Hijack (TV Series) Not Responding (2023) User Reviews

Give the writers some credit for the episode titles at least - they are very very clever!

[janearcherwa · 8/10 · 14 July 2023]

Sure, it's all quite far fetched. But it's slickly produced, well-acted and very entertaining. We were looking for a change from our usual fare and I think we are getting what the trailer promised - and probably some more. It's been tense, fun, and sometimes quite moving. Honestly can't wait for the next episode.

Regarding those titles: (possible spoilers below) 1. Last Call - obviously last call for boarding, but also the last (phone) call for the security officer who went home to her kids AND the last call (from his car) for the air traffic controller. Hmmm... 2. Three Degrees - in this episode the pilot changes course by 3 degrees. Opening and closing music was the song: "When Will I See You Again" . It felt like an interesting choice, but it kind of worked. As a child of the seventies I was humming along at the end when my husband asked me: who recorded that song? I couldn't remember so I looked it up. It was "The Three Degrees". Of course! Now, that's clever. And funny. And a reminder that perhaps we should not be taking this s**y too seriously.

3. Draw a Blank - to fail to get an answer or result, or to be unable to remember something. In this episode someone quite literally draws a blank!

4. Not responding - the plane is not responding to repeated calls from ATC. But, in medical terms, "not responding" is often used to indicate death.

I'm enjoying the tension, the performances , the little winks at the audience... and it's good to look at. It's not really about the action. So perhaps those who enjoy lots of action are not getting what they want here.

It's really about development of characters under stress - across a seven-hour time frame. It's the old Towering Inferno or Poseidon Adventure formula (also from the seventies) - but it's so so much better!

[7.2] Zooming helmets - marvel of technology

[cjonesas · 7/10 · 12 July 2023]

Drop No. 4: A better episode in terms of flow, vibe and acting, especially by the "force of nature" Idris Elba who just shows uncanny mastery of human psychology, exploiting opponents' strengths and weaknesses alike as well as immersing himself in his role. He truly brings quality to the show.

As for the rest of the mishmash, it is a little hard to take seriously, the pinnacle of that in the episode was the Eurofighters, pilots of which watching in semi-dread and disbelief at their locked target and awaiting a final "take down" order against their shaking heart. So before Romania, there's no more European country member of EU and NATO to scramble jets?! A target against Bucharest!, above the clouds, while (everybody) knows that the route and destination is clearly London and the plane hasn't nearly deviated at all, besides the 3-degree joke since its initial departure. I almost felt the pilots' relief as they returned to their bases. One more day without missile strike, pilots. Congratulations.

Even the hijackers so far are generic caricatures of those besides Jaden (Mohamed Elsandel) and Jamie (Aimee Kelly) who do a better, realistically serious job unlike the nutjob that Collins is and emanates as the laughable head of the group.

At that rate, 4 out of 7 episodes in, the future is not bright for this limited series. I just wish that nearly everybody had at least part of the charisma that Idris Elba irradiates. May their puny convicts-related demands be met with "Homelander"s scorching eyes.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 7
• Entertainment: 7.5
• Acting: 7.5
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
• Visual/special effects: 8
• Music/score/sounds: 7
• Depth: 7
• Logic: 5.5
• Flow: 7.5
• Editing: 7.5
• Drama/thriller: 7.5
• Ending: 6.5.

Not Responding

[bobcobb301 · 14 July 2023]

The first episode of the show that was just a little bit underwhelming here. Not low on action, but it just seemed to drag a bit and introduced an outrageous premise a little too early in the show's run. We knew that they were not going to shoot the plane out of the sky with three episodes left, so there was little drama created there.

The final moments set the stage for what could really benefit the show or absolutely destroy it as we finally learned that there are clear motives for the hijackers and they want people in power to address them. We'll see if this ends up making things more interesting or less.

A High-Stakes Episode That Will Keep You Guessing

[ergo-58534 · 10/10 · 15 July 2023]

Here is a possible review for Hijack Season 1 Episode 4:

Hijack is a new Apple TV+ series that follows the hijacking of a commercial flight from London to New York by a group of armed terrorists. The show stars Idris Elba as Sam, a former hostage negotiator who happens to be on board the plane. In the fourth episode, titled "Not Responding", the situation escalates as the terrorists kill a passenger to show their seriousness, while Sam tries to find a way to communicate with the ground and save the injured hijacker Lewis. Meanwhile, the plane enters Romanian airspace, triggering a potential international crisis.

The episode is a high-stakes episode that will keep you guessing. The show does a great job of creating a sense of urgency and danger on the plane and on the ground. The characters are well-written and realistic, especially Sam, who uses his wit and empathy to try to defuse the situation. The terrorists are not stereotypical villains, but have their own backgrounds and agendas. The episode also explores the ethical and moral dilemmas that arise from such a scenario, such as whether to shoot down the plane or not, or whether to sympathize with the hijackers or not.

The episode is full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The show does not shy away from showing the brutal consequences of the hijacking, such as the death of a passenger and the injury of a hijacker. The show also reveals some clues about the identity and motive of the terrorists, such as their connection to some thugs who are looking for Sam's home. The episode also shows how the different countries involved in the crisis react differently, such as the Romanians who are ready to shoot down the plane if it does not respond.

The episode ends with a shocking twist that sets up the next episode for more surprises and challenges. Hijack is a show that will keep you hooked and invested in the fate of the passengers and crew of flight KA29. If you are looking for a gripping and realistic thriller series, you should definitely check out Hijack on Apple TV+.

Enjoyable, but unrealistic

[tom-1462 · 6/10 · 3 August 2023]

Specifically this episode, but the whole show thus far seems fairly enjoyable but not very realistic. The fighter jets seem to have scrambled too soon (even before they couldn't reach the plane) and left too soon as well ("Oh the target of this hijacked plane is not what is seemed to be? Let's just bugger off then and leave it be...")

Time and time again the protagonist seems to fail in getting a clear message across when he even *gets* the chance. Starting with "an incident" in episode 1, when it's clear to everyone they're being hijacked. In this episode he gets a second chance, and still all he says is that his hands are tied, along with the first name and phone number of one of the hijackers.

About halfway the show now, I'm so invested that I'll keep going to see what happens next. But aside from lots of good aspects the show brings, there seems to be a real lack of expert-checking regarding the script. If you're making a horror or fantasy show, you're allowed to let go of the laws of logic and physics. When making a thriller, abiding to those laws is crucial if you want your audience to stick around.

Not Responding

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 8 February 2024]

So far Hijack might be far fetched but it ratchets up the tension. Now Stuart has a gun with live bullets.

Order is quickly regained by the hijackers. Although still no terrorist demands have been made. Although that would come later in the episode.

Sam is still manipulating events with the injured Lewis. Even managed to get another phone message out.

The big problem is that the captain of the aircraft is not able to respond when they go across each country. Stuart is not having it. Romania has despatched NATO aircraft to track it.

The British government wants to avoid the plane being shot down.

Once again the government scenes does not inspire confidence. That Foreign Secretary is hopelessly out of her depth.

Nice touch that Sam does not know that he might have put his family in danger in London.

Reaching

[redevil01 · 4/10 · 15 July 2023]

The series started off well but somehow they've managed to waste an entire hour here. That's wild considering the in-universe timeline. Everything that happened is by pure dumb luck.

We're supposed to believe that the only reason the plane wasn't shot down is because one of the hijackers got life threatening injuries and attempted to get treatment in the same place that our protagonist is tied up... and then allowed the protagonist to use his phone crucially in the moments preceding the order to shoot?

They tried to manufacture tension and wrote their way out of it using crayons. It's all starting to feel amateurish.

If this series goes deeper and deeper, it will soon crash

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8 August 2023]

I continue to think that this series looks more and more like CASA DEL PAPEL - MONEY HEIST- crap. It is tense, full of suspense, addictive, never boring, But SO LOUSY.... It is to TV shows what McDonald is to gastronomy. Addictive but crap, sh...Fancy, juicy sh..... Oh my God, I can't believe it. So far, I was annoyed because no one wondered HOW THE PIRATES got the guns aboard a Boeing or Airbus in post 9/11 era.... Totally unbelievable. Now, I laugh when I watch a pirate in action with his OWN cell phone, HIS OWN CELL PHONE, calling his little mom...oh, SO CUTE !!!!! No, this eries is really laughable, that's the onlly reason why I resume it. TO LAUGH. But, more seriously, it is pitiful, painful, to watch a series made with such accurate details concerning the officials, ministres, high rank policemen and so on, such a series totally smashed by a so lousy script. I laugh and in the same time am totally smashed by such disgrace. I will continue to watch the following episodes.