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Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Murderbot' would rather be watching TV
When Murderbot is assigned to protect a group of hippie-coded scientists, it initially pays them no mind. But over time, the PreservationAux team's basic human decency — particularly that of its captain, Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) — helps the detached, disaffected unit come out of its shell. Advertisement Both the 2018 novella and the Apple TV+ show are character studies masquerading as sci-fi potboilers. Readers of Wells' book identified with Murderbot, who prefers to bury itself in distractions rather than engage with a cruel world that regards human-robot hybrids as disposable property. Advertisement In particular, 'All Systems Red' Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, Sabrina Wu, David Dastmalchian, Noma Dumezweni and Tamara Podemski in "Murderbot." Apple TV+ The show retains most of these characteristics, as the title character accompanies the PreservationAux team to investigate an anomaly in the planet's mapping. Even though Murderbot's new clients are far more attuned to its needs (they even use its proper pronouns!) than previous clients, they still struggle to understand the SecUnit. One crew member in particular, an 'augmented human' named Gurathin (David Dastmalchian), harbors suspicions. Like Murderbot, Gurathin can connect himself to computers and seems to share some of the protagonist's social awkwardness. But the scientist insists that Murderbot is 'weird' and confronts it at every turn. 'True Blood' fans will be happy to hear that Skarsgård takes his helmet off far more than the book's SecUnit ever did. His portrayal of a character who would rather fight a squadron of assassins than look someone in the eye is both carefully calibrated and oftentimes quite funny. Unfortunately, 'Murderbot' falls short in its attempt at balancing a light sci-fi saga and a deeper understanding of its protagonist's psyche. Too much of the show's story is told through Murderbot's inner monologue, which is amusing at times but too often feels intrusive. Even ' Advertisement It's hard not to compare the adaptation of 'Murderbot' to Denis Villeneuve's successful translation of Frank Herbert's heady sci-fi novel 'Dune.' Beyond the superficial similarities – both are set on remote desert planets terrorized by subterranean worm-like creatures; both feature Dastmalchian playing an enhanced human computer — both Villeneuve and showrunners Paul and Chris Weitz had to grapple with how to portray information-laden inner monologues on screen. While the brothers' decision may be true to the novel's intent, it can be exhausting to watch. Then there's the show's paper-thin plot, which involves a rival expedition, multiple sabotage attempts, and a corporate overlord primarily concerned with profit margins. The Weitz brothers attempt to beef up the story from 'All Systems Red' by transforming single lines into full scenes, borrowing flashbacks from Wells' other stories, and creating new characters out of thin air. Some of those changes are welcome, providing a modicum of depth to characters that are barely more than names on a page in 'All Systems Red.' Mensah, indefatigable in the novella, suffers from panic attacks, and uses Murderbot as an unwilling therapist. Gurathin's reserved nature leaves him terrified of being abandoned but unwilling (or unable) to fully express his love for his crewmates. Other times, these changes lay bare how stretched the runtime of 'Murderbot' really is. A trio of scientists (Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones) navigating the complex dynamics of throupledom are used for comic relief that doesn't really land. And in a bit of stunt casting, the show repeatedly dramatizes scenes from Murderbot's favorite TV show, casting Harold Cho, Clark Gregg, DeWanda Wise, and Jack McBrayer in a hammy 'Star Trek' parody. It's nice to see these actors having fun with their limited screentime, but as the minutes stretch on, you realize how empty these digressions are. Advertisement Whether you read Murderbot as neurodivergent or not, the show treats its differences with respect and depth. As much as the human characters are often relegated to comedic effect, their enthusiastic embrace of Murderbot and instinctive acceptance (minus Gurathin) of its needs around social interaction is one of the show's more appealing aspects. Ultimately, 'Murderbot' is a flawed show with a few laughs and a good heart that will appeal to a very specific subset of viewers. But at a time when the country's Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, and Tattiawna Jones. On Apple TV+
WIRED
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
The Reason Murderbot's Tone Feels Off
May 14, 2025 2:00 PM Martha Wells' book series uses wry humor to tell a story about artificial intelligence, humanity, and free will. The Apple TV+ adaptation tries to do the same—with mixed results. Still from Murderbot. Courtesy of Apple TV+ All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. A confession: This dispatch will not be coming to you from one of the long-devout Martha Wells faithful. I'm a convert, a curious reader who turned to Wells' The Murderbot Diaries series after reading my colleague Meghan Herbst's fantastic 2024 profile of the author, which left me questioning who would be challenged with taking on the series' title character in Apple TV+'s adaptation and why it was Alexander Skarsgård. Put differently, I wanted to know if the actor known for playing blood-sucker Eric Northman in True Blood and a berserker prince The Northman would be the right fit to play a security robot, or SecUnit, struggling with social awkwardness after hacking his own 'governor module' to give himself the freedom to not obey human orders. If the weird affection he forms for the scientists he's charged with protecting, and the stunted way he goes about showing it, would translate to Murderbot . After watching the first episodes of the show, which debuts Friday on Apple TV+, I got my answers—and found myself asking a lot more questions. Namely: Why is Skarsgård both so wrong and so right for this role? Why is Mensah (Noma Dumezweni), a cool and confident extraterrestrial expedition leader in the books, anxious and unsure onscreen? Why is her PreservationAux crew portrayed as hippies who seem to have personality quirks instead of personalities? Why does the tone of this thing feel so off? The rejoinder to any of these boils down to 'because TV,' reasoning that's likely to be Murderbot 's doom and salvation. Readers love Wells' books. They've won Hugos and Nebulas, the highest praise bestowed on science fiction writing. Read the comments on almost any review of Murderbot 's first season, which closely follows the original Murderbot novella All Systems Red , and you'll find hand-wringing from loyal fans; they're hoping the show gets it right. Wells resembles George R.R. Martin or Hugh Howey in that regard. The thing about sci-fi fans is they have opinions—and they're hard to please. Not that Murderbot 's flaws lie in pandering. Murderbot (the character) narrates All Systems Red , and also the series, and its tone is very specific. (Yes, Murderbot's pronouns are 'it.') Not to spoil anything—and this piece will remain largely spoiler-free—but it's a security robot, and interacting with people isn't its forte. When it finds itself wanting good things for the people who, for once, don't treat it like a servant, it struggles. It wants to hide that it's jailbroken itself to gain free will while also acting normal , and in the process either acts very flatly or just repeats dialogue from the hours of streaming content it binge-watches with its newfound freedom (that Murderbot has turned The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon into a show-within-a-show is a plus here). Murderbot's narration, both in All Systems Red and its adaptation, gives the story its voice. It's what people, even though they're human, identify with. Murderbot does alright with this, but fumbles all the other stuff. Characters, like Mensah, like Gurathin (David Dastmalchian), are given tacked-on traits like anxiety or creepiness in an effort to make them well-rounded but often feel disjointed. Polyamory, a matter-of-fact part of life in Wells' books, gets turned into an unnecessary B-plot, attempting to add drama by pointing out that throuples exist. Tone, then, becomes the issue. Anyone who read All Systems Red , or any of Wells' subsequent stories or novels, read Murderbot's acerbic wit and deadpan observations in their own way and Skarsgård's delivery, no matter how good, may not be what they imagined. Every adaptation risks running afoul of reader expectations, but the show's straightforward plot runs thin at times and when Murderbot's narration doesn't land it just feels flat. Not that this is Skarsgård's fault. While some may be asking Why is this unit being played by such an absolute unit? , having a handsome weirdo in the lead was the right move. Ever since his vampire days, Skarsgård has perfected playing bloodless skinjobs. But as Murderbot 's plot ping-pong's around no one seems to be sure if they're on a workplace comedy or a sci-fi thriller, making the stakes confused or nonexistent. Ostensibly, Murderbot is a mystery on two levels. On the first, there's the PreservationAux crew and their scientific fact-finding mission on a world thought to be relatively innocuous. PreservationAux had to take a SecUnit to get insurance for their mission and while they don't trust the corporation from which they got their equipment, including Murderbot, they do need it. It's only when they get there and discover very bad things that they realize how much. Something has gone wrong on this planet and Mensah and her crew need to find out why. Second mystery: Murderbot's true nature. While it may be struggling to play it cool and not give away the fact that it has hacked its control systems, the crew doesn't really see it as a threat. Only Gurathin, an augmented human, suspects something is amiss. If anything, they worry about how humanely they should treat it. Slowly, as Murderbot becomes more fascinated with their lives and realizes they're not the 'assholes' it might have thought, they learn to be a team. Perhaps this is where Murderbot struggles most to find its footing. Each of Wells' characters was fleshed out, even though they are only observed from Murderbot's perspective. In Murderbot , they are just as well-rounded, but the show seems preoccupied with their quirkiness—the polycules (cool!), the neuroses. Murderbot never dwelled too much on those parts of their humanity. Murderbot wants, then, to be a quirky sci-fi dramedy with hints of a deeper anti-corporate message—a welcome reprieve on the streaming network most known for big downers like Silo, Foundation , and Severance —but it struggles to be all those things at once. Midway through the season, Murderbot does shake off some of its clunkiness. As a viewer, you can get used to its wild tonal unevenness. But given the release schedule for the show—two episodes Friday, then one every week until early June—some would-be fans may never get there. In All Systems Red , Murderbot, illustrating its harm-reduction-seeking nature using one of its favorite TV shows, frets 'I hate having emotions about reality; I'd much rather have them about Sanctuary Moon .' Viewers may never get there with this show. Murderbot does, if it's permitted to, have room to grow. Wells' story, like all good sci-fi, imagines futures that parallel the present in an attempt to find solutions. At a time when the threat of an artificially intelligent bot taking one's job feels very real, All Systems Red asks whether creating humanoids to do dirty work is any different from slavery. It questions whether corporations really should be the ones investigating other planets. Topical, but Murderbot 's first season only scratches that surface. Maybe it could find its voice in season two.
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Murderbot' Review: Apple's New Comedy Sci-Fi Is A Great Vehicle For Alexander Skarsgard, But Not Without Its Problems
Murderbot Don't let the name fool you: Apple TV+'s new science-fiction series Murderbot isn't actually about a rampaging robot killing everything in sight, though Alexander Skarsgard's SecUnit certainly ponders the idea from time to time. SecUnit stands for Security Unit, a cyborg manufactured by the nefarious Corporation Rim, a somewhat nebulous hyper-capitalistic organization that uses, among other things, indentured servitude in its various corporate practices. This particular unit is unique: It's managed to override its 'governor module' – the tech that allows humans to tell it what to do, and protects them from a robot going rogue and killing everyone. The thought crosses Murderbot's mind when he first hacks his system, but he realizes that it's probably in his best interest not to go on a murder spree. This act of self-preservation leads him to a new job, when scientist hippies on an exploratory mission are forced to rent a SecUnit for security purposes. These hippies are part of the PreservationAux team, a group that belongs to the Preservation Alliance, a commune-style society that has remained free from the dystopian rule of the Corporation Rim. They don't even want a robot onboard – they view it as a form of slavery – but for insurance purposes, they have no choice. So they take the cheapest model, who just so happens to be Murderbot. Murderbot The PreservationAux team is made up of Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu), Arada (Tattiawna Jones), Ratthi (Akshay Khanna), Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski), and Gurathin (David Dastmalchian). Gurathin is an augmented human that can tap into computer systems and is by far the most mistrustful of their new cyborg companion. The team is led by Mensah (Noma Dumezweni), a mothering figure who plays a big role in bridging the gap between robot and human this season. What this team is actually up to is quite vague: They're researching . . . something, on a planet that at first seems benign but ends up being far more dangerous than anyone anticipated. Lucky they brough a SecUnit along, even if it has no desire to be there. The best part about Murderbot, by a long shot, is Skarsgard's performance. He doesn't like people, but he's forced to protect them. Well, not really forced since he's hacked his governor module, but to keep up appearances he does his job. He'd rather be watching TV. The most endearing thing about Murderbot is it's / his (nobody quite knows how to refer to SecUnit when it comes to pronouns, a running gag) obsession with The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, which is basically the show you'd get if Star Trek and Days Of Our Lives had a lovechild. The show has 2,797 episodes and we get little glimpses of them in action because Murderbot spends every waking moment glued to his entertainment feed, and is annoyed when pesky humans and their problems get in the way. Sanctuary Moon has its own cast: Clark Gregg, John Cho, DeWanda Wise and Jack McBrayer all play various roles in the space soap. It's hilariously over-the-top and ridiculous, but Murderbot refers to it as 'premium' even if nobody else agrees. He turns to it constantly when attempting to figure out how to deal with human problems, often quoting it or using various episodes to try to figure out what he should do in a tight spot. Murderbot I'm reminded, in no small part, of Resident Alien, though the two shows are quite different for the most part. Still, in that show we have an alien disguised as a human with very underdeveloped social skills who turns to TV in order to learn human ways. In that show, it's Law & Order. Alan Tudyk plays the alien, Harry, with gleeful abandon. Skarsgard's Murderbot is awkward in a totally different way, unsure how to deal with emotion, tortured just by having to look someone in the eye. Both often contemplate killing everyone. Murderbot is completely confounded by the kindness of the PreservationAux team, though this does little to warm him to them – at first. He'd rather be left alone with Sanctuary Moon. Of course, things don't go as planned on the mission and a series of unfortunate events leads to various precarious situations, betrayals, shoot-outs and daring escapes, all of which get in the way of Murderbot's screen time. I won't spoil any of that. I can't speak to the quality of the adaptation as I've yet to read The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells upon which this show is based. What I can say is that while Skarsgard's Murderbot is consistently hilarious, the rest of the show is less so. The funniest bits are Murderbot's observations and reactions; the team itself is often played for laughs that don't quite land, though we get a few funny bits and some good slapstick here and there. Of the supporting cast, it's (unsurprisingly) David Dastmalchian who leaves the biggest mark. His mistrust of the SecUnit is rooted in his own unique abilities and backstory, and Dastmalchian gives depth to the role that isn't necessarily in the text. Other than Dumezweni, who adds a welcome layer of emotion and warmth, the rest of the cast feels a bit like throwaway characters used for gags that fall flat more than anything. Do we really need an awkward throuple subplot? No, the answer is no. Murderbot Perhaps the biggest issue with Murderbot, however, is that episodes are only 20-ish minutes long and Apple is releasing them weekly. The first two come out this Friday, May 16th, with one episode a week after that all the way up to July 11th. It took me a few episodes to really get invested in the story, and outside of the titular character I found myself more irritated with the others at first, though this is perhaps by design, since Murderbot himself is mostly irritated and vexed by his new companions. The point is, this might have worked better using Netflix's binge-release model, allowing people to really dive into the show rather than trickle it out weekly. Sure, episodes often end on cliffhangers, but the story is pretty thin, especially at first, with a somewhat generic sci-fi look and feel, and I'm not sure it's enough to capture and then hold interest over the course of 9 weeks. It certainly picks up as it goes along, but expecting audiences to wait four or five weeks to get to that point is a big ask. Watching all ten episodes over two nights helped enormously, but audiences won't have that luxury. I don't feel this way about Apple's other shows currently airing, like The Studio or Your Friends & Neighbors, which are both well-suited for the weekly release model. Still, this is one I can definitely recommend, mostly because I enjoyed Skarsgard and his narration and internal dialogue so much. A security droid obsessed with TV shows, struggling with his 'humanity' and what the possibility of freedom might mean is right up my alley. Perhaps it's just that I can relate. I like my alone time and my TV shows, too, and humans are terribly puzzling creatures. It's not a masterpiece, but it's entertaining enough, a mostly light and breezy glimpse into a fictional universe that certainly feels like it has a lot more potential. I'm certainly curious to see where the story goes if Apple picks up a second season. I'll have to read the books before then, though sometimes it's fun to go in without a lot of preconceived notions. I'm curious what book readers will think of the show and of Skarsgard's interpretation of the character. You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
