🚨 In JUST ONE DAY after its Season 2 premiere… Idris Elba’s high-octane, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller has officially knocked Apple TV’s biggest all-time hit off the #1 spot! 😱💥

This underrated gem—real-time tension, impossible stakes, one man against chaos—dropped its new season on Jan 14, 2026, and BOOM: it dethroned the streamer’s record-breaker (that sci-fi monster everyone was obsessed with) to claim the top chart position worldwide.

Expect non-stop adrenaline: hijackings gone wrong, split-second decisions, Elba delivering pure intensity like only he can, and twists that keep you glued. Season 1 was already a stress-watch king—now Season 2 is cranking it up on trains instead of planes, and fans are losing their minds.

People are bingeing old episodes to catch up and posting “I can’t handle this level of suspense” nonstop. If you love thrillers that feel like a heart attack in the best way, this just became impossible to ignore.

Full details:

Apple TV has a new king of the charts—at least for now. The second season of Hijack, the high-stakes thriller starring Idris Elba, premiered on January 14, 2026, and within 24 hours, it surged to the No. 1 position on the platform’s global rankings, unseating Pluribus, the service’s most-watched series to date.

Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, Hijack first exploded onto screens in 2023 with its debut season, earning a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and widespread praise for its real-time storytelling and relentless tension. Elba plays Sam Nelson, a corporate crisis negotiator whose ordinary flight home turns into a seven-hour nightmare when hijackers seize control of the plane. The series unfolds in real time, with each episode covering roughly one hour of the crisis, building unbearable suspense as Nelson uses his skills to outmaneuver the threats while coordinating with authorities on the ground.

The format drew comparisons to classics like 24 and Speed, but with a grounded, character-driven edge. Critics lauded Elba’s commanding performance—magnetic, intense, and unflinching—along with the sharp writing and tight direction. It became one of Apple TV’s breakout hits, landing in Nielsen’s streaming charts and earning a quick renewal. Stephen King even gave it a public shout-out, calling it a “nail-biter.”

Season 2 shifts the setting from the skies to the Berlin U-Bahn, the city’s underground train system. Nelson, still haunted by the events of the first season, finds himself aboard a rush-hour train taken over by armed hijackers who have rigged it with explosives. With 200 passengers at risk, demands escalate quickly, forcing Nelson into another impossible negotiation while passengers panic and authorities scramble. The season consists of eight episodes, released weekly, with the finale set for March 4, 2026.

Early viewership data from FlixPatrol confirms the impact: one day after premiere, Hijack Season 2 claimed the top spot on Apple TV globally, pushing Pluribus—Vince Gilligan’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi series starring Rhea Seehorn—down to No. 2. Pluribus, which wrapped its first season in late 2025, had held the crown as the streamer’s most-watched original, drawing massive audiences with its dark take on an alien virus creating a forced hive-mind utopia. Its success stemmed from Gilligan’s Breaking Bad pedigree and timely themes, but Hijack‘s immediate surge shows the power of star-driven thrillers in a crowded market.

Elba, an executive producer on the series, brings the same gravitas that defined his roles in Luther and The Wire. In interviews, he has described Nelson as a reluctant hero—calm under fire but deeply affected by the toll of high-stakes decisions. The new season introduces fresh faces, including Toby Jones in a supporting role, while retaining core elements like the real-time clock and moral ambiguity. Reviews for Season 2 are mixed so far: some praise the escalated tension and Elba’s continued dominance, while others note a dip from Season 1’s near-perfect execution, with Rotten Tomatoes scores trending lower in early aggregates.

The rapid chart takeover highlights Apple TV’s strength in prestige thrillers. Unlike Netflix’s volume-driven model or Prime Video’s broad appeal, Apple focuses on quality originals with A-list talent. Hijack fits perfectly: bingeable (Season 1 clocks in under seven hours), star-powered, and gripping without relying on franchise ties. Its resurgence—fueled by pre-premiere rewatches of Season 1—pushed the series back into global top charts even before the new episodes dropped.

Not everyone is sold. Audience scores for the original season sat lower than critics’ (around 51% in some reports), with complaints about pacing or believability in the high-concept premise. Season 2 faces similar scrutiny: the train setting amps up claustrophobia but risks feeling derivative to some viewers. Still, the show’s ability to generate buzz—especially amid Elba’s busy slate, including upcoming projects like a Luther film—proves its staying power.

Behind the scenes, production leaned on realism: consultants from crisis negotiation and transit security helped shape scenarios, while Berlin locations added authenticity. The shift from plane to train keeps the formula fresh while maintaining the core hook—one man, limited resources, ticking clock.

As episodes roll out weekly, expect continued chart battles. Pluribus remains a juggernaut, with Season 2 already in development, but Hijack‘s fast start signals a potential changing of the guard. In streaming’s zero-sum game, dethroning a record-holder in one day is no small feat.

For viewers, it’s simple: if you crave edge-of-your-seat suspense, sharp dialogue, and Elba at his most commanding, this is appointment viewing. Stream it now—before the next twist derails everything.