While I wouldn't call myself the biggest sci-fi aficionado on the planet, my favourite streaming service of the last year, Apple TV+, has really warmed me to the genre – or, at least, this streamer's take on it.
After a spate of being late to Apple TV+'s best sci-fi shows – I was a full season behind on Severance; and Silo only came onto my radar after that, whoops! – I've now somehow also arrived later to the best streaming service's latest sci-fi show.
Murderbot might have a brash name, but it's actually a sci-fi-meets-comedy series based around the books by Martha Wells. I should have paid more attention, really, as my T3 colleague is already a big fan. And you'll see why from the trailer below:
Murderbot trailer
What's Murderbot about?
Murderbot is about an intergalactic future where humans are protected by robots, called SecUnits, which are programmed to uphold their human team's needs.
Except, that is, for the Murderbot – who's spent umpteen hours breaking his governor module code so he can earn free will. But he doesn't spend it doing too much – except watching thousands of hours of sci-fi shows, such as The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon (a clear Star Trek parody).
That's ample enough information to see that Murderbot is anything but a straight-laced sci-fi, it's actually a very smart comedy, with proper laugh-out-loud moments that make it a joy to watch.
It doesn't shy away from its almost Starship Troopers-like monsters and other cosmic anomalies, though, leaning into all angles. And I've thoroughly enjoyed bingeing the show – although now have to wait for the weekly showing each Friday, until its season conclusion, on 11 July.
Is Murderbot well rated?
Muderbot itself (not himself – you'll see why in the show) is played by Alexander Skarsgård, who is also the show's producer, as was announced literally years ago, back in late 2023. See, I told you I was late to it all.
Critics have been loving the show, too, with its Rotten Tomatoes score sat at a sky-high 97% positive rating. That's pretty rare – although the audience rating isn't as high in praise, with a 79% score.
I guess not everyone is going to get along with the mish-mash of comedy, parody and sci-fi – which I think is thoughtfully mixed together to make for an engaging show. It's pretty rapid-fire, too, as each of the 10 episodes is under 30 minutes long (some as little as 22 minutes).
That short run-time is welcome for me, though, as so many shows are now extended in length. These digestable chunks fit the comedy format nicely. And give yet another reason why Apple TV+ should firmly remain on your streaming services roster – whereas others, given too many are costing too much, might not make the cut.
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