Solid first couple of episodes, downhill from there

Decently exciting popcorn thriller series with a few instances of sincerely interesting ethical questions.

Hijack doesn't exactly break any new ground, but it's effective and has some great character moments, bolstered by strong acting. Occasionally, the series does venture into the ridiculous territory with some convenient plotholes glossed over, but when it focuses on the different backstories and personalities of the passengers in peril, it is at its best. The real-time pacing of the show also adds to the tension and I felt was handled perfectly, especially bouncing between different locations.

Starts out strong enough, like a somewhat more mature and realistic 24, but along the way the contrivances, plotholes and overall flimsy logic starts to pile up as the more cliched genre tropes creep in, culminating in a resolution straight out of a 90s action movie starring some generic action hero. It's a shame because always watchable Elba is commanding in the lead, and his (initial) wits over violence approach to dealing with the hijackers is much more interesting.

The plot kept going down the drain.

Idris Elba takes command of the screen in this tense thriller. Despite him having unwavering star power you genuinely felt that the outcome was unpredictable. The tension helps elevate the show even if this is a recycled plot line we have seen before. Elba's character at times does do the impossible but it keeps the plot moving at an acclerated pace.

Jack Bauer got on a plane and bad things happened! Pretty good show overall. Actually seemed to be better than plot hole filled 24 (except for the last 5 minutes, which made no sense, and definitely wasn't needed - filling time?). I think the show hits its high about mid-series but enjoyable and full of tension throughout.

Really tense show! While the concept at its core is nothing new, I think it's really interesting to essentially take the "24" approach, and play the situation out in real time, creating a ton of tension about what will happen next, and Idris Elba is fantastic in this role. I also really loved seeing Eve Myles again. Miss her from Torchwood.

First 4 episodes 9/10 Final 3 episodes 4/10 Overall 7/10 for strong suspense

Not the most realistic of scenarios but it does a better than average job with tension, suspense. Elba is good and the supporting cast is mostly spot on. Some pretty writing and redundancy hold this back from being a must watch, but you could do a lot worse if looking for a quick binge.

Brutally violent at times, yet overall it was mostly strangely tame. The suspense builds up in a good way, but deflated fast once it was made clear that the main character had the thickest plot armor of all time. Dude's straight up taking control of the hijackers, how does this make sense? Still, enjoyed watching this miniseries, it had a vibe that I hadn't felt since the early seasons of 24.