Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Continental episode 1.

Summary

  • The Adjudicator is an important character in The Continental and holds connections to the John Wick movies, as shown in episode 1.
  • The Adjudicator is the main enforcer of the High Table's rules and has the power to remove people from positions of power.
  • The Adjudicator in The Continental is not the same as the one in John Wick 3, both physically and in of the actors portraying them.

The Continental episode 1 teases a villain named the Adjudicator who is vital to the High Table and also holds some connections to the John Wick films. The Continental is set in the 1970s in the John Wick world and focuses on a young Winston Scott, detailing his rise to becoming the manager of the titular establishment in New York. Given that the premise of the show centers on the criminal underworld teased in the John Wick universe, it naturally reveals plenty of details about the High Table and how it operates.

One of the ways in which The Continental connects to the John Wick movies is through a character named the Adjudicator. At one point in The Continental episode 1, the Adjudicator is shown interrogating an ally of Frankie's, Winston's brother who stole something of value from the High Table. As such, the Adjudicator is shown as important to the organization while also holding connections to one of the core John Wick movies.

The Adjudicator’s Role In The Continental & Why They Wear That Mask Explained

The Adjudicator wearing a mask in The Continental

In of their role in The Continental, it is clear that the Adjudicator is the main authoritarian of the High Table. While the managers of The Continental hotels and their subordinates hold a great deal of power in the world of John Wick and its prequel, they still are expected to adhere to the rules of the High Table. With that said, the organization has its own team of agents who enforce their rules should anyone break them or threaten the establishment as Frankie did in The Continental episode 1.

At the head of this team is the Adjudicator. The Adjudicator has the power to completely change the establishment of the John Wick universe by removing people from positions of power that serve the High Table. In The Continental, the Adjudicator's role is similar. She is shown interrogating Frankie's compatriot for the location of the coin press Frankie stole as it threatens the High Table. In The Continental’s cast of characters, the Adjudicator is played by Katie McGrath and wears a strange mask, likely due to an injury but also to fit in with the strange, unnatural nature of the John Wick universe and the assassins that inhabit it.

Who Is The Adjudicator In The John Wick Universe? Powers & High Table History Explained

As implied by The Continental episode 1, the Adjudicator has many powers in the John Wick universe due to their history of being the primary authoritarian used to enforce the High Table's rules. This was focused on at length in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. At the end of John Wick: Chapter 2, the titular assassin murdered a member of the High Table on Continental grounds, breaking the one main rule of the High Table that the hotels stay neutral with no business conducted on the premises. In John Wick: Chapter 3, the High Table sent the Adjudicator to bring John to justice alongside any others who helped him.

Throughout the film, the extent of the Adjudicator's power was highlighted. The Adjudicator revoked Winston's title as the manager of the New York Continental as he helped John by giving him an hour head start before listing him as excommunicado. Similarly, the Bowery King provided John with the weapon the latter used to kill the Santino D'Antonio, the member of the High Table. As punishment, the Adjudicator stated that the Bowery King had seven days to abdicate his throne before punishing him. It seems The Continental will further explore the Adjudicator's powers in the universe, as well as their history with the High Table.

Is The Continental's Adjudicator The Same As The One In John Wick 3?

The Adjudicator stands under an umbrella in John Wick 3 Parebellum

With the Adjudicator making an appearance in The Continental episode 1 after serving as the primary antagonist of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, the question is raised over whether they are the same person. However, given The Continental takes place around four decades before John Wick: Chapter 3, it is safe to say the prequel's Adjudicator is simply an enforcer who held the title before the one showcased in the John Wick films. Not only do the ages of the characters not match, but they are physically different too.

The ADjudicator in The Continental wears the aforementioned mask on the bottom half of her face, something that is not worn by the Adjudicator in John Wick 3. Also, Asia Kate Dillon portrays the Adjudicator in John Wick 3, while Katie McGrath brings the villain to life for The Continental. As such, the villain showcased in The Continental episode 1 is simply a former Adjudicator that will be utilized to highlight the history, powers, and importance of the antagonist to the establishment that is the High Table to further benefit the story of John Wick 3.

New episodes of The Continental release every Friday on Peacock.