Think back to a time just a few years ago. Before streaming services like Apple TV+ popped up everywhere it would have been tough to imagine a show like Murderbot getting made. It is not just because its star Alexander Skarsgård might usually be focused on bigger films. It is also because the eye-popping special effects and high-quality production needed for Martha Wells' popular science fiction series, The Murderbot Diaries, would have been a stretch even for a major movie. Getting it for a TV series on a platform that sometimes struggles to make big hits felt like a huge leap.
But here we are. Murderbot is the latest example of something I have noticed on streaming TV. Beautifully made science fiction and fantasy shows sometimes do not get seen by many people outside of a dedicated fan base. Apple TV+ has a history of this. However, Murderbot which just started streaming has many signs of being really good TV. Skarsgård is amazing as a cyborg who has secretly become an independent thinking artificial being. The series comes from Chris and Paul Weitz, brothers who worked on popular films like About a Boy and American Pie. This show has a strong team behind it.
The show takes its name from what Skarsgård’s robot character secretly calls itself. It is actually a "security unit" rented out by a huge company to be a top-notch bodyguard. The series walks a fine line between very dark comedy and straight-up science fiction action. Murderbot ends up guarding a group of "hippie scientists" who are exploring a mysterious planet. As they find more and more deadly problems tangled in a strange plot, Murderbot has to decide if helping these helpless clients, who it can barely stand, is actually in its own best interest.
Murderbot's Inner Life and Relatable Social Struggles Makes It Truly Special
Unpacking The Quirky Habits And Discomfort That Define This Unique Character
We get to know Murderbot by hearing its internal thoughts through a voiceover. It admits to hating long eye contact with humans and wonders why the group it is guarding is so clueless. But instead of making plans to take over the world or kill its human charges the security unit mostly wants to watch reruns of its favorite space opera, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. This show-within-a-show is played in small parts by an awesome group of guest actors including Jack McBrayer Clark Gregg DeWanda Wise and John Cho. It is a very clever touch that makes the show even more entertaining.
Skarsgård plays Murderbot with a dry humor, especially in its more honest and opinionated voiceovers. But he also skillfully shows the character's discomfort with normal human interactions. You might notice before any of the characters do that Skarsgård's character never makes eye contact with the other actors. Murderbot is much more comfortable wearing its combat uniform and helmet which hides its face. There is one scene where it fails to hide its extreme unhappiness when a scientist points out that it can hang out with them instead of in its private pod where it can watch its shows. This truly captures the character's personality.
As you might have guessed Murderbot feels distinctly like a character who is neurodivergent-coded. It struggles to make sense of unpredictable human behavior. It also has a hard time expressing its own emotions without being misunderstood. It is worth noting that the character never identifies with any gender. The other characters implicitly support this decision. Early on Murderbot relates to people through things it learned from watching TV. For example it distracts an injured client by asking about her home life. It does this not because it truly cares but because it knows that is what people do on TV.
In a welcome change from other shows about neurodivergent characters the things that make Murderbot different from the people around it are not shown as a superpower. Nor are they something that needs to be "fixed." This is not a show about needing to "break them out of their shell." Instead the shell is simply accepted as part of who Murderbot is. And when Murderbot does decide to step out of its comfort zone it is always by its own choice. This thoughtful portrayal makes the character feel more real and respected.
The Dynamic Between Murderbot And Its Human Companions Is A Source Of Both Humor And Heart
Examining The Quirks And Connections Within The Show's Core Group Of Characters
The scientists Murderbot is guarding are a group of what you could call "space-hippies." They have a funny advanced level of emotional understanding. David Dastmalchian’s Gurathin is a standout. He is the most doubtful of Murderbot’s intentions. Because he is new to this group and has learned to value their unique qualities Gurathin can see through Murderbot’s attempts to appear normal. There is a surprisingly tense scene where Gurathin tells Murderbot to keep eye contact with him. The robot cannot refuse without giving away its secret. This moment allows Dastmalchian to show off his specific kind of odd energy, and I mean that as a compliment. These two characters become close by the end. While that outcome is somewhat predictable in a story like this the emotional impact feels stronger than it did in the books.
With the rest of the crew everything often gets resolved with a hug. Any decision made without everyone agreeing is seen as a big problem. The scientists come from a community where artificial people like Murderbot are treated as normal citizens. But it is clear this is more of an intellectual understanding than something they are used to actually doing. This is shown by the character who proudly pats himself on the back for how cool it is to have a SecUnit friend. It is funny. It gently pokes fun at well-meaning but sometimes naive liberalism. This feels refreshing. It works not because these people are especially strange but because they are exactly the kind of people Murderbot would find strange. They talk about their feelings and are always open with each other. This does not match how Murderbot understands human behavior from its TV shows.
The show itself might be a little too used to how things work on TV. Its main problem is that the episodes become a bit too predictable after a while. Too many of them end on a big plot point that gets solved in the next episode. Then another big plot point comes up and carries into the next episode. This can be partly blamed on the half-hour length of the episodes. This length helps keep the show lighter and faster-paced which is good because Murderbot shines more as a comedy than as a sci-fi action show. But it also means the plot has to be packed in quite tightly. Still, the character changes and the shifting relationships between the scientists and Murderbot are the real reason to watch. These are more interesting than the mystery about what is happening on the not-so-empty planet. Maybe it does not matter too much that the plot is just a way to move these characters from one stressful situation to the next. It certainly gives plenty of reasons for "big conversations" about throuple contracts and how open-minded everyone is.
Why Murderbot Is A Must-Watch Series Amidst A Sea Of Sci-Fi Shows
Hoping This Fresh New Series Can Break Through And Find Its Audience
Murderbot is a creative story told in 10 short episodes. It makes fun of ruthless corporations and overly naive social justice viewpoints. It will be a favorite for science fiction fans who enjoy seeing all the actors who pop up in it. But it might not get a wide audience. Apple TV+ has a habit of spending a lot of money on beautifully filmed science fiction stories that do not always make a big splash. Think about shows like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Constellation or Invasion. You might not remember them. But they were all well-made and lavishly shot sci-fi shows that seemed to struggle to reach viewers.
On July 11 Apple TV+ will release a third season of Foundation. This is its version of Isaac Asimov's classic science fiction novels. It is an epic show starring Jared Harris and Lee Pace. But it has not gotten anywhere near the attention of popular shows on the streamer like Ted Lasso or Severance. Apple TV+ is not alone in this. MGM+ has two shows with cool effects and interesting stories that are not widely known. These are the deep space drama Beacon 23 and the sci-fi horror series From. SYFY and Peacock have a series called The Ark. Even slightly bigger Apple TV+ sci-fi hits like Silo and For All Mankind do not have the broad appeal that their budgets and star power might suggest.
But here is my opinion. As a science fiction fan I really support this direction. It has been great to dive into these ambitious, well-told stories. Even if there is a feeling that they might not attract a huge Star Wars-level audience. And Black Mirror should not be the only place for big, sci-fi-focused storytelling that is not part of a major TV franchise. Still, I hope Murderbot breaks this trend. I hope it gets a lot of attention with its unique mix of dry humor, sideways social commentary and action scenes. Because sci-fi fans should not be the only ones who get to enjoy a TV series that is more fun than most of the big franchise movies clogging up cinema screens.