In Season 1 of Apple TV’s “Hijack,” Idris Elba’s Sam Nelson boarded a Kingdom Airlines flight from Dubai to his home base of London. A lawyer and shrewd negotiator, Sam quickly determined the plane had been hijacked, and employed every skill in his arsenal to try to land the aircraft safely while keeping all 200-plus passengers safe. The first season worked for two reasons. There was Elba’s endless charisma and believability, as well as the continuous rush of tension and surprise, which kept the entire seven-episode arc afloat. In the second season of the George Kay and Jim Field Smith thriller, Sam finds himself in an entirely different sort of hostage situation. But this time, it’s nearly wholly devoid of the brilliance and bingability that made its predecessor a fan favorite.
“Hijack” Season 2 opens just outside of a U-Bahn train station in Berlin, Germany, two years after the incident aboard Kingdom Airlines Flight 29. The setting is different, and so is Sam. At first glance, he appears to be the same stoic, sharp man from Season 1, but taking a closer look, he is exhausted, downtrodden and shifty. He acts hesitantly, and is uncertain of his moves before finally stepping onto a crowded U5 train amid the morning rush hour. His uncharacteristic demeanor immediately puts viewers on edge.
Expanding outward, Sam’s ex-wife, Marsha (Christine Adams), is seen on a solo retreat in an isolated, wooded area. The audience also meets Clara (Lisa Vicar), a new employee at the U-Bahn command center, and Olivia (Clare-Hope Ashitey ), a woman awaiting Sam at the British Embassy in Berlin for their scheduled morning meeting. Otto (Christian Näthe), the U5 conductor, also comes into focus. Though he’s on his usual route, the train driver is even more agitated than Sam. Otto’s behavior is so odd that a station manager at one of his stops witnesses his unease and requests a replacement. Things take a shocking turn when Sam breaks into Otto’s conductor’s car and announces he is hijacking the train.
To be sure, the show’s narrative is strongest when zeroed in on the train and its passengers. There is an insufferable former intern who once worked with Sam, a group of teenagers and their teachers headed to a museum and a young father trying to comfort his fussing infant. As Sam takes control of the train, the audience watches as the passengers slowly realize something is amiss. Most of the intrigue occurs in watching these varied human behaviors in a crisis and how quickly things shift and change when Sam’s plan is thrown off course or law enforcement intervenes in unexpected ways.
Unfortunately, “Hijack” Season 2 is determined to take itself more seriously than Season 1, and that’s its main issue. Instead of a streamlined storyline aided by a robust throughline of taut tension, the season is a jumble of plot points stretching between the past and the present. As a result, it becomes clunky, cumbersome and wearisome. Though it’s almost immediately apparent that Sam is enacting vengeance, he is not at the center of this tale. Instead, numerous characters outside of the train serve to further the plot. Berlin Chief of Police, Ava Winter (Christiane Paul) and MI5 Agent Peter Fabar (Toby Jones) float around like mismatched puzzle pieces in the narrative until they awkwardly click together in the final hour for a rather dull climax.
Still, there are numerous compelling themes to consider here, including global surveillance, the costs and depths of revenge and even the gut-wrenching pain of grief. Unfortunately, all of this detracts from the thriller’s intense ebb and flow, which made Season 1 so highly watchable. Moreover, believing that the same man would find himself in yet another shocking international incident is too ridiculous for even the most enthusiastic TV lover. Despite the fantastic acting, “Hijack” Season 2 doesn’t have the steel to go the distance. Instead, Sam’s story would’ve been better left bookended on that London runway.
“Hijack” Season 2 premiere Jan. 14 on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.
