The 'Continental' experience: John Wick franchise gets three-night TV stay on Peacock

For many of us, when we book a stay in a hotel (particularly a luxury one), comfort ranks above all else. "Comfort" in the world of John Wick is most closely associated with personal safety.

Those familiar with the John Wick franchise will already be aware of The Continental's most important rule: the assassins seeking refuge within the hotel shall not conduct any "business" on the grounds. Put simply, no hits will be tolerated on the premises.

That said, Peacock is certainly hoping for a hit of its own (granted, a "hit" of a different kind) when the new miniseries "The Continental: From the World of John Wick" begins streaming Friday, Sept. 22.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves), the trained assassin who lends his name to the franchise supported by The Continental Hotel, first made audiences fall in love with him in the 2014 film simply titled "John Wick." Despite his former career as a hitman, Wick exhibits a soft side while taking care of a new beagle puppy in the wake of his wife's death. However, when a group of gangsters breaks into Wick's home and the puppy is targeted, Wick loses all sensitivity and comes out of retirement to avenge his furry friend.

While the first film's main plot centers on Wick's feelings of loss (and a lot of resulting violence), the three subsequent films all have their own overarching storylines - "Chapter 2" (2017) sends Wick to Italy to stop a sinister Mafia-related plot, while "Chapter 3 - Parabellum" (2019) and "Chapter 4" (2023) follow Wick as he fights to stay alive in New York and abroad with a growing bounty on his head. While the situation may change from film to film, one thing that remains a constant throughout the franchise is The Continental; and this is where Peacock's newest series comes in.

Created by Greg Coolidge, Shawn Simmons and Kirk Ward, "The Continental: From the World of John Wick" is a three-part noir-action miniseries that focuses on the history of the mysterious hotel chain that operates as "neutral territory for members of the criminal underworld" (per IMDb).

Colin Woodell stars as a young Winston Scott, the manager of The Continental's New York division and a character already known to franchise fans thanks to the work of Ian McShane. The role of Winston is a meaty one for Woodell, filled with lots of back story for both character and setting as the series' events dive deep into real-life New York crime history.

While the specifics of the miniseries are being kept a secret for obvious reasons, there has been word that the events take place over three nights at The Continental in the 1970s and that there is a correlation to both the Winter of Discontent and the rise of the American Mafia.

Additionally, audiences can expect to see a few familiar faces along the way; most notably that of Mel Gibson, who portrays Cormac, the gruff proprietor of the New York Continental during the 1970s.

Joining Gibson and Woodell on the small screen are Nhung Kate as Yen, Katie McGrath as the Adjudicator, Jessica Allain as Lou, Adam Shapiro as Lemmy, Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew, Dan Li as Orphan Master, Sallay Garnett as the Concierge, Peter Greene as young Uncle Charlie (portrayed later in life by David Patrick Kelly), and new talent Ayomide Adegun as Charon, a role made famous by beloved actor and TV personality Lance Reddick, who died earlier this year.

Given that The Continental has been a staple of the John Wick cinematic universe, a lot is already known about the hotel chain. For example, fans of the film series are already aware that the hotel is meant to be used as a safe haven. They also know that only one currency - gold coins - is accepted at The Continental and that helping outed members is strictly forbidden. Should anyone break a sworn oath or a rule on hotel premises, they will be punished; either by excommunication or by death - awfully high stakes for a hotel stay!