Low-Key, Lo-Fi, Surprisingly Personal Sci-Fi

Read Time:5 Minute, 19 Second

TV SERIES REVIEW
Murderbot
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Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 10 x 30m episodes
Director(s): Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, Toa Fraser, Aurora Guerrero, Roseanne Liang
Writer(s): Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, Tamara Podemski
Where to Watch: Available on Apple TV+ May 16, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: What happens when a machine gains autonomy, not to conquer or to serve, but to become its true self? That’s the premise behind MURDERBOT, a science fiction series that sidesteps pretentious plotlines for a slower, more personal story. Based on Martha Wells' celebrated book series, this ten-episode Apple TV+ project trades the genre’s usual fixation on high-stakes action (although there is still some) for something less common: an exploration of emotional detachment, existential confusion, and the quiet desire for solitude. It’s a gamble that pays off, leaning into discomfort and awkwardness with dry humor and refusing to spell everything out.

Leading the charge is Alexander Skarsgård, whose performance hinges on restraint rather than spectacle. He plays an android like someone forced into polite small talk at a party where they don’t know anyone and don’t want to. There’s intelligence beneath the silence, and a slowly developing moral awareness, but most of all, there's reluctance. This isn’t an AI with grand plans—it just wants the humans to stop talking long enough for it to finish an episode of its favorite soap opera. That twist on the traditional rogue machine arc is a big part of what makes this series stand out.

MURDERBOT’s story unfolds around a group of scientists the android has been hired to protect. The PreservationAux team isn’t composed of action heroes or intergalactic warriors—they’re researchers. Dr. Mensah, played by Noma Dumezweni, approaches leadership with empathy, starkly contrasting typical genre leads. David Dastmalchian’s Gurathin remains guarded and skeptical, often challenging the android’s intentions. Sabrina Wu’s Pin-Lee brings a balance of analytical thinking and intelligence. These characters pull the protagonist into situations it would rather avoid, and the results are often uncomfortable in ways that feel intentionally grounded.

Instead of launching viewers into high-concept sci-fi battles, the series focuses on social dynamics and quiet tensions. While detailed and futuristic, its setting is less about tech wizardry and more about serving the characters’ emotional arcs. The visuals are mostly minimal but effective, letting moments breathe. The frame often lingers on expressions, silences, and the small tells that reveal more than dialogue ever could. There’s an elegance to the way these moments are constructed, though there are times when it could benefit from more urgency or a deeper dive into the systemic structures that created the android in the first place.

The series's most obvious flaw is its reluctance to confront its ethical terrain. MURDERBOT touches on corporate exploitation, the surveillance of sentient beings, and the question of purpose without delving far enough. These ideas are all in the margins, hinted at rather than interrogated. For a show centered on the tension between autonomy and obligation, it sometimes backs away from the weightier implications that would’ve added even more depth to its already rich character study.

MURDERBOT also plays with genre expectations in clever ways. It doesn’t treat sci-fi conventions as sacred but uses them to challenge assumptions. The humor is subtle, often built into moments of social discomfort or character confusion. It doesn’t interrupt tension with jokes, but lets irony bubble up naturally. In many ways, it’s a show built on anti-spectacle—it thrives on the spaces where most science fiction would insert a plot twist or battle sequence. That refusal to conform is part of its charm, but it might test the patience of viewers hoping for faster-paced thrills.

The show lingers on universal questions, even if framed through synthetic eyes: Is freedom still valuable when you don’t know what to do with it? Can something designed to serve learn to say no? Is solitude a right or a dysfunction? MURDERBOT never offers easy answers, and that's to its credit. It prefers to let its themes simmer under the surface, challenging viewers to engage rather than spoon-feed conclusions.

And yet, for all its restraint, the series leaves a lasting impression. Something is compelling about a show that doesn’t care whether you root for its lead, but still manages to draw you in. It’s a character study masquerading as science fiction and is more interested in micro-expressions than explosions.

MURDERBOT works best when it leans into its awkwardness, silences, and sideways glance at humanity. It’s not a story that tries to be for everyone. It doesn’t aim to be loud, flashy, or definitive. Instead, it asks you to sit quietly beside it, maybe with a show playing in the background, and think. And honestly? That’s enough.

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[photo courtesy of APPLETV+, APPLE STUDIOS]

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