Idris Elba reveals how Hijack character Sam Nelson is "shell of a man" in season 2

It appears that it's the dawn of a new Sam Nelson as we gear up for a second season of Hijack. The Apple TV series was a hit for the streamer when it first landed on our screens in 2023 but now, it's time to return to the high-stakes world of Sam as he finds himself embroiled in his most dangerous situation yet.

According to series star and executive producer Idris Elba, this season also marks a new dawn for Sam and what kind of emotional baggage he's bringing into the story this time around.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Elba says: "I think it’s real trauma, it’s real loss and trying to understand... Sam, for a living, negotiates, closes deals and finds weak spots. I can just imagine that he couldn’t really face himself, looking in the mirror and not understanding how he got there.

"And then of course, for it to continue and it got worse, we see a man that’s really a shell but so determined. That determination is what we leaned into to keep this train running.”

Series co-creator Jim Field Smith also said of Sam's emotional state: "There’s a point halfway through this season where Sam is trying to figure out how to split the train in half. He catches himself in the reflection, he’s literally at the halfway point of the train, it’s the halfway point of the season.

"For four or five seconds in time, it’s like ‘how have I got here?’. Whatever’s happened, he’s not going to let anyone get him down. He’s still thinking ‘I can’t let these people win’ and he’s going to get answers and get to the end of the line, metaphorically and physically."

This season unfolds on the Berlin underground system, teasing that its "commuters are taken hostage, while authorities scramble to save hundreds of lives. Sam Nelson (Elba) is at the heart of the crisis on board, where one wrong decision could spell disaster".

The series is set to be just as fast-paced and thrilling as the first, with the main difference of course being the mode of transport that everything unfolds in.

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Co-creator Jim Field Smith also chatted to RadioTimes.com about how he came up with the idea of setting the action in a train, saying: "I think it was like, season 1 is up in the sky and it’s this world of blue skies, it’s aspirational, it’s jet travel. My brain immediately goes to ‘I don’t want to do that again’ because I feel like I’ve done that now. So my brain goes to opposites, so what’s the opposite of that? It’s an underground train, that’s literally the opposite of that.

"That immediately offered up so much rich narrative for this season because it kind of reflects the labyrinth of his own mind, he’s literally in a labyrinth in his own mind, this tube network underneath the city trying to get to the answers and trying to get to the end. Once we landed on it, it really offered up a lot."

As well as Elba returning to lead the cast, other familiar faces include Christine Adams as Marsha Nelson-Smith, Max Beesley as DI Daniel O'Farrell and Archie Panjabi as DCI Zahra Gahfoor.

New additions include Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), Christian Näthe (Ballon), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), Lisa Vicari (Dark), Karima McAdams (Dune: Prophecy) and Christiane Paul (FBI: International).

Hijack season 2 will premiere on Apple TV on Wednesday 14th January 2026. Hijack season 1 is available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial.

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