Apple TV+’s Murderbot is yet another hit from the streaming platform, which rarely misses. Alexander Skarsgård is brilliant, as is the rest of the cast.
I did not know exactly what to expect from Apple TV+’s Muderbot, as I went into it fairly blind. I avoided trailers and did not even know that the show is based on a book series until after I finished watching the first season’s final episode. All of that said, it took me less than one episode to become completely hooked, causing me to fly through all ten episodes in just two days.
Alexander Skarsgård leads the film as Murderbot, but he is surrounded by an incredible supporting cast (including David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, and Noma Dumezweni), elevating the emotional journey he goes on throughout the season. The dry humor makes each episode extremely entertaining, but it is the second half of the season, when things really pick up and the stakes get high, that make this one more than worth checking out.
I am always partial to an exploration of a potential high-tech future, which is exactly what this series is. While at first, the show is about Murderbot trying to hide the fact that he has broken his governor chip, the second half is about the care and admiration that he starts to develop for his clients.
From the start, it is known that they did not even want to have a Security Unit with them, but they were forced to. They do not believe in imprisoning robots against their will, which is why things get extremely interesting once the cat is out of the bag.
These relationships between the humans and Murderbot had me feeling pretty emotional by the end of the season, especially with the events of the finale.
Skarsgård absolutely shines in this series. He perfectly delivers the lines and does a great job looking the part. How he remains so stoic, with almost no facial expressions, the entire time, is impressive and shows what a good actor he is. He is brilliant.
That said, David Dastmalchian gives him a run for his money as Gurathin in this series. His character might not be a robot, but he has a lot of robotic augmentations, making him the most like Murderbot. There is certainly tension between the two to start with, but the evolution of their characters and their relationship is one of my favorite parts of the season.
The same can honestly be said for the rest of the cast, however. The relationships and bonds evolve and change, making it easy to root for everyone by the end of the tenth episode.
Murderbot does a great job of blending several genres together. It is Sci-Fi first and foremost, but it is also quite hilarious. There are some epic action sequences and a whole lot of drama (and some romance). Apple TV+ is known for delivering some of the best series streaming today, and this one is no different.
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About Murderbot
In a high-tech future, a rogue security robot secretly gains free will; to stay hidden, it reluctantly joins a new mission protecting scientists on a dangerous planet even though it just wants to binge soap operas.
The first two episodes of Murderbot are scheduled to premiere on Apple TV+ on May 16, 2025. New episodes will be released every Friday until the season finale on July 11.