Streaming platform Apple TV has rapidly become the king of excellent sci-fi TV shows, from the experimental Foundation to the dystopian Silo, as the platform has, so far, avoided canceling excellent sci-fi series before they have the chance to grow an audience. This is great news for some of the best hidden gem sci-fi shows on TV, because while some series, like Pluribus, instantly find success, others need more time to attract an audience. One of these is an underrated sci-fi comedy starring Alexander Skarsgård.
Murderbot is about a self-aware security android (Skarsgård) who gains sentience. However, rather than going on the rampage, all it wants to do is watch TV. The android has the capacity to kill people and a history of doing so, while also gaining a growing affinity for humans, like The Terminator. On the other hand, its combination of revulsion and interest in the human race makes the show feel similar to Resident Alien, one of the best sci-fi sitcom shows to be made.
Murderbot Is Criminally Overlooked Compared To Other Apple TV Sci-Fi Shows
Many of the prestige sci-fi shows on Apple TV are already being hailed as masterpieces, while Murderbot has been overlooked by wider audiences. This may be because Murderbot was based on an unadaptable sci-fi book series, which has a format that is not always easy to convert from book to screen. Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries tells about half of the story from the android’s point of view, using a first-person format. While this can be done, and The Hunger Games novels use a first person format, the style is unusual and there is a major difference between the two series.
The source material has won a string of prestigious sci-fi awards, including Locus, Hugo, and Nebula Awards.
The Hunger Games took the form of full novels with one specific dystopian theme, while the Murderbot books are five short novellas, with two full-length novels that came later. The style is a blend of sci-fi and comedy, and while there are some excellent TV shows that are a mix of genres, this unusual tone combined with the storytelling style mean that Murderbot is not an obvious story to adapt for the screen. That said, the creators managed to capture not only the story’s tone and themes but its humor, and this is partly thanks to Murderbot‘s cast.
The show’s cast includes actors who are used to introducing comedy elements to serious roles, like Noma Dumezweni (Only Murders in the Building) and David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad.) The presence of and great performance by Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood) should have given Murderbot a much higher profile, yet it has still flown under the radar when compared to other great sci-fi shows on Apple TV. With Murderbot confirmed for a second season, this could give the series a chance to gain the greater fanbase that it deserves.
Murderbot Season 2 Can Build Upon The First Season’s Success
The Murderbot books separate the main characters as the story continues, but it has been confirmed that the second season will make some changes to the source material so that the main cast can stay together. This is a smart move, as part of what makes the show work so well is its ensemble cast. That said, the series is likely to have a change in tone, with season 2 of Murderbot becoming more cyberpunk, with Murderbot traveling to the RaviHyral mining installation to investigate its dark past.
One complaint that book fans had about the show is the fact that the disturbing reason behind Murderbot’s name is watered down. However, as the series grows more cyberpunk and starts examining the corporation that is central to the book, the massacre that forms a major part of Murderbot’s journey is likely to be treated with the gravity that it deserves. The second season of Murderbot, expected to return in late 2026, can build on the success of season 1. The show already has a 95% positive critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and could become Apple TV’s next perfect sci-fi.
- Release Date
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May 15, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV+
- Showrunner
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Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
- Directors
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Aurora Guerrero, Roseanne Liang
- Writers
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Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
