The Continental: From the World of John Wick (or simply The Continental) is an American crime drama television miniseries developed by Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward and Shawn Simmons that serves as a prequel spin-off in the John Wick franchise.
Episode aired September 29, 2023
With a cache of modified weapons, a team of shadow mercenaries and a top hitman in place, Winston finalizes his mission. Tension escalates as higher-ups order Cormac to find the object Frankie stole. Meanwhile, detective KD starts zeroing in on who she suspects had a hand in killing her family, which also leads her to the Continental Hotel.
* * *
Previously on “The Continental”…
What Frankie took is very important.
Find your brother, ’cause if you don’t, I’ll bring the weight of this whole institution down on you both.
[alarm blares[
Where is the coin press?
Frankie took it.
You thought you could outsmart the High Table…
foolish.
Running guns, I’m guessing.
Were you close with them over there?
If you need someone in charge of saving your life, I’ll take Frankie every time.
We made a promise to Dad.
This was his dojo, but now it’s just some money pit that you can’t seem to let go.
You made a big fucking mistake coming here, Winston.
We’re all running now, but I can help you… both of you.
Trust me.
So you think I’m just gonna drop a case and go back to making it with you like this conversation never happened?
My job is to fuck you.
Look, I’m looking for the supplier.
His name is Francis Scott, and he is a ghost.
We have no authority here.
It’s time to outsource.
Perhaps some of our guests are available… the twins.
Get me those twins.
You both need to look after each other.
They want me and this!
Frankie!
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
I need guns, lots of guns.
[siren wailing]
[stick rattling]
♪ ♪
Let me get that rag.
Let me do it.
No way.
You said yourself I’m the one with the arm.
And who struck you out twice last week?
You keep bringing that up, I ain’t gonna let you do shit.
It ain’t just about that.
Why, ’cause I’m younger?
[coughs] Damn kid.
What even bring me for… just so I can carry the rag?
All right, fine.
You better be Whitey goddamn Ford with this, or Cormac’s gonna have our ass, you hear me?
♪ ♪
Watch your hand, Winston.
♪ ♪
Go.
♪ ♪
[indistinct shouting in Spanish]
Fuego!
[person screaming]
[gasps]
Ayúdame!
[voice breaking] There’s people in there.
Run.
Ayúdame!
Frankie, there’s people in there.
[glass shattering, shouting continues]
♪ ♪
Winston, run!
[siren wailing]
Hey.
The brother?
Yeah.
Yeah, that’s him.
Personal effects.
Thanks, Ezra.
We don’t have much time.
♪ ♪
[breathes deeply]
♪ ♪
[Baby Huey & The Babysitters’ “Hard Times”]
♪ ♪
♪ Cold, cold eyes upon me ♪
♪ They stare ♪
♪ People all around me, and they’re all in fear ♪
♪ They don’t seem to want me, but they won’t admit ♪
♪ I must be some kind of creature ♪
♪ Up here having fits ♪
♪ From my party house, I’m afraid to come outside ♪
♪ Although I’m filled with love ♪
♪ I’m afraid they’ll hurt my pride ♪
♪ So I play the part I feel they want of me ♪
♪ And I pull the shades ♪
♪ So I won’t see them seeing me ♪
♪ Having hard times ♪
♪ In this crazy town ♪
♪ Having hard times ♪
♪ There’s no love to be found ♪
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You were four, and I was six ♪
♪ Rode on horses made of sticks ♪
♪ You wore black, and I wore white ♪
♪ You would always win the fight ♪
♪ Bang, bang, you shot me down ♪
[muffled] * Bang, bang, I hit the ground ♪
♪ Bang, bang, that awful sound ♪
♪ Bang, bang, my baby shot me down ♪
♪ You grew up, and I left town ♪
♪ I would always call you mine ♪
♪ You would always laugh and say ♪
♪ “Remember when we used to play?” ♪
♪ Bang, bang, you shot me down ♪
[distorted voices]
[heartbeat thumping]
[button clicks]
[clicking]
♪ ♪
♪ Till the day I don’t know why ♪
♪ Sit alone, sometimes I cry ♪
♪ Wouldn’t even try to lie about the times ♪
♪ Come inside ♪
♪ Bang, bang, you shot me down ♪
♪ Bang, bang, I hit the ground ♪
♪ Bang, bang, that awful sound ♪
♪ Bang, bang ♪
[distant siren wailing]
Put it right over there.
Hey!
What the fuck are y’all doing in my dojo?
[distant car horns honking]
Hey!
That ain’t mine! You got the wrong address!
Hey!
That ain’t mine.
Hey! Who do you work for?
Not you, bitch.
Burton, huh?
Shit.
You’re faster than they say.
You’re new here? Chen know about this?
Chen’s gone.
New rules, my rules.
In this neighborhood, everyone gets a cigarette machine.
My father and Chen had an understanding.
He stayed out of my father’s business,
and we stayed out of his.
It’s a little more complex than that.
Well, here’s my rule.
You mess with my place, you messing with my family.
I’m a businessman. You’re a businesswoman.
Focus on your business, not picking up broken glass.
[Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street”]
♪ ♪
Weiko!
♪ ♪
[knock at door]
Hi. It’s me.
♪ ♪
What?
You’re not answering your phone.
♪ ♪
Look, what the hell are you doing, huh?
It’s Tuesday.
Fucking Tuesday.
You know what? This is exactly what I’m talking about.
You think you can just break into my house,
drop off some file,
and everything just goes back to normal?
I’m trying to help you
with your little investigation here.
Thought you’d appreciate it.
Your guy’s MIA, so you can stop your little goose chase.
You know, I don’t need your help, and he’s not MIA.
No?
No.
How do you know that? You saw him?
No.
How do you know that?
I got a hunch.
[laughs] A detective with a hunch… that’s original.
You know what? Screw you.
Just tell me why you’re so fixated on the guy.
You know, I thought we had an agreement.
I don’t ask about your family, and you don’t ask me about…
This is different than that, and you know it.
It’s not different.
Stay out of my personal business.
♪ ♪
I didn’t come here to argue with you.
No, I know exactly what you came here for.
Oh, you do?
Yep.
It’s the perfect relationship.
[chuckles derisively]
Okay.
Keep our side shit out of it. Copy that.
Yeah. No. No, no, no, no.
Shh, shh, shh, come here.
I’m sorry.
♪ ♪
[telephone ringing]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
[receiver clatters] Hello?
Speaking.
♪ ♪
Francis Scott?
You sure it’s him?
♪ ♪
[exhales sharply]
No, no, no, no.
Uh, just, uh, uh, give me a moment.
I’ll be there, all right?
Thank you. Thank you.
♪ ♪
Look, this maybe don’t help take the pain away,
but word on the street is that Frankie got the last laugh.
Chest was empty.
W-what do you mean empty?
[music stops]
I mean whatever they killed him for,
they never got it.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Everything’s always on Frankie’s terms.
♪ ♪
I feel like somebody should…
say something.
I can say a little…
I’m going to kill Cormac, and I need all of you.
I was thinking more like a prayer or something.
Cormac is on a different level now, Winston.
You so much as spit on his stoop,
every freak in and around that hotel will be after you.
My point exactly.
Coin press is still missing.
They’re gonna come after anyone who ever knew Frankie.
We had nothing to do with this.
He’s desperate. We have to strike first.
Let’s just give him what he wants.
Let this beef die with Frankie.
I don’t have it,
and I have no clue where Frankie would have hidden it.
And they will kill all of us before they realize that.
It ain’t as simple as taking him out.
We still got to deal with The Continental.
A takeover…
of the whole hotel?
Listen…
if we kill Cormac, we’re not only taking his life.
We are taking his goddamn house
and everything that comes with it…
including his hold on the gun-running game.
That’s right. Everything will go through you.
No longer will you be a middleman
living outside the system… you will be the system.
How are we supposed to believe
a guy in an ascot can pull this off?
That’s simple… because I know Cormac.
I know how he operates, how he thinks,
how he manipulates people,
because as a kid, he did it to me and Frankie.
We were his errand boys. We thought he was a god.
That’s not gonna be enough.
Well, I also have a lot of money,
problem-solving money, enough to build an army.
I was planning on starting a new life with it.
[door opens]
What did she say?
She wants to know where Frankie is.
Frankie.
Uh-oh.
♪ ♪
[screams]
Stop.
Lemmy…
Jesus. [choking]
Look…
Okay, okay. Hold on. Hold on a second.
Let me explain, all right?
We had no time. I had to move quickly, okay?
Stop!
Stop, stop, stop!
Wait, back off.
You had no right.
I know.
I’m sorry.
♪ ♪
Hold on, hold on, hold on. Get back.
[both straining]
♪ ♪
Yen, I’m sorry.
Yen, wait.
What, uh… [door opens]
Sorry. [door slams]
♪ ♪
If we’re gonna take on The Continental,
we’re gonna need her.
♪ ♪
[distant siren wailing]
Francis Patrick Scott. Yep.
Okay, yeah, where the hell is he now?
Ezra, get in here.
Yeah?
Where the hell is drawer 101, Francis Scott?
I don’t know. I didn’t tag him.
This isn’t your handwriting?
Nope.
Sorry about the confusion.
It’s been a nightmare around here.
Bodies piling up every winter. It’s awful.
But when he turns up, I’ll give you a call.
You do that.
Thanks.
[drawer closes]
[door closes]
Hey, Ezra.
You didn’t tag Francis Scott?
No.
Interesting.
Coroner’s assistant, huh?
That’s, like, one step above gassing puppies
at the pound, no?
[sighs] I just can’t even imagine
all the creepy stuff that happens in here.
You probably don’t want me looking around here, right?
You don’t intimidate me, lady.
[drawer slams, Ezra screams]
How about now? [drawer slams]
Jesus.
Tell you what… I’ll let you keep doing whatever it is
that you’re doing down here
if you tell me who came and got Francis Scott’s body.
I don’t know his name.
He gets contraband delivered here
every once in a while from overseas.
I don’t ask questions.
[drawer slams] Aah!
This wasn’t from overseas.
Listen, they came in flashing a bunch of cash,
wanted the body cremated.
That’s a nice watch.
“They”?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, uh, t-there were two of them.
O-one I never seen before…
t-t-the guy’s brother, I guess, fancy out-of-towner.
♪ ♪
What’s his brother’s name?
I don’t know.
What do you know?
They… they were driving a green VW bus.
Ah! I think they live in C-Chinatown.
♪ ♪
If you think of anything else,
you know where to find me.
[Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 playing]
♪ ♪
Really a magnificent talent.
Credit to you, sir, discovering him.
Well, in crisis, we’re all gluttons in our own way.
You gorge yourself on cellists, while I…
well, I-I prefer more traditional victuals.
♪ ♪
[music stops]
If I knew you were coming, I’d have rolled out the red…
Oh, you weren’t expecting me…
in the wake of last night’s events?
And you eat…
rather celebratory, considering your slew of recent failures.
Comfort food, nothing more.
Comfort?
You think in history’s great tales of survival,
legendary men who battled their way back from defeat,
they did so by comforting themselves?
Well, I’m merely suggesting…
Or was it the threat of starvation,
the inevitable raping and pillaging,
the eradication of their bloodline
that motivated these men
to pull themselves back from the fire?
[dark music]
♪ ♪
[chewing]
♪ ♪
You know, it’s understandable.
People who are born into wealth as you were…
they often seek comfort in the face of adversity.
Perhaps it’s time for you to feel uncomfortable.
Yeah?
I mean, discomfort is the great equalizer.
Because the mess your people made last night
has brought the missing coin press
to the attention of the High Table.
I’ll find it. I got people in the field…
You’re a shell of yourself.
Your own people are stealing from you.
I want the High Table’s resources.
You have three days.
You have three days to locate the coin press
and bring those responsible to our feet.
If you fail, the High Table will declare interregnum,
suspend your position until we can name a successor.
Your gilded cage will come crashing in on you.
♪ ♪
Enjoy your meal.
♪ ♪
[smooches]
♪ ♪
[sighs] Fuck.
♪ ♪
[groans, sighs]
What now, sir?
Now?
I’m still dealing with her face.
♪ ♪
[person grunts]
[gunshot]
[objects clatter]
Strike.
Let’s think about this. What do we have going for us?
Okay, for starters, the killers in that hotel…
they’re men and women, right?
They bleed just like we do.
They also won’t be expecting us, right?
Because no one’s ever made a run at The Continental.
Yeah, because it’s fucking insane.
We’re gonna need more fingers to pull all these triggers.
Okay, do you have any other military friends?
Not that I’d bring in on this.
Most of those guys are just trying to find their way back.
Those willing to get their hands this dirty,
they’ve already joined Cormac.
Gonna be a bitch trying to find somebody
not already in his pocket.
Well, there has to be somebody.
Well, there is Gene.
Jenkins?
Dad’s old friend?
Yeah.
At one time, he even had a corner room at The Continental.
Okay. It’s a good start.
Hey, Lou, where’s your head at with all this?
I’ll help. God knows you’re gonna need it.
But I won’t be pulling any triggers,
and I will not storm the castle.
[gun cocks] What?
There’s always Mazie. She’s no fan of Cormac.
Yeah, she bought from us last year,
or at least I think she did.
Never met her face-to-face.
Runs an operation out the Bowery.
Nobody knows exactly what it is or who works for her.
They talk about it like it’s the army of the unseen,
like she’s the queenpin of the criminals.
I mean, that… that’s… that’s the nickname I gave her,
but she’s definitely a competitor of Cormac.
I don’t understand. Why hasn’t he snuffed her out?
Well, it’s not easy to snuff something out
when you don’t know what you’re snuffing.
Mazie’s group doesn’t ally itself with outsiders.
Anybody not from the Bowery can forget it.
Well, I’ll take my chances. Where in the Bowery?
We could tell you where we made the drop,
but adjust your expectations.
These people do not play by the rules.
[999’s “Homicide”]
♪ ♪
[whistling]
♪ I believe ♪
♪ In homicide ♪
♪ ♪
♪ I rest my case ♪
♪ Don’t cast aside ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You’d better believe it ♪
♪ That’s the truth of it ♪
♪ Take it or leave it ♪
♪ Resign to it ♪
[indistinct chatter]
♪ Homicide ♪
♪ No one cares ♪
♪ When someone lies ♪
♪ ♪
♪ They’d rather say that it’s a red alert ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Homicide ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Homicide ♪
♪ ♪
Dad, why are we taking Charlie’s stuff?
Lio, because he almost got me killed yesterday,
plus he owes me a shit ton of money.
Remember, bubba… heavier, the better, shinier, the…
[tires squealing] Get in the trailer! Now!
Dale! Dale!
♪ Homicide ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Hom, hom, hom, hom, homicide ♪
[whistling “Pop Goes the Weasel”]
♪ ♪
[whistling stops, indistinct chatter]
Well, look what the cat drug in…
Miles and Miles and Miles.
[door closes] Make yourself at home.
I was on a little picnic.
You care for some vino?
I brought that optical you wanted replaced.
Oh. Straight to business.
How fun.
What?
There’s nothing wrong with it.
Works perfectly.
No, there’s definitely something wrong
with that sight.
That’s not in question here,
although I’m not entirely certain what is.
[tap on table]
What’s the serial number?
Really, Miles, a pop quiz?
I’ll wait for finals.
So how’s Lou doing these days?
[bottle thuds on counter]
She’s doing okay.
Oh, really?
Not still grieving the, uh, absence of your father?
I wouldn’t say she’s over it.
Well, maybe the truth would help in that regard…
parts of it, anyway.
I’m not here to talk about all that, Gene.
So you just dropped in to convince a retiree to retire.
You’re not retired.
Oh, please.
Why not find yourself a lady?
Enjoy your golden years.
And do what…
regale her with tales of my youth,
when I could liquefy a man’s brains at 350 yards?
What kind of lady would that attract?
No, no, I think I’ll stick to the solitary life.
Suit yourself.
Good to see you, Gene.
What is going on with you?
What are you talking about?
Come on.
I’ve known you since before you could poop on the potty.
Something’s brewing.
It’s not something I can talk about, Gene.
What’s that, The Continental?
Word on the street… some young’uns in trouble.
We’re trying to put together a crew.
It might just be a suicide mission.
It’s definitely crazy.
Is it really? Crazy?
Suicidal or not…
yours is a righteous cause.
If anyone ever deserved to be eliminated…
it’s Cormac O’Connor.
[dramatic music]
That’s the goal.
[stammers] I’ll get glasses.
What?
Prescription.
Okay.
Y’all need me.
Nobody knows that Do-Drop-Inn like I do…
its inner workings and whatnot.
And I guarantee you no one knows
that son of a bitch like me…
no one left to tell the tale, that is.
What do you say?
Okay, you’re in.
Just like that?
You make a strong case.
[door opens]
Oh, sweet Jesus.
Did you just play me?
Don’t forget the glasses.
I’ll be a son of a bitch.
[Heart’s “Magic Man”]
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
♪ Cold late night so long ago ♪
♪ When I was not so strong, you know ♪
♪ A pretty man came to me ♪
♪ Never seen eyes so blue ♪
♪ You know, I could not run away, it seemed ♪
[song continues faintly]
Could I help you, sir?
I fear I’ve overdressed.
Yes, I’m looking for Mazie.
Sir?
Mazie, the… the woman in charge of whatever this is?
Um, I’m afraid I’m not sure who you’re talking about.
I… The person in charge…
No, it’s fine. I’ll just seat myself.
Thank you.
Sir.
Sir?
♪ “Try to understand ♪
♪ “Try, try, try to understand ♪
♪ I’m a magic man” ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Winter nights, we sang in tune ♪
♪ Played inside the months of moon ♪
♪ Never think of never ♪
♪ Let this spell last forever ♪
♪ Well, summer lover passed to fall ♪
♪ Tried to realize it all ♪
♪ Mama says she’s worried ♪
♪ Growing up in a hurry ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
You wanted to see me?
♪ “Come on home, girl,” Mama cried on the phone ♪
Please.
We don’t serve your kind here.
That’s good,
because I don’t eat my kind.
[grunts]
[guns cocking]
Put your knife down, pretty boy.
My apologies.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
[knife clatters on plate]
You must be the woman I’m looking for.
And you must be the son of a bitch
everyone’s looking for.
♪ No, I can’t forget tomorrow ♪
♪ When I think of all my sorrow ♪
♪ When I had you there ♪
♪ But then I let you go ♪
♪ And now it’s only fair ♪
♪ That I should let you know ♪
♪ What you should know ♪
♪ No ♪
♪ Can’t live ♪
♪ If living is without you ♪
♪ Can’t live ♪
♪ I can’t give anymore ♪
♪ Can’t live ♪
The rest ain’t here.
[music continues muffled]
♪ ♪
♪ No, I can’t forget tomorrow ♪
♪ When I think of all my sorrow ♪
♪ When I had you there ♪
♪ But then I let you go ♪
♪ And now it’s only fair ♪
♪ That I should let you know ♪
♪ What you should know ♪
♪ No ♪
♪ I can’t live ♪
♪ If living is without you ♪
♪ I can’t live ♪
♪ I can’t give anymore ♪
♪ I can’t live ♪
♪ If living is without you ♪
♪ I can’t give ♪
♪ I can’t give anymore ♪
♪ Well, I can’t forget this evening ♪
♪ Or your face as you were leaving ♪
♪ But I guess that’s just the way ♪
♪ The story goes ♪
♪ You always smile but in… ♪
[distant pounding]
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
[distant clattering]
♪ ♪
Check over there.
What the hell?
♪ ♪
[chuckles]
No, fuck you.
♪ ♪
all: * Let’s all go to the lobby ♪
Spread out.
all: * Let’s all go to the lobby ♪
♪ To get ourselves a treat ♪
Little thing to eat.
The popcorn can’t be beat.
all: * Let’s all go to the lobby ♪
♪ To get ourselves a treat ♪
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
[gun cocks, gunshot]
♪ Can’t live ♪
♪ If living is without you ♪
♪ Can’t live ♪
♪ I can’t give anymore ♪
♪ I can’t live ♪
♪ If living is without you ♪
♪ I can’t live ♪
♪ I can’t give anymore ♪
♪ ♪
♪ If living is without you ♪
[grunts loudly]
[music stops]
[breathing heavily]
The men who come to me are usually looking for help
in some way or another.
After your brother stole the coin press
and you blew into town,
I thought there was a decent chance
you’d walk through my door.
My condolences, by the way.
What do you know about me, Winston?
Well, people say you have an army.
And unlike every other player in this town,
you are not under Cormac’s thumb.
Now I just need to know… what is your going rate,
and how soon can you start?
I thought you’d be smart enough
to know that I don’t deal in dollars.
It’s how I maintain independence
from men like Cormac.
All right, well, I’m very resourceful.
Tell me what you need.
Love.
Love?
The men I call my flock…
you walk by them on the street every day, never noticing,
invisible…
no self-worth.
But you take those same men
and give them back their humanity,
do you know what they give you in return?
What’s that?
Everything.
And now that same invisibility…
they embrace it…
because they no longer need you to see them because…
They see themselves.
Love.
Can you dig it?
[chuckles]
I was born from rich folks.
Didn’t want their money. Don’t want yours.
When a man comes to needing help,
I only have one requirement.
They had to tell me their story.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
I’m the man who’s going to kill Cormac O’Connor.
No.
It’s too easy.
Why are you the man
who’s going to kill Cormac O’Connor?
♪ ♪
[whispering indistinctly]
♪ ♪
Your coming here wasn’t just predictable to me apparently.
[tires squealing] It’s being taken care of.
[tires screeching, person mutters angrily]
♪ ♪
[tires squealing]
Time for you to go.
Well, you… you still haven’t told me your price, yet.
There’s got to be something.
Tough to buy for, aren’t I?
You’ll be leaving a different way.
[Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine”]
♪ ♪
♪ Welcome, my son ♪
♪ Welcome to the machine ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Where have you been? ♪
He’ll be right down.
♪ It’s all right, we know where you’ve been ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You’ve been in the pipeline, filling in time ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Provided with toys and scouting for boys ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You bought a guitar to punish your ma ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You didn’t like school ♪
♪ And you know you’re nobody’s fool ♪
♪ ♪
♪ So welcome ♪
♪ To the machine ♪
The Almighty made the world in six days
and rested on the seventh.
The High Table have given us three days
and not a single minute of rest.
Know that if I go down…
I’m taking all of you down with me.
You understand?
Your failure humiliates me,
and it’s no secret what I do to those who humiliate me.
Now get out of here so I can pray.
It’s a sacrilege,
you people even being here in the first place.
It’s a wonder you don’t all burst into flames.
♪ ♪
Help me.
♪ ♪
Help me.
I wish I had the answers, sir.
I wasn’t talking to you.
♪ ♪
[yelling]
Jesus!
Oh. Jesus Christ.
Oh, Winston, sorry.
Simple hello next time, please.
What the hell happened here?
Whatever Frankie took, he didn’t give it back.
Those fuckers tore this place apart looking for it.
I’ve been hiding all day.
Sorry about your brother.
It’s not an easy life.
Have you heard from Charlie?
Hell, no.
Bailed as soon as things heated up, typical Charlie.
That asshole still owes me money for the helicopter ride.
Of course he does.
So I snagged his Mustang
and a few other items worth something.
I got a kid to feed.
You good?
Mm-hmm.
Hey, you all right, chap?
I’m good.
Figured you’d be long gone by now.
What do you need from Charlie?
I’m putting a team together,
and he’s always told me that he has a guy for everything.
Yeah, I’m the guy.
Jesus.
So let me get this right.
You won’t even touch a gun,
but all this other crazy lethal shit, that’s fine?
It was my father’s code, Lemmy… no guns.
I helped build this place.
Wouldn’t make sense for me to live any other way.
With hand-to-hand or any other weapon,
you have a choice… life or death.
With a gun, there is no choice…
only death.
You want me to… All right.
Come on, switch.
[clears throat]
Why are you doing this, Lemmy?
‘Cause you scare the shit out of me.
No, this suicide mission.
You didn’t love Frankie.
No, but I love Miles.
I know.
I mean, look at everything he gave me, you know?
I work there, eat there…
sleep right there.
This is my foxhole now.
After the war,
if it wasn’t for Miles…
I would have…
I know.
Queenpin… it’s an understatement.
I’m not exactly sure what it is I saw,
but all I know is we need her and her entire operation.
How much is it gonna cost?
Well, she’s not interested in money apparently, just love.
A deadly hippie… now, there’s an oxymoron.
Uh-oh.
What’s this?
Whoa, lookee here.
Did Frankie make this?
Thank you, Yen.
♪ ♪
You think this means she’s on board?
Fingers crossed.
Gene.
Hmm?
This track with what you remember?
Frankie did a good job,
but it’s a sketch, not a blueprint.
There’s everything in that building,
from secret doors to Cormac’s bulletproof glass
to who knows what else he’s got in there now.
Right there.
The armory.
That’s your Holy Grail.
Holy Grail for who?
Whoever gets to it first.
Why does a hotel for hit men have an armory, anyway?
Crooks are always worried somebody gonna come after them,
whether it’s cops or some other crook.
So the, uh, armory helps them get a good night’s sleep.
We need an inside man.
Hmm.
In the old days, maybe, but…
now there’s two kind of folk in there…
too evil to be trusted
or too brainwashed to betray Cormac.
It’s not a frickin’ club anymore… it’s a cult.
There’s got to be an Achilles’ heel
in there somewhere.
Well, while you look into it,
I can’t be late for this pickup.
[Bobbie Gentry’s “Seasons Come, Seasons Go”]
♪ ♪
Left hand, red.
[laughter] That’s a stretch.
You’re doing good.
Again, right hand, red.
[knock at door]
Right hand, red.
[indistinct chatter]
Who invited somebody over here, huh?
♪ ♪
Jesus.
You’re full of surprises lately, aren’t you?
I need a favor.
Hon, is that KD? Why don’t you come in and play?
Yeah, you know what? I would love to.
She can’t tonight, sweetheart… she’s working.
Another time. Just give me one minute.
You need a favor?
Anything to do with that phone call?
Yeah, it does.
[indistinct happy shouting]
God damn, you smell good.
All right.
Your wife is 30 feet away.
Yeah, I know where she is. Just keep your voice down.
Yeah, well, are you gonna help me or what?
Depends on what you want. [indistinct chatter continues]
I need to find a green VW bus in Chinatown.
Without a warrant?
Yeah, without a warrant.
Well, I’m sorry, but it’s a little arousing,
you trying to bend the rules all of a sudden.
You know what?
I never had a family game night.
Twister looks real fun.
All right, all right, all right, I’m gonna help you.
It was nice seeing you, Janice.
Maybe next time, all right?
Okay, you too.
Oh, my goodness. [indistinct chatter continues]
♪ Leaving me to stay and face December snow ♪
Fuck.
♪ The seasons come… ♪
Okay?
Fight of the century?
No.
His real fight of the century was against going to Vietnam.
The government tried to destroy him,
refused to let them box,
ordered him to do five years in jail,
but he fought that at the peak of his career…
went all the way to the Supreme Court and won.
No jail time, no Nam.
Yeah.
But to me and Frankie,
it’s what we called the loudest day of war.
I mean, there was 20-millimeter cannon fire…
helicopter gunships, B-52 payloads.
You couldn’t hear the guy next to you.
And what was left of our unit was caught right in the middle,
nowhere to run, no radio, enemy advancing.
[dramatic music]
All you could do was pray.
And we did for what must have been hours.
But at some point, I realized I could hear Frankie
talking to God…
no bombs…
no helicopters…
total silence.
It was the weirdest feeling…
like the war suddenly ended,
but they’d forgotten to tell us.
So, when we got back to base…
we realized the war had stopped because…
being broadcast all over the world,
Muhammad Ali was fighting Joe Frazier
at Madison Square Garden.
♪ ♪
Both sides had stopped killing each other
just long enough to listen.
♪ ♪
Frankie and I…
sat over that radio…
and shared something I don’t think either of us
had ever experienced…
[inhales sharply]
A true moment of peace…
’cause on both sides, there was no enemy.
♪ ♪
[lights thud]
That’s the signal.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
If anything happens, just leave without me.
♪ ♪
[van door closes, engine turning over]
♪ ♪
[tires squealing]
♪ ♪
[number pad beeping]
[buzzer sounds]
[number pad beeping]
[buzzer sounds]
Shit.
[dog barking]
Hey.
What’s going on? We have an outage?
Uh, yep.
Nobody on the radio called it in.
Oh.
That’s weird. You sure?
[dog snarls]
Can you step out of the vehicle?
[tires squealing, engine revving]
Hey! Hey, hey, hey! [dog barking]
Shit plan!
Hey!
Hey, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Hey! Hey!
No, stop!
[elegant cello music playing]
♪ ♪
[music stops]
Always the best part of my day.
You flatter me, Charon.
Writing to your father again?
Yes.
I was just telling him how brilliant you are.
I’m sure I’m not as talented as he is.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
That building right there…
that’s where I can do the most damage.
♪ ♪
Looks like apartments.
What are the odds we can find a vacant one?
You leave that to me. I’m your guy on the outside.
Worry about your guys on the inside.
You ever think of leaving?
♪ ♪
The hotel?
Yeah.
There’s so much to experience out there.
True.
But I don’t think Mr. O’Connor can survive without me.
♪ ♪
Or you without him.
♪ ♪
Does your father know about this place?
Yes, of course. I’ve told him.
♪ ♪
Have you really told him?
♪ ♪
Do you know what goes on here?
I’ve heard rumors.
When I left my country,
my father gave me everything he had saved
so I could come to the U.S… a fresh start he never had.
I sent him a photo of me standing right here
with a view of the city.
And guess what.
He cried…
tears of joy for my success.
You must understand…
where I’m from, violence is rampant.
Here at least the chaos is controlled.
I feel safer here than I ever did back home.
♪ ♪
I can’t imagine.
You remember that red light?
Yes.
Cormac mash that button,
red light comes on in every room,
including the shitter, and voilà…
killing on hotel grounds is allowed,
and our whole goddamn plan is over before it started.
If we do it right,
Cormac’s dead before he can mash that red button.
And by the time the rest
of that godforsaken place knows he’s dead, it’s too late.
We’ll have the undeniable tactical advantage.
Okay.
How exactly do we get to Cormac
so as to attain that undeniable tactical advantage?
You said there were two types of people
in The Continental, right?
Evil and brainwashed.
Why?
Which one’s which?
♪ ♪
Well, aren’t you smart.
I wanted to tell youI’ve been accepted
to a music conservatory in Ireland.
I’ll soon be leaving the city.
That will be good for you.
♪ ♪
Perhaps you could come with me.
[scoffs] I-I could never do that.
Why not?
When I first arrived,
Mr. O’Connor promised he would bring my father over
once I’d proven myself.
That time is soon.
♪ ♪
I hope he keeps his promise
The cellist is just a hired hand,
but the kid…
I don’t know, Winston.
Cormac’s been grooming him for some time.
It’d be high risk.
Also high reward.
♪ ♪
[camera shutter clicking]
♪ ♪
[upbeat rock music]
[person singing in native language]
♪ ♪
Ha ha. My man.
My brother.
How you doing, man?
Any requests?
Surprise me.
Ah, right on, brother. Right on.
♪ ♪
[music stops, indistinct chatter]
[Orgone’s “Funky Nassau” playing]
♪ ♪
♪ Nassau’s gone funky ♪
♪ Nassau’s gone soul ♪
♪ ♪
♪ We’ve got a doggone beat now ♪
♪ We’re gonna call our very own ♪
Charon? You good?
Yes. Thank you, Jamal.
I have no idea what to write in response.
Words fail me.
♪ ♪
Trouble back home?
Unfortunately, I think if your shop were in my city,
there would be no shop today.
He seems to be coming for everybody…
senseless.
♪ ♪
Come over here a minute. I got something for you.
Take your mind off it.
♪ Listen to the drummer play his feet ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Listen to the bass man ♪
♪ Go get that same groovy beat ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Listen to the guitar give that soul some, too ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Come on, now, bring it on home to you ♪
♪ Play the funky now ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
♪ Funky ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Funky Nassau ♪
♪ Listen, listen good ♪
♪ New York, you know ♪
♪ Has got a whole lot of soul ♪
♪ Good God ♪
♪ London Town ♪
♪ Is too doggone cold ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Nassau’s got sunshine ♪
Hey! Get over here! [dog barking]
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ But we’ve gone funky ♪
♪ And we got some soul, too ♪
♪ All right ♪
♪ Funky Nassau ♪
♪ Listen ♪
♪ Funky Nassau ♪
♪ Funky ♪
[indistinct chatter]
Damn it! Stop!
♪ ♪
Come here, you little shit!
Why you keep breaking my windows, huh?
Get your hands off him.
Get in.
Glass needs picking up.
Either he does it, or you do it.
[James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing”]
♪ Ow ♪
♪ Oh, whoo ♪
♪ Say it now ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ And dance till you feel better ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing and dance till you ♪
♪ Sing it now ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ And dance till you feel better ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ And try to release that pressure ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ And dance till you feel better ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ Shake it, say it now ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ And dance till you feel better ♪
♪ Get up offa that thing ♪
♪ Try to release that pressure ♪
♪ ♪
[gunshot, people screaming]
You’ve embarrassed them enough.
[indistinct shouting in native language]
Please.
[traditional Chinese music plays]
♪ ♪
You own this place?
Not the place, just the people.
Your chicken feet are coming.
My Haitian grandma used to mail chicken feet to her door,
scare away the boogeyman.
One-armed beggars earn twice as much.
Ironic, isn’t it?
Kid has the same problem you have.
Thinks he’s special.
Doesn’t follow the rules.
I give him purpose.
Throwing rocks at my dojo.
“Dojo” is Japanese. This is Chinatown.
Daddy got away with a lot of shit.
You know that?
And that stops with you?
Kwoon.
All he had to do was use the right word.
Kwoon.
See how easy that is?
So you’re harassing us because we missed the mark
on cultural specificity?
You people had a free ride for too long.
And I don’t give a shit who your daddy was.
“You people”? Why don’t you admit it?
You hate that he won the belts.
You hate that he won the hearts.
You can’t stand any of that because he was Black.
And you want to keep telling yourself
that we stole something,
that we didn’t come by it honestly
because we don’t look like you.
Well, my father built that place
by beating the best of the best and living a life of honor.
So much more to this story than you know.
You’re the thief in this hood, the parasite.
♪ Gow! ♪
[Tom Waits’
[“A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun”]
Nail those chicken feet to that door.
♪ Well, it’s raining ♪
♪ It’s pouring ♪
♪ Didn’t bring a sweater ♪
♪ Nebraska will never let you ♪
♪ Come back home ♪
♪ ♪
♪ No, that ain’t no cherry bomb ♪
♪ Fourth of July’s all done ♪
[dog barking]
♪ It’s just some fool playing that second line ♪
♪ From the barrel of a pretty blue gun ♪
♪ ♪
Guess we’re giving up smoking.
♪ ♪
The, uh, trials of a small-business owner,
huh, Lou-Lou?
I didn’t know that you had a room
at The Continental, Gene.
Well, most folks don’t like to tell
every little old thing.
Is there anything else my brother knows that I don’t?
That’s hard to say.
You’d, uh… you’d have to ask him.
Excuse me.
What you got there, Mr. Postman?
Our tactical advantage.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
This bus is out of service.
You understand me?
Understood.
Everyone out. Bus service has stopped.
You serious?
I’ve got places to be.
Move!
You heard the lady.
Not you.
Take a seat.
[light music playing]
♪ ♪
[clears throat] You asked to see me, sir?
[golf ball clatters, glass clinks]
They told you I’ve accepted an opportunity elsewhere?
The conservatory.
I heard.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
It’s rare in this environment
to find anyone who’s interested in higher education.
I want you to know
how much I’ve appreciated my time here,
however brief.
They, uh, told me to bring this.
Did you want me to play something for you?
[chuckles]
Tell me about your new school.
Is it the Canterbury…
up on the hillside overlooking Cork?
It is. How did…
I made a few calls.
Okay, one call.
I vouched for your potential.
[ominous music]
T-thank you, again, sir.
The reach of my influence surprises you?
I was certain Charon would have told you
about my capacity for charity,
especially for those who prove themselves.
He has, yes.
I know he feels a great deal of debt for all you’ve done
and all you’ve yet to do.
Oh, that’s good to hear.
He’s just a boy, so, you know, sometimes
I worry that he might not fully appreciate everything.
But he does.
You should have heard him when I broached the idea
of broadening his horizons.
He was unequivocal,
insisting his future lies here…
with you…
nowhere else.
♪ ♪
Perhaps you could play something
that speaks to that faithfulness,
that commitment.
Does anything come to mind?
♪ ♪
This is from “Don Giovanni.”
The theme of the whole piece is “loyalty to the master.”
Wonderful.
[cello playing]
♪ ♪
Right here is good.
♪ ♪
Charon…
Lovely to see you again.
So you’re here for revenge?
No. No, no, no, no, no.
No, this is about justice
And this is merely a conversation.
Relax.
I’m just curious
how Cormac talked about my brother.
He called him a terrible thief.
Well, Frankie was stealing from Cormac
even before we met him.
In fact… [inhales deeply]
That’s how we came to meet him.
You were caught stealing?
When we were kids, Frankie did the little collection jobs.
He would get a list every Saturday
and have to go around the neighborhood.
Everybody paid, no questions asked.
Frankie starts skimming off the top,
not so much that anyone would notice,
and this goes on for a couple of weeks…
until one night our windshield explodes.
You see, we were living in a car.
And we get dragged through the broken glass,
across the pavement,
right to the feet of you-know-who.
[dramatic music]
What did he do?
I remember thinking,
“This is the scariest man I have ever seen.”
The first thing he did
was point out that my shoes were falling apart,
as if I didn’t have any self-respect.
And then he asked whose idea was it, skimming from him.
And Frankie tried bullshitting him,
so I chimed in with the actual truth.
♪ ♪
It was my idea.
[breathes deeply]
That was the moment he saw something in us.
That was the beginning and the end.
[cello playing]
♪ ♪
What are you going to do to me?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Help you.
Can’t you see you need help?
[clears throat]
[groans softly]
With me, I was thrown into the system
and then sent away.
So I invented a new persona,
you know, something to disguise me,
but it was just a lie
to hide myself from my own shame,
’cause the truth is, I never got away from Cormac.
He was the one who decided what my life was,
and now he’s doing that to you.
♪ ♪
Keep playing.
♪ ♪
Everyone’s gonna miss your music.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
I think I’ll take a mulligan.
♪ ♪
Join the club, you…
motherfucker!
You… take… my breath away.
[yells]
♪ ♪
I just got word that Cormac has killed on hotel grounds.
Do nothing.
Tell no one.
Let them eat each other, and the coin press will emerge.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
It may look like we have nothing in common.
Trust me.
We are more alike than we are different, Charon.
Unfortunately, I have a pretty good idea
of what’s in store.
What I’m asking you to do is not easy.
It may go against everything you stand for,
your loyalty and your honesty,
and it will mean keeping secrets
and telling lies and breaking promises
and sacrificing anything he has promised you…
like bringing your father to The Continental, for example.
[indistinct chatter]
Did he ever punish you?
The first time you met, when he caught you skimming?
The next day I was in school giving a book report,
and in walks this terrifying man
I’d never seen before.
He slams this box on my teacher’s desk
and says to me, “Open the fucking box.”
You know what was inside?
[scoffs]
A new pair of shoes.
♪ ♪
A father figure is responsible
for teaching you about loyalty and family,
relationships and business.
And Cormac may preach this,
but he only cares about one thing… himself.
And sooner or later, you’re gonna realize
it’s either you or him.
I’m offering you a chance to decide who you want to be
before it’s too late.
♪ ♪
[elevator bell dings]
♪ ♪
[door opens, closes]
♪ ♪
Our cellist friend…
♪ ♪
Our, oh, so virtuous virtuoso…
turned out he was very disloyal.
He tried to steal from me…
and I am sick and tired of people stealing from me.
Oh, he confessed.
As you can see, I got pretty teed off.
♪ ♪
Breach of trust like this, well…
it just makes me more grateful
to those who remain loyal.
♪ ♪
And with this in mind…
ah…
[scoffs, groans]
I want our next musician of residence to be someone that we know… an accomplished international artist, and yet… someone who will fit in more like a family member.
♪ ♪
That’s right… your father.
[chuckles]
Mm.
What instrument did your father play, again?
♪ ♪
Violin.
Ah.
♪ ♪
Sir, I…
♪ ♪
Winston Scott has assembled a team.
They mean to kill you.
♪ ♪
And how do you come to know this?
He asked me to join him.
How did that make you feel?
It felt like an opportunity.
Opportunity for what?
An opportunity for advancement.
Here with me?
Indeed, sir.
[sighs]
Good man.
♪ ♪
May I ask you a question, sir?
Sure.
What was it that Thomas was trying to steal?
♪ ♪
You.
[Supertramp’s “Take the Long Way Home”]
♪ ♪
Loyalty.
♪ ♪
* So you think you’re a Romeo ♪
♪ You’re playing a part in a picture show ♪
♪ Well, take the long way home ♪
♪ Take the long way home ♪
♪ But you’re the joke of the neighborhood ♪
♪ Why should you care if you’re feeling good? ♪
♪ Well, take the long way home ♪
♪ Take the long way home ♪
♪ There are times ♪
♪ That you feel you’re part of the scenery ♪
♪ All the greenery ♪
♪ Is coming down, boy ♪
♪ And then your wife seems to think ♪
♪ You’re part of the furniture ♪
♪ Oh, it’s peculiar ♪
♪ She used to be so nice ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
♪ ♪
Whoo!
♪ ♪
