"A few thoughts spring to mind after watching eight episodes of Season 2 of Apple's hit series. 1. Idris Elba elevates everything he is in. 2. creators George Kay and Jim Field Smith have cooked up another winning recipe here, but they should seriously consider tossing in some new ingredients next time. And 3. If there's a Season 3 in Hijack's future, perhaps they can stick Sam on a cruise ship to help wash away the nasty aftertaste from 1997's awful Speed 2: Cruise Control. But I digress."
"Like its predecessor, Hijack is a fun escapist thrill-ride, though it does go off the rails and sticks too closely to the same playbook as Season 1 trading air passengers for Berlin train commuters. It does throw a sad curve ball at Nelson, the dapper and assured negotiator and lawyer, and his ex-wife Marsha Smith-Nelson (Christine Adams). At the start, they are both mourning the loss of their son Kai featured in the first season. That death (not shown, but discussed) looms over the proceedings as Sam boards a commuter train loaded with the prerequisite good and extra-shady passengers a la an old-school Irwin Allen disaster flick. The big shock is that Sam and nervous driver Otto (Christian Nathe) are the ones who have taken the train hostage. Has Sam leapt to the dark side? The gotcha setup sustains a solid level of suspense that carries through the series' eight episodes (though it could easily have been trimmed to six). The negotiation chatter between Sam and train authorities is tightly intercut with Marsha confronting danger in a cabin in the woods, a rather cliched side story that doesn't add much."
Hijack Season 2 returns across eight episodes with Idris Elba's commanding presence elevating familiar thriller material. Creators George Kay and Jim Field Smith largely reuse the first season's formula, shifting the setting from an airplane to a commuter train and maintaining steady suspense. The series centers on Sam and driver Otto taking a train hostage while Sam's ex-wife Marsha faces danger in a cabin subplot that feels clichéd. Pacing suffers from some excess episodes and side drama. Separately, People We Meet on Vacation receives a solid Netflix adaptation, and a gonzo vampire film delivers indulgent grindhouse entertainment in theaters.
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