Hijack · Season 1 · Episode 1 · 28 June 2023
S1E1 Beware of Wolves
THE MOMENT The moment Sam realises something is wrong before anyone on the plane does - the camera staying close on Elba's face as he processes the situation.
The premiere establishes the real-time conceit and Elba's Sam Nelson in a single sustained movement - a corporate negotiator trapped in coach when the cockpit is taken. The mechanics of the hijack are revealed slowly and without melodrama.
Full episode analysis below. Spoiler-light verdict above.
Updated
Hijack premiered June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+ as the first of seven real-time episodes covering a Dubai-to-London hijacking. The 90-percent Rotten Tomatoes score on 69 reviews reflected near-critical consensus that the format worked, and the premiere was the proof of concept: the hijack mechanics revealed slowly, Sam Nelson's professional skills established through behaviour before the show explains what he does, and Idris Elba's performance calibrated to make the threat legible through micro-observation. The Globe and Mail noted that 'Elba can sell the silliest of premises with ease' - in the premiere, that ease takes the form of watching Sam process the situation through a series of adjustments the camera stays close enough to catch. Tellyvisions' assessment that 'Hijack excels at getting viewers invested in characters you've just met' is first earned in this opening episode.