Pop Culture Happy Hour – “Hijack” (Jan 14, 2026)

Host: Aisha Harris
Guests: Aisha Roscoe (Weekend Edition Sunday), Roxanna Hadadi (Vulture TV Critic)

Overview

This episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour revisits the conversation about season one of “Hijack,” the binge-worthy Apple TV thriller starring Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, a corporate negotiator caught in a high-stakes airplane hijacking. With its seven tightly-packed episodes and blend of action, suspense, and a surprising dose of silliness, the discussion explores what makes “Hijack” both gripping and delightfully absurd, especially as the show returns for a second season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Supremely Silly” Appeal of “Hijack”

• The hosts immediately agree: “Hijack” is a “supremely silly and wonderful show.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 02:52)
• Idris Elba plays Sam Nelson, whose workplace negotiation skills become his weapon of choice during a hijacking over a 7-hour Dubai-to-London flight.
• The show’s structure depends on episodic twists, cliffhangers, and a need for viewers to suspend disbelief.
  • Aisha Roscoe admits: “I went into the show with very low expectations… but they had these little plot twists at the end of every episode that drew me in.” (04:17)

2. Perfect “Summer TV”: Formula and Episode Count

• Both guests long for the return of goofy, event-style summer TV.
  • “It felt like we used to get, like, goofy summer stuff… low stakes absurdity.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 06:02)
• Praise for the concise, 7-episode season.
  • “Seven episodes is exactly right… a lot of formula things that really work here.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 06:47)

3. Genre Subversion and Representation

• The show avoids lazy stereotypes by not casting Middle Eastern villains.
  • “This is not just like a hijacking by Middle Eastern characters… it is very subversive.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 07:16)

4. Idris Elba’s Performance and Character Dynamics

• Universal praise for Elba’s controlled intensity and charisma as a negotiator.
  • “He plays so many authority figures... he’s in that mode of, ‘I’m gonna be calm, but when the moment requires it, I will explode.’” (Roxanna Hadadi, 08:02)
• The fun in watching Elba deftly manage and dismiss panicked or overzealous passengers.
  • “One of the great things about Idris is his ability to subtly tell people they’re being stupid.” (Aisha Harris, 08:35)
  • Roxanna Hadadi quips: “Idris has no patience for that.” (09:01)

5. Tension, Relatability, and Use of Setting

• The realistic tension of communicating and cooperating in the confined, stressful environment of a plane.
  • “They did a very good job of everyone looking at each other… How would you communicate? …What would you do on a plane with people you don’t know?” (Aisha Roscoe, 10:10)
• The plane almost becomes a character itself, and the hosts love how the limited setting is used, especially compared to less compelling ground-level subplots.

6. Weaknesses: Subplots & Missed Opportunities

• The on-the-ground stories, especially involving Archie Panjabi’s character, feel underdeveloped.
  • “They made it seem in the advertising like Archie Panjabi was going to have a pretty significant role here. She’s maybe the third or fourth most important person [off the plane].” (Aisha Harris, 11:22)
• Meanwhile, Daniel O’Farrell (police, played by Max Beasley), and his relationship with Sam’s estranged wife, gets more focus than expected (including the recurring “Gucci bracelet” detail, described humorously by the panel, 12:09–12:17).

7. Effective Use of Suspense and Action

• The “cleaners” subplot—two assassins threatening Sam’s son—successfully ramps up tension, especially during a sequence set in a luxurious apartment.
  • “…he sees they have guns—that had me legitimately in my seat, like, oh my god.” (Aisha Harris, 13:17)
• Clever character resourcefulness, like the son using a pre-established argument about going for a bike ride to signal danger, is called out.
  • “That’s so smart... something I would never think of.” (Aisha Harris, 13:49)

8. The Show’s Most Ridiculous Elements

• Hosts revel in the show's over-the-top plotting:
  • The financial scheme: hijackers manipulate stock prices by hijacking a plane.
    • “It’s the big short … on a plane?” (Roxanna Hadadi, 15:20)
    • “There have to be better ways to short a stock.” (Aisha Roscoe, 15:32)
  • The improbably calm, underrepresented children on board:
    • “There only seems to be two kids on this plane … the most well-behaved and unfazed kids of all time.” (Aisha Harris, 15:36)
    • Aisha Roscoe lampoons, “If my kids were on that flight… I would have been like, be quiet, be quiet. They would not have been quiet.” (15:55)

9. Standout and Favorite Moments

• Coded communication, like Idris using a water bottle carton with a circled slogan (“it’s time to shake things up”) as a covert message, delights the hosts:
  • “I love those moments. Like, did that work for you, Aisha?” (Aisha Harris, 09:33)
• The “plane as character” and use of flight logistics (window shades, layouts, etc.) are highlights.
• The pilot’s sudden violence towards a colleague during a later episode is flagged as a wild, memorable moment:
  • “We didn’t talk about how the main pilot beat the mess out of his co-pilot. That was insane.” (Aisha Roscoe, 17:22)
• Emotional leadership advice from Sam impresses:
  • “If I were in your position, I would do exactly what you’re doing. I was like, oh my God, yes. I need a Sam Nelson on the plane.” (Aisha Roscoe, 17:37)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Supremely silly and wonderful show.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 02:52)
• “You have to suspend your belief… But they had these little plot twists at the end of every episode that drew me in.” (Aisha Roscoe, 04:17)
• “Seven episodes is exactly right… a lot of formula things that really work here.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 06:47)
• “It is very subversive… who it presents as doing the bad stuff.” (Roxanna Hadadi, 07:16)
• “One of the great things about Idris is his ability to subtly tell people they’re being stupid.” (Aisha Harris, 08:35)
• “If my kids were on that flight… we would have all been dead.” (Aisha Roscoe, 15:55)
• “It’s the big short … on a plane?” (Roxanna Hadadi, 15:20)
• “If I were in your position, I would do exactly what you’re doing. … I need a Sam Nelson on the plane.” (Aisha Roscoe, 17:37)

Segment Timestamps

• Intro & Panelists: 02:37–03:00
• Show premise and first impressions: 03:00–06:02
• Genre, structure, and performance: 06:02–09:20
• Episode structure, plane as character, on-plane vs. off-plane action: 10:10–12:00
• Gucci bracelet subplot and apartment suspense sequence: 12:00–14:00
• Ridiculous elements/critiques: 14:28–16:41
• Favorite/wild show moments & emotional resonance: 16:41–17:58

Tone & Final Thoughts

The conversation is warm, irreverent, and openly celebratory of “Hijack’s” intentional and unintentional ridiculousness. The hosts agree: while the show is hardly realistic and occasionally strains credulity, it offers precisely the summer popcorn fun and charismatic performances viewers are craving. Satisfying but not self-serious, “Hijack” makes for “silly fun” TV.