Hijack Season 2 Review: Idris Elba’s Apple TV Thriller Is Best Binge-Watched

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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Hijack season 2, episode 1.

Idris Elba returns for a second season of the Apple TV thriller Hijack, but it’s fairly standard entertainment. It’s good for a quick watch-through, but not particularly memorable or ideal for watching one episode a week.

Okay, so the new season of Hijack just dropped, and it’s a wild ride! Remember Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, the guy who talked everyone through that plane hijacking last season? Well, forget everything you thought you knew! This time, the action moves to the Berlin subway, and here’s the really crazy part: Sam is the hijacker. It completely flips the script, and I’m already hooked!

Season 2 of Hijack picks up about two years after the events of the plane incident, taking place in the present day. Like the first season, it features high production values with sleek sets and visuals, and focuses heavily on plot. However, the characters often feel like tools used to advance the story rather than fully developed people. As one observer noted, the series plays out like a high-stakes poker game, and viewers might quickly see through its strategies.

Hijack Season 2 Is Occasionally Gripping But Mostly Uninspired

Season 2 of Hijack is a fun watch, especially if you enjoy tense thrillers about hostage situations. The show leans into familiar elements of the genre, and by the end of the first episode, the story becomes incredibly unpredictable. In fact, the premiere is arguably the best episode of the season, setting the stage for a wild ride full of unexpected twists and frustratingly suspenseful moments.

Hijack is a cleverly made show. The story is intricate without being overly confusing, and it actually makes more sense when you watch it a second time. However, a lot of the suspense comes from the writers deliberately holding back information, creating a feeling that explanations are intentionally missing as the story unfolds.

Season 2 of Hijack often throws logic to the wind when it comes to its characters and plot. While the eight episodes are packed with cliffhangers, the show frequently feels overly dramatic. Ultimately, it relies on surprising twists rather than truly innovative or shocking storytelling, making it feel hesitant to take bigger risks.

For a significant portion of the show—around a third to half—characters speak German, so you’ll need to rely on subtitles. This wouldn’t be so noticeable if the series moved a bit faster during slower scenes. It lacks the consistent suspense needed to truly keep you on the edge of your seat. While the first episode is promising, the show unfortunately loses momentum as the hijacking and its secrets are revealed, becoming less engaging as it goes on.

Hijack Season 2’s 8 Episodes Are Best Binge-Watched

With many streaming shows shortening their second seasons, it was unexpected to find that Hijack season 2 has eight episodes, one more than season one. This feels a bit long, as the main story could have been told in six. The show primarily jumps between the hijacked train and the German intelligence control room, where officials are working to save the approximately one hundred hostages, with a few side stories relating to the main character, Sam.

I’ve finished season 2 of Hijack and recommend waiting until all the episodes are released in March to watch it all at once. Unlike shows like The Pitt, this series relies heavily on building emotional tension, and it’s much more impactful when viewed as a complete story rather than week by week.

Okay, so I just finished the new season of Hijack, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, just like the first season. It looks amazing – really slick and tries so hard to be super tense and dramatic. But sometimes it feels like it’s trying too hard. It’s so polished it loses some of that real, gritty feeling, and the constant twists and turns, while meant to surprise, actually ended up feeling a little… predictable. Like the plane in season one, and now this train, you can pretty much see where it’s headed from the start. It’s enjoyable, but not exactly a wild ride because the destination is just too obvious.

After two seasons, Hijack is… okay. It has all the ingredients of a good thriller – it looks great, has a well-known lead actor, and is easy to promote. However, it lacks a certain emotional connection. We know the characters are in danger, but it’s hard to really care about them as people, which leaves the show feeling a little empty.

While Idris Elba is fantastic, the show’s main character, Sam, isn’t particularly compelling. He’s motivated by very simple needs and reacts to events happening to him, and he comes across as inflexible, which is a problem with how the story is written, not with Elba’s acting. Honestly, without Elba – or an actor of his star power – the series wouldn’t be very interesting at all. Season 2 of Hijack feels a bit like a classic thriller with a surprisingly modern look. It’s enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable, and best watched when it’s first released.

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2026-01-15 03:52