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.
Fox launched Best Medicine on January 4, 2026, reimagining the long-running British series Doc Martin that wrapped after 10 seasons in 2022. Reviewers highlight its whimsical small-town vibe set in a Maine fishing village called Port Wenn, where surgeon Martin Best relocates after developing a blood phobia.
Josh Charles delivers a standout performance as the brusque doctor clashing with eccentric locals, earning nods for softening the original’s sharper edges without losing bite.
Many critics appreciate the formula working in its favor, calling it a cozy dramedy akin to past hits that blend medical mishaps with community quirks. The Los Angeles Times notes more whimsy and less grit than Doc Martin, yet praises Charles for anchoring scenes amid vomit jokes and village festivals.
Metacritic scores sit at 56 out of 100 from initial reviews, signaling a mixed but leaning positive reception for its accessible tone. Supporting cast like Abigail Spencer as love interest Louisa Gavin and Annie Potts as Aunt Sarah add familiar warmth, helping the show feel like a polished network entry.
Liz Tuccillo’s adaptation introduces fresh elements, such as a gay couple running the inn and a childhood trauma backstory for Martin, aiming to broaden appeal beyond the UK original’s cult status. Critics see potential in these tweaks, positioning Best Medicine as a lighter entry in Fox’s Tuesday lineup at 8 p.m. EST.
Early episodes tackle gynecomastia mysteries and teen pranks much like the pilot, but with upscale production values, shot partly in Cornwall, New York. This polish contributes to the 73% Rotten Tomatoes tally, as outlets commend its binge-friendly setup.
Original Doc Martin Lovers Feel Betrayed by Beat-for-Beat Copy
Fans of the ITV staple, available on platforms like PBS and Acorn TV, express outrage over Best Medicine’s near-identical premiere to Doc Martin’s 2004 pilot. IMDb user reviews label it a “pale imitation,” slamming weak writing, miscast actors, and zero charm in recreating Portwenn’s dynamics.
One viewer quit after five minutes, calling it “awful” and nothing like the British version’s humor. Reddit threads in Doc Martin communities echo this, with posts describing nausea from word-for-word lifts minus the endearing quirks.
The 38% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes underscores this divide, a 35-point gap topping lists of critic-fan splits. Doc Martin devotees argue the U.S. version sanded down Martin Clunes’ inscrutable intensity, replacing it with Charles’ more relatable stiffness.
Changes like renaming Portwenn to Port Wenn and swapping a farm for fishing feel superficial, while new characters like a bullying childhood rival come off as forced.
Social media buzz amplifies complaints about “Americanized” tropes, from reduced teen groups to predictable small-town festivals celebrating baked beans or baseball.
Josh Charles (Credit: NBC)
Producers from the original, including Mark Crowdy and Philippa Braithwaite, carry over, yet fans question why the remake clings so tightly to the source instead of forging a new path. Clunes appears recurring as Martin’s father, Dr. Robert Best, which some hope bridges the gap, but others dismiss as gimmicky.
International adaptations in France, Germany, and elsewhere succeeded by localizing fully, leaving U.S. viewers wondering why Fox did not follow suit. This backlash risks early cancellation talk, despite the NFL lead-in promos hyping big exposure.
Can Fox’s Doc Fix Ratings Rift Before Season Slips Away?
Best Medicine arrives amid a trend of British imports getting U.S. makeovers, from The Office’s endurance to flops like Life on Mars. Networks chase proven formulas, but audience rejection of close copies threatens viability, as seen in Rotten Tomatoes gaps signaling broader remake fatigue.
Fox slots it post-NFL for a launch boost, yet low viewer scores after two episodes prompt questions on sustaining Tuesdays. Cast heavyweights like Cree Cicchino as receptionist Elaine Denton and Josh Segarra as cop Mark Mylow offer hooks, with Cicchino’s personal arc drawing early praise.
Producers promise original stories ahead, moving past pilot parallels to explore Martin’s integration amid lobster feasts and wilderness rituals. Recurring players like John DiMaggio as Bert Large could deepen ensemble appeal if given room beyond quirky poses.
Showrunner Tuccillo’s resume includes relatable dramedies, suggesting room to pivot toward Northern Exposure-style heart over strict fidelity. Positive critical buzz might draw curious newcomers via word-of-mouth or streaming post-air.
Viewership data remains sparse this early in 2026, but history shows splits can heal if narratives evolve, like Ghosts thriving stateside. Fan forums mix cringes with holdout s enjoying the fresh take, hinting at growth potential.
Fox’s investment, including Hudson River shots for coastal authenticity, bets on charm winning converts. As episodes roll out, balancing homage with innovation decides if Best Medicine prescribes success or gets pulled from the air.
