Summary
“Final Call” is an adrenaline-fueled, suspenseful opener that continually ratchets up the tension throughout the first hour. Idris Elba makes for an effective protagonist, while the terrorist threat hits hard, successfully using our own fears against us.
We recap the Apple TV+ series Hijack Season 1 Episode 1, “Final Call,” which contains significant spoilers.
Apple Original Hijack takes our greatest fears about flying and structures a tense seven-part miniseries around it. In the opening installment, “Final Call,” the crew and passengers of the KA29 flight from Dubai to Heathrow discover that their plane has been hijacked by terrorists.
Hijack Season 1 Episode 1 Recap
Working in real-time, the opening episode follows the large cast of characters as they are all seated for their flight. We’re introduced to our leading man, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba), who is sitting alone up in first class. He has purchased some jewelry for his wife and wants to get home to his family.
Wife Marsha is back at home with a new man, though. She messages Sam, telling him not to take the flight. Sam responds with ‘too late.’ The flight takes off without any hiccups and Sam scrolls through Marsha’s social media like a jealous ex.
The first signs of trouble come only minutes into the flight. A young girl finds a bullet in the toilets. She tells a passenger opposite her about the bullet. This older gent, Marcus, says that he’ll inform the cabin crew of this frightening discovery.
Why do the terrorists move their plans forward?
Of course, Marcus isn’t the friendly face we’ve come to believe. He barges his way into first class to tell his boss the bad news. The terrorist’s leader, Stuart (Neil Maskell), doesn’t seem too concerned by the setback though. Marcus asks to move their plans forward because of this incident. Stuart agrees, telling Marcus to lie to the girls in the meantime.
Marcus puts on a green cap, making a silent signal to his fellow terrorists. He then lies to the girls, telling them that the bullet was from a soldier on a previous inspection; it is nothing to worry about.
The girls don’t exactly believe Marcus’ reasoning, but they are out of time anyway.
The terrorists quickly prepare for the hijacking. Individuals throughout the plane take out wash bags containing guns. Sam, who saw the interaction between Marcus and Stuart, is suspicious of their behavior.
He notices others with wash bags – something isn’t right.
While Sam is investigating this suspicious activity, the terrorists burst into action, holding the cabin crew and passengers at gunpoint. The passengers panic as the terrorists collect all of their phones and devices. Sam is forced to sit in a random seat, far from his original location.
What does the Captain do about the terrorists?
Captain Robin Allen and his first officer Anna Kovacs hear the disruption and ponder what is happening outside the cockpit. Their fears are confirmed when Stuart is identified on the camera, passing the cockpit with a gun in his hand. The Captain contacts Dubai to inform them of the security incident.
Meanwhile, Sam overhears a group of passengers planning a counterattack. Sam tries to convince them not to go ahead with this ambush, though, fearing that they will only get themselves killed in the process. He manages to persuade them to stand down for now.
How do the terrorists gain access to the cockpit?
The terrorists find flight attendant Colette and drag her to the cockpit. They want to use her to gain access to the cockpit. It is revealed that Colette is having an affair with the Captain, and they are in love. She pleads with him to let them in. The Captain fights his own first officer and unlocks the cockpit door, giving the terrorists access.
At gunpoint, the Captain is forced to communicate with Dubai air traffic control once again, lying to them about the security incident, stating that it was a false alarm. He says that it was just some drunk passengers messing about. Stuart orders the Captain to then turn off the plane’s Wi-Fi.
Sam manages to send a last-minute text message just before the Wi-Fi cuts out. He messages Marsha about the hijacking. The terrorists warn the passengers, telling them all to cooperate else they will be punished. They are then told that this nightmare will all be over in six hours’ time.
Hijack Season 1 Episode 1 Ending Explained
What is Sam’s profession?
Back in London, Marsha discusses the text message with her new partner Daniel, who also happens to be a detective inspector. Sam’s son Kai says that his father would never lie; this is serious. Daniel contemplates the message and asks what Sam’s profession is. Sam is a business negotiator, a skill that may come in handy on this hijacked plane.
The episode ends with Sam making his way back to first class. He is stopped by Stuart, who points his gun at him. Sam explains that he just came back to hand over his phone. He also wants to make them an offer. Sam states that he wants to get home to his family. He is willing to help the terrorists out in return for his own safety.
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