Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
    Battlefield 6 Multiplayer Reveal promotional image

    Battlefield 6 Classes, Maps, And More: Everything You Need To Know

    07/31/2025
    A glimpse at all the upcoming Star Wars stories coming to the galaxy

    Star Wars Stories: What We Learned At SDCC 2025

    07/25/2025
    Blindspot episode still

    It’s been 5 years since ‘Blindspot’ ended. Why haven’t you watched it yet?

    07/24/2025
    Strange Scaffold

    Strange Scaffold Summer Showcase Delivers Bizarre And Brilliant Games

    07/22/2025
  • Fantasia Festival
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
But Why Tho?
Home » TV » REVIEW: ‘Murderbot’ Continues Apple TV+’s Sci-Fi Winning Streak

REVIEW: ‘Murderbot’ Continues Apple TV+’s Sci-Fi Winning Streak

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez05/12/20257 Mins ReadUpdated:05/13/2025
Murderbot Season 1 keyart from Apple TV Plus
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

AppleTV+ has invested deeply in adapting books and or book series on their platform. From heavyhitting dramas like Pachinko to grief-filled low sci-fi Sunny, the manga-inspired Drops of God, and the science fiction stunner Silo. Now, the platform is adapting The Murderbot Diaries series of books written by Martha Wells with Alexander Skarsgård as its titular character.

Murderbot is a thrilling blend of sci-fi and comedy about a self-hacking security robot who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. When he overrides his programming, he dubs himself Murderbot. Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot must conceal his free will as he protects a group of scientists from an unaffiliated planet who are unaware of the dangers posed by the world, including unknown creatures and other security bots.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

To put it simply, they’re hippies, and Murderbot has to try to show them how the world works. Called SecUnit by the scientist, Murderbot doesn’t want to be a part of their crew. He really wants to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out his place in the universe.

Alexander Skarsgård knows how to carry a television show.

Alexander Skarsgård in Murderbot Season 1 from Apple TV Plus

Alexander Skarsgård is good on film, but on television? He’s an icon. His vocal delivery never ceases to set the tone and pace of the series, and his ability to highlight emotions through his narration pushes Murderbot even further than just what’s on screen. But it’s not just his voice that makes this sci-fi series the hit that it is; it’s also his physical performance.

Skarsgård understands how to use every inch of his body, which, as an android, is different from other projects audiences have seen him in. His stiffness has heart, and it all comes out as he begins to loosen his body and breathe. Still, Skarsgård shines in the action moments of the series, and no matter what happens, he consistently brings the comedy, physical and otherwise.

SecUnit is awkward and relatable. Yes, he names himself Murderbot, but he really doesn’t embrace it, if only because he knows he will be melted in acid and recycled. Instead, he wants to watch his show, “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.” The peace he craves isn’t because he hates humans, even if they have treated him horribly; it’s because he has a show to catch up on. What’s more relatable than that?

Murderbot puts forward central questions about humanity, sentience, and capitalism. That said, the simplicity of the series and the single perspective we’re given through SecUnit’s eyes allows the audience to see the story shift as he moves from Murderbot, the name only he knows, to the reliable SecUnit and a vital part of the crew he’s defending. The narration that we receive throughout the 10 episodes sets expectations and tone perfectly, and never feels out of sorts, but more specifically, never feels like too much exposition.

Murderbot knows exactly how to hit every sci-fi note perfectly.

Alexander Skarsgård in Murderbot Season 1 from Apple TV Plus

With his security protocol hacked, SecUnit must try to conceal his thoughts on the situation at hand. He has to try to remember the original programming he has to maintain. But most importantly, he’s leaning on Sanctuary Moon to teach him how to interact with humans now that he’s having to do it off the cuff. The situational humor that arises from misunderstandings of pleasantries and the general disparity between a train security robot and the hapless humans it is supposed to protect works wonders.

Murderbot’s larger ensemble cast is also phenomenal. Stuck on a planet as things begin to get more dangerous and realizing that the Corporation has lied before sending them there, the group of scientists doesn’t really evolve from its core archetypes. But that’s okay. Each of the characters exists to teach Murderbot something more about humanity as a whole, even if they keep making terrible mistakes.

The head of the expedition, is the wise but gullible Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) is a mother of seven and acts as the leader and matriarch of the expedition. Right next ot her is the altered human, David Dastmalchian as Gurathin, who can interface with technology and is SecUnit’s largest hurdle in the group.

Then there is the couple Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu) and Arada (Tattiawna Jones), and the guy making his way into being their third, Ratthi (Akshay Khanna). Finally, there is the pacifist and kind-hearted Bharadwaj Tamara Podemsky). And all of them just keep confusing SecUnit as they proceed to welcome him as a part of the team, treating him like a colleague instead of something they own.

The crew at the center of Murderbot is just as endearing as their SecUnit.

Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, Sabrina Wu, David Dastmalchian, Noma Dumezweni and Tamara Podemski in Murderbot Season 1 from Apple TV Plus

While Mensah and Gurathin stand out the most on their own when it comes to the relationship they build with SecUnit, each of the extended cast works brilliantly off of each other. Their chemistry together as a team is sharp, funny, and consistently excellent. Even when they’re making mistakes, you can’t help but laugh and buy into the crew as they are. Their inability to work perfectly together also makes Murderbot the perfect addition to their little space family as their SecBot.

As for production design, Apple TV+ continues to bring its very best to sci-fi television. Murderbot’s aesthetic embodies a retrofuturistic design that feels new and old at the same time. The campiness of the aircraft, machines, and weapons all work to create a series that applies a different layer of charm every time the next episode starts. This series is visually beautiful, but also doesn’t venture too far into things audiences haven’t seen before. Murderbot feels familiar but never feels bland.

Murderbot thrives on the smart use of dialogue and the contradictions we see on display as we get to know SecUnit more and more. But while this series finds a second gear because of Alexander Skarsgård’s stellar lead performance, the ensemble cast of clumsy, extremely intelligent, but also extremely gullible and kind hippie scientists creates a story that doesn’t spend too much time lulling into traditional tropes.

Instead, the series knowingly plays with science fiction television, either through the Star Trek parody “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon” or through SecUnit’s choices to emulate his favorite show. Murderbot is in conversation with the larger genre that it falls into. This is what allows the series to find an ample amount of charm from beginning to end.

This Apple TV+ Original thrives on its dialogue, both between characters and through narration.

Tamara Podemski, David Dastmalchian, Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Tattiawna Jones and Akshay Khanna in Murderbot Season 1 from Apple TV Plus.

Additionally, in a time when CGI continues to be the heaviest critique of streaming series, Apple TV+ continues to deliver its best, with giant monster battles and explosions that all work perfectly and never feel disconnected from the worlds they’re set in. When Murderbot goes large, it doesn’t leave anything to the imagination, and it doesn’t suffer for it. Instead, it crafts a larger and more dynamic world.

The practical effects used in bringing Murderbot to life work extremely well, and Skarsgård plays it up to the max. Where the series’ investment into effects shines is when SecUnit is dealing with any number of injuries. Whether it’s having his organs reprinted after a chunk is taken from his side, his spine is exposed, or anything else, the way that the series visualizes injury is uncanny. It rides the line between realistic and mechanical, highlighting the fact that he’s made of organic materials, which adds more context for the technology of this sci-fi world.

One of the other standouts of the series is how it blends elements of retrofuturism color palettes with pure high sci-fi technology. The designs for the different security bots are all unique, but they’re grounded enough to make the audience always question who’s behind the mask, even if you only see Murderbot’s face.

Murderbot continues Apple TV+’s winning streak with sci-fi television. Add in the fact that, like Silo before, there is ample book material to keep going. This is a series that deserves your attention, and as many seasons as there are books in the series. Humor, action, and the weirdness of science fiction keep this series hitting every single episode.

Murderbot is streaming on Apple TV+ starting May 16, 2025 with new episodes released every Friday.

Murderbot Season 1
  • 9/10
    Rating - 9/10
9/10

TL;DR

Murderbot continues Apple TV+’s winning streak with sci-fi television. This is a series that deserves your attention, and as many seasons as there are books in the series.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2 Episode 5 — “Feel Her Love”
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Welcome to Wrexham Season 4’ Updates Expectations
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Better Late Than Single
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Better Late Than Single’ Is More Than the Name Suggests

08/03/2025
Foundation Season 3 Episode 4 still from Apple TV+
8.0

REVIEW: Foundation Season 3 Episode 4 — “The Stress of Her Regard”

08/02/2025
Lerato Mvelase in Marked (2025)
9.0

REVIEW: Moral Dilemmas Battle It Out In ‘Marked’

08/01/2025
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in Platonic Season 2
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Platonic’ Season 2 Is ‘Superbad’ For Grown-Ups In the Best Way

07/31/2025
King of the Hill Season 14 episode still from Hulu
10.0

REVIEW: ‘King Of The Hill’ Season 14 Is the Best Revival Ever

07/25/2025
Foundation Season 3 Episode 3 still from Apple TV Plus
8.0

RECAP: ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 3 — “When a Book Finds You”

07/25/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Wildgate promotional key art
9.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Wildgate’ Is Co-Op Space Mayhem Done Right

By Adrian Ruiz07/25/2025Updated:07/30/2025

Built for friends and tuned for competition, Wildgate is messy in the best way: smart, surprising, and bursting with room to grow.

Simon in An Honest Life But Why Tho
3.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘An Honest Life’ Is Terribly Dishonest About Its Own Politics

By Jason Flatt08/02/2025

An Honest Life is an overly severe misfire about a law student who falls in with anarchist burglars that can’t decide who it resents more.

Glass Heart
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Glass Heart’ Offers Messy, Musical Catharsis

By Allyson Johnson07/22/2025

The musical drama series ‘Glass Heart’ soars when it focuses on the epic performances of it’s fictional band, TENBLANK.

World of Warcraft The War Within Ghosts of Karesh But Why Tho Interviews

‘The War Within’ Patch 11.2 Addresses Raid Trash, Magic-Focused Comps, And More

By Mick Abrahamson07/31/2025Updated:07/31/2025

WoW Sr. Producer and Asst. Lead Quest Designer address The War Within 11.2’s Manaforge Omega, Reshii Wrap rewards, and Mythic+ balancing.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here