MURDERBOT Recap: (S01E03) Risk Assessment
Murderbot Season 1 Episode 3, 'Risk Assessment,' deftly fleshes out the dynamics between our core group, simultaneously taking its time with character development while keeping the narrative action moving at a steady clip. It's a delightful blend of comedy and science fiction, complete with a fun fight scene in the episode's final minutes. The central mystery is also intriguing enough to keep us tuning in week after week. Bring on the creatures, the aliens, the killer robots, the human pheromones and more fictional TV shows-within-a-show.
RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Murderbot episode, 'Eye Contact' Murderbot, 'Risk Assessment'
We open with the PresAux team preparing to depart for the DeltFall habitat. Gurathin (David Dastmalchian) wonders if this is the right move. Perhaps they should launch an emergency beacon. Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) notes that the Company wants them to give up, to quit their expedition. Thus, the plan is to investigate this issue themselves. Plus, maybe they can learn more about the creatures, whether alien synthetics killed them and the strange map anomalies.
Mensah urges Gurathin to stay put with Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski) while she heads for DeltFall with Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu), Arada (Tattiawna Jones), Ratthi (Akshay Khanna) and our titular Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård). Naturally, the SecUnit isn't thrilled about accompanying the humans. It would rather not be crammed into a hopper with them and their raging pheromones. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 3, 'Risk Assessment.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. Part of the Team (Whether You Like It or Not)
Then, Mensah asks the SecUnit if it could remove its helmet. It might help the others to see the SecUnit's human-appearing face and view it as part of the team. Great. The last thing our bot wants is to be part of any team. We love our antisocial misanthrope.
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Next, Murderbot watches Strife in the Galaxy while en route to DeltFall. Sure, it's no The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon , but it's a decent watch. I desperately need Murderbot to start a YouTube TV review channel. Ratthi remarks to Pin-Lee and Arada that it's a good thing that DetFall's emergency beacon didn't launch. Mensah agrees. She asks the SecUnit for its opinion.
Realizing Mensah is talking to it, the SecUnit switches off Strife in the Galaxy to answer her. 'They have three contracted SecUnits,' Murderbot says. That aside, DeltFall's communication equipment could've taken a hit if they had been attacked by a hostile. Mensah counters that the emergency beacon still should've been triggered despite DeltFall's destroyed comms system. No More Machine
Ratthi wonders if the SecUnit has feelings. After all, it looks human. Ratthi feels it's wrong to enslave a being that seems no more machine than Gurathin. Murderbot doesn't like that, to the humans, it seems like it has human emotions.
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While the humans discuss pointless human sentiments, the SecUnit checks in with those remaining at the PresAux habitat. Bharadwaj seems to be doing better … well, physically. We see her crying until Gurathin silently approaches. Upon seeing him, she quickly wipes her tears away. Bharadwaj shares that she can't stop picturing the two-mouthed creature bursting from the ground. She can still smell it. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 3, 'Risk Assessment.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+.
Gurathin offers his therapy modules to help Bharadwaj cope with the intense trauma she experienced. She politely declines. Then, Murderbot watches as Gurathin sneaks into Mensah's quarters. Why doesn't anyone lock their doors? Initially, the SecUnit wonders if Gurathin is secretly working for the Company. Humans Are Weird
Perhaps he plans to kill the crew, sell the proprietary data on the black market and use that money to purchase 'luxury goods' for himself. Nope. Gurathin is merely obsessed with Mensah. He buries his face in her pillow. Humans are weird. I say that as one.
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Suddenly, the satellite signal falters. Pin-Lee remarks that the satellite's been having outages since the group arrived. They've been tracking it to determine if there's a pattern. Murderbot confirms this, claiming that the Company makes all SecUnits periodically check client logs. Uh-oh. It can't let them know it spies on them of its own volition.
Understandably, Pin-Lee is upset. They scold the SecUnit for this invasion of privacy. Pin-Lee is now having doubts like Gurathin. What if this SecUnit is really just a faulty killing machine? And now the Company might be watching them. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 3, 'Risk Assessment.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. Munitions Inspection
Later, while the others are asleep, Mensah asks Murderbot to sit with her at the controls. Murderbot would rather watch its shows, though. I get that. Mensah insists that the others didn't mean what they said about it. You know, that Murderbot is an agent of the Company and could kill them all. Mensah pivots, explaining that her family didn't want her to go on this trip. Uncomfortable, Murderbot interrupts her, claiming it must check the munitions.
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The following day, the PresAux hopper hovers over the DeltFall habitat, which looks more aesthetically pleasing than the PresAux one. The SecUnit doesn't detect the other SecUnits, but Ratthi remarks that all hoppers are accounted for. Murderbot urges Mensah to park outside the perimeter, though, for safety protocol reasons.
Before departing, Mensah asks Pin-Lee if they have weapons experience. They admit their experience mostly lies with games. Ratthi compliments them for being adept at the game KillJoyBloodLustTechRiot (try saying that 10 times fast). DeltFall
Arada remarks that she didn't know Pin-Lee played that game. 'I don't,' Pin-Lee responds before they chat more about the game with Ratthi. Uh-oh. Methinks there might be troubled waters in this marriage. Mensah urges Ratthi to stay put and keep watch. After all, he was sleeping during the training session on Port FreeCommerce.
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Later, Ratthi warns the quartet about a bevy of crustaceans as they pass through a creek. Hey, those crustaceans could be hostiles, waiting in the wings to attack any passersby. Mensah suggests they keep the channel open for essential communication only. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 3, 'Risk Assessment.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+.
Next, Murderbot orders the trio to stay behind while it surveys the DeltFall habitat proper. It has the largest weapon, you know. Mensah opens a private channel to chat with the SecUnit herself. Murderbot blasts open the door before entering. Then, it spots a destroyed SecUnit, half of its head blown off. Murderbot lies to Mensah, claiming said SecUnit is merely on standby. Surveying the Surroundings
Mensah asks for an update. Murderbot claims nothing is going on, and the DeltFall team doesn't need their assistance. Lies and fallacies!
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We see the entire team is dead. It's a bloody affair. Murderbot decides to lie to Mensah because humans do irrational things when upset. Fair enough. Mensah orders the SecUnit to leave now. In response, Murderbot creates static interference and cuts off comms. Oops.
Before Mensah loses the signal, our eponymous bot urges the trio to return to the hopper in 10 minutes if it doesn't emerge by then. Murderbot is proud of itself for causing the static, citing episode 807 of Sanctuary Moon as inspiration. Eight seasons of a TV show? In this economy? (I wish.) A Fight and a Stranger
Outside, Mensah, Pin-Lee and Arada head back to the hopper per Murderbot's instructions. Well, Mensah hesitates. Inside the habitat, the SecUnit observes that one of DeltFall's SecUnits went rogue, and the other two tried to stop it. Mess aside, Murderbot notes that the 'scenario' is too clean.
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Additionally, one SecUnit died trying to protect the communications hub. The other two? Surely, they killed each other simultaneously … just like the Season 1 finale of Strife in the Galaxy .
While contemplating the implausible plotlines of Strife in the Galaxy , one of the presumed dead SecUnits comes back to life, attacking our titular bot. Thankfully, Murderbot rises victorious, taking out the enemy in an almost video game-esque fight sequence.
The SecUnit examines the now-dead SecUnit, noting that someone overrode its combat module. Who did this? Behind Murderbot, we see what appears to be another SecUnit, this one in all black, approaching. When Murderbot whirls around to address the intruder, said SecUnit fires at it.
RELATED: Read our Murderbot recaps
Murderbot drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+.
TED LASSO Season 4 Is Officially a Go at Apple TV+ Contact:
[email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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