Idris Elba is back, but this time the high-stakes action has moved from the skies to the subway. The second season of Apple TV's thriller Hijack premieres on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, delivering another dose of preposterous, pulse-pounding entertainment.
From Plane to Train: A New Kind of Crisis
After surviving a mid-air hijacking in season one, corporate negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) is thrust into chaos once more. The new season answers the burning question of how Sam could plausibly find himself in another transport crisis: he boards a train. Specifically, the action shifts to the Berlin U-Bahn underground, fulfilling writer George Kay's original inspiration, which came to him while stuck in the Eurostar tunnel.
Gone is the breezy, confident man who boarded flight KA29. Sam arrives on the Berlin platform a bag of nerves, likely suffering from PTSD related to public transport. This time, he is not an innocent bystander but is deeply and personally involved in the unfolding drama.
A Grittier, More Personal Mission
The season opens with Sam reeling from a severe personal loss he believes is connected to the perpetrators of the first hijacking. Driven by grief and a desire for answers, he becomes the catalyst for the new crisis. Sam is the lightning rod this time, making the stakes feel more personal and raw than the first season's airborne ordeal.
Running parallel to the claustrophobic drama underground is the official response team. The cast is bolstered by superb additions including Christiane Paul as a steely Berlin police chief and Toby Jones as an enigmatic MI5 operative, Peter Faber, whose motives are never entirely clear. Returning faces like Max Beesley and Archie Panjabi provide continuity from London.
An Unpretentious, Entertaining Ride
While the premise remains gloriously over-the-top, the show smartly addresses some critiques of its first outing. The real-time gimmick is toned down, and the ensemble of passengers feels more authentic than the plane's 'hammy bit-part players'. The show also manages to sustain tension across its eight hour-long episodes, despite the arguably over-stretched runtime.
Some issues persist: the extended episode count and the inherent silliness of the plot. Yet, the series leans into its own ludicrous nature, resulting in what is ultimately an unpretentious good time. Idris Elba is magnetic, especially when channeling a darker, more driven version of Sam, reminiscent of his iconic roles.
Verdict: If you thought the first season was nuts, wait until you get a load of this. Hijack Season 2 is a sharp, gritty, and wildly entertaining upgrade that proves lightning can strike twice—especially if you're Idris Elba.
The first episode of Hijack season two is available to stream on Apple TV+ from 14 January 2026.
