Tension in Hijack has never come from spectacle, slow-motion actions or hard-hitting dialogue. All throughout the masterpiece that season 1 was, tension builds from the air of apprehension dawning upon the characters gradually, from the quiet dread of being sealed inside a space where control is an illusion and every decision carries irreversible consequences.

The series thrives on the discomfort of proximity, strangers forced together, authority slipping away, and danger unfolding in real time. But does Season 2 check all the boxes? 

Hijack Season 2 leans into, or at least tries to, that same philosophy, trading altitude for depth as the drama unfolds underground. This time, the crisis runs inside Berlin’s U-Bahn, a setting that immediately establishes unease. Kudos to that, the cold, industrial palette, the low ceilings, and the constant sense of motion do create an atmosphere that feels heavy rather than explosive.

Still, despite the shift in location and the expansion of scale, the season does not quite replicate the suffocating precision that once defined the series. The tension builds more unevenly, and the narrative takes longer to find its footing. 

This is not a reset, though. Yes, Season 2 does assume familiarity with the past, and it slowly reveals that the hijacking at its center is only one layer of a much larger design. Unlike season 1 where Nelson is shown as an ex-husband still in love with his ex wife, a loving, present father, a responsible and smart fellow passenger, in Season 2 conversations feel guarded, information withheld, with nearly every interaction carrying an undertone of manipulation. There is a constant sense that the real threat is not fully visible yet, and that unease lingers beneath every scene.

When Idris Elba’s Sam Nelson steps onto the platform, with his troubled and misplaced visage, it makes it clear from the very beginning that something is lurking around. And that his physical or psychological, will once again be nearly impossible. 

‘Hijack Season 2’: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything to Know About Upcoming Mystery Thriller

Having grown more distant to himself than ever this time, sharper around the edges, less immediately sympathetic, Sam's emotions throughout the first episode struggle to find their place. Critically, much of what reshaped him happens off-screen between seasons, making it harder to emotionally access all of his internal conflict until he drops the bombshell.

Suspicious introductions and multiple forces in play in the driver’s chamber, to which he mysteriously found the keys, the first interaction does make it clear that Sam’s doing is obviously not his own. Even when he confirms his plan of action to Otto, the nervous driver played by the German actor Christian Näthe, the crippled look on his face screams that it is all out of some sort of manipulation or compulsion. Still, after everything that happened at the end of Season 1, was it really necessary to force a twist as such? That said, if the show in later episodes tries too hard to push that it was not a crime but an action from immense loss, it would already fail itself. 

Individual moments land well, with the wonderful cast in play. A visibly panicked train operator, whose fear leads to disastrous choices, mounting suspicion and fear among passengers of the unstoppable train. Meanwhile, Marsha and Sam's strained relationship just brushed off, with an unknown couple blessing her with flowers in the woods. Adding to the personal rifts, the bigger crime network starts seeping into the season.

An MI5 operative, British Intelligence officer Peter Faber (by Toby Jones) springing out of nowhere, and the continuous zooming in and out, of both the scenes, hinting at a common ramification. Next, a chaotic bunch of school kids frequently in focus, their bickering adding to the scene's mess. A young officer taking-over the supervision of the happening train. The quiet stranger with a bag, where the show delves into a pronounced engagement with racial profiling and bias. These elements definitely add weight, but they do not always coalesce into the kind of sustained pressure the series once mastered.

Season 2 of Hijack remains confident in its craft and grounded in realism, but it trades relentless momentum for layered intrigue. The result is a season that’s thoughtful and atmospheric, yet constantly measured against a past that set an exceptionally unforgiving standard. Perhaps it is also because we are left with a single episode, with next weekly updates awaiting to answer our questions.

Idris Elba’s Biggest Fear With 'Hijack' Season 2 Is Exactly What Fans Are Worried About

What do you think of the first episode of Idris Elba's second saga in Hijack season 2? Let us