Idris Elba Shares His Initial Reaction to That Jaw-Dropping āHijackā Season 2 Twist (Exclusive)
- - Idris Elba Shares His Initial Reaction to That Jaw-Dropping āHijackā Season 2 Twist (Exclusive)
Sabienna BowmanJanuary 14, 2026 at 8:30 PM
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Apple TV
Idris Elba on 'Hijack'
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Hijack season 2, episodes one and two.
Idris Elba shares his reaction to the Hijack season premiere twist
The actor reveals he thought the unexpected role reversal was a "clever" direction for the second season to go in
New episodes of Hijack season 2 premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV
Hijack season 2 is off to a wild start.
In the season premiere, corporate negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) appears to have somewhat improbably landed himself in a second hostage situation on a crowded underground train in Berlin. However, in the episode's final moments, Sam tells the terrified conductor Otto (Christian NƤthe), "I'm hijacking this train."
It's a bold twist, and one that quickly answers the question of how does a regular guy like Sam end up in the same kind of high stakes situation twice. For Elba, 53, seeing Sam navigate a hijacking from a different angle, while also challenging the audience to figure why his character is taking such drastic measures, helped convince him that a second season of Apple TV's thriller series was a good idea.
Apple TV
Idris Elba on 'Hijack'
"I was like, 'Okay, that's clever. That's good,' " the actor tells PEOPLE of his initial reaction to the premiere twist. "I mean, bearing in mind, I'm sort of trying to formalize the second season with the team during the success of the first season. So I was trying to figure out what do we do? What do we do? How do we do it? And then this idea came up like, 'What if he's the hijacker?' And I was like, 'Yeah.' And then it all started to cascade."
He adds, "When you've got a good idea, it usually opens the doors for other good ideas."
In the first season, Sam used his skills as a negotiator to attempt to talk down the people who hijacked the plane he happened to be on, while also working with the other passengers in hopes of diffusing the situation. This time around, Sam is in a very different position, and Elba is looking forward to seeing viewers attempt to unravel his character's motivations.
Apple TV
Clare-Hope Ashitey (left) and Toby Jones in 'Hijack'
"As an actor, from a performance perspective, there's a lot there to chew on and get involved with, which I really enjoy doing," the Heads of State star shares. "But I really want the audience in the second season to naturally go in with scrutiny and be like, 'What? Hijack 2? That can't possibly happen again to this man, but here we are.' "
In addition to Elba, Hijack season 2 stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Archie Panjabi, NƤthe, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Lisa Vicari, Toby Jones, Karima McAdams and Christiane Paul. As the season continues to unfold, a group of authorities above ground will work toward resolving the ongoing hostage situation with as few casualties as possible as they attempt to figure out what is motivating Sam to hijack the train.
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New episodes of Hijack season 2 will continue to premiere on Wednesdays on Apple TV until the March 4 season finale.
on People
Source: āAOL Entertainmentā
