Westworld season 2 is brutal, ambitious and completely absurd

*This is a spoiler-free review of Westworld's forthcoming second season, based on the first five episodes provided by HBO. There will of course be spoilers for Westworld season one*

The first season of HBO's audacious sci-fi saga Westworld was a refreshing, intelligent and mystery-laden take on the old 'do androids dream of electric sheep?' question. At a time when pop culture explorations of artificial intelligence are at a renewed high, it more than held its own as a gripping and thought-provoking example; as well as being a startling commentary on humanity's darkest impulses.

This second outing, however, is a full on slaughter and survival-fest. Here, the theme park-gone-wrong, robots rebelling premise of Michael Crichton's original 1973 film is rendered in sprawling, savage and vastly more expansive fashion.

The "lunatics have taken over the asylum", as one character puts it. That comment could also sum-up the showrunners' complete lack of inhibition when it comes to scale, story and gleeful self-indulgence.

Spun amid a tangled web of splintered sub-plots, detailed flashbacks and bloodthirsty violence, the results are both staggeringly ambitious and - at times - bordering on the absurd.

'Dead isn't what it used to be'

At the end of season one, the park's AI hosts - led by a newly sentient, self-aware Dolores - had begun a gory rebellion against their human oppressors.

Now, we see the ongoing consequences of Ford's masterplan, as the hosts set about hunting down and eliminating any unfortunate guest or employee they can get their hands on.

William's past and present provide some absorbing moments (Photo: HBO/Sky)

With brutality sometimes bordering on the Blood Meridian esque (if you've never wanted to see train tracks being made out of people, look away), it makes for uncomfortable viewing.

Against this backdrop, several characters are on Heart Of Darkness style journeys through the chaos.

Ed Harris's Man In Black is as riveting as ever, and probably the only human in the park actively delighted by this horrifying turn of events. Now, finally, he has a game worth playing.

Tessa Thompson meanwhile, freshly high-profile off the back of Thor: Ragnarok and Annihilation, is back as calculating executive Charlotte, partnering with secret host Bernard to escape the massacre.

And then there's brothel madame turned uber host Maeve, on the hunt for her 'daughter', and joined in her quest by a rag-tag bunch of (sometimes reluctant) allies.

An elaborate patch-work

Where things get complicated is in the structure of this story. The fragmented storyline sees numerous different threads and characters spread across at least four time frames.

Bernard uncovers some uncomfortable truths about the park, Delos and himself (Photo: HBO/Sky)