The Continental Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Theatre of Pain

The biggest concern about The Continental after watching the series premiere was not the quality of the product.

In The Continental Season 1 Episode 1 review, we mentioned that the show created a certain hunger that it might not be able to satisfy in three episodes, given that it was a limited series.

A lot of what it did in most episodes was painting broadly through characters and plot points, and while that might have been enough to keep the story going for that episode, it might not have been enough for the bigger picture, which is the show.

The Continental: From the World of John Wick Season 1 Episode 3 concluded Winston’s origin story as far as his relationship with The Continental was concerned. With regard to that point, you could not have asked for better execution.

Finally, the narrative shifted to inside the establishment, which the show is named after, something missing in the story for the past two episodes.

Winston and his people made, tested, practiced, and executed a plan that saw Cormac’s reign over the iconic hotel end.

The writers made an interesting choice of withholding the information pertaining to the plan, which in most cases makes for a thrilling discovery as the plan unfolds, but it didn’t feel like that.

It is understandable to want to create suspense or an element of surprise for the viewer, but there are better ways that don’t involve keeping us in the dark.

We were left trying to follow along without an idea of what would happen.

It would have been better if they had let us in on the basic version of the plan, providing a rough expectation of what was ahead. They didn’t have to stick to it. A slight deviation would have made for a more engaging experience.

Even if seeing the plan being executed was entertaining, it felt like we were watching Winston and his people decide what to do on the spot.

The plan was quite genius, in my opinion.

The Continental was almost impenetrable, but that didn’t mean it didn’t have weaknesses. It was those weaknesses Winston exploited.

Invaders on Continental grounds. Red light has been activated.

Announcer

Everything about the hotel was vulnerable, from its architecture to management style and protocol, and Winston rose to the occasion beautifully.

The takeover was exciting because it delivered a signature John Wick experience with action, blood, and very dry situational humor.

Before this goes any further, I’d like you to get something through your thick skulls. [gunshot]

Winston

Winston and Jenkins had you covered if you were a fan of gunfights. If you were a fan of hand-to-hand combat, Yen, Miles, and Lou had you covered.

It delivered pain, suspense, and victory.

Throughout The Continental Season 1, we followed KD, and while we were under the impression that she was just doing her job as a cop of getting guns off the streets, there seemed to be something more to her.

It was revealed that she was a little girl in the house Frankie and Winston torched, which had been referenced at the beginning of every episode.

Winston: Oh my God. It’s you. You’re the little girl. KD: Your brother lit my family on fire. But you know that, right? Because you were there. Both of you ran like cowards, leaving us to die. Are you going to feel what they felt? Winston: No, no. Stop, Stop, stop, stop, stop. Wait, wait, wait. Just wait. Just give me a second, okay? We were kids, okay? We had no, we had no idea there was a family. We had no idea there was a family in there. We were just kids. Just like stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. Please. Please. I know you hate me, but trust me, I hate myself even more. KD: Oh really? Winston: Yes. KD: You have no idea what it’s like to watch your family burn before your eyes. Winston: Actually, I do. KD: Your brother got his. Now it’s your turn.

She was seeking vengeance and could not have picked a better time. While she was after Frankie, she was okay with Winston, too.

Elsewhere, the Chinese gangster harassing Lou finally made the play that saw him suffer a major loss he will never know.

KD and Lou’s stories were quite interesting and gave the story dimension, but they weren’t all necessary to the narrative.

The show had opened several doors that promised a lot if we went through them, but they closed those doors in the end.

With the scope of the narrative and all the plot points that had been set, it could have benefitted from more episodes or seasons. It was too good of a setup to waste on a limited series.

They could have dived deeper into the motivation behind actions, like Charon’s, when he betrayed Cormac.

I refuse to believe he decided to help Winston because Frankie had been friendly with him. And even if that was the case, it was not that strong of a motive since we never saw it. For all we know, it could have been a lie.

The episode ended on a positive tone that even if Team Winston lost one of their own, they controlled The Continental, meaning Miles and Lou wouldn’t have to run guns in the dangerous streets.

Jenkins met someone unconventionally, and while that would have been scary for anyone to go through, the woman lived for danger, and the thrill Lenard promised was enough for her to decide the risk was worth it.

Apartment Lady: Excuse me? Mr… Jenkins: Oh. It’s … it’s Gene. Apartment Lady: Gene. I’ve lived here for 27 years. And I’ve always hated that damn hotel. Jenkins: You’re welcome. Apartment Lady: And you know. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but. I’ve never been to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Like a rain cloud, The High Table roamed the hotel but met a changed Winston. The move he made to kill The Adjudicator aimed to gain the High Table’s attention. What happened? Did they notice him? Was the attention what he thought he wanted?

We can’t answer those questions, which proves the point. There was a lot more to be said. Will it be told? Your guess is as good as mine.

Intrusive Thoughts

It is ironic how much Winston detested Cormac’s attitude, but he later became like Cormac. Old with enemies right front and center, left with nothing but the hotel, which he held on to like a child to a breast.

Was the Adjudicator’s face supposed to be scary? Because it looked cute. However, I bet it wasn’t as cute to watch her chew with that mouth.

Even if it felt like there was something more to be said, “Theatre of Pain” was an okay conclusion to the story.

What did you think?

Should they serialize the show, or do they risk ruining the universe?

Hit the comments section with your thoughts.

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Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.