H/jack

Back in the summer of 2023, Apple TV+ released H/jack, a tense, real-time thriller led by Idris Elba. With its second season set to premiere on January 14, let's revisit the first season.

Recap

The series opens with Sam Nelson, a successful business negotiator, navigating an airport before boarding Kingdom Airlines Flight KA29 from Dubai to London at the very last minute. He’s simply trying to get home — back to his son and his estranged wife.

Shortly after takeoff, a group of armed hijackers seize control of the aircraft. Following protocol, the pilots immediately alert flight control that a hijacking is in progress. However, the situation quickly escalates. The hijackers threaten a flight attendant who is secretly involved with one of the pilots, forcing him to open the cockpit door and grant them access. Once inside, they fully take control of the plane.

Stuart, the apparent leader of the hijackers, orders the pilot to call air traffic control again and claim that the previous alert was a false alarm — that everything on board is under control.

Before the hijackers manage to shut down the plane’s Wi-Fi, Sam sends a warning text to his wife, alerting her to the hijacking. She immediately passes the information to her new partner, Daniel O’Farrell, a detective with the Metropolitan Police.

O’Farrell reaches out to his ex-wife, Zahra, who works in Counter Terrorism Command, and asks her to quietly look into the flight. As she looked into the flight, contradictions in the information she receives begin to raise her suspicions.

Meanwhile, Sam works with the pilot to discreetly confirm that the hijack is real. By slightly deviating from the flight path and standard flight protocols — a change subtle enough to go unnoticed by the hijackers — but triggers a red flag among flight controllers, who pick up on the irregularities and escalate the situation.

On the ground, Daniel works closely with Zahra and the Counter Terrorism Command to manage the crisis from London. As evidence confirms that the hijack is real, the situation quickly becomes political. Authorities are forced to weigh the risk of allowing the plane to remain airborne against the catastrophic consequences of shooting it down. With limited information coming from the aircraft, Daniel and Zahra investigate every lead on the ground, trying to make sense of the hijacking and stop the mastermind behind it.

Over the course of the flight, Sam walks a dangerous tightrope. At times, he appears to be cooperating with the hijackers; at others, he subtly assists the authorities. His sole objective remains clear throughout: to ensure the plane lands safely, with no casualties.

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the hijackers themselves are not the true masterminds. They are acting under the control of an external figure named Edgar, who has coerced them into carrying out the hijacking as part of a larger scheme — one aimed at securing his release from prison and profiting from the manipulation of airline shares. As the passengers manages to overtake the hijackers in the penultimate episode, it also becomes clear that the hijackers are not the only players operating on board the plane.

Highlights / Strengths

One of the show’s strongest elements is its real-time structure. The seven episodes unfold over the exact duration of the flight from Dubai to London, using the ticking clock to steadily increase tension and raise the stakes. Unlike shows such as 24, which used real time across multiple locations, H/jack confines its protagonist to a single setting. Sam is trapped on the plane for the entire series, keeping the tension tightly focused.

The cinematography inside the aircraft is another standout. The camera frequently frames characters through seatbacks, aisles, and partially obstructed angles, creating a constant sense of secrecy and unease. These visual choices emphasize how little space the characters have to maneuver — both physically and psychologically — and help sustain the paranoia that defines the series.

Finally, while not necessarily a strength on its own, I appreciated that the show isn’t U.S.-based. Not in a “U.S.-bashing” way, but simply because so many thrillers are set in the States. Having the story unfold primarily in London offers a refreshing change of perspective and helps H/jack stand out.

Critique

My main issue with the series lies in its realism. I understand that H/jack isn’t meant to be a documentary on airline security — and thankfully, we don’t have many real-world reference points for situations like this. Still, it stretches credibility to believe that a government would allow a plane known to be under hijacker control to enter the airspace of a major city, fully aware that it effectively represents an airborne missile.

My second critique is more minor, but still noticeable. The idea of the hijackers working on behalf of an external third party is a strong one, and it adds welcome complexity to the narrative. However, the reveal that the mastermind had a backup operative on board is introduced very late in the game. I couldn’t help but feel that this twist might have been more effective — and more impactful — if it had been used earlier in the season.

Acting

Third star : Max Beesley as Daniel O’Farrell

Second star : Archie Panjabi as Zahra Gahfoor

First star : Idris Elba as Sam Nelson

Final Thoughts

What ultimately makes the show worth watching is its focus on negotiation rather than spectacle. We don’t watch H/jack for constant action or shock value; we watch it for the tension found in conversations, shifting power dynamics, and psychological maneuvering. The series isn’t perfect — its realism stretches at times — but despite those flaws, it remains a compelling thriller and is well worth the watch.