Episode 1 of Hijack takes off with a bang at Dubai Airport, where Flight Kingdom 29 is poised for takeoff on a seven-hour journey to Heathrow in London. Captain Robin Allen and First Officer Anna Kovacs stand ready to helm the aircraft, but their reign is destined to be fleeting.
The boarding process nears its conclusion, with only a handful of passengers yet to join the ranks. Among them is Sam Nelson (Idris Elba), our intrepid protagonist, who strides onto the plane sans luggage. He manages to scrape through just in time, while another passenger, Alec, narrowly misses the cutoff. Sam persuades the airline official to let him board, and Alec joins him on the flight.
Little does Sam realize that Alec has brought with him a duffle bag that holds the fate of the 200 passengers on Flight 29 in its grasp. The cabin crew, consisting of Deevia, Collete, and Arthur, prepare for in-flight services, with Deevia taking the helm as the lead crew member.
The initial scenes introduce us to a cast of characters who will likely play pivotal roles in the series. Although it remains unclear which passengers will become more deeply entangled in the unfolding drama, we eagerly await further episodes to reveal their fates.
As is customary, minor squabbles break out among the passengers, including a dispute between Kate Miller and Susie over allocated luggage space in the cabin. But the plot takes a dramatic turn when Naomi, accompanied by her friends Mona and Kacey, discovers a bullet in the washroom. She alerts an elderly gentleman, Terry, who offers to assist her with her luggage. Unbeknownst to her, Terry is actually one of the five hijackers on the plane.
He takes the bullet from Naomi, assuring her that he will hand it over to the cabin crew. Instead, he sneaks it to the ringleader, Stuart, who is seated in first class. Sam catches a glimpse of the exchange and immediately senses something amiss. A heated argument erupts between Terry and Stuart over what to do next. Terry is eager to move forward with their plan, but Stuart insists on waiting. He instructs Terry to reassure the girls that he has handled the situation, which Terry dutifully does.
However, Mona remains suspicious and summons a crew member. Arthur responds to her call but is clueless about the bullet, unaware of the danger lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly routine flight.
Our gaze momentarily shifted to the ground, drawing our attention to Sam's intricate personal life. Marsha, Sam's wife, now resided with their son Kai, embroiled in a romantic relationship with Detective Inspector Daniel O'Farrel. However, Kai held a dim view of their union.
Meanwhile, at the airport, Neela, a diligent security gate attendant, hastily raced home as her husband, Senil, urgently relayed a dire situation. Little did they know that Arthur, summoned by Mona, would soon be caught in the midst of a hijacking drama. Stuart, Terry, Jaime, and Jaden drew their guns, ordering everyone to remain seated and surrender their mobile phones. Arthur, desperate to warn Anna and Robin, was swiftly silenced by Jaime.
In a moment of crisis, Sam's diplomatic skills shone through as he successfully dissuaded two passengers from attempting a risky attack on the hijackers. Such an action would undoubtedly lead to severe injuries. The group was well-versed in Captain Robin's personal details, knowing that the cockpit crew was instructed to deny access to hijackers. Nevertheless, Stuart defied protocol, dragging Collette to the door and threatening her life. He was well aware that Robin and Collette shared a close bond, often seeking solace in each other's arms during their visits to Dubai. Anna, attempting to protect Robin, was brutally beaten with a bottle as he ruthlessly ignored her pleas to refrain from opening the door. Fortunately, Stuart's ulterior motive spared Collette's life as he usurped control of the cockpit.
Prior to the hijacking, Robin had discreetly alerted an air traffic controller about a "serious security incident." However, he assured them that Stuart's command was merely a ruse and nothing untoward was transpiring. Sam, a cunning strategist, covertly sent a terse text to Marsha, hinting at a grave situation unfolding on the plane without disclosing its hijacking. She, in turn, relayed the information to Kai and Daniel.
Neela's anxiety mounted as she arrived home to find neither Senil nor her daughter in sight. As the episode drew to a close, a revealing truth emerged: Sam was a skilled "negotiator" or "handler," often employed by corporations to navigate such treacherous situations. Unflappable and resourceful, Sam approached Stuart without hesitation, offering his assistance rather than engaging in heroics.
