Bernard awakens on a beach as troops arrive to reclaim Delos following the massacre where park creator Robert Ford was murdered by his creation. He may be the sole witness to what happened, but just how reliable is his testimony?

I have to confess, I was concerned that this new season of Westworld would be even more tricksy than the first, and although we still have multiple timelines and opposing narratives, it feels less like the makers are trying to take you on an adventure than keep pulling the rug out from under your feet.

The most current timeline involves a squadron of elite troops arriving at the park. They’re led by Vikings’ Gustaf Skarsgard as a ruthless company man, aided by his tech guy Acosta (Fares Fares) who reveals that the hosts have a cranial hard drive that can be extracted from inside the brain. They’re relying on Bernard telling them what happened, but he himself is having flashbacks to immediately after the fateful party and how he escaped with Tessa Thompson’s Charlotte Hale. Jeffrey Wright is great in this role, hiding his big secret, while also empathising with the plight of the symbionts.

Ed Harris’ Man in Black also survived the shootout and it’s not long before he’s acquired a new hat and horse, and killed young Ford. He’s ruthless as ever and actually seems to be enjoying this new life or death scenario. Talking of ruthless, Dolores is now in full Wyatt mode, shooting or lynching any humans she finds. Evan Rachel Wood is formidable in this role, though it’ll be a shame if we don’t get to see the sweet Dolores of old ever again. Poor Teddy just looks horrified at what she has become.

The final main story thread follows the unlikely pairing of Thandie Newton’s Maeve and Lee Sizemore’s Quarterman, the former brothel madam searching for her lost daughter. I must confess to disliking Quarterman, not least because his English accent feels like a comedy variant, and the character is a cowardly dick. That’s no offence to the actor, but I hope he gets to lose some of his comedy annoyances fairly sharpish.

There’s new drone hosts – sinewy unfinished creatures with exposed muscle – more references to the maze, a dead Bengal tiger that had wandered in from Park 6, a wolf prowling around, and did you guess that Delos was an island?

Verdict: A very confident and engaging season opener that throws you right back into the action as the inmates take over the asylum, and sows the seeds of where this year is going to take us. Watching the mayhem, you really wouldn’t want to stay there, but an hourly visit once a week is highly recommended. 9/10

Nick Joy