After four movies, a comic book series and a few video games over the last nine years, the John Wick franchise is finally delivering a project focused on another character. The Continental winds the clock back to the 1970s to show how Winston Scott, played here by Colin Woodell following Ian McShane’s turns as the character in his older years, became manager of the New York branch of the title hotel. Peacock subscribers only have a few more days to wait until the first episode drops, but various critics have already seen the entirety of this John Wick spinoff and have shared their non-spoilery thoughts about this 2023 TV schedule entry.
So far, The Continental has been met with mixed critical reception, which is a sharp contrast from the John Wick movies all being incredibly well received. On the more positive end of the spectrum, Michael Thomas from Collider gave the Peacock series a B-, saying that while the lack of Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne (who plays The Bowery King) is very much felt, the show is still able “to carve out its own path.” In his words:
It does often get lost with so many characters and plot points, but if you are willing to give it time, the series has terrific action and a great cast, proving that the franchise doesn’t need to rely on Keanu Reeves to thrive.
Conversely, The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager was not a fan of The Continental whatsoever, saying that the show fails to provide “a charismatic marquee lead, interesting and exciting bloodshed, or characters and lore worth paying attention to for an extended period of time.” He wrote:
Ultimately, The Continental: From the World of John Wick fails to realize Reeves’ central role in the appeal of the John Wick films. Imagining that those predecessors’ formula might work without him—and with an augmented focus on their mythos—turns out to be the most misguided of this show’s many unwise decisions.
James Dyer from Empire gave The Continental 4 out of 5 stars. In his opinion, this spinoff’s action “does no dirty to the John Wick name,” and that its ‘70s palette, music and more help with “giving the series’ urban fantasy a flavour distinct from the films.” He summarized:
A satisfying three-night stay at a luxurious four-star lodging. Stunning views, accommodating staff, and amenities to die for. Now under new management.
Slashfilm’s Jeremy Mathai, on the other hand, found The Continental to be underwhelming, stamping it with a 4.5 out of 10 score. Mathai felt that the show ultimately drains “the entire world of the mystique and mystery that the movies so carefully fostered and shatter the infinitely fragile illusion of such a timeless setting.” He continued:
Simply put, The Continental never quite lives up to the astronomically high standards set by its more cinematic predecessors — a comparison the show itself repeatedly invites with distracting references to the movies at every turn, even as it simultaneously attempts to forge its own identity.
These are just a handful of The Continental reviews that have been published, so feel free to look around and see what other people thought about it. Overall though, it looks like this TV show will be polarizing among John Wick fans, which then begs the question of if that will impact the prospects of a second season. In addition to the aforementioned Woodell, The Continental’s cast includes Mel Gibson, Ayomide Adegun and Katie McGrath, to name just a few. Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, Shawn Simmons and Ken Kristensen wrote the series, while Albert Hughes directed the first and third episodes, and Charlotte Brändström helmed the second episode.
You can judge The Continental for yourself starting this Friday, September 22, with the remaining two episodes following the same day the following weeks. Meanwhile, John Wick: Chapter 4 is now available to stream on Starz (which you can add on to your Hulu subscription), and the franchise will further expand next year with the Ana de Armas-led film spinoff Ballerina.