The tension skyrocketed in Hijack Season 2 Episode 2, titled “Control.” After the shocking reveal that Sam Nelson is the hijacker, the latest episode saw the mysterious disappearance of the U5 Wagon 2600 train in Berlin. Sam used the chaos to make a clear and dangerous demand to the German authorities, pushing everyone into a high-stakes standoff. The episode, which arrived on Apple TV+ on January 21, 2026, also raised alarming questions about the safety of Sam’s estranged wife, Marsha, hundreds of miles away.
U5 Wagon 2600 Disappears from the Map
The episode opened inside Berlin’s railway network control center. Dispatcher Clara Berger, who is only in her second week on the job, noticed something was wrong. The U5 Wagon 2600, a train heading from Berlin to Honow, suddenly vanished from the live tracking map. Clara immediately reported the anomaly to her manager, Edward Diehl. When Edward contacted the train’s driver, the voice that answered was not the driver, Otto, but Sam Nelson. Sam calmly informed the control center that he had taken control of the train and that the safety of the 200 passengers aboard depended on cooperation.
“I have hijacked the train,” Sam stated to the stunned controllers. “I donโt want to harm any of the passengers, but I will not hesitate if the authorities do not play along according to my plan.”
Edward, with his extensive knowledge of the rail network, quickly deduced how Sam had disappeared. He realized Sam was using a long-abandoned maintenance tunnel that connected the U5 and U8 lines, a route that wouldn’t appear on modern trackers. Meanwhile, the Berlin Police, led by Chief Ada Winter, were alerted and began evacuating the next station, Alexanderplatz, to prevent public panic.
Sam Nelson’s Clear Demand
Sam did not keep the authorities guessing for long. In his early communications with dispatcher Clara Berger, he made his objective very clear. He was not after money or fame; he wanted information.
“I want you to get in touch with the German police and find me the location of a man named John Bailey-Brown,” Sam demanded.
This name is a direct link to the first season. John Bailey-Brown is the villain behind the Kingdom Air hijack, and Sam has been pursuing him for months. Security footage confirmed Bailey-Brown had recently entered Germany, which seemingly triggered Sam’s drastic move to hijack a train after official diplomatic channels failed. The episode suggested that certain elements within the German government might be intentionally shielding Bailey-Brown, adding another layer of conspiracy to Sam’s mission.
How the Authorities Identified the Hijacker
For Chief Ada Winter, not knowing the hijacker’s identity was a major obstacle. The breakthrough came from an unexpected ally. Olivia Thatcher, a staffer at the British Embassy in Berlin, rushed to the control center after hearing about the U-Bahn shutdown. When she learned the hijacker’s demand was for information on John Bailey-Brownโthe same man Sam Nelson had been urgently seekingโshe connected the dots immediately.
Olivia shared her conclusion with Ada, who then used Sam’s name in the next negotiation. Sam’s brief pause over the radio confirmed their suspicion: the man in control of the U5 Wagon 2600 was indeed Sam Nelson. Around the same time, a mysterious British figure named Peter Faber arrived at the control center. His exact role is unclear, but his presence suggested deeper governmental or intelligence ties to the unfolding crisis.
A Hostage Situation at Alexanderplatz Station
In an attempt to delay Sam, the authorities staged a breakdown. They placed an empty train on the tracks at Alexanderplatz station, blocking Sam’s path and claiming it needed repairs. Sam, however, accessed the station’s security cameras from a control room and saw through the ruse. His response was swift and drastic.
When a curious passenger named Freddie entered the driver’s cabin, Sam seized the opportunity. He strapped his briefcase to Freddie’s hands and forced him onto the empty platform at Alexanderplatz, claiming the case contained a powerful bomb. Sam threatened to detonate it if the blocking train was not moved. A tense standoff ensued, with German special forces surrounding Freddie. As the deadline passed, Sam said, “I didnโt want to have to do this,” and all the security camera feeds suddenly cut to black. The episode ended with the horrifying implication that Sam had blown up the hostage and the platform, leaving viewers and characters in shock.
The Growing Danger for Marsha Nelson-Smith
Far from Berlin, the episode checked in on Sam’s estranged wife, Marsha Nelson-Smith. She is living in a remote cabin in Scotland and confirmed in a phone call that she has had no contact with Sam for six months. This made a delivery to her cabin all the more disturbing. She received a bouquet of flowers addressed to “Marsha Nelson,” but neither her current partner nor Sam claimed responsibility.
The implication was chilling: someone else knows where she is hiding. The fear escalated when Marsha returned from a walk to find her front door open. The camera showed her looking up at the balcony in terror, suggesting an intruder was inside, directly linking her isolation to the danger in Berlin.
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Ending Explained: Did Sam Nelson Really Blow Up the Hostage?
The cliffhanger left a burning question: did Sam actually detonate the bomb? While the show wants viewers to think so, several clues point to a bluff. Sam was in the control room where the camera feeds originated and could have cut them himself. Earlier, he had taken a lighter from a passenger, and the scene showed a trash can full of paper nearby. Many analysts believe he may have used the lighter to start a fire, creating the illusion of an explosion without actually harming anyone.
The prevailing theory is that this was an elaborate stunt to force the authorities’ hand. Whether the briefcase contained a real bomb, an EMP device to disable cameras, or was completely empty remains deliberately ambiguous. This calculated ambiguity keeps the audience guessing about how far the formerly heroic negotiator is truly willing to go.
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