Murderbot Review: Alexander Skarsgård Is Hilariously Awkward in This Breezy Sci-Fi Dramedy

Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries books have earned a dedicated following over the past few years, charming sci-fi fans with a sly twist on the killer robot trope. Structured around a series of spacefaring adventures, they star a cynical, autistic-coded cyborg who finds its human employers inconvenient and annoying. In Apple TV+'s new adaptation, Alexander Skarsgård flexes his underrated talent for offbeat comedy as the titular Murderbot, aka SecUnit.

Unlike its more explicitly robotic compatriots, this particular Security Unit has deactivated its governor module, a piece of technology that would otherwise force it to obey orders. But instead of going on a killing spree — the show's in-universe stereotype for rogue bots — it just uses its newfound freedom to slack off, marathoning soap operas while guarding a group of naive interplanetary explorers. The irony here is that while Murderbot would probably hate to be considered "relatable," we can all sympathize with the desire to watch TV instead of clocking in at a dull job full of irritating coworkers.

Fans of the books may have mixed reactions to this adaptation, which successfully recreates the snarky humor of the novels (particularly for Murderbot itself) but doesn't entirely nail the deeper sociopolitical underpinnings.

In Murderbot's distant-future setting, dystopian megacorporations control much of the galaxy. Murderbot belongs to one such entity, currently rented out to an exploration team from the communally-run Preservation Alliance. The show presents them as a culture of nice but hapless hippies, leading into some well-meaning yet slightly condescending jokes about polyamory negotiations and communal decision-making. In the books, however, these scientists are treated more seriously, representing a kinder way of life in a soulless corporate universe. In the interests of comedy, the TV version makes them seem more immature and foolish, widening the philosophical gulf between the humans and their SecUnit. 

6.5

Murderbot

at Apple TV+

Like

• Alexander Skarsgård is very funny as the anxious and sarcastic Murderbot
• The breezy tone and short episodes keep you coming back for more
• The straightforward dramedy storytelling offers a welcome counterpoint to lore-heavy franchises

Dislike

• The supporting cast are likable but their characters are thinly written
• It sands down the world-building and deeper themes of the Murderbot books

Given the circumstances, it makes sense for Murderbot to be a cynic. It's used to being treated as disposable equipment, and it knows that if anyone uncovers its rogue status, it will probably be melted down for scrap. However, its current clients are uniquely placed to sympathize. Their culture views robot contracts as tantamount to slavery, and they only hired a SecUnit because they were forced to do so. Thus begins a slow-burn friendship arc, as the humans try to reach out while Murderbot, comically horrified, resists them at every turn.

Led by the sensible and empathetic Dr. Mensah (Noma Dumezweni), their expedition is tasked with studying the landscape of an alien planet. David Dastmalchian's distrustful Dr. Gurathin is arguably the secondary lead, a cybernetically enhanced human who views Murderbot with confrontational suspicion. His defensiveness balances out the optimistic cheer of his teammates: a jocular himbo named Ratthi (Akshay Khanna), the cutesy couple Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu) and Arada (Tattiawna Jones), and Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski), whom Murderbot saves from certain death in Episode 1. In the process it reveals its human-looking face to the team, unintentionally encouraging them to see it as a potential friend.

Murderbot is actually this SecUnit's private name for itself, an ironic reference to its status as a killing machine. Unlike its tender-hearted clients, it understands the necessity of violence in a dangerous world — just one of many points of contention between their clashing worldviews.

Repulsed by messy emotions — particularly sex, romance, and confessional heart-to-hearts — Murderbot vents its frustrations through a sarcastic inner monologue. Regularly walking out of conversations to avoid further awkwardness, it flees to "inspect the perimeter" or secretly watch more episodes of a florid, Star Trek-inspired soap opera called Sanctuary Moon, starring a garishly dressed John Cho, DeWanda Wise, Clark Gregg, and Jack McBrayer. When the going gets tough and Murderbot needs to mimic human conversation, it often borrows dialogue from its favorite shows.

Casting Murderbot was always going to be tricky, as its appearance is left ambiguous in the books, rejecting human identifiers, including gender. On the surface, Alexander Skarsgård may seem like a frustratingly conservative choice in this regard, but his performance makes a strong case that SecUnit only looks like a traditional white male action hero. Its appearance was forced upon it as a product of human bias, and it would much rather be wearing an opaque helmet at all times — something that would also help with its visceral hatred of eye contact. 

Murderbot's anxiety and social awkwardness spark some of the funniest moments in the show, as Skarsgård reacts with undisguised revulsion to its clients' romantic entanglements and schmaltzy attempts to connect. Yet this is also one of the areas where Murderbot doesn't quite gel with the books, introducing scenes where the humans force Murderbot to look them in the eye, rather than accommodating the needs of a famously autistic-coded character. It's worth noting that while Murderbot's showrunners, Chris and Paul Weitz, have penned a roster of well-known comedy and sci-fi projects (Rogue One, About a Boy, American Pie, The Creator), none of it reflects the kind of speculative fiction you see in Martha Wells' world-building, which gets sanded down for a more mainstream style of goofy genre comedy.

Released in sitcom-length episodes, Murderbot's feather-light tone and likable cast make for easy viewing. It's also an ideal platform for Alexander Skarsgård's identity as a weirdo character actor in the body of a 6'4" hunk. Despite some occasionally shallow writing, I'd happily tune in for a second season, allowing Murderbot to spread its wings as an antidote to grim-and-gritty cyborg media.

Premieres: Friday, May 16 on Apple TV+ with two episodes, followed by new episodes weekly
Who's in it: Alexander Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian, Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, Tamara Podemski
Who's behind it: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz (writers and showrunners)
For fans of: The Orville, Futurama, The Expanse, Star Trek: Lower Decks
How many episodes we watched: 10 of 10