Those hours of footage highlight a grizzled warrior trying to shield his boy amid prophecies and gods, a shift from endless hack-and-slash.
Greek era fans feel robbed. The original trilogy builds Kratos as a rage machine betrayed by Ares, then Zeus, forging his iconic anti-hero status through temple climbs and titan slaying. Skipping that leaves newcomers clueless about his ashes-tattooed skin or Blades of Chaos grudge.
Social media threads light up with complaints that this choice guts the character’s foundation, turning a vengeance epic into a family therapy session.
Moore admits the Norse arc stands alone better for television. Longer dialogues and character beats suit scripted drama over arcade action sequences.
Showrunner Choices Stir Cred Doubts
Ronald D. Moore brings Battlestar Galactica cred to the project, yet his confessed non-gamer status raises eyebrows.
He tried playing the games but bounced off, opting instead for cutscene compilations to grasp the story. This approach prioritizes narrative over mechanics, fitting for a series aiming at broader audiences beyond PlayStation loyalists.
Critics point to risks when creators sidestep source material hands-on. Fan videos dissect early concept art, praising costume details but warning against diluting Kratos’ raw edge. One analysis flags the reboot’s “cucked subversion” vibe, claiming Norse Kratos lacks the unhinged fury that defined earlier titles.
Defenders counter that TV success hinges on emotional hooks, not button-mashing fidelity. Moore praises the father-son dynamic as fresh territory, ripe for actor turns like a bearded Kratos wrestling restraint.
With Norse gods like Odin and Thor looming, the setup promises spectacle without needing Greek lore dumps. Producer Cory Barlog consulted on set, bridging game authenticity gaps.
Business Play or Fan Betrayal?
Starting post-reboot sidesteps timeline tangles, letting writers focus on Ragnarok stakes like Atreus’ Loki heritage. Two-season commitment hints at multi-year rollout, potentially eyeing spin-offs if viewership pops.
Fan forums are split hard. Reddit threads from r/GodofWar mourn lost Greek spectacle , with users calling the skip a “huge mistake” for casual viewers needing rage backstory.
Others celebrate modernization, noting 2018’s sales topped 23 million copies by emphasizing growth over gore. Dexerto reports confirm Norse lock-in, quashing prequel hopes.
Ronald D. Moore (Credit: BBC)
Production ramps with casting rumors swirling. Kratos demands a hulking presence; Atreus needs youthful fire. Norway’s fjords mock-up Midgard, blending practical sets with VFX for Leviathan Axe heft. Success could validate reboot-first tactics for Sony’s IP slate, including Horizon show.
Fan Voices Clash on Legacy
Communities buzz with hot takes. One YouTuber slams the pivot as a setup for disaster, arguing non-gamer leads treat God of War like a generic fantasy cash-grab. True believers defend Norse depth: Atreus’ arc adds layers absent in button-prompt kills.
PlayStation history weighs heavily. Originals pioneered cinematic action, evolving from God of War II’s epic to 2018’s quiet rebuild. TV format favors the latter’s restraint, suiting hour-long episodes over original marathons. Moore hasn’t ruled out Greek flashbacks, leaving the door cracked for brutal nods.
Broader trends shape reaction. Video game shows thrive on reinvention; Fallout twisted canon smartly. God of War tests if lore loyalty trumps accessibility. With 2026 release whispers, hype builds alongside dread.
Greek loyalists rally petitions for balance. Norse fans cheer a fresh slate. Debate underscores gaming’s evolution: from niche to Netflix-scale. Show lands as a litmus test.
Apple TV kicked off Hijack season 2 on January 14, 2026, with two episodes, followed by weekly drops through March 4. Corporate fixer Sam Nelson, played by Idris Elba, faces another hostage nightmare, this time on a Berlin underground train packed with commuters.
Two years post the Dubai-to-London flight terror from season 1, Sam steps into chaos again, negotiating amid armed militants and ticking bombs.
The setup echoes the original beat for beat, swapping skies for subway tunnels but keeping real-time tension and control-room cutaways. German intelligence scrambles outside while passengers panic inside, with subtitles handling chunks of dialogue in the local language.
Elba carries the load as the unflappable lead, his commanding presence masking thin character work that treats hostages like game pieces. Production shines with slick visuals and claustrophobic sets, but the plot leans on withheld info and shock twists over fresh thrills.
Critics panned the premiere hard, landing a 20% Rotten Tomatoes score from early reviews, down sharply from season 1’s 90% Certified Fresh mark. Outlets call it a clunky retread, with dampened suspense and themes that fail to land amid repetitive negotiator tropes.
Roger Ebert noted tighter pacing in spots, but familiar beats were wearing thin fast. Still, Elba’s star power keeps it watchable, his subtle shifts from calm to cornered fueling key moments.
Critics Slam Repetition While Fans Ride Weekly Rollercoaster
Season 1 hooked with non-stop plane peril, topping Nielsen streaming charts and earning praise for edge-of-seat grip. Fans split then at 51% audience score, griping about stretched plots, yet tuned in for Elba’s grit. Season 2 doubles down on formula, expanding the conspiracy from the finale but recycling hijack dynamics on rails.
Reviewers fault the eight-episode stretch, up from seven last time, for dragging in static control-room scenes and baffling choices that defy logic. Screen Rant dubbed it passable paint-by-numbers, enjoyable for genre buffs but soulless without human depth.
Hijack S2 (Credit: Apple TV+)
Common knocks include predictable cliffhangers every episode and twists chasing shock over smarts, making the ride feel rigged. German elements add flavor, but subtitles slow momentum in quieter beats.
Audience reactions mirror past divides, with some praising the chaos buildup in episode 1 as unpredictable fun. Others echo critics on bloat, saying the story fits six episodes max amid subplots tying loosely to Sam’s arc.
Social buzz post-premiere mixes thrill highs with fatigue lows, many opting to wait for the full drop. Elba’s interview hype around train twists drew viewers, but the execution leaves some questioning the rush to renew.
Binge Button Fixes the Weekly Drag for Elba’s Ride-Or-Die Fans
Creators George Kay and Jim Field Smith craft Hijack as poker-game suspense, each episode a hand with hostages as stakes.
Bingeing shines here, allowing viewers to power through eight hours in one sitting to smooth out convoluted reveals and alleviate cliffhanger fatigue. March finale wait tests patience, as weekly gaps amplify flaws like rigid Sam and faceless baddies.
Elba elevates middling material, his negotiator rigid yet riveting, driven by basic stakes that click faster in marathon mode.
Strengths pop on rewatch: polished design, chaos peaks, and Berlin grit contrasting sterile cabins. Weak spots fade quicker, too, such as an over-serious tone and safe shocks that play better when stacked than spaced.
Apple TV banks on Elba’s draw after season 1’s global smash, hosting NYC premieres to build hype. Trailer teased train havoc sans plane , promising escalation, yet delivery stays mid-tier.
For thriller junkies, it’s guilty-pleasure fuel, best scarfed post-finale like junk food after a hike. Future seasons hinge on ditching retreads for bolder swings, or risk stalling on these familiar tracks.
