Apple TV+’s New 97% RT Sci-Fi Show Just Debuted One Of The Best Robots On TV Yet

Robots have lengthy been a fascination in science fiction tv, and Apple TV+’s Murderbot simply debuted one of the crucial iconic robotic characters in sci-fi TV historical past. For nearly so long as the idea has been round, robots have enchanted viewers the world over. There’s an exceptionally lengthy checklist of iconic robots in motion pictures and tv, from Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation to Bender in Futurama and numerous others. There are even complete reveals centered round robotic or android characters, from HBO’s Westworld to The Six Million Dollar Man.

Apple TV+’s Murderbot Is Another Example Of An Iconic TV Robot

Murderbot Is Such A Charming, Relatable, & Lovable Character That It Is Already An Iconic TV Robot

When I say Murderbot is a bizarre character, I imply it in probably the most complimentary means attainable. Murderbot is a safety android who is commonly paranoid, haunted by a traumatic previous, and totally socially inept with the very people it has to guard. Contrary to its identify – and as Murderbot says itself – it’s a “terrible failure” at being a “heartless killing machine.” There’s a lot to like about Murderbot, from its love of trashy tv like The Rise & Fall of Sanctuary Moon to its begrudging love of people regardless of being totally irritated by them, that it is unattainable to checklist all of the SecUnits many virtues.

As with all fictional robots, Murderbot has much more to say about humanity than its opaque helmet and artificial parts let on. Through its titular SecUnit, Murderbot tells a narrative in regards to the intrinsic horror of slavery, overcoming traumatic occasions, studying to let others love you, popping out of your shell, and a lot extra. It’s stunning and heart-wrenching and hilarious all on the similar time, and none of it will be attainable with out Murderbot itself. Murderbot is bizarre and reclusive and obsessive about unhealthy TV, which is exactly why it is such an iconic robotic character in science fiction.

Most of the rationale Murderbot is an icon of science fiction comes from Martha Wells’ books, however Paul and Chris Weitz aren’t any slouches, both. Apple TV+’s Murderbot completely solid Alexander Skarsgård, and the acclaimed actor brings the SecUnit to life in a really extraordinary means. Murderbot has even added its personal aptitude to Wells’ writing, and most of its additions are excellent expansions of the unique story and characters. There’s a motive Murderbot has 97% on Rotten Tomatoes: it managed to translate top-of-the-line robots in sci-fi literature into top-of-the-line robots in sci-fi tv.

How Murderbot Compares To Some Of TV’s Other Best Robot Characters

Murderbot Shares Many Qualities With A Wide Variety Of TV’s Most Iconic Robots & Androids

An enormous a part of the rationale Murderbot is already a basic TV robotic, even after simply 4 episodes of the Apple TV+ present, is that it has so many nice elements of different iconic robotic characters. Murderbot’s dry, sarcastic humor is not as over-the-top as Futurama‘s Bender, however they’re equally hilarious. Murderbot’s additionally not as analytical and philosophical as Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Data, however they’re equally lovable. Murderbot additionally raises the identical questions on humanity’s stewardship over our personal creation as Westworld does. It’s like Martha Wells reviewed the previous couple of many years of sci-fi robots and selected all one of the best elements to incorporate in Murderbot.

Murderbot primarily ticks all of the packing containers of that nebulous thought of what makes a robotic character good. It holds a flame to the humorous and profound elements of the human expertise that solely a machine might. It makes use of its unbelievable technological powers for superior motion scenes and actually surprising twists. Most importantly, nonetheless, Murderbot feels extra like a human than a robotic, and it makes you care about it from the very starting. I’ve little doubt that Murderbot will quickly go down as top-of-the-line robots in science fiction tv historical past.

Murderbot

9/10

Release Date

May 16, 2025

Network

Apple TV+

Showrunner

Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Directors

Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Writers

Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz