Sam Nelson, the master negotiator everyone rooted for in the first season of Hijack, is back in a situation that looks eerily familiar. This time, he is on a crowded underground train in Berlin. For most of the premiere episode, titled “Signal,” it seems history is repeating itself. A nervous train driver, suspicious passengers, and a track being switched to a closed tunnel all point to another hijacking. The audience is led to believe Sam, played by Idris Elba, will once again have to talk his way out of a crisis. But in the final, jaw-dropping moments, the show delivers its biggest surprise yet: Sam himself is the one in charge.
The episode ends with Sam confronting the panicked train driver, Otto, after the train has been forced into a secluded tunnel. As Otto tries to explain that he wants out of “this,” Sam calmly reveals the truth. “Otto, listen to me. I’m hijacking this train”. This single line completely flips the story, transforming the previous hero into the apparent mastermind of the new hostage situation.
How the Episode Sets Up Another Crisis
The premiere carefully builds the tension of a hijacking from the perspective of the passengers and authorities. The action starts in Berlin on a cold, snowy day. Sam Nelson arrives at the central station, carrying a briefcase and seeming intensely focused on his surroundings. He has a scheduled meeting at the British Embassy with a contact named Olivia. She has information about CCTV footage from Hamburg Border Control that reportedly shows the man responsible for the Season 1 hijacking. Sam’s failure to show up for this meeting is the first clue that his priorities have shifted dramatically.
Once on the U-Bahn train, Sam behaves like a man on high alert. He immediately notices a man acting nervously with a large red backpack. His professional instincts and personal trauma from the airplane hijacking two years prior make him deeply suspicious. He eventually points the man out to police officers on the train, leading to the passenger’s removal at the next stop. A search of the backpack, however, reveals he was just an asylum seeker afraid of being caught with an expired visa—a deliberate distraction and not the real threat.
Beyond the train, other pieces of the plot fall into place. Police raid an apartment in Berlin after a tip about bomb-making, but find the suspect, Marko, has already fled. He is later seen disguised as a railway maintenance worker, manually switching the train tracks to divert the U-Bahn into a blocked-off section of tunnel. Meanwhile, the train driver, Otto, is seen growing increasingly anxious, making a frantic phone call where he says, “Call me back! I can’t do this anymore!”. His erratic driving and decision to blow past station stops confirm to the control room and the passengers that something is very wrong.
Key Characters and Mysteries on Board
The train carriages are filled with passengers who will likely become central to the season’s drama. Among them is Mei Tan, a former intern who worked with Sam on a past business deal. She recognizes him and persistently tries to chat, much to Sam’s visible annoyance. Her constant presence initially seems suspicious, but her motive appears to be purely professional—she is hoping Sam can help her find a new job.
A group of British students and their teachers are also on board, including a young man named George who struggles with claustrophobia. Other passengers include an older couple, a volunteer medic, and a mother with a crying baby. These individuals, now trapped together, will form the core group of hostages whose lives hang in the balance.
A significant subplot involves Sam’s estranged wife, Marsha, played by Christine Adams. In a remote cabin in a forest, she is seen marking a mysterious “anniversary,” alone and appearing to hide from the world. A neighbor delivers flowers addressed to “Marsha Nelson,” suggesting Sam may have sent them, but her reaction is pained and complex. Her isolation and clear distress hint that her safety may be connected to Sam’s drastic actions on the train, making the hijack “personal” as the official synopsis suggests.
Analyzing the Shocking Final Twist
The final sequence is a masterclass in misdirection. After the train is diverted and crashes to a halt in the dark tunnel, Sam forces his way into the driver’s cabin. He finds Otto injured and terrified. When Otto pleads that he didn’t want to be part of “this” anymore, Sam’s response changes everything.
“I know,” Sam says, keeping the conductor from leaving the booth. “I took care of the police.”
He reveals that his earlier act of identifying the man with the red backpack was a calculated move to remove law enforcement from the train. He then delivers the defining line: “I’m hijacking this train”. The episode concludes with this stunning revelation, leaving viewers to question everything they thought they knew about Sam Nelson.
Idris Elba himself discussed the twist, calling it a “clever” direction for the new season. “I was like, ‘Okay, that’s clever. That’s good,’” Elba told People magazine. “When you’ve got a good idea, it usually opens the doors for other good ideas.”. He acknowledged that the audience would naturally question how Sam could end up in another hijacking, and this role reversal provides the bold answer.
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Unanswered Questions and Connections to Season 1
The premiere ends with a long list of burning questions. The most pressing is why Sam Nelson would orchestrate a hijacking. The official season description states he is “thrust into another life-threatening ordeal—but this time it’s personal”. This strongly suggests a direct link to the unresolved fallout from Season 1.
The mastermind behind the plane hijacking, John Bailey-Brown, was never caught. Sam’s meeting at the British Embassy was specifically to discuss evidence that could locate him. It is highly probable that Sam’s actions on the train are a form of negotiation or retaliation tied to Bailey-Brown. He may be forcing the hand of authorities or manipulating a situation to achieve a specific, unknown goal related to his past trauma.
Other mysteries include the true role of the bomber Marko and the nervous driver Otto. Are they coerced accomplices, or do they have their own motives? What is the significance of the “anniversary” that Marsha is observing alone in the woods? Furthermore, how will the passengers react when they realize the man they might have looked to for salvation is actually their captor?
The authorities are also mobilizing. In the control room, operator Clara begins to suspect Otto’s strange behavior. On the ground, investigators are piecing together the bomb-making plot. The season also promises the return of familiar faces like Archie Panjabi and Max Beesley, alongside new characters like Toby Jones as a British intelligence officer, who will all work to resolve the crisis from the outside.
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