High-stress hostage thriller Hijack has returned for season 2 – here’s where to watch

Suffering from the return-to-work blues? Season two of Hijack is putting a spin on the miserable reality of the daily commute. The world’s unluckiest corporate negotiator, artfully portrayed by an unsmiling Idris Elba, returned to Apple TV on 14 January, this time aboard a hijacked U-Bahn train rather than a long-haul flight.

After the surprise success of the first season – a 24-style real-time thriller that saw Elba frowning his way through a seven-hour flight from Dubai – the action has shifted from the skies to the tracks. This time around, Sam Nelson finds himself trapped on a Berlin commuter train amid a new terrorist threat. Expect more trashy high-stakes tension, entertainingly ridiculous ruses, and Elba holding his hands up to bad guys while saying: “You don't want to do this, mate.”

If you’re ready for another seven hours of Idris Elba repeatedly telling everyone to calm down in a gravelly voice, here’s everything you need to know about watching Hijack season two.

Read more: Surfshark VPN review – one of the best we’ve tested

Hijack is an Apple Original series, meaning it is available exclusively on Apple TV.

You’ll need a subscription to watch. Apple TV costs £9.99 per month and includes access to Apple’s entire library of original shows and films, including Severance, Pluribus and F1 The Movie.

If you haven’t signed up before, Apple offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can usually claim three months of Apple TV for free, too.

Here’s the trailer for season 2 of Hijack, which inexplicably starts with Idris Elba informing you that you’re about to watch the trailer for season 2 of Hijack.

The second season of Hijack premiered globally on Wednesday 14 January 2026.

Unlike some streaming shows that drop entire seasons at once, Apple is building the suspense weekly. Here’s the full release schedule:

open image in gallery

Idris Elba returns to lead the series as Sam Nelson, reprising his role as a cool-headed negotiator who uses his words to solve problems rather than going in all guns blazing. He’s joined by returning cast members Christine Adams, Max Beesley and Archie Panjabi.

Season two also welcomes a host of new faces, most notably the BAFTA-winning Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office). Other new additions include Lisa Vicari (Dark), Christiane Paul (FBI: International), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), and Karima McAdams (Dune: Prophecy).

While season one was a claustrophobic thriller set entirely on a flight from Dubai to London, season two moves the action to Germany. The official synopsis reveals that a “Berlin underground train and its commuters are taken hostage”, with Sam Nelson once again finding himself “at the heart of the crisis”.

Elba had previously hinted that he didn’t want simply to repeat the first season’s premise. Speaking to TV Insider before the renewal, he said: “I just don’t want to put him on another hijack... It’s got to be clever, and we can see him make decisions that are impossible to make.”

Check out our tech expert’s guide to the best VPN services