Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Continental episode 3.

Summary

• The Continental episode 3 provided answers to lingering questions and delivered on the action front, with Winston's siege of the hotel and twists in his origin story.
• Winston killed the Adjudicator to send a message to the High Table that he intends to retain control of the New York Continental, regardless of their approval.
• The whereabouts of the coin press were revealed in episode 3, hidden in the trunk of a car at Charlie's compound. Its power was showcased through creating coins that allowed an army to infiltrate The Continental.

The Continental's cast of characters through Winston building a team to take down Cormac, episode 3 delivered on the action front in a way the first two episodes did not.

Not only that but The Continental episode 3 delivered some final twists in the tale of Winston's origin as the proprietor of the New York establishment. From hints at his future with the High Table to explaining the coin press that kickstarted the series' story and answering mysteries surrounding the characters of KD and the Adjudicator, The Continental episode 3 was jam-packed with answers to lingering questions. With that said, here is a definitive guide to the ending of The Continental now that the John Wick prequel series has come to a close.

Why Winston Killed The Adjudicator In The Continental's Ending

One of the biggest questions as of The Continental's ending is why Winston killed the Adjudicator. After Winston successfully took control of The Continental with the death of Cormac, the Adjudicator arrived to declare the New York branch of the hotel was temporarily suspended until the High Table could sort out the events of the last few days. However, in a shocking development, Winston simply shoots the Adjudicator in the head. This raises the question of why Winston killed her and whether he will face any ramifications for his actions.

Concerning why Winston killed the Adjudicator, it was likely to send a message to the High Table. Winston killing the organization's primary enforcer proves that he is there to stay and intends to retain control of the New York Continental whether the High Table allows it or not. As such, Winston's murder of the Adjudicator sends the High Table the message that Winston is now the New York Continental's manager, and they can either work with him or face the consequences of opposing him just as the Adjudicator and Cormac did.

Another shocking moment in The Continental's ending was the reveal of what was underneath the Adjudicator's mask. After Winston shoots her, the Adjudicator falls back and her mask falls off, revealing a grotesquely disfigured mouth which implies the skin around her teeth had been burned away. This explains the reaction Cormac had in The Continental episode 2 to the Adjudicator removing her mask and proves the villainy of the High Table as her injuries were likely a result of their oppressive rule.

Why KD Was Hunting Frankie & Winston (& Cormac's Role Explained)

A lingering plot threat of The Continental episodes 1 and 2 was that KD was hunting Frankie and Winston, though it was not clear why. By the time of The Continental's ending, their connection is made clear as is Cormac's role in the subplot. The Continental episode 2 established that Frankie and Winston committed a crime on behalf of Cormac when they were children which involved them throwing a Molotov cocktail through a window, burning a family alive inside. The two children were not aware that a family would be inside the building, something that had haunted Frankie and Winston for decades.

In The Continental episode 3, it was revealed that the family in the building was KD's and that she was the sole survivor. As such, she has been hunting Frankie and Winston for decades as she blames them for the death of her family. In another twist though, it was revealed that Cormac knew KD's family would be present in the building that night and that he sent Frankie and Winston to kill them intentionally to mold them into heartless, emotionless soldiers. As such, The Continental ends with KD killing Cormac out of revenge and sparing Winston's life after realizing his remorse for killing her family was genuine.

Where Was The Coin Press In The Continental Episode 3? The Hiding Spot’sMeaning

Undoubtedly one of the biggest questions of the show since The Continental episode 1's ending is where the coin press Frankie stole was being held. At the end of The Continental episode 1, Frankie jumped from a helicopter with the coin press in hand, sacrificing himself and handing the object over to Cormac. However, it was revealed that Frankie had switched the coin press out and hidden it in a location that remained unclear until The Continental episode 3's ending.

The flashback to Frankie and Winston's crime in 1955 was fleshed out in The Continental episode 3 showing Winston hiding in the trunk of a car which was also presumably the last time he saw his mother. Given the importance of this location, Winston hid the coin press in the trunk of the same car that was concealed at Charlie's compound. As well as The Continental episode 3 divulging where the coin press was hidden, the episode also highlighted its true power and why the High Table was so desperate to retrieve it.

During Winston's siege on The Continental, the coin press was used by Mazie and her Bowery agents to infiltrate the hotel. Coins were created to allow Mazie and her allies to buy a room in the hotel meaning Winston had an army on the inside. The ease with which Winston embedded an army within The Continental proves the immense power the coin press holds and explains why the High Table was willing to kill anyone they needed to in order to get it back.

How Charon & Frankie's Past Changes His Friendship With Winston

Another element of the John Wick universe that The Continental solidified was Charon and Winston's relationship. While The Continental episode 2 began forming their bond, The Continental episode 3 provided much more context as to why they are inseparable and unwaveringly loyal to each other by the time of the John Wick films. In The Continental episode 3, it was revealed that Charon had a strong relationship with Frankie. While everyone else at The Continental did not care to see Charon as a person, Frankie treated him as a little brother.

This creates a spiritual fraternal bond between Winston and Charon. With both of them viewing Frankie as a brother either through blood or through friendship, the two now have a reason to call each other brothers as well. This certainly makes sense given how they are portrayed in the John Wick movies and makes their future journey that much more emotional.

Every Major Character Killed In The Continental's Ending

Given the climactic story of The Continental episode 3, plenty of major characters were killed by the show's ending. The most obvious was Cormac who was expected to die as soon as he was introduced in order to allow Winston to take control of the hotel and bridge the gap between the series and John Wick. As mentioned, Cormac was killed by KD in retribution for her family's murder. Another major character that was killed was Lemmy, the ally of Lou and Miles who helped Winston and his team infiltrate the hotel.

Regarding other antagonists of The Continental, the twin assassins were killed in episode 3. The male assassin was killed by Lou and Miles in a fantastic fight scene while the female twin was confronted by Yen. As the female twin was the one who shot Frankie in The Continental episode 1, the fight between her and Yen - Frankie's wife - was immensely satisfying. Eventually, Yen strapped a bomb vest to the twin and blew it up, ending the dual assassins for good. Finally, the Adjudicator was the last major casualty of The Continental's ending.

How The Continental's Ending Sets Up John Wick's Movies

Finally, The Continental's ending provided some set-up for the John Wick films, albeit not in as much detail as many first thought. The series still ends in the 1970s given the fact that the events of the story took place across three nights. However, the main way The Continental's ending sets up John Wick is by making Winston the manager of the titular hotel by the series' end. Similarly, Charon and Winston have established their bond which is still prevalent in the John Wick films.

Another thing that the John Wick films made clear about Winston's character is that he is not afraid to oppose the High Table if necessary. This was foreshadowed by his killing of the Adjudicator in The Continental episode 3's ending. Aside from these aspects, the only other setup found in The Continental for the John Wick films is the alliance between Winston and the Bowery which a potential season 2 of the prequel series could further delve into.