Summary
- The Continental episode 1 sets up the John Wick prequel series with intriguing plot threads and a cliffhanger ending, leaving major characters' fates up in the air.
- Frankie stole a coin press from The Continental to create his own currency and buy his freedom, but the object was switched before being returned to the hotel.
- Frankie dies protecting his wife and brother, leading Winston to vow revenge against Cormac for his brother's death, setting up a showdown in future episodes.
The ending of The Continental episode 1 left many characters' fates in the balance all while leaving tantalizing plot threads going into the show's next two installments. The Continental episode 1 began the set-up of the John Wick prequel series, establishing the core characters involved in the story set in 1970s New York. One of these characters is Winston Scott, played by Colin Woodell as a younger version of Ian McShane's John Wick character.
In The Continental episode 1, Winston is dragged into the world of the titular hotel after its current manager, Mel Gibson's Cormac, wishes to find Frankie, Winston's brother. What ensues is 90+ minutes of intrigue, shootouts, and underworld exploits from The Continental's cast of characters that truly encapsulate the world of John Wick. That said, The Continental episode 1 ends on a huge cliffhanger, with major characters' fates up in the air in what is an exciting opening chapter of the John Wick prequel series.
What Did Frankie Steal From The Continental & Where Is It After Episode 1?
Despite the 1970s placement of The Continental in the John Wick timeline, the series' opening sequence perfectly captures the tone of the film series through a heist conducted by Ben Robson's Frankie, the brother of Winston. Consisting of several great long takes, slick editing, and a sense of realism captured through a seedy ambiance, the opening heist sequence highlights Frankie stealing an unknown object from New York's Continental. This heist kickstarts the events of The Continental with Cormac desperately trying to retake the stolen object from Frankie, begging the question of what specifically it was that was taken from the hotel.
The answer is given later in the episode, with Frankie revealing the object as a coin press. Coin presses are used to create currency, specifically by adorning coins with imprints needed to authenticate them in circulation. Frankie likely wished to use the coin press to create his own version of the Continental's currency and buy his freedom from the organization. At the end of The Continental episode 1, Frankie seemingly returns the box to Cormac who opens it to reveal it has been switched.
Regarding where the coin press is at The Continental episode 1's ending, it is likely in a safe place agreed by Winston and Frankie. The object that served as the replacement for the coin press came from the trailer owned by Uncle Charlie, meaning the real object could be hidden there. If not, it is likely Winston is in possession of what Frankie stole by the end of The Continental episode 1.
Frankie's Death In The Continental Episode 1 Explained
In The Continental episode 1's ending, Frankie jumps from a helicopter taking him, his wife Yen, and Winston to safety with the coin press box in hand. This results in Frankie's death from a pair of twin assassins of the Continental and the retrieval of the box for Cormac albeit without the coin press inside. The reason Frankie jumps from the helicopter in The Continental episode 1's ending is to protect Yen and Winston. Frankie states that it is him and the box Cormac is after implying that Yen and Winston are only in danger because of him, forcing him to jump from the helicopter to allow them to retreat to safety.
Frankie is then targeted by the twin assassins hired by Cormac. Without hesitation, the female twin shoots Frankie in the head, seemingly killing him. That said, the John Wick franchise is no stranger to almost certain deaths resulting in wild methods of survival. This could mean that Frankie is alive after The Continental episode 1's ending. However, with Frankie not being mentioned in John Wick by Winston, it makes more sense for this to be his final stand with Winston going on to procure the Continental from Cormac out of vengeance.
Winston Vows Revenge Against Cormac
Following on from Frankie's death, the final scene of The Continental episode 1's ending featured Winston vowing revenge against Cormac. After escaping to safety thanks to the time bought by Frankie's sacrifice, Winston takes an injured Yen to the karate dojo serving as a front for the criminal organization of Lou and her brother Miles. Miles and Lou were former allies of Frankie whom Winston was aided by earlier in The Continental episode 1, explaining his return to them to ensure that they can all work together to get revenge on Cormac for Frankie's death.
The True Meaning Of Winston's Final Words In The Continental Episode 1 Explained
Winston's vow for revenge in The Continental episode 1's ending is conveyed through a familiar phrase that has a deeper meaning within the John Wick franchise. At the end of the episode, Lou opens the door to Winston who states he needs "guns, lots of guns." This is a reference to John Wick - Chapter 3: Parabellum in which older Winston asks John Wick what he needs, to which John replies with the same phrase. Even more so than a nod to John Wick, The Continental's line references The Matrix with the quote originally coming from Keanu Reeves' Neo in the 1999 film.
How Frankie & Winston Are Connected To Cormac
Another question that The Continental episode 1's ending answers is how Frankie and Winston are connected to Cormac. Without divulging exactly how outside of Frankie working for Cormac, the episode's first half makes it clear that the latter has a history with the former and his brother Winston. However, a scene between the two brothers towards The Continental episode 1's ending makes this clear. It is revealed that, in a bid to secure his family's future, Winston and Frankie's father took a loan from Cormac which resulted in their family home being lost.
It is unclear exactly what transpired, but the implication is clear: Cormac and the father of Frankie and Winston did not see eye-to-eye which resulted in Frankie and Winston becoming orphans given the latter states they had no parents after the former was arrested. The Continental episode 1 makes it clear that Frankie then went on to work for Cormac. This solidified his connection with The Continental’s villainous proprietor and explains why Winston moved to London to escape the man who wronged his father in Cormac and cut ties with his brother who seemingly sold his soul to work for such a man.
Frankie & Winston's Arrest As Kids Explained - What Happened In 1955
Another element that The Continental episode 1's ending provides context for is the opening scene. The show begins with a flashback to 1955 in which a young Frankie and Winston are being arrested. The latter is visibly shaken by the event with the former reassuring his little brother that everything will be okay as he will take the fall for the crime. In The Continental episode 1's ending, this scene is given more context.
That said, it still is not revealed exactly what the crime was that Winston committed. All that is revealed as of the ending of The Continental episode 1 is that Frankie took the blame in order to give Winston a chance at escaping a life of crime. This even extended to Frankie cutting Winston out of his life once he got out of prison which began the rift between the two that caused them not to speak to each other until the events of The Continental.
Why Is Detective KD Looking For Frankie?
Finally, the last major aspect of the show that The Continental episode 1's ending reveals is why Detective KD is searching for Frankie. A subplot of The Continental episode 1 outlines Mishel Prada's KD and Jeremy Bobb's Mayhew, two NYPD detectives engaged in an affair, with the former hot on Frankie's trail. After the episode highlights KD's investigation of Frankie that leads her to the eponymous hotel, the ending of The Continental episode 1 reveals exactly why she is searching for Frankie.
Aside from his regular criminal activities, KD is searching for Frankie due to his time in Vietnam. It is revealed in The Continental episode 1's ending that Frankie was reportedly killed in action during service in Vietnam, yet he returned to New York all the same. As such, KD is naturally investigating how a supposedly dead soldier is now engaged in the criminal underworld of New York. With the plot threads between Winston, Cormac, Frankie, and the NYPD slowly crossing over, it is only a matter of time before they clash together in an explosive culmination as teased by The Continental episode 1's ending.
New episodes of The Continental release every Friday on Peacock.