Hijack (TV Series) Comply Slowly (2023) User Reviews

Who else is in on it?

[kaneevans-67160 · 8/10 · 26 July 2023]

The writing for this show is outstanding.

Constantly kept on your toes, and just when you feel rewarded as a viewer so being right about your inclination, they twist the proverbial knife and swerve in another direction.

I haven't seen this mentioned in other reviews, but to me it speaks volumes that in these later episodes, Idris Elba actually has very few lines. It's a testament to the supporting cast and their well-constructed, superbly written arcs, that the show is so strong - because with superficial filler cast none of the audience would be invested.

SPOILER INCOMING: I gave 8 stars, rather than 10, simply because the "identity switcheroo" trope whilst the vehicle was under the cover of a tree canopy was absolutely poor. I fully expected it, and for (supposedly) the two worst criminals in the country, the Home Secretary and her unlimited military budget couldn't manage heat-detecting drones that could comfortably separate heat signals to prevent EXACTLY THIS happening. Very avoidable mistake and whilst I acknowledge that some suspension of belief is required for the otherwise brilliant story to happen, this trope bothered me a lot.

Bad Writing Good action

[stefansowerby · 7/10 · 26 July 2023]

For a show that is written as consistently poorly as this one, I still keep watching so it shows the action must be pretty good. There are plot holes you could drive an Airbus through but it's still worth watching and Ibris Elba is an entertaining lead.

I would ignore the 10 star review and the 1 star reviews as well. This episode builds on the action from the first 5 episodes and sets up nicely for the season finale but it is so hard to believe some of the decisions the characters continue to make.

Air traffic is a very hard and highly skilled job and yet the controllers in this show seemed to have skipped their training.

All in all I will keep watching until the end!

Cause goes off course

[xmasdaybaby1966 · 8/10 · 2 August 2023]

All along I have been thinking Holly Aird was too big an actress just to be sat there (there are a lot of familiar regularly second and third string British actors seen here but I thought she deserved a bigger role) but the closing scene was still a bit of a surprise.

The changing of the scenery depicting various seasons seems strange considering only an 8 hour flight from Dubai to London.

So the two guys that were tied up before Sam were gagged but, strangely, big mouth Sam wasn't.

The two guys have now had their gags removed unless, that too, is a continuity error.

The quality cast sees through the poor writing.

PEAK TELEVISION

[streamingguide · 10/10 · 26 July 2023]

The writing for this episode and especially that ENDING is better than anything to come out in a long time. Giving shades of peak Prison Break, Breaking Bad, etc. After starting a little slow Hijack really stepped up the stakes in the penultimate episode.

Haven't watched a true cliffhanger ending like that in some time as most shows now are too predictable but Hijack has thoroughly kept me on my toes week to week.

Idris Elba continue to shine through masterminding a strategy for the passengers while now contracting the working of politics and finance happening on the ground such an interesting parallel.

Episode 6

[bobcobb301 · 27 July 2023]

The final moments, something we could see coming, but maybe not in that exact way, definitely made this episode. We finally saw the action intensify and we saw someone take charge. No more wishy-washy bad guys, but someone who was indifferent with a weapon and was now taking charge of the plane.

This completely changed the game. But the idea of the crazy infighting and the bad guys finally getting attacked was the kind of thing the show needed and resulted in an entertaining few moments.

Curious to see how it all ends, but Apple TV has definitely given us quite a ride up until this point with Hijack.

[7.3] Me, you and the fifth column

[cjonesas · 7/10 · 30 August 2023]

A tighter episode with less circus mumbo jumbo, but with more showing of human psychological weakness and cowardice alike, especially aboard the plane.

When you have drones you don't put people lives in danger, you don't give them a pretext to move forward with their nasty plans and killing.

Law enforcement should have at least one dog to help them "sniff around". Do terrorists and bad guys need that too? A human searching an alien house like a neanderthal and missing the one person in it. Do they truly need more brain and more olfactive help? Decision out there.

And lastly what ensued on the plane in the last few minutes just shows human bravery and cowardice at the same time. The worst of them was that f..in lady with that disdainful face with glasses who singlehandedly f..d up the whole 200+ passengers. Next comes the captain who seemed electrocuted and glued to his seat and for those he paid the ultimate price of his scared wide eye stance.

The ending, sort of a mini cliffhanger to the next and final episode was superb. Look at that nasty lady s eyes, determined, dejected and ironclad at the same time. That foe who with a determined mind made the cockpit all hers.

No psychological judgment. Just facts. Like many things in life.

Screenplay/storyline: 7 Development: 8 Realism: 7.5 Entertainment: 8 Acting: 7.5 Filming/cinematography: 7.5 VFX: 7.5 Music/score: 7 Depth: 7 Logic: 6 Flow: 7.5 Drama/thriller: 7 Ending: 8.

Tension in the air = high. Activity on the ground = huh?

[lind-67 · 4/10 · 27 July 2023]

I've been liking this show despite some occasional lazy writing and plot holes, largely on the strength of Idris Elba's intensity and the general continuous tension of the plot. But for me, the wings really came off the plane with episode six.

While the action in the air continues to be a solid B+ for this kind of show, the activities on the ground make zero sense unless you believe that everyone from law enforcement to the senior political officials to the crime lords are absolutely incompetent.

I never completely bought, for instance, the idea that the crime bosses would send hitmen to the families of people on the plane as a threat against troublemakers. How many hitmen do they have? What if the most troublesome passengers had been from, say, Tulsa or Mexico City or Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, not London? Why not just *tell* the the troublemakers that you have hitmen following their families? How would they even know if you were lying? It's all convoluted plot garble intended to let the writers take a break from the plane scenes and heighten tension by putting the family in danger but that make no rational sense even in TV land.

As for the law enforcement/politics side of things, you'd think the UK had never dealt with a hijacking or hostage situation before. They have drones, cameras on every street corner, a tracking device in the crime lords' car, and they *still* have three obvious police vehicles following close enough to let the bad guys see them in the rear view? Are you kidding? Again, just lazy writing to artificially increase the threat level.

I'm going to watch the final episode just to see if the writers manage to pull a rabbit out of this threadbare hat, but I'm sad that what started with so much promise has become such a mess.

Why?

[Pimilli · 4/10 · 30 July 2023]

Why is the kid in the house moving around? Unnecessarily?

Why did he come out of that closet when he did not need to?

Why is he banging around the house making noises?

Why did they allow that prisoner clown to keep threatening to kill passengers? Why not INSTANTLY pull him over. TAKE his phone. And ARREST him?

Why are they following him in one car? ONE car. And doing the following badly.

Why did the pilot take FOREVER to get in the cockpit?

You're giving a woman a container that she doesn't want to take. And then you're practically yelling for her to take it. Why? Not. Give it to someone else?

Why. Is. NOBODY helping Idris as he's fighting in the gallery? Noone. The flight attendant who is sitting in his seat is doing nothing. Gets shot in his leg. A plane of some 200 people after 911 and NOBODY helps anyone?

This is TERRIBLE. Nonsensical. Have the writers ever met human beings?

Lastly this began as a good story. We were hooked. But it would have worked as a 3 episode show. 7 or 8 is jusstt prolonging with far too much filler and redundant material. I don't care as much now.

Peak Television? Really?

[trojan_c9 · 3/10 · 1 August 2023]

I usually don't review titles, but I had to do for this particular one. Because this might be the worst episode of this series if not worst episode ever for any series I've ever watched. I couldn't stop laughing entire episode because of the bad writing.

The cleaner guy goes upstairs, even though they heard some noise (previous episode) he doesn't check the most obvious hiding spot, aka the closet? He just creates some drama and says it's clear. Nice.

The kid shows his head as soon as the cleaner goes away, and gets out, but why? Just to make some more noise and maybe this time he can hide under the bed. Nice.

Who doesn't have their phone with them in this century? And he has a pluggable phone under his bed by coincidence and luck? Nice.

But now it's bed luck that there is no RJ45 plug upstairs, in this futuristic home it's in only one room downstairs. But luckily the cleaners are having some big time fun with the big TV. Nice.

The terrorists require to kill someone and send a picture. I can even come up with that "brilliant" idea that they already killed someone, send her picture. I can come up with this after weeks in real life. But the characters killed her several hours ago and they can't come up with this? Thankfully we have 200 IQ hero. Nice.

And even if they didn't kill someone previously, or for the second murder, why don't you just fake it, if you're that desperate and don't want to kill someone (they said no killings at some point I remember)? No one will know until you land and everything is over. They were choking the flight attendant so faking that picture wouldn't even require blood.

The main criminal takes the car from the police and drives away. Don't they really think that he would switch the car at some point, are these guys stupid to think that criminal (mastermind behind this wonderful hijack plan) guy would drive that car to go wherever?

And the chasing part, like oh my god. You already have the satellite data every second updating plus the drone if you need visuals. Why would you chase the car with 3 big black cars, and that close? I couldn't stop laughing when they said "reverse" when they got caught.

And, when he realized that the phone is being tracked, and that's how the criminal guy knows they're still following, why don't the other two cars continue chasing if chasing him was that important? The guy with the phone can stay there to prove they stopped and can answer if he calls again to prove they didn't throw the phone away.

Why the provided car doesn't have any hidden cams or something to let the police know if he switches the cars? They really didn't think about this possibility, switching the car under a tree or a bridge or in a tunnel? Nice.

Why are passengers passing a bottle with the "shake" message being circled. Just find a paper or some clothing, or take that bottle apart and write an actual message that explains what happened. Like "their boss requires to kill someone and send photo, if this happens again, we attack, if you hear a whistle, attack the guy/girl in your section" or something like this contains the actual plan with something to initiate the action. It could've be easier to pass than the big bottle thingy also. When they got caught the message didn't hide their intention so I don't why would you skip writing and actual message since you have the pen, and just use it to circle it. (It would've been understandable if they didn't have the pen but passing the bottle to send a message) This is like you're locked in a wooden box, but you have the keys to go out, but you use the keys to try to cut the wood to go out. Nonsensical.

And the mom, why are you yelling to that Karen to take the bottle, just give it to someone else. Just nonsensical writing again.

And after everything starts, no one helps the protagonist? Nice. Even the Asian flight attendant who's just there. Just take the gun and shoot the bad guy already.

I remember several scenes that they could have gone inside the cockpit (the second pilot, previous episode) but she never thinks about the idea for some reason. And now the pilot considers to go in the cockpit, waiting for some reason that I can't relate and then fails to do so. But the real problem is, why would he consider that? He's the one who opened the door at the first place (this is where I started hating the writing btw). And his lover flight attendant isn't dead or anything so they would threat to kill her again. So it was so stupid for writers to make him consider this option, just to create more nonsensical drama.

The two star is for the twist at the end. I think that lady is the ultimate terrorist, that the other terrorists are unaware. After the "now" text, she goes to cockpit room and locks herself to crash the plane. Main terrorists have no idea about her because they wouldn't agree dying probably and they think this is a big bluff. I hope this is the reason though since I have no idea about the writers mindset about the human beings and nature of the matter.

I'm just continuing watching to finish the job I started, but the bad writing could've been sensed from the first episode. I should've stopped then.

And you think this is peak television, you have no idea about the good writing, just watch the Braking Bad again to understand the beauty of the writing.

Objectively terribly

[Nikh23-4-829669 · 1/10 · 20 August 2023]

I have no idea how this show has such a high rating - the plot is absolutely ludicrous, every single character's actions are nonsensical, there is zero character depth or development.

Even switching off and trying to enjoy it as some mindless popcorn viewing is impossible as the plot is so implausible at every step. It feels like the script was written by an AI program and the cast and crew have just gone along with it.

I stuck with it to see if it gets better and if you've watched the first episode and are wondering if it gets better, the answer is no, it does not. Just more and more ridiculous and infuriating.

Just No

[pmfrqxddm · 2/10 · 13 August 2023]

So you release two crime lords from prison in a vehicle that you are not tracking - other than following with a line of cars and a helicopter?

No

First of all the car would have been equipped with multiple trackers AND a device to assume control remotely AND a self destruct as well as surveillance installed with multiple redundant options. When that was not included I knew we were more than off course. If there is anything I cannot abide it is stupid and this is stupid and lazy writing as well.

Too many plot holes and not enough logic.

Just No - this confirms that this series is a waste of time.

So much potential

[alastairtooth-13413 · 3/10 · 6 August 2023]

Great premise, but like a lot of UK TV shows these days they've regressed to nonsense so they don't have to write an intelligent plot.

UK shows used to be great for accurate procedural pieces, and now this along with too many other shows throws common sense aside.

Started well, then cops started ignoring standard process, protagonists deciding to 'take matters into their own hands', when fights happen people just watch instead of easily helping, the government acts like they're a bunch of emotional high school kids with no understanding of policy - effectively plenty of smart people doing stupid things so that the writers didn't need to think when putting pen to paper.

Are there any pirates aboard the plane?

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10 August 2023]

When I watch this crap, I again think about AIRPLANE FLYING HIGH series that was released during the eighties and nineties. The title in French was "Is There Any Pilot in the Plane? ". So, here is ask again: Is there any pirates in this plane? Good question, because if one day I have to be taken as hostage, I would not mind at all to be held by such puppy dog "pirates", who ONLY groan, threaten, speak, speak, grimace for any reason.... And of course never act. Ha ha ha I have never, NEVER seen any so funny, lousy, jerk pirates in any airplane hijacking movie of any kind. And I now renounce to wait for any of those also lousy passengers to wonder HOW THOSE F...PIRATES BROUGHT GUNS ABOARD. We, audiences, however, know how. But the least for those passengers would be to wonder.... Now, concerning the complex plot about the genesis of the whole caper, stock exchange falldown concerning the Airplane company shares.... Hmmmm.

Comply Slowly

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 8 March 2024]

Edgar Janssen (Simon McBurney) and John Bailey-Brown (Ian Burfield) make their grinning appearance in this episodes. The super criminals who masterminded this plot and got themselves released from prison.

They have been given a car and leave instructions about not to be followed. So of course Daniel O'Farrell is right behind them!

It means they give instructions to the hijackers to kill someone. At this point Sam Nelson realises that the passengers are doomed. They need to take down the terrorists but other passengers are not what they seem.

Hijack should be reaching a climax at this point. This is the penultimate episode, unfortunately it bagan it's nose dive to a crash landing. It is a shame as it was a good series but it certainly ran out of fuel as the finishing line approaches.

There is a meeting of politicians but it is the inept sort. Where is the Prime Minister, the top police chief and any army tactical teams? Of course the show might be reflecting the Tory government of the time and he was off on holiday somewhere.

You had the prisoners getting released and getting followed by someone in a large jeep. The one who could not even guard an old woman previously. There have been such deep cuts in the security services, they cannot afford a cheap anonymous looking old supermini or two.

No one thought if the baddies can do such a ruse as hijacking a plane in order to get themselves released. They will figure that their car will have a tracker on it and make arrangements to switch cars.

Actually they should had never been released from jail in the first place given there is a bit of stock market profiteering going on.