Alexander Skarsgård Plays an Existential Cyborg in AppleTV+ Series

Dry humor, esoteric meanderings and AI converge in Murderbot, the latest sci-fi series on Apple TV+’s engaging roster. However, unlike Silo and Foundation, this series dials up the humor, with Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, Succession) as a security cyborg who hacks himself and prompts an existential crisis. The change leaves the ‘bot curious about his newfound freedom, launching an outing that feels fresh and exciting.

Pondering new possibilities, Skarsgård’s cyborg dubs himself Murderbot and joins a team of earnest environmentalists who travel the cosmos conducting research. Murderbot must keep his newfound independence a secret, protecting the crew from giant caterpillar monsters and ‘bots controlled by corporate titans who crave dominion in space. In between, he’s internally streaming a long-running space soap, preferring its dreamy, colorful sets and compelling plots to his current reality.

Murderbot also stars Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Tattiawna Jones, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna and Tamara Podemski. Adapted by Chris and Paul Weitz (both from Manhunt), the new show is timely, thought-provoking and fun.

These Space High Jinks are a Binge-Worthy Delight

Based on Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries, most of the episodes clock in at under 30 minutes, making Murderbot both enjoyable and bingeable. The comedy is wonderfully dry, giving Skarsgård plenty of room to play: Murderbot narrates the story, often setting up each episode’s cliffhanger by commenting on the incompetence of his human counterparts or the banality of his circumstances.

It’s also refreshing to experience a show that can balance its offbeat humor with suspenseful action scenarios. The special effects are on par with most of today’s sci-fi series, but fans of the original Star Trek or Lost in Space will get a kick out of this series. It feels like a smarter, more sharply executed creative cousin to those shows, with shades of Orwell and the last season of Picard for good measure.

One of the most interesting twists here is that Murderbot isn’t the only artificial being on the show: There’s also Gurathin (a pitch-perfect David Dastmalchian), a distrusting augmented human. The duo’s contentious relationship offers this series some of its best comedy, as well as deeper reflections about life and themes of teamwork, sacrifice, dedication and forgiveness.

Stellar Cast Elevates a Compelling Sci-Fi Comedy

The entire cast shines, however. Murderbot is silly at times, but it’s in those comedic moments that we get to learn more about the key players. Leading the pack of environmentalists is Noma Dumezweni’s Mensah, who becomes Murderbot’s ally when the rest of her team still fear that the cyborg will annihilate them. Several scenes between Skarsgård and Dumezweni hit the mark emotionally, offering effective character development. And Arada (Tattiawna Jones) and Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu) are a couple, but don’t mind inviting Rathi (Akshay Khanna) into the bedroom at one point. In these scenes, Wu emerges as one of the series’ best standouts, and her reactions are a joy to experience.

Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) is among the cast of Murderbot’s favorite space opera, which has apparently entertained futuristic audiences for decades. There’s a point when audiences may wonder if this series may pull off a switch and take us into that world — which would have been “watching” Murderbot’s world — but that may be too daring.

But it’s Skarsgård who shines brightest in Murderbot, reminding audiences just how versatile of a performer he truly is. Dishing out humor and mischief in equal measure, the actor may just become the sci-fi icon of the year. Skarsgård’s comic timing is marvelous, and his facial expressions and responses are pitch-perfect. (He fills out the Murderbot suit pretty well, too.) With its existential themes, riveting combat scenes, and offbeat humor, Murderbot is bound to slay sci-fi fans near and far.

Murderbot premieres on Apple TV+ May 16. Watch the trailer below.