How to watch Apple TV+’s Hijack series, and could Idris Elba’s plane thriller land a season 2?

The Apple TV+ miniseries sees corporate negotiator Sam Nelson attempt to talk a hijacked plane to safety

It’s told in real-time over the course of a seven-hour flight (The Independent/Apple)

Hijack was an unexpected summer hit for Apple TV+. The plane thriller, led by Idris Elba, kept viewers on the edge of their seat with its twists and turns, concluding in an action-packed end in late July.

The show followed Elba’s smooth-talking corporate negotiator Sam Nelson as he found himself on a hijacked plane flying from Dubai to London. The series was one of the most streamed shows in the month of July, just behind Disney+’s The Bear and Marvel’s Secret Invasion, and it’s still finding new viewers on the back of word of mouth recommendations.

Told in real-time over the course of seven episodes, Hijack saw Elba’s character use his smarts gained from assessing high-stake mergers and acquisitions to try and take control of the situation unravelling on flight KA29. “I’m used to being cast as a big man,” Elba told The Independent in June. “In this situation, Sam is vulnerable. He isn’t there to fight.”

“Hijack feels like it has the potential to be a watershed moment for the Cupertino-based company – no mean feat, given that Apple TV has already won a Best Picture Oscar for Coda,” our chief TV critic Nick Hilton said in his review. “Hijack could well end up being Apple’s Squid Game.”

Now the discourse has turned to a potential Hijack season 2. While Apple hasn’t confirmed that a season 2 is happening, Elba hasn’t ruled out a return for Sam. He told TVLine, although the possibilities are more limited because his character isn’t an action hero, he isn’t saying no. “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,” he said.

You can currently stream all episodes of Hijack on Apple TV+ using your free seven-day trial.

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How to watch ‘Hijack’ on Apple TV+

Hijack is an Apple TV+ original, exclusive to the platform. That means you’ll need to subscribe to the streaming service to watch the Idris Elba-led thriller.

By signing up for Apple TV+, you will gain access to the streaming service’s entire back catalogue, including Ted Lasso, Silo, Severance, Tom holland’s The Crowded Room and more. We’ve also written a cheat sheet to making the most of your Apple TV+ subscription once you sign up.

Watch Hijack with an Apple TV+ subscription

How many episodes of ‘Hijack’ are there?

Hijack season one has seven episodes in total. What’s interesting about Hijack is it’s told over the same length of time as the flight journey from Dubai to London – roughly seven hours – making it a real-time depiction of the flight. Hijack began streaming on 28 June, with the final episode airing on 19 July.

‘Hijack’ season 2 release date

Apple hasn’t renewed Hijack for a second season, but, in previous interviews, both Idris Elba and co-creator Jim Field have said they are open to bringing Sam Nelson back.

In late June, Elba told Variety he wasn’t sure what the acceptable return would be for the character in a second season. “If I’m honest, I’m not sure. I’d like that, but I just don’t want to put him on another hijack. I’m open to that character coming back. I think if people were compelled to like the character, then I’m in,” he said.

On 3 August 2023, shortly after Hijack finished airing, Jim Field told TV Insider he’d never say never about a second season. “I think Sam as a character is really compelling, I think the way Idris portrays him is really compelling, and I think it would always be interesting to see how he would react in other situations.”

Field wouldn’t be pulled into discussing a season two, however. “We’re just waiting to see how people react to this season,” he told TV Insider. “It’s been amazing hearing the response to the show, and we spent the best part of two years making the show, and we’ve literally only just finished making it. It’s pretty much right up to the moment it’s gone out. So right now we’re just sort of enjoying seeing how the world’s reacting to it.”

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