Directed by: Charlotte Brändström
Distributed by: Peacock
Written by Alexander Reams
70/100
After a restless first night, “The Continental” continues the threads laid throughout “Night 1,” and picks up exactly where we left Winston (Colin Woodell) and Yen (Nhung Kate). Frankie (Ben Robson) is dead, killed by the twins Hansel (Mark Musashi) and Gretel (Marina Mazepa), and the coin press that Cormac (Mel Gibson) is driving himself mad over, is in the wind. Winston’s vow of revenge hangs over the remainder of the series as the only verbalized goal that Scott has, this promise of revenge that he drags Lou and Miles (Jessica Allain and Herbert Point-Du Jour), Lemmy (Adam Shapiro), and Jenkins (Ray McKinnon) into and attracts even more attention from KD (Mishel Prada), whose trip to the Continental could be more personal than revealed, the show is excellent at providing teases while moving the plot forward.
The action of “The Continental” steps its game up with several hand-to-hand sequences that are shot in the “John Wick” way, wide shots, clear blocking, and stellar choreography, which Jessica Allain makes the most of a Chinatown fight. Despite the hamminess of Gibson’s New York accent, his lack of presence makes his screen time feel exponentially more important than in “Night 1.” What takes his place is more time with the ensemble of Winston, Miles, Lemmy, and Jenkins, which works because of their chemistry, it feels natural and for a series that isn’t big on emotional development, it excels at it here. “Night 2” is certainly a step up for both the fights and the story, but it still feels notably incomplete. I find it hard to believe that everything can wrap up in one more episode.
“The Continental” Trailer
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