Imagine if a security service robot broke its programming and turned out to be a genuinely good autonomous entity—as long as no one erases its hundreds of episodes of The Rise and Fall of Santuary Moon. Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. This season adapted book one of Martha Wells’ The Murdorbot Diaries, All Systems Red.
The novel version of Murderbot is just as wholesome and lovable as Alexander Skarsgård’s depiction of the titular character. Even though I would never believe a handsome man like Skarsgård would be the SecUnit master copy model in this vicious world, he provided the perfect awkwardness and quirkiness to the character I enjoyed off the pages. Skarsgård’s fast-talking, staring-into-the-abyss representation nailed the anxiety-ridden character so well.
Other than Skarsgård, the casting choices were perfect across the board. The heart of All Systems Red was always its titular character, but also the various personalities that make up the scientific expedition group, PreservationAux. Noma Dumezweni’s Dr. Mensah gave off the most motherly vibes, trying her best to manage her comrades like she does her children. Dr. Mensah goes as far as treating Murderbot as a pseudo-child as well.
The most heartfelt, tearjerking relationship was between Murderbot and David Dastmalchian’s Gurathin in the series, compared to the novella, which leaned heavier on Murderbot and Dr. Mensah. The show still maintained that strong bond between the autonomous SecUnit and Dr. Mensah. Additionally, the way the showrunners/writers, Chris and Paul Weitz, wrote the titular character and Gurathin’s narrative journey together was sublime. If this were a romance or rom-com show, they exhibited the enemies-to-lovers trope almost perfectly.
There were numerous changes from the page-to-screen adaptation, some already mentioned above. These examples included the first two opening scenes and ending was changed; Leebeebee was a show-exclusive character; Volescu and Overse were not in the show; the polycule marriage addition; and there was less future tech jargon.
Do any of these changes affect the overall story? No, they do not. Regardless of the changes and cuts, the core story that Wells wrote in All Systems Red came through. The heart of Wells’ story comes through the protagonist SecUnit, and its journey to be alone and navigate awkward social interactions.
One of Murderbot’s key hobbies is watching episodes of a fictional space soap opera called The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. Murderbot uses the show to understand human emotions and rationale, or rather, how humans are irrational more often than not. Clark Gregg (The Avengers), John Cho (Cowboy Bebop), DeWanda Wise (Jurassic World Dominion), and Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) were great actors to bring this fictional sci-fi drama to life.
“Apple TV+ continues to successfully execute all the visuals and VFX/CGI with Murderbot.“
The Apple TV+’s portrayal of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon was the perfect chessiness I expected from Wells’ descriptions of the show in All Systems Red. Since this is a visual medium, Chris and Paul Weitz understood the assignment to add over-the-top acting for this in-world TV soap opera. It took the joke so far as to rip off Star Trek and use Cho so well, knowing he played Hikaru Sulu in the newest Star Trek films.
Apple TV+ continues to successfully execute all the visuals and VFX/CGI with Murderbot. I tried to look for any major flaws, but came up empty. The double-headed alien creature’s design was so intricate, and I could feel the mass of it through the screen. Even when the main character, SecUnit, blasts holes through the giant creature, the chunks of alien meat look realistic.
All the SecUnits also have a solid blend of using practical suits with some of the CGI-projected interfaces. A special shout-out extends to the costume and prop team, too, bringing the SecUnits to life off the page. It was a bit strange to see Skarsgård get the Ken doll treatment when his nether regions were painted out, since SecUnits do not have reproductive parts. Murderbot talks about how if it had reproductive parts, it would simply be a “sex bot in a brothel,” when Leebeebee kept asking what a naked SecUnit looked like.
Again, the writing cunningly explores Murderbot’s commentary on gender by addressing how it prefers the pronouns It/Its, and does not classify itself under binary gender roles. In a strange but subtle way, Murderbot is a queer show without fully presenting as such. The polycule predicament explored throughout the whole season added to this conversation.
From the characters to the creatures, the environments and sets were also noticeably eye-catching. The main base PreservationAux lived in with Murderbot screamed future sci-fi habitat, but the tech used looked believable. When the Preservation group used their flying spacecraft, it moved fluidly from the far exterior shots. The interior looked lived-in, and felt more believable since the actors are acting on an actual built set.
All the outdoor environments never felt like it was shot on a green screen, despite the main setting of the show taking place on an unknown, grey, gravelly planet. Overall, Murderbot’s visuals elevated my experience of reading All Systems Red because Wells spent a lot of time explaining the environments through the titular character’s narration. There was also a lot of sci-fi jargon in the novella, compared to the show adaptation.
At the end of the season, Murderbot’s visuals/VFX, fight choreography, and dialogue triumphed across the board. Through all the future tech talk and the setting being in space, there are plenty of human interactions and commentary on humanity. The 30-minute episode format worked for this series, allowing the jokes to be quick and punchy. For those who enjoyed Fallout’s balance of humour, action, and drama, this is the perfect space adventure for you.
