While Elle has her first encounter with a dangerous new foe, J has his final encounter with his former colleague Marlowe.

The animated Blade Runner spinoff’s penultimate episode sticks to its tried and tested formula (and why would it try to do something new at this late stage?) of offering up the equivalent of another level in a computer game, requiring combat against the next big boss before moving on.

More cyber-punk anime than Blade Runner, this show has been disappointing for missing what sits at the heart of the franchise. It’s not enough to set scenes in familiar locales like the Bradbury Building, and feature shots of Spinners and the Off-World blimp, if it’s just using the trappings to dress up another Alita/Ghost in the Shell/Altered Carbon clone. It could learn a lot from the Blade Runner 2019 and 2029 comics, which have got it spot-on, creating credible new characters and situations within the established world.

Verdict: More of the same. The finale has everything to play for. 6/10

Nick Joy