Following the jaw-dropping twist of Hijack‘s second season premiere, the show’s second episode, “Control,” finally delivers a crucial piece of the puzzle. Viewers now know why Idris Elba‘s character Sam Nelson, the former hero, has taken control of a Berlin U-Bahn train. His motive is not random terror but a focused, personal mission to find a man he believes is responsible for the plane hijacking two years prior.
Sam’s sole demand to the German authorities is the location of John Bailey-Brown. This British criminal is a key figure from the first season’s conspiracy, connected to the company Cheapside, which orchestrated the hijacking of Kingdom Air Flight 29 for financial gain. Sam is convinced Bailey-Brown is the real perpetrator and has tracked him to Germany. The episode reveals Sam was supposed to have an official meeting at the British embassy in Berlin to discuss this very target but chose to hijack the train instead, forcing a more dramatic confrontation.
The High-Stakes Standoff in the Berlin Underground
The episode, which premiered on January 21, 2026, on Apple TV+, picks up immediately after Sam revealed himself to the distressed train driver, Otto. Sam communicates with the railway’s Network Control Center, informing them he has control of the U5 train with approximately 200 passengers onboard. He states he does not want to harm anyone but will if his demands are not met.
To prevent panic, Sam forces Otto to make a false announcement to the passengers, blaming network problems for the unscheduled stops and route change. Meanwhile, the German police, led by Chief Ada Winter, scramble to respond. They attempt to trap the train by placing another train in its path, claiming it is broken down. Sam, however, discovers the ruse by accessing a signal room with security cameras that show the empty station ahead.
The Desperate Move That Shocked Everyone
With negotiations stalling, Sam’s plan takes a drastic turn. A curious passenger, a cyclist named Freddie, discovers the hijack and confronts Otto. Sam subdues him, takes a lighter from his bag, and handcuffs his own briefcase to the man. He then sends Freddie onto the abandoned station platform, presenting him as a hostage with a bomb.
Sam gives the authorities an ultimatum: move the blocking train or he will detonate the briefcase. As police forces move in, Sam is seen looking from the lighter to a trash can full of paper. When his deadline passes, he says, “I didn’t want to do this,” and the video feed to the control center cuts to static. The episode ends with the sound of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” playing over the credits, leaving the fate of Freddie and the truth of the explosion unclear.
Most analysts believe this was a bluff. Sam, able to control the camera feed and with access to fire, likely staged an explosion to regain leverage without killing anyone. The show’s co-creator, Jim Field Smith, explained the new season flips the script from the first, making Sam the instigator rather than the reactive hero. This theory suggests Sam is performing an extreme, dangerous negotiation to flush his target into the open.
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Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Mysteries
While Sam’s primary motive is now clear, the episode deepens other mysteries. His estranged wife, Marsha, is seen in a remote cabin, where she receives flowers addressed to “Marsha Nelson”โa name she hasn’t used since her divorce. She calls her partner, DI Daniel O’Farrel, to ask about them, confirming she and Sam have not spoken in six months. This suggests Sam’s actions may also be connected to an unseen threat against his family.
On the ground in Berlin, police investigating a bomb-maker’s apartment find a burner phone. The only number in it connects to a hotel room registered to Sam, and the caller ID shows the name “Marko”โthe worker seen in the tunnels in Episode 1. This confirms Sam hired accomplices, including driver Otto, to help execute his plan. Furthermore, a mysterious British figure named Peter Faber arrives at the control center, and Toby Jones appears as a behind-the-scenes operator, suggesting higher powers are involved.
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