The Idris Elba-starring Hijack was the talk of TV land last year, so it's not a huge surprise to discover that a second season of the gripping drama has been cleared for takeoff by Apple TV. The show will once again feature Elba as Sam Nelson, a businessman who found himself caught up in a hijacking during a seven-hour trip to London from Dubai, and while details are currently secret, Elba promises that Hijack season two will bring "the high octane back".
The news comes via TV Line, which got hold of Idris Elba's official statement about the second season of the Apple TV Plus show. "I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one," Elba says. And it looks like the showrunners have found a way around what Elba previously told the site were "limited" possibilities for a second season. As Sam "isn’t a cop, he isn’t ex-military or a spy or anything like that... the likelihood of lightning striking at the same spot is rare".
Not so rare that it can't be solved by the power of TV – or one of the best streaming services – though. As Elba said at the time, "there are ways that we can bring Sam back; I just don’t know what they are yet. But if the audience wants it, then we’ll make it happen.” Clearly, the audience wants it. So they're making it happen.
Is Hijack worth streaming?
Yes. If you've ever watched Luther – and the Netflix Luther movie in particular – you'll know that Idris Elba's sheer charisma can make even the most preposterous story hugely watchable, and the reviews for season one of Hijack are generally very good: it's currently sitting at 88% from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
As The Globe and Mail put it: "The series is patently ridiculous, and features just a little too much time following characters on the ground (including Archie Panjabi’s anti-terrorism agent) instead of those in the sky, but Elba can sell the silliest of premises with ease." ABC News agreed: "Idris Elba as a passenger out to bring everything home in one piece – as if – is a bonafide star who keeps the action humming."
Like us, many critics liked the real-time storytelling – think 24 in the sky – that added an extra tension to the drama. The Ringer said that while "Hijack will inevitably remind you of a few different things: Air Force One, Inside Man, 24, The Commuter... Elba really owns this role."
It's deeply silly and doesn't really stand up to close examination, but you could say the same about many of the best Apple TV Plus shows – and as USA Today says, "it's got a movie star, flashy plot twists, pulse-quickening action and a figurative ticking clock. It’s a nice little reminder that TV can be thrilling". Or as the San Jose Mercury News put it, "it's a shot of pure adrenaline".
Season one of Hijack is streaming now on Apple TV Plus.
