A sharp, low-key sci-fi comedy with a strong hook, brisk episodes, and a very appealing central performance. It’s especially good if you like character-driven genre stories that mix danger, dry humor, and a little emotional sincerity.
46% ★★☆☆☆ (39,704)
Murderbot
Where to watch: Apple
TV Show · Comedy · Drama
2025 · ★ 46% (39.7K)
Built to destroy. Forced to connect.
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian
Overview
In a high-tech future, a rogue security robot secretly gains free will. To stay hidden, it reluctantly joins a new mission protecting scientists on a dangerous planet... even though it just wants to binge soap operas.
Production
Depth of Field, Phantom Four, Paramount Television Studios, CBS Studios
Cast
Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tamara Podemski, Tattiawna Jones
Where to watch
Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, low-key sci-fi comedy with a strong hook, brisk episodes, and a very appealing central performance. It’s especially good if you like character-driven genre stories that mix danger, dry humor, and a little emotional sincerity.
Best for
viewers who like smart sci-fi with a comic edge
fans of short, bingeable episodes
people who enjoy outsider protagonists and found-family dynamics
viewers who like genre shows that are more witty than action-heavy
Skip if
you want hard sci-fi with dense worldbuilding
you prefer broad comedy over dry, deadpan humor
you need constant action or big spectacle
you dislike shows built around internal narration and social awkwardness
Overview
Murderbot is a very clean fit for Apple TV’s recent lane of polished, character-first genre TV. The premise is instantly appealing: a security unit that has hacked its own governor module and would rather watch serial dramas than deal with humans. That contrast gives the series a distinctive comic voice, and Alexander Skarsgård’s performance is key to making the character feel both funny and unexpectedly vulnerable.
Worth noting
The show works best when it leans into Murderbot’s internal commentary, the awkwardness of human interaction, and the slow-building trust with the scientists it is supposed to protect. It is not a maximalist space adventure; it is more intimate, more sardonic, and more interested in personality than in lore dumps. That makes it easy to watch and easy to like, even when the plot is fairly familiar.
Bottom line
Season 1 is the main draw, and the series feels like it is still finding its full rhythm, but the core concept is strong enough to carry it. If you enjoy elegant, slightly offbeat sci-fi with a humane streak, this is worth your time. If you want something louder, darker, or more intricate, it may feel a little too light on the surface.
2011 · ★ 82% (209.8K) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For AI-centered storytelling that evolves from procedural roots into a bigger, more thoughtful arc.
Themes
artificial intelligence, free will, identity, found family, corporate science fiction, survival, social awkwardness, loneliness
Topics
sci-fi comedy, dry humor, character-driven, space adventure, found family, AI protagonist, bingeable, satirical, prestige television, lighthearted tone