Murderbot review — Episode 1 — FreeCommerce: The unexpected triumph of robotic humanity

Murderbot? At first I was skeptical. How do you translate the very essence of a genderless, depressed, soap opera-addicted robot to the screen? Especially when the role was given to a conventionally attractive actor, someone whose charm seemed to contradict the apathetic, indifferent core of the protagonist?

Everything pointed to a caricature, a forced comedy. But surprisingly, Murderbot managed to skillfully avoid those pitfalls and ended up delivering something far beyond (and way better than) what I expected.

In under thirty minutes, the first episode of the Apple TV+ adaptation of the renowned books by Martha Wells, The Murderbot Diaries, manages to pull us into a world where robotic existentialism is tangible without losing the acerbic humor that defines the original work.

It’s not over-the-top comedy, nor is it heavy-handed drama. It’s a delicate balance that creates genuine empathy for a being who, ironically, prefers to escape its own thoughts by watching The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.

But the empathy does not only fall on the bot itself. Humans are portrayed with what can be seen as stupid by Murderbot, sure, but also so real, including Dr. Ayda Mensah's panic attacks, which are dealt with respect both by the team behind the TV show and Murderbot itself.

The fine line between people and bots

The episode does a good job of establishing Murderbot's perspective on humanity, which is that it is both a source of frustration and an unintentional interest. This classification is more than just a peculiarity of the bot; it is a philosophical attitude that emphasizes the profound disconnect that Murderbot has with the humans that it is presumably safeguarding.

Murderbot cannot help but see the team dynamics and see how predictable human idiocy may unavoidably be despite its wish to keep its detachment. It emphasizes Murderbot's profound separation from the individuals it is meant to protect, a philosophical position.

Murderbot can't help but see the team's dynamics and comment on how predictably stupid people are, even if it wants to stay detached. It’s the kind of acerbic detachment that should make the character unsympathetic, yet the execution is so nuanced that it becomes oddly endearing.

You find yourself agreeing with Murderbot’s assessment, laughing at its sarcastic inner monologues, and yet feeling a pang of recognition when it awkwardly tries to comfort Dr. Bharadwaj after a traumatic encounter with a native creature (even if later you find out he used lines from his favorite soap opera).

The tension between detachment and connection becomes the episode’s thematic backbone, making every scene more than just a series of quips or plot points.

Murderbot: A deadpan existentialist in a galaxy far, far away

As the first episode of Murderbot unfolds, it becomes clear that Murderbot’s obsession with The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon is more than just a distraction. It’s a coping mechanism. The show-within-a-show serves as a mirror, reflecting Murderbot’s inner turmoil without the messiness of real-world interactions. After all, it’s easier for it to empathize with fictional characters than with the actual humans it’s supposed to protect, a dichotomy that the episode plays with brilliantly.

Meanwhile, Alexander Skarsgård’s performance grounds Murderbot in a way that is both robotic and deeply relatable. He nails the deadpan delivery, capturing Murderbot’s existential detachment without losing the underlying humanity that makes it so compelling.

“Honestly, I didn’t like to think at all. I preferred to watch my shows.” — Murderbot, capturing the perfect blend of existential ennui and relatable escapism.

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Rating with a touch of flair: 5 out of 5 thousand hours of content watched in the feed.

P.S.: Some fans have been obsessing over this for a while now, as seen in Reddit discussions, and I'm joining the bandwagon and posing the same question: Can we have a spin-off adapting The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon as well? (Well, a bot and a girl can dream, right? Do Androids Dream of Space Opera Spin-offs?)

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