'Hijack' season 2 on Apple TV doesn't quite know where it's being taken (spoiler-free review)

The first season of Hijack was an explosive seven-part series. It glossed over some character development and played it fast and loose with a few plot points, but overall, the fast-paced thriller was full of exciting tension. Bouncing between the people in the sky and those on Earth felt dramatic. Plus, Idris Elba gave credibility to his cool-talking, elusive character. Instead of recreating some of that magic, season two of Hijack feels much more manufactured. It suffers and pays the price for the first season’s faults.

That doesn’t mean the new season of Hijack isn’t watchable or should be skipped. It just means you should temper your expectations. The train is worth boarding, but it’s less satisfying a ride than the first trip.

The cast of the second season is lacking

Although season one leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to figuring out who Idris Elba’s character, Sam Nelson, is, it did a decent job of getting us to care about the supporting cast. Christine Adams as Marsha, Max Beesley as Daniel, and Jude Cudjoe as Kai were easy characters to root for.

Season two gives a lot less screen time to Beesley, Adams, and completely omits Cudjoe. Almost immediately, it’s clear that the show could have used more of those characters. It feels like a huge missed opportunity to let the momentum those three had coming out of the first season be mostly erased. If you look closely enough, it seems like an attempt by the show’s production to get around scheduling conflicts. They’re all separated on screen and only communicate remotely.

New characters fill in, and all their performances are compelling enough, but there’s still not quite the tension or stakes as the first time. Season one had a compelling story to tell in the sky, but it also had one on the ground that was able to keep pace. Season two loses that second piece. If Elba isn’t on screen, then it’s much easier to lose focus. In fact, I’m not quite sure why Max Beesley is even in the show anymore, because Daniel is a complete afterthought.

It’s worth noting that a lot of the dialogue is in German, so there are a lot of subtitles to read if you don’t speak the language. I had just visited Berlin a few months before watching the new season, so I was fascinated by the different U stations and landmarks. Those items won’t appeal the same way for most people who haven’t been to the city, however.

Is Hijack season 2 worth watching?

Hijack was a concept show from its inception. Season one took place in near real-time, showing a seven-hour flight being taken across seven one-hour episodes. Season two feels much less cohesive. It lacks that theme or concept holding all the pieces together.

Maybe it’s that the show takes place on a train this time, but I can’t help but compare it to the Speed and Speed 2 movies. What if you’re on a bus and it can’t stop or slow down or it will blow up? Where do you go? That’s a great concept. It holds the story together. The same idea applied to a cruise ship, like in Speed 2. Now, that’s reaching.

If you watched season one and enjoyed it, then your time shouldn’t be wasted going through these new episodes. There’s enough momentum here to keep the train going until the end. But if you weren’t on the edge of your seat for season one, then it’s probably better to skip season two, instead of giving up after a couple of episodes.

While I think the show has run its course now, I do wonder: How wacky would a third season be? Surely, Elba’s character can’t get hijacked for a third time. Right?