All the pieces were set in place in Hijack season 2 episode 7 to lead to an epic finale. But would we get there? Could Sam (Idris Elba) pull it off again? We got our answers in the finale, “Terminal.”
Sam and Otto (Christian Nathe) have the train back on track. It isn’t long before Clara (Lisa Vicari) reaches out. She offers Sam an update, courtesy of Olivia (Clare-Hope Ashitey). He hears Marsha’s (Christine Adams) message but learns she’s not yet safe. So, he’s committed to seeing the plan through to the end. But what is that plan?
Turns out, Lang (Asher Ali) isn’t the one pulling all the strings. He gets a call from Stuart (Neil Maskell) via a secret phone in prison. Stuart has been directing it all, and it isn’t to get John Bailey-Brown (Ian Burfield) free; it’s for him to be dispatched along with Sam, tying up some loose ends. And it’s up to Lang to get Bailey-Brown on that train and pull the trigger.
But can he escape notice? He killed a German agent but quickly covered it up and said the man went missing. That allows him to continue to escort Bailey-Brown to the final destination. But what will happen once they arrive? Does he still have leverage?
Search party in the woods
Marsha is alive and on the run. Her minders (Jessica Hardwick and Jamie Mitchie) are on the hunt. They know they’ll face consequences if she’s lost, but at present they can’t find her. And soon, they have some company. There is now a search helicopter circling the area.
The helicopter is running low on fuel and about to head in. Marsha can’t risk going out in the open again, but she finds a solution. She doubles back to the cabin and builds a huge fire to draw the attention of the helicopter. It also draws her hunters, who close in. But it turns out the rescue arrives in time. She’s safe, but will that make a difference?
Hijack season 2 ending explained
Sam and the train arrive at the rendezvous point. He releases the hostages and sends Otto out to guide them. Otto has misgivings about leaving Sam on his own and his part in the plot. But Sam assures him he saved a lot of lives. Meanwhile, Lang and Bailey-Brown stand waiting. But Bailey-Brown is nervous that this isn’t a rescue after all.
Peter Faber (Toby Jones), meanwhile, has headed down to the station and discovered the body of the dead German agent. He now knows that Lang is the inside man and relays the information to Control just as Lang and Bailey-Brown board the now-empty train. Lang secures the prisoner and searches for Sam.
Turns out, Sam’s not alone. Otto couldn’t give up on Sam. He is back aboard and starts the train back into the tunnel with Lang aboard, rightly assuming Lang doesn’t want to blow himself up. Sam makes his move as the train slams to a halt. But Lang escapes and, up the tunnel, blows up the train.
Lang makes a call to Stuart to tell him it’s done and ask for help escaping now that his cover is blown. That call is spotted by Daniel (Max Beesley), who now has enough evidence to prove that Stuart is behind it all. But it turns out Lang missed his mark. Sam and Otto made it off the train, and Sam pursues Lang out into the city.
They are both cornered by authorities, with Lang choosing to be shot dead rather than surrender alive. It’s over. The hostages are safe. The trains are running again. And Sam and Marsha have survived.
It was fair to wonder how they would follow up on the original season. This second season got off to a slow start, and certainly had some twists, but it ramped up the tension at the end of the season. Ultimately, I enjoyed the ride and I’m glad it all worked out. But is Sam really safe now? That’s a question to be answered if we get another return to this world!
Hijack streams on Apple TV on Wednesdays. All eight season 2 episodes are now streaming.