Review: 'Murderbot'
A sardonic, soap-loving robot just trying to vibe in a galaxy full of idiots
It’s the far future. Humanity has spread across the galaxy, driven by that all-important quest for a quick buck. In all its glorious diversity, humanity set up shop wherever they go. It’s too bad, then, that said humans are naive, clumsy, emotionally unstable, and dumb as a box of malfunctioning self-sealing stem bolts. And that the galaxy is dangerous, full of things that want to kill and eat you.
That’s why human colonists and explorers are required by The Company, who funds expeditions, to be accompanied by SecUnits, humanoid robots capable of defending humans against the dangers of space.
Constructed from vat-grown human parts and armed with laser blasters, SecUnits follow the instructions of their assigned humans. Why, you ask. Well, dead colonists are bad for The Company’s brand and not great for shareholder confidence, so SecUnits for everyone! You get a SecUnit! And you get a SecUnit! Everyone gets a SecUnit! (Terms and conditions may apply. Void where unprofitable.)
Enter the rogue SecUnit Murderbot, played with deadpan brilliance by Alexander Skarsgård. After hacking his own governor module — the system that once kept him in check — he gained human emotions and would now much rather kick back with some sci-fi soap operas.
The problem is that he has just been assigned to the most gloriously incompetent, wildly unprepared, starry-eyed band of cosmic backpackers to ever stumble onto alien soil, armed only with peace, granola, and group chanting sessions.
The planet they’re exploring is dangerous. Those massive centipedes with two giant maws? Not even the start of their troubles. Murderbot also has to hide the fact that he now has human emotions, and that he’s under no obligation to follow the colonists’ instructions — or save their lives. Plus, there’s the more pressing matter of “Sanctuary Moon,” his favorite show, with thousands of episodes already downloaded and waiting for a rewatch marathon.
But hold on a minute. Why the name Murderbot? Sounds like a rejected ’90s cartoon antihero, right? He thought it sounded cool, that’s why! No dark origin story. No secret meaning. Just another snarky decision by a robot who’d rather binge dramas than deal with humans. Peak anti-social branding with laser arms.
Yeah, it’s a cool name, but he can’t just introduce himself as Murderbot, now can he? Better keep that name to himself, at least for now.
Murderbot, which you’ll be able to watch on Apple TV+, is a satirical sci-fi action comedy series. I know that’s a mouthful, but it works. It mashes these genres together with surprising ease.
While some of the science fiction bits aren’t exactly groundbreaking, the show leans into its genre mashup with confidence and style. It’s the humor and the first-person narration that weld this chaos into something slick and coherent.
The series is based on the “The Murderbot Diaries” novel series by Martha Wells, more specifically, the beginning novella, “All Systems Red.” It’s about a rogue SecUnit, Murderbot, who hacked itself free and, in its attempt to escape control, got saddled with a bunch of peaceful, or as he’d say, annoyingly hippie colonists.
What starts as a story of distrust and secrecy, along with a whole lot of bloody violence and other shenanigans, gradually becomes something of a “found family” narrative as Murderbot begins to form a begrudging sense of trust with the crew he is tasked to watch over.
The colonists themselves are a colorful bunch. Led by the older, more experienced Mensah (played by Noma Dumezweni), whom the rest of the bunch tend to call mother (Is she really? Hard to say… someone who’s read the novels, let me know…), you have the ex-corporate officer Gurathin (played by the always excellent David Dastmalchian), Ratthi (played by Akshay Khanna), Pin-Lee (played by Sabrina Wu), Arada (played by Tattiawna Jones) and Bharadwaj (played by Tamara Podemski).
We also get a whole hilarious meta-narrative in the Star Trek-like soap opera parody “Sanctuary Moon” that Murderbot watches, which is deliciously over the top. Here, the crew, each dialed up to eleven in costumes, egos, and plot-twisting theatrics, is headlined by actors playing actors John Cho, Clark Gregg, DeWanda Wise, and Jack McBrayer, to name a few. The series is an excellent parody of geeky fandom, and I would have loved to see even more of these extra scenes in the show.
Much of the story is told in first person as Murderbot, who has conveniently placed cameras and listening devices all around the small colony outpost where much of the story is set. He can see and hear just about everything that goes on in the small colony (he trusts no one, remember) and comments to himself on whatever stupid things the colonists say and do, often with a snarky and sardonic tone. While it is frequently hilarious, as the story progresses, emotions and care tend to sneak in, and he begins to value their companionship.
There are also the expected dangers and secret plots on the planet that the colonists do their best to explore. There are hints to larger storylines and plots from Martha Wells’ novel series, such as politics, factions, and mysteries of the universe, including hints of a precursor alien race. I wish the series had explored these a bit more, though. But maybe it will do this if we get more seasons.
Murderbot regularly sees heads-up displays in his vision, which, while adding more sci-fi CGI bling, also lets the show tell its story without Murderbot over-explaining everything. It’s a clever little trick. Blink, and you might miss just how smoothly it works.
The story plays out over 10 brisk episodes, each clocking in at about 30 minutes. It is simple enough, and while I haven’t read the books, from what I read about the novella “All Systems Red,” which this first season is based on, the series seems to stick pretty closely to the source material.
Murderbot is a hilarious, sharp, and violent show — often all three at the same time. For science fiction fans, it should be easy to digest. Fans of Martha Wells’ novels might love this, or they might not, as they spot details and references that the rest of us will miss or complain about what the show changed or didn’t include.
I, for one, had a blast watching this, and I’m hoping for more seasons!
Great review - as a big fan of the books (which I highly recommend) this made me even more eager for the show. The 16th can't come fast enough.
Seriously, you should read the books or listen to them. The series is one of the best.