‘Hijack’ Season 2’s Narrative Changes & Episode 1 Recap

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Warning: Includes SPOILERS for Hijack Season 2, Episode 1!

The first season of Hijack followed Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) as he discovered his flight from Dubai to London had been taken over by hijackers. Using his talent for negotiation, he bravely took charge, trying to protect the passengers and secure a safe landing. While he was largely successful, the situation sadly resulted in some deaths. Season 2 begins two and a half years later, and although it initially appears Sam is facing a similar crisis, the first episode, “Signal,” ends with a surprising twist that dramatically alters the story.

Sam Is the Hijacker This Time. Wait, What?


Image via Apple TV

In Season 2, Sam finds himself in Berlin, heading to a meeting with someone from the federal justice office. He feels a sense of dread as he’s about to board a metro train, as if something bad is about to happen, but he gets on anyway. The first episode partially explains his decision, and dramatically changes the direction of the show, leaving viewers wondering what Sam has been through over the past thirty months.

Apple TV did a great job of hiding a major twist in the show’s story. The promotional description carefully described a hostage situation on a Berlin train and the efforts to save everyone, focusing on a character named Sam Nelson who seemed to be caught in the middle. What the description didn’t say was crucial: Sam isn’t trying to stop the hijackingā€”he’s actually the one behind it! This reveal was completely unexpected and really threw me for a loop.

It’s honestly shocking to try and wrap my head around this. The same Sam who was hailed a hero for bravely saving people during that hijackingā€¦ now he’s responsible for putting others through something so awful? It just doesn’t make sense. I, like a lot of fans, am completely confused. What happened to him in the last two and a half years that could lead him to do this? I really want to believe thereā€™s a good explanation, but itā€™s hard to imagine anything that could possibly make these actions okay.

Strange Events Raise Suspicion


Image via Apple TV

From the very beginning, this excellent Apple TV thriller presents some strange moments. For instance, Sam buys a soda before boarding a train, glances at the security cameras, and then throws the full drink away. He clearly seems nervous about the journey. Once on the trainā€”even while waiting for it to arriveā€”he carefully observes everyone around him, as if searching for a specific person.

Sam spotted a young man with a backpack who seemed out of place and approached him, concerned. He alerted the police, but it turned out the man was actually seeking asylum and had done nothing wrong. The man appeared anxious, and Sam mistakenly believed he posed a threat, even suspecting a bomb in the backpack. Now, Sam is facing the disapproval of other passengers who are upset that he unfairly targeted an innocent person simply because of how he looked, and who are now openly judging him for it.

Train driver Otto (Christian NƤthe) is acting strangely and seems involved in a secret, potentially harmful scheme, but he’s starting to regret it. He calls someone named Marko, saying he can’t follow through with the plan. When a security guard notices Otto’s distress and requests a replacement driver, Otto ignores the stop and speeds onward, leaving everyone confused. At this point, the train has been hijacked.

Sam jumps in a taxi and attempts to intercept Otto. At this point in the story, we learn that Sam is seeking the man who hijacked the Kingdom Airlines flight years ago ā€“ an event that deeply traumatized him. Sam feels a strong need for closure and wonā€™t rest until he confronts this man, who seemingly escaped justice. However, Samā€™s decision to hijack a train to find him feels like an overreaction, suggesting there’s more to this situation than meets the eye.

Sam Is a Changed Man, and Not for the Better


Apple TV

As a huge fan of the first season, I have to say seeing Sam act so differently in Season 2 is really throwing me off. Honestly, it’s taking away from what I loved about the show initially. In Season 1, Sam was just perfect ā€“ a genuinely good-looking, sharp dresser who could close a deal and be a total hero, saving people with his wit and charm when things got dangerous. He was always putting himself on the line, and he had this knack for getting information to the right people, always doing the right thing. You really felt his strong moral compass. But Season 2? It’s like they’ve completely changed him. He just doesn’t feel like the same Sam anymore.

The way Sam acts when a woman recognizes him at the train station is strange, as if he’s not himself. She tries to chat with him, repeatedly mentioning she used to intern at a company where he worked on a deal and that she’s always admired him, but he clearly isn’t interested in talking. He’s polite but also a bit dismissive in his attempts to leave the conversation. The whole encounter feels off, suggesting Sam is concealing something and doesn’t want anyone to know he’s there ā€“ something is clearly on his mind.

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The reason for the current events might be hinted at in a previous scene featuring Samā€™s ex-wife, Marsha. Sheā€™s shown alone in a cabin, appearing very unhappy, and while we donā€™t know why, her presence suggests sheā€™s connected to the main story. The show likely wants us to understand her perspective, possibly in anticipation of her finding out about Sam and the trouble he’s facing in Berlin.

Okay, so the episode ends with a bombshell. Sam finally lets Otto in on what’s happening, but Otto, understandably, wants off the train. Sam isn’t having it. He straight-up announces he’s hijacking it, and the scene is punctuated with a dramatic score and a really intense look from Sam out the front window. Honestly, it’s a huge character shift ā€“ a complete 180! ā€“ and it cleverly keeps the core concept of the show intact without just repeating the same scenario with a different vehicle. My only hesitation? It feelsā€¦almost too wild. I’m struggling to see a believable motivation for Sam’s actions, and that’s a little worrying.

Many shows now explore complex characters ā€“ heroes who become flawed, and villains we surprisingly root for, like Walter White from Breaking Bad and Dexter Morgan from Dexter. But Sam Nelson, the lead in Hijack ā€“ one of the best shows you can stream on Apple TV ā€“ is different. He’s generally a good, capable, and principled man, even in tough business situations. However, the Sam we see on the train is withdrawn and anxious ā€“ a stark contrast to the character we met in Season 1. As the season unfolds, we’ll discover what’s changed and why Sam has gone from being a hijacked passenger to someone seemingly involved in the hijacking itself. You can watch Hijack now on Apple TV.

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2026-01-15 06:34