Before Star Wars dumbed down science fiction to a puerile tale of good, evil and adorable puppets, the genre was a font of wondrous and bonkers myth-making. That tradition has been grippingly revived by the barking mad Raised By Wolves (Sky Atlantic). This Ridley Scott production is a chest-bursting interstellar thriller brimming with emotionally-conflicted killer robots, religious zealots wandering the wilds and a CGI snake-monster crying out for solid parenting.

With its first season, in 2020, Raised By Wolves leaned hard into the pre-Jar Jar Binks idea of sci-fi as a prism through which to explore the complications of the modern condition. And, if sure to baffle newcomers with its complex backstory, series two plunges deeper into a fascinating universe of religious conflict, machine-intelligence and strange beasts looming in the murk. Provided you’re willing to commit to the slow-burn pace and dense lore, it is hugely rewarding. Fans of the bleak style executive producer Scott perfected with Alien and Blade Runner will, in particular, be in dystopian heaven.

Recapping the plot would be a bit like trying to explain the end of Game of Thrones to someone who could not tell Daenerys Targaryen from chicken teriyaki. But, to simplify it massively: on the distant colony world of Kepler 22-b, killer robot Mother (Amanda Collin) has had her murderous programming wiped and is trying to begin life anew with synthetic husband Father (Abubakar Salim) and their flesh-and-blood son Campion (Winta McGrath).

Mother and Father have joined a community of atheists in Kepler’s lush tropical zone, who take their orders from a sentient lava lamp named The Trust. However, there are challenges for the settlers. The demon snake child Mother birthed last season in a fit of existential pique – a flying serpent christened Number 7 – is still out in the wilds, wreaking mischief.