SERIES REVIEW – It’s been more than 20 years since “24” first aired on Fox; its real-time concept, a relentlessly ticking clock that propels characters toward conflict, has been a success that’s hard to replicate. “Hijack,” a new drama on Apple TV+, doesn’t exactly aim for the thrills and chills of “24,” but it’s also a real-time drama about a terrorist plot.

Thrillers, especially those involving dramatic events such as a hijacking or terrorist attack, tend to involve major logical leaps to heighten the tension. In fact, we prefer it when the plot is so taut and tense, so the plot doesn’t lose momentum and we don’t even notice these logical lapses – but if we do, we forgive them. This is exactly the case with Apple TV+’s new thriller series.

The hijacking starts with a family drama

The main character of Hijack is Sam Nelson, who is travelling on a flight from Dubai to London with a piece of jewellery for his wife in his only hand luggage. On the flight, there are a number of passengers from different backgrounds whose lives we get a glimpse into as the plane takes to the skies. Meanwhile, Sam faces personal drama as he receives messages from his wife, Marsha, about the end of their marriage.

What was supposed to be a relaxed journey suddenly becomes tense when an unexpected event disrupts the normal operation of the aircraft. Sam, sensing that something is wrong, tries to make sense of what is happening and notices something unusual on the flight. An unexpected discovery accelerates events and suddenly all the passengers are in danger. Sam is forced into action to protect his own life and the lives of the other passengers as he tries to deliver a mysterious message to Marsha.

Power plays and tensions within the flight continue to rise, and the flight crew are suddenly under great pressure. Meanwhile, in Dubai, an airport security inspector is facing a personal crisis. The first three parts of the series thus culminate in a gripping airline thriller, as Sam and the other passengers must deal with uncertainty and danger.

24 on a plane

The real-time part of the series, which takes place during a 7-hour flight from Dubai to London, is reminiscent of 24. Produced by Jim Field Smith and George Kay, Hijack is a tense, fast-paced thriller that is also detailed enough to keep viewers’ attention riveted by the hijacking, rather than the logical questions of plot.

By the end of the first episode, we still know little about the people on the plane, especially the hijackers, but what we do know is more than enough to draw us in. Sam’s marriage, for example, is clearly on the rocks; despite this, he is desperate to get Marsha to return to him. He also works as a corporate negotiator, arriving at the final stages of big mergers to make sure all the details have been worked out.

Because of this, we know he will try to ingratiate himself with Stuart and his hijacking team, but Sam seems to have other training, perhaps in law enforcement, and therefore he has already assessed what is happening before it happens. He also knew that trying to pre-empt the hijackers was a mistake that could have resulted in unnecessary deaths. It will be interesting to see the rest of Sam’s story as he tries to get himself and the rest of the plane back to London with minimal loss.

Elba on top

It probably goes without saying that Elba is the strength of the series, but that’s no wonder, as Elba’s presence elevates any series she’s in from mediocrity. She exudes intelligence and strength, but also the vulnerability of a guy who just wants to fix his broken marriage and will do almost anything to get home to London to do so.

The other characters are, for the time being, somewhat one-dimensional, based on the first three episodes, but at least we are grateful that the team of hijackers is not the usual bunch of Muslim extremists that thriller writers have regularly relied on since 9/11.

Hijack won’t win an Emmy for originality, but it keeps the tension level high without violating the logic of the story. And combine the taut story with Idris Elba’s convincing lead performance, and you have a series that, if not up to 24, comes close.

-BadSector-