Idris Elba, first class passenger and air negotiator

APPLE TV+ – ON DEMAND – SERIES

Those who still remember the shock that was 24 hour clocka post-9/11 series whose action takes place on screen in real time, will perhaps be disappointed by the use hi-jack the same process, and the result of which is much less spectacular. They will perhaps nevertheless be delighted with the discreet return of this type of old-fashioned series, classic in its form and very correct in its morality, the interest of this smooth production residing more in its heroes than in its history.

The series developed by Jim Field Smith and George Kay (co-writers of Criminal) indeed seems to essentially exist to showcase the laid-back charm of its lead actor. It is therefore under the loving eye of the camera that Idris Elba puts on the chic clothes of Sam Nelson, a neat businessman who, after buying a jewel for his wife, embarks the last in business class. on a flight from Dubai to London.

Shortly after takeoff – the event is precipitated by the discovery of an object which provides one of the best sequences of the series – the plane is hijacked by a group of people whose motives will remain unclear for a long time, the time that the tempers flare in the cabin and the plane turns into a pressure cooker.

Demining and self-mockery

Sam Nelson quickly established himself as the man for the job, in a role vaguely inspired by Bruce Willis period diehard, but dusted off. Because despite his imposing stature, today’s hero uses less his muscles than his negotiating skills, and the natural authority of his interpreter, to bring the villains to their senses and avoid the worst. This does not make hi-jack a cerebral series for all that: body-to-body and hemoglobin punctuate the story as the plot develops, necessarily more complex than it seems at first sight.

It is moreover in the chain of responsibilities of the incident, as well as in that of its resolution, that beats the heart of the story, because despite its Middle Eastern starting point, the scenario clears the pitfalls of the series ” terrorist” to venture into the more unexpected terrain of white-collar crime. With a bit of self-mockery, the scenario interweaves the worst clichés of air travel – noisy family, liaison between the pilot and the air hostess (yes, yes) – and a more modern writing of the situations.

The female and male roles are perfectly balanced in the cabin as on the ground, as is the distribution of power between ordinary citizens and high dignitaries of the State. The other heroine of the series is thus this modest air traffic controller who, between two school trips, will keep control of the plane for the seven hours that the flight (and the series) lasts.