Murderbot

From the first moment we’re introduced to Murderbot as a character, it’s immediately apparent that not only does Murderbot the series disregard Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics, it intends to demolish them, one by one. What author Martha Wells and the show’s writers propose is the idea that even with all their guardrails eliminated, robots might be more like humans than we think.

So often we see robots depicted as going rogue, becoming violent, and immediately turning on the human race — to punish us or conquer us or whatever (this is also true of the shows watched within the world of the show). But what if, given the choice, some robots would rather just chill out, watch TV, and do the bare minimum at their jobs? It’s a solid and often very entertaining basis for a new kind of robot story. And Muderbot consistently makes the most of it.

The 10 episodes of the first season cover the events of the first Murderbot novella, “All Systems Red,” with some plot embellishments and a few character edits. We meet Murderbot slightly before the novella begins, at the moment everything changes. As Skarsgård narrates in present tense, we get to see “it” (Murderbot’s preferred pronoun is “it”) hack its governor module and give itself the secret name Murderbot, almost as a joke. From that moment on, Murderbot can technically do whatever it wants, but the concept of wanting something is so alien that it just keeps doing its job, hoping it won’t get caught and dismantled along the way.

Enter a scrappy survey team from Preservation, a non-corporate world that considers robot servitude akin to slavery. Led by the smart and sensible Dr. Mensah, these scientists are nothing like Murderbot’s previous clients, whose behavior inspired it to conclude that all humans are “assholes.” The Preservation team are somewhat eccentric, but assholes they’re not. Except maybe Gurathin, an augmented human who objects to the presence of a SecUnit (Murderbot’s official designation) and distrusts it even before he starts to notice the robot’s strange behavior.

A Sardonic, Neurodivergent Cyborg Hero

A show like Murderbot, based on a much-loved book series and highly dependent on the tone of its central character’s internal thought processes, can be put on the path to success or failure through casting alone. Although Skarsgård may differ from the image many book fans have in their mind, he does a fine job capturing the nuances of the character’s voice. He can be intimidating and funny and awkward, often at the same time. Murderbot bears a lot of traits that will be familiar to anyone who’s neurodivergent, or has experience with someone who is. He doesn’t like eye contact, has trouble interpreting human expressions, and doesn’t know how to respond to attention or direct questions about himself. Skarsgård’s Murderbot is always a little on edge, consistently confused by these dumb humans and their reckless decisions that spring from emotion rather than logic. But when it’s time to jump into action, he’s more than capable.

As Gurathin, David Dastmalchian proves to be the perfect foil for the show’s reluctant hero. He could have easily come off as a dour contrarian whose constant objections to SecUnit become tedious by the third or fourth episode. He doesn’t, because Dastmalchian lets just the right amount of jealousy and insecurity come through in his performance. It’s clear that Gurathin cares deeply about his crewmates. And he’s not wrong to mistrust SecUnit. By the end of the season, he becomes one of the most interesting and layered characters in the show.

The other character to pay attention to is the leader, Dr. Mensah. Dumezweni gives Mensah the right amount of authority and gravitas, while still letting us see the fear and self-doubt that creep in when she has to make difficult decisions. That’s crucial to developing the relationship between Murderbot and Mensah, an important element of the books and one that we can only hope will continue to flourish should the show get renewed for more seasons.

A Clear & Bright Retro Future

As for the look of the show, its retro designs recall sci-fi shows of the past, while also incorporating state-of-the-art digital effects. Everything is clean and bright, even the violence. It’s nice to be able to see everything happening on screen clearly, for a change. If that sounds like weak praise you probably haven’t been watching a lot of genre TV lately. Speaking of genre TV and aesthetics, one of the best aspects of the series might be its depiction of Murderbot’s favorite series, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. The melodramatic sci-fi show-within-a-show features ridiculous facial hair, impractical costumes, cheesy dialogue, and guest stars like Clark Greg, John Cho, DeWanda Wise, and Jack McBrayer. If it were spun off into its own series it might be a hit in its own right. As part of the Murderbot universe, it makes the world building that much better.