MURDERBOT Recap: (S01E06) Command Feed

Geek Girl Authority

16 hours ago

Murderbot Season 1 Episode 6, 'Command Feed,' is wall-to-wall narrative action. Not a minute is wasted. The outing also deftly balances that story movement with character development, particularly for Mensah. I love her burgeoning bond with SecUnit and how that takes shape this week. Anna Konkle also proves her versatility, doing quite the heel turn as Leebeebee's true motivations come to the fore.
RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Murderbot episode, 'Rogue War Tracker Infinite' Murderbot, 'Command Feed'
We open with a scene from episode 356 of The Rise & Fall of Sanctuary Moon , featuring Flight Captain Hossein (John Cho) and Navigation Unit (DeWanda Wise). They're stranded on a planet. SecUnit (Alexander Skarsgård) tells us this is a crucial turning point in their romance. Hossein tells Navigation Unit a joke, causing her to laugh awkwardly. It's a love story for the (space) ages.
In real life, SecUnit and Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) narrowly evaded death by explosion after a mysterious someone took out the emergency beacon. Unfortunately, the hopper is out of commission. Sure, it's structurally sound, but it can't fly at the moment. Mensah remarks that SecUnit has something protruding from its abdomen — a piece of the printer. Eh, it's fine. Make Room for TV
Mensah asks if our titular bot has copies of the repair manual in its system. Murderbot admits it cleared said copies to make room for Season 19 of Sanctuary Moon . Mensah is incredulous. How could it shirk its responsibilities in favor of binge-watching a crappy show? Hey, Sanctuary Moon is quality entertainment. Mensah decides to fix the hopper herself. SecUnit removes the printer fragment from its abdomen; unfortunately, it starts to leak lubricant. Uh-oh.
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Meanwhile, back at the PresAux habitat, everyone scrambles to pack their belongings while Gurathin (David Dastmalchian) tries to ping Mensah. Ratthi (Akshay Khanna) asks Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu) and Arada (Tattiawna Jones) if they need assistance, but our fave couple assures him they're fine. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 6, 'Command Feed.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
Leebeebee (Konkle) thanks Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski) for allowing her to help after Gurathin rejected her. They chat about Bharadwaj's scar from the two-headed monster that attacked her. It's clearly still a traumatic memory for her. Leebeebee kisses her hand, where the scar is. Leebeebee wonders if that was too weird, but Bharadwaj reassures her that it was a sweet gesture. Just Breathe
After this, Bharadwaj asks Gurathin for an update. So far, it's all radio silence. Leebeebee believes Mensah is fine — she has that cute SecUnit with her. The conversation pivots to ownership of sentient constructs and how the Corporation Rim believes they don't have rights. However, Bharadwaj thinks consent and autonomy are important. And she's right.
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Then, SecUnit realizes the wires are the issue. Mensah starts having a panic attack, which she mistakes for a heart attack. SecUnit is used to protecting clients physically, so this is the first time it has observed what's transpiring internally. It reassures her that she's not having a heart attack.
It pulls up an episode of Sanctuary Moon that alleviates anxiety. Mensah sits beside it and notices it quoting the episode verbatim. Mensah finds her heart rate slowing and her breathing more regulated. She smiles at SecUnit and seems to understand why it loves this show so much. This is a sweet scene. Backstory
Next, SecUnit rises to its feet as it inexplicably spouts gibberish. Suddenly, it collapses. It has lost too much lubricant from the damage inflicted by the printer fragment.
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Later, Gurathin asks Leebeebee why she joined the DeltFall survey team. She explains that DeltFall purchased her indenture from her previous employer, SysCommSols. She had four years left, but participating in this survey is knocking off time. So, she could be finished in two and a half years. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 6, 'Command Feed.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
Then, Leebeebee plans to buy a license for childbirth with her earnings. Bharadwaj is confused. In the Preservation Alliance, you don't need a license to have children. There, the community comes together to help fund childcare, education, medical care, etc. The way it should be. Heel Turn
The chat pivots to the gaps in the maps. DeltFall had the same issue. When the team would approach the areas omitted from the maps, the two-headed creatures tried to eat them. Then, when the team returned to the habitat, the rogue SecUnits carried out a massacre.
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Gurathin and Bharadwaj comfort Leebeebee. Well, until she produces a gun and trains it on them. Leebeebee demands that the pair give her access to their HubSystem. Meanwhile, SecUnit wakes up on the floor of the hopper. Mensah improvised — she hooked SecUnit up to the hopper, utilizing the hopper's lubricant to revive it. She figured both shared a similar lubricant. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 6, 'Command Feed.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
This gives SecUnit an idea. They could use fiber from its spine to repair the hopper. After all, human tissue is used to fuel a lot of things. It instructs Mensah to make the incision in its back, crack open its spinal cord and remove the fiber strand from there. Murderbot reassures Mensah that it turned off its pain sensors, so it won't feel a thing. Procedures and Massages
Mensah understandably panics as she conducts this procedure, but she gets it done like the badass she is. At the same time, Ratthi walks in on Pin-Lee giving Arada a shoulder massage. He offers to massage Pin-Lee's shoulders. We've got a massage train here, folks. Ratthi asks Arada and Pin-Lee how they feel about SecUnit being rogue. Arada is fine with it. However, Pin-Lee is in panic mode.
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Then, Bharadwaj calls the trio downstairs, where they discover Leebeebee is holding her and Gurathin hostage. Thankfully, SecUnit uses its fiber strand to power up the hopper, so our dynamic duo is on the way home to save the day. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 6, 'Command Feed.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
Meanwhile, Leebeebee explains that Gurathin will grant her access to HubSystem, including all the maps. Gurathin claims he can't. Leebeebee shoots him in the knee. Bharadwaj instinctively moves to help him, but Leebeebee reveals that if anyone moves a muscle, she'll kill someone. Bharadwaj starts negotiating. She declares she can help Leebeebee get sanctuary on Preservation Alliance. Heads Will Explode
Leebeebee asks Bharadwaj if the latter can get her millions of credits. Gurathin logs into HubSystem. Arada reminds Leebeebee that they saved her life. However, Leebeebee was never in danger. She didn't work for DeltFall. She warns that the group will meet her employer soon. Oh, and more SecUnits (probably rogue) are on the way.
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Leebeebee urges the crew to give her what she wants. They could walk away (mostly) unscathed. Then, Leebeebee admits the childbirth thing was a lie before also confessing to orchestrating the emergency beacon explosion. She states that Mensah and SecUnit won't come to the rescue because they're dead.
Thankfully, the gang has little time to mourn before Murderbot barges into the habitat, wrist raised. Leebeebee moves behind Gurathin and puts her arm around his neck. She presses the gun against Gurathin's temple. Before she can finish her threat, though, SecUnit explodes her head. Her body hits the floor with a thud. MURDERBOT Season 1 Episode 6, 'Command Feed.' Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ Feelings
Naturally, the group all have different reactions to Murderbot killing Leebeebee. Ratthi vomits. Pin-Lee bursts into uninhibited laughter. Bharadwaj is in shock. SecUnit insists they all get in the hopper before Leebeebee's employer arrives. Mensah agrees with it.
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However, before they depart, Murderbot needs to repair itself. We see more footage from Sanctuary Moon as our bot explains that feelings are, well, strange. The humans undoubtedly thought that it was close to becoming like them. Outside, Arada comforts Bharadwaj after the latter bursts into tears. Can they trust SecUnit after this? Do they see it as a human-killing machine?
As for Murderbot, it might have enjoyed exploding Leebeebee's head a little too much.
Murderbot drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+.
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