Versailles has chandeliers crashing and poisoning on the rise for its racy second episode

It's the raunchy BBC2 period drama that shocked the nation with its first series last year, and now the second season of Versailles is already causing a stir with its shocking sex scenes and tales of passion.

The second episode of the second series airs tonight (28 April), and it's not short of pandemonium. It'll show how King Louis XIV's bad example is blamed by the Catholic clergy for the nobility's immorality as his adultery with Madame de Montespan not only troubles his Queen but also the young Father Pascal.

Passion-enhancing powders and potions will sweep the palace, but their use also covers up sinister motives to secure social advancement. With incidents of the poisoning increasing, royal enforcer Fabien Marchal faces an uphill struggle to police the toxic situation.

Elsewhere in the episode, Phillippe is set to meet his new bride for the first time, Princess Palatine, but she is also confronted by the acerbic Chevalier. It'll also see a chandelier crashing to the floor and missing the midnight-strolling King Louis by mere inches.

The light-hearted series is based upon the events of Versailles in 1667. Haunted by the trauma of the Fronde civil wars – as the nobles of 28-year-old Louis' court begin to rebel against the monarchy – Louis moved the court from Paris to Versailles, which is his father's former hunting lodge.

The nobles of Paris end up thinking of the castle as a glided prison since they are trapped by their king's "invitation," which feels more like imprisonment. George Blagden stars as King Louis in the cliché yet fun primetime offering, which has been renewed for a third season by producer Claude Chelli. Filming will begin this month.

The second season's plot takes place four years after that of the first season, and the first episode caused quite the stir among viewers, with people taking to Twitter to share their excitement, with one user writing: "I'm so excited for #Versailles tonight I've missed the Chevalier too much", as another put: "#Versailles absolutely bloody brilliant, cast, crew and creatives, take a bow".

Versailles continues on BBC2 at 9pm tonight.