Idris Elba returns as Sam Nelson in the second season of Apple TV‘s gripping thriller series Hijack, but this time the crisis has moved from the skies to the rails. The eight-episode second season premiered on January 14, 2026, and has been releasing weekly ever since. With the season finale approaching, viewers are eager to know when they can watch Episode 8 and how the tense train hostage situation will resolve.
The new season shifts the action to Berlin, where a subway train and its passengers become the target of a terrifying hijacking. Sam Nelson, still dealing with the trauma from the first season’s plane incident, finds himself at the center of another life-or-death situation deep underground.
Hijack Season 2 Episode 8 Release Date and Time
Hijack Season 2 Episode 8 is scheduled to release on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. This episode marks the season finale, bringing the eight-episode story to its conclusion.
Apple TV typically makes new episodes available at 12:01 a.m. ET on the scheduled release day. However, some viewers have noted that the streaming platform sometimes releases episodes earlier, around 9 p.m. ET on the Tuesday night before the official Wednesday date. For international audiences, this translates to:
- United Kingdom: Early Wednesday morning (around 5:01 a.m. GMT on March 4, or potentially late Tuesday night)
- India: Around 10:30 a.m. IST on Wednesday, March 4
- Australia: Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. AEDT on Wednesday, depending on daylight saving
- Canada: Same as US Eastern Time, or 9 p.m. PT on Tuesday for West Coast viewers
The episode will be available exclusively on Apple TV, accessible through the Apple TV app on various devices including iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, smart TVs, streaming sticks, and gaming consoles.
Complete Hijack Season 2 Episode Schedule
The second season follows a weekly release pattern, with one new episode arriving each Wednesday following the two-episode premiere. Here is the full schedule for the season:
- Episode 1: “Signal” – January 14, 2026
- Episode 2 – January 21, 2026
- Episode 3 – January 28, 2026
- Episode 4 – February 4, 2026
- Episode 5 – February 11, 2026
- Episode 6 – February 18, 2026
- Episode 7 – February 25, 2026
- Episode 8 (Finale) – March 4, 2026
The episode titles for most of the season have not been publicly released, keeping details under wraps for viewers who want to avoid spoilers.
What Happens in Hijack Season 2
The second season takes Sam Nelson to Berlin, where he believes he has tracked down the mastermind behind the Kingdom Flight hijacking from season one. While in the German capital for a meeting at the British Embassy, Sam boards a city train called Wagon 2600.
What starts as an ordinary commute quickly turns into a nightmare when the train driver behaves suspiciously and refuses to stop at stations. The driver, played by Christian Näthe, ignores signals and takes the train off its scheduled route, leaving dispatcher Clara Berger (Lisa Vicari) and authorities scrambling to understand what is happening.
Unlike the first season’s plane setting, this crisis unfolds both underground inside the train and above ground as police and officials try to intervene. Sam finds himself once again using his negotiation skills to assess the situation and protect the frightened passengers, including a group of English school students.
The trailer for season two suggested some ambiguity about Sam’s role, with editing that made viewers question whether he might be involved in the hijacking himself. One new character, played by Toby Jones, remarks that “something else is going on here,” hinting at deeper motives behind the train takeover.
Idris Elba described his character’s state of mind to The Grio, saying Sam is still processing the trauma from the first hijacking.
“He’s back. He’s grumpy. He doesn’t want to be there, and he’s going through some trauma.”
Elba also noted that the reason for the train hijacking connects back to why the plane was targeted in the first place.
Hijack Season 2 Cast and Characters
The second season brings back several familiar faces while introducing new cast members to the ensemble.
Returning cast members:
- Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, the business negotiator caught in another crisis
- Christine Adams as Marsha Nelson-Smith, Sam’s ex-wife
- Max Beesley as DI Daniel O’Farrell, the detective from season one
- Archie Panjabi as DCI Zahra Gahfoor, who continues her investigation
New cast members joining season two:
- Toby Jones as Peter Faber, a significant new character
- Christian Näthe as Otto, the train driver whose behavior triggers the crisis
- Clare-Hope Ashitey as Olivia Thatcher
- Lisa Vicari as Clara Berger, the train dispatcher
- Karima McAdams in an undisclosed role
- Christiane Paul as Ada Winter, the Polizeipräsidentin (Police President)
The new cast expands the show’s scope, allowing the story to follow both the hostages underground and the authorities working above ground to resolve the situation.
How to Watch Hijack Season 2
Hijack streams exclusively on Apple TV, the tech company’s streaming service. Viewers need an active subscription to access the show.
Apple TV offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. After the trial ends, the service costs $9.99 per month in the US, with similar pricing in other regions (£8.99 in the UK, A$12.99 in Australia).
The service is available through:
- The Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Apple TV hardware
- Popular smart TV platforms (Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL)
- Streaming devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV)
- Gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox)
- Web browsers at tv.apple.com
Once subscribed, viewers can watch all released episodes on demand. The weekly release schedule means episodes become available as they premiere, with the full season available for binge-watching only after March 4, 2026.
Season 2 Production Team
The creative team behind Hijack remains consistent with the first season, ensuring the same tense, real-time storytelling style.
George Kay and Jim Field Smith created the series and serve as executive producers through their company Idiotlamp Productions. Field Smith also directs episodes and serves as lead director for the season.
Production companies 60Forty Films and Idiotlamp Productions produce the series. Executive producers include Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, and Tom Nash at 60Forty Films, alongside Kay and Field Smith.
Idris Elba also serves as an executive producer in addition to his starring role.
The first season received critical praise and earned Elba an Emmy Award nomination for his performance, setting high expectations for the sophomore season.
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What Critics Say About Season 2
Early reviews for Hijack Season 2 have noted the shift in setting and the expansion of the story beyond the confined space of the airplane. The New Zealand outlet The Press described the show as “a compelling cross between the playing-out-in-real-time thrills of 24 and the cinematic mile-high heists of Flightplan.”
The review praised the Berlin railway setting as “an interesting alternative backdrop” and noted that Elba remains “as compelling and enigmatic as ever.” The first episode reportedly contains “enough twists and turns to pretzel your brain,” with the camera work designed to make viewers suspicious of nearly every character Sam encounters.
Critics have also noted the show’s ability to maintain tension despite the setting change, with the underground environment creating a different kind of claustrophobic atmosphere compared to the airplane cabin.
The season continues the first season’s approach of telling the story in near-real-time, though the train setting allows for more perspectives as authorities above ground work alongside those trapped below.
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