinks that the series is good enough to get a chance. Despite these divisions, the series already scores slightly better on IMDb than the first three films. So apparently it's not that bad.
The series even scores slightly better on IMDb than the first three films.
The biggest complaint is about the sheer number of characters introduced. I didn't notice any of that myself. In a realistic series, the world simply cannot consist of two main characters and five extras. After all, we are talking about a global organization with accomplices in every layer of society. That has an effect on the number of characters, right?
I understand where that criticism comes from. The main characters are introduced in the first episode. But according to the modern style of storytelling, we don't reveal everything straight away. No, the story has to be peeled back layer by layer, keeping everything mysterious. So you only get a snippet of information each time. This also makes the story unfold more slowly.
In terms of action and acting, the series again scores well with all critics. Look, now we're getting somewhere. Yes, especially the first five minutes really pop off the screen and immediately give off the typical John Wick vibe. There are also plenty of action scenes in the rest of the first episode.
The acting is also good enough. I do ask questions about the actions of some characters, but that is not the fault of the actors. Previously, I would regularly want to shake the screenwriters and the casting director. Example? For example, I cannot stand the stereotype of the unrealistically beautiful female detective who is supposedly extremely streetwise, but in the meantime does things that in the criminal world would result in a greatly reduced life expectancy. For such a role I would take a woman who has clearly been through something.
Well, on to the (provisional) conclusion. The first episode is never boring. There are some nice action scenes, especially at the beginning, but after those first five minutes the flashy John Wick vibe slows down a bit. That's not a problem for a first part. In addition, it is good to remember that this is not a story with our John in the leading role. This story is about Winston Scott and the people around him.
You won't be much wiser about the origins of the Syndicate and The Continental either. That is a bit disappointing, but this shortcoming can also be made up for later this season. Or do they want to save that for the second season? We see this formula more often, so anything is still possible.
Oh, almost forgot. The nice '70s soundtrack fits perfectly with the chosen style of the series. I feel Love!
To watch or not? Yep, watch! Let's hope that the following parts will soon give more shape to the main story. That would give the series even more momentum and appeal.
Good series. A bit strange. But there are some mistakes in the music. At one point it says it's set in 1975. But Baker Street Gerry Rafferty is from 78 and Take The Long Way Home Supertramp is from 79. And I only watched those 2
That's right, this is a trend that started a few years ago, first in films and later in series. It is no longer about the chronological correctness of the music, but mainly about the appropriate atmosphere. And maybe the makers think, "Oh well, they're old records. Who cares when that music came out?" And it doesn't seem to bother most people.
That is indeed correct. For example, if you listen to the music of Peaky Blinders, it doesn't fit in with that era at all, but it fits the series perfectly.
