After the triumphant success of John Wick: Chapter Four, it’s time to see if this franchise has the legs to carry it. Can it survive beyond Stahelski and Reeves, or is this going to be another Star Wars “this was all cooler back when we didn’t see it” situation? Well, if this first season is anything to go by, leg day has not been skipped.

Taking things back to the 1970s, the first season of The Continental follows a younger Winston (Colin Woodell), as he tracks down his wayward brother Frankie (Ben Robson), at the behest of Continental proprietor Cormac (Mel Gibson). While some real-world details, like the garbage strikes and the shadow of the Vietnam War, add to the background, the series still sticks to the mouth-watering original world-building of the main films.

Even though the bulk of the action takes place Stateside, the expansion on the mechanics of the hotel and the underground holding it up, continue to show that this universe still has room to grow.

Ditto for the fractal friendships between the characters. Woodell and his brotherly bond furthers the series’ look at family and loyalty, while his connection with a young Charon (Ayomide Adegun) lives up to the rapport of their older portrayals.

As for the new characters, there’s the sibling dojo proprietors Miles (Hubert Point-Du Jour) and Lou (Jessica Allain), Ray McKinnon’s delightful sharpshooter Jenkins, Lemmy and his hilariously out-of-pocket asides shining through Adam Shapiro’s delivery, Cormac and his slow descent into classic deranged Mel-isms, and Nhung Kate as Yen staking her claim as one of the franchise’s biggest badasses. The best set pieces on offer here stick to her like blood to a hotel carpet.

In terms of the action, there is admittedly a step-down in production values, given the made-for-streaming nature of the beast, but when things kick into gear, it’s still glorious to witness. The direction from Albert Hughes for the first and third episodes and Charlotte Brändström for the second, maintains that winning aesthetic of street-level exploitation elevated to high art, while Michael Lehr’s choreography for the fight scenes does the 87Eleven legacy proud.

Some of the impact is held back by the soundtrack though. Raffertie’s original blends of electronics and opera certainly fit the bill, but the amount of golden oldies needle drops in here gets pretty silly. By the third episode, they’re more like punchlines or jump scares than actual cohesive elements to the production. But even at their worst, they’re at least good for a quick giggle.

The Continental is a strong and promising start for the spin-off arm of the John Wick galaxy, doing right by the films’ pedigree for highly memorable action beats and fun, engaging characters.

After the shocking conclusion to Chapter Four, it’s a solid reassurance that the world of the High Table is still spinning as violently as ever, helping to bolster the franchise in its strongest hour.

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