One of the most iconic aspects of the John Wick Universe is the series of brutal kills that have unfolded in four movies. Sure, fans enjoy the shoot-'em-up style that nods to '90s action flicks. But amid all that gun-fu, those older films with the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc. weren't excessive in terms of graphic violence and gore.
It's why many wondered if Peacock would push the envelope in The Continental: From the World of John Wick, as some thought TV might pare it down. Well, make no mistake, the series doesn't hold back at all. In only 3 episodes, The Continental managed to fit in its fair share of gruesome deaths.
10 Frankie Gets Shot Up
The series hinges on Winston's brother, Frankie, stealing a coin press from Mel Gibson's Cormac. While this theft already features a fantastic fight in a stairwell, this isn't even the most gruesome part. The hotel manager dispatches two assassins, Hansel and Gretel, to retrieve it. It culminates in them shooting up Frankie on a rooftop.
Frankie makes the sacrifice so Winston and Frankie's wife, Yen, can escape. It's quite horrific seeing his head blown open thanks to the twins' sniping him out. This sets Winston off to deliver equally scary retribution, teasing how terrifying the rest of murders would become.
9 Cormac's Henchman Gets Maimed & Bludgeoned
One of Cormac's henchmen ends up tracking Yen down. He fights her in her old apartment. Things don't go according to plan, though, as he ends up with his hand in the garbage disposal.
As it grinds his limb away, Yen takes an iron and smashes his head in. It reiterates how, like John, she can improvize and make anything a weapon. Even furniture and kitchen utensils, in a scene fit for a MortalKombat Fatality.
8 The Chinatown Gang Gets Fried
When Lou realizes her father was indeed an assassin that didn't stick to the Batman policy of no guns, she's heartbroken. The Chinatown gang then invades, smashing her dad's dojo apart as they want her territory. It's the show's way of mentally burning Lou.
However, they didn't realize she had weapons there meant to help Winston. Lou detonates a bomb, blowing her rivals to smithereens. It's one of the more satisfying kills, as they were oppressing many small businesses in New York.
7 Lemmy's Hit With a Grenade
When Winston's team raids the hotel in The Continental's ending, Lemmy goes down to the mail room to help bring the hotel under order. He even starts slipping grenades into the suction tubes, sending them off as missiles to blow up other rooms with enemies. Sadly, Hansel sends one back.
It blows up with Lenny nearby. While his body remains intact, when the heroes find him, it's a crushing scene as he's disfigured and perishes in a slow, painful burn. Lemmy's one of the characters strewn in levity, so to see a selfless guy die like that, it reiterates this JohnWick Universe is a cruel one.
6 Mr. Avery's Big Fall
The Continental's young Charon is scared at Cormac's temper. He sees the intimidating nature come to light when Cormac warns an associate, Avery, about failure over the press. He makes it clear his goons will hunt the man's family down if he doesn't abide by the excommunication rule.
It results in a horrific scene where the man jumps off the building as punishment. As Winston's being brought in from a van, he sees the man splatter on the ground. This is a very crimson scene, that sets the stage for Winston to realize Cormac means business. And that he needs to be equally aggressive.
5 Charlie's Friend Gets Slit Up
When Winston seeks allies, there are few he can trust. He does back Charlie, although one of Charlie's accomplices try to sneak up on Winston and Frankie in a car. The man's sold out to Cormac, but he doesn't account for Yen.
Yen slips up behind him and brutally slits his throat open. It's a swift kill, reiterating how lethal and stealthy she is. It nods to the knife play in the Wick movies, but there's no showmanship, pomp or circumstance. It's all about Yen being sneaky, ruthless and efficient to protect her family.
4 Cormac Receives Dark Karma
Cormac eventually captures a bloody, bruised Winston. However, just when he's about to kill him, he rants about how he manipulated Winston and Frankie as kids. KD hears this as she approaches, pissed off because this resulted in the boys firebombing her family.
She shoots in Winston's direction, making it seem like she's killing him. The twist is, the bullet goes through Cormac. She then plants one in his forehead a la The Departed to complete her revenge. KD lets Winston go, finally exorcising her demons in a most gratifying kill.
3 Hansel Loses His Eye
Lou and her brother, Miles, end up battling Hansel. However, he uses a pool stick and triangle to subdue them. As he stabs Miles and chokes out Lou, Lou's sidekick tosses her a gun.
She breaks her rule, putting the gun to the back of Hansel's head. She blows his eye out with the frame showing the hole. It's another visual spectacle, but not for the faint of heart.
2 The Adjudicator Gets Plastered On the Pavement
Winston's team eventually takes the hotel, which leads to the Adjudicator arriving. She taunts Winston over manipulating Frankie and how the High Table wants their establishment back. It nods to a potential Continental Season 2 and how the High Table loves fun and games.
However, Winston shoots her with the crowning moment, as expected, being a headshot that blows her brains out. It's a staple in the Wick-Verse, and something he learned from Frankie -- always go in between the eyes to ensure they stay dead. This reminds folks Winston was just as rebellious as Mr. Wick.
1 Gretel Gets Splattered
The Continental's best fight is between Gretel, a contortionist, and the wily Yen in the rousing finale. They battle on the rooftop in a true MMA affair, eventually falling into a pond. However, when Gretel surfaces, she realizes she's got Yen's suicide bomber jacket on.
Yen presses the trigger, blowing guts, bones and everything inside Gretel everywhere. It's the most diabolical kill in the JohnWick franchise, which feels like it's taken from an anime. It puts a sympathetic punctuation mark on Yen's quest for vengeance after Frankie's murder.
All three episodes of The Continental are now available on Peacock.