The Apple TV Crime Thriller Living in 'Slow Horses' Shadow Dominates a New Streamer

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Christopher Chung in Slow Horses Season 5

Published Feb 8, 2026, 3:40 PM EST

Denis is a news writer for Collider. He has covered television for several years, starting with writing scripts for YouTube videos before transitioning to articles. He has reviewed shows across different genres. His favorite types of articles to write are exciting news updates about shows and episodic reviews of the same. He might say he doesn't have a favorite show, but he has watched The Wire, Shameless, The Big Bang Theory, and The Blacklist more than once. Find him on X tweeting about something random that occurred to him about a TV show or the industry.

Apple TV continues to deliver addictive dramas, but some are appreciated more than others. The streaming service consistently releases engaging thrillers, including the Idris Elba-led Hijack and Gary Oldman's Slow Horses. While the latter is a critical darling, the former has — especially in Season 2 — not received the same acclaim. At 97% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it is easy to see how Slow Horses eclipses Hijack, which has an 81% score. However, when it comes to streaming, viewers are obsessed with Sam Nelson's new situation in Berlin's underground train system.

According to FlixPatrol, Hijack is the most popular show on Apple TV at the time of writing, beating other dramas such as Shrinking, Tehran, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters for the top spot. The drama keeps viewers engaged with twists and turns, and this latest one is the biggest. Outside its home platform, Hijack is also seeing significant success on PVOD, especially on Amazon, where it is the third most popular. It comes behind Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Taylor Sheridan's streaming juggernaut Landman. Elsewhere, French viewers have not been left behind, as the show has climbed to fifth on the local streaming service Canal+. It's uncommon to see Apple TV shows venture this much outside the streaming service, hinting at the streamer's growing popularity or specific interest in shows like Hijack, Drops of God, and Tehran.

Even with this continued success, Hijack has not escaped controversy, with Season 2 failing to match the acclaim of its predecessor. "Replaying the same formula in a new setting, Hijack's second season doesn't quite justify continuing a story that worked best as a one-off, but watching Idris Elba save the day remains a thrill," reads the critic consensus on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, perfectly encapsulating the phenomenon where Elba elevates an otherwise mediocre season.

The undisputed sci-fi destination of modern television continues to diversify its offerings with a mixture of crime thrillers, comedies, and, of course, sci-fi. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters continues its ascent on the charts as Season 2 approaches, with Pluribus coming in close. The streamer's biggest sci-fi show remains a global favorite and has eclipsed the internet's favorite, Severance. Ted Lasso is also back on the chart with the recent exciting news about Season 4. Drops of God, the most underrated show on the platform, is back for a second season and claimed its rightful place on the chart. Meanwhile, Apple TV's oldest series, The Morning Show, remains a streaming success.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.