While sci-fi authors like Philip K. Dick and Arthur C. Clarke might've imagined we were living in a far more advanced technological society than we are now, we're getting closer to their fictional futures with every day. The invention of the internet would've likely blown most people's minds from the '60s, but as we head into 2025, advancements in technology mean more and more ideas from the sci-fi fiction of yesteryear are becoming commonplace.
Sci-fi shows and movies have always been popular, with the likes of Blade Runner, Terminator, and I, Robot being some of the greats. What do all of them have in common...robots!
There's been an influx of modern TV shows about robots, including Mr. Robot, Westworld, and numerous episodes of Black Mirror (to name but a few). Now, Apple TV is getting in on the bandwagon with its latest series.
While many will tend to think of Dan Erickson's Severance when it comes to Apple TV+, the streaming service is known for churning out other certified bangers like Slow Horses, Ted Lasso, and Shrinking.
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Hoping to continue the streaming service's stellar reputation, Murderbot is your latest binge-worthy arrival. Based on Martha Wells' The Murderbot Diaries, the 10-episode series casts Alexander Skarsgård as the titular Murderbot, a 'SecUnit' (security robot) with some questionable morals.
Accompanying a group of explorers to a hazardous planet, Murderbot has to balance his own quest for free will and hatred for the human race with orders to protect those he finds himself with in the inhospitable corner of the cosmos.
Boasting an all-star cast of Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, and Clark Gregg, Murderbot is already earning rave reviews after just two episodes.
While Severance has always been applauded for its lofty Rotten Tomatoes scores and ability to break records, Murderbot already finds itself with a rare 98% from critics.
Loving the series despite its infancy, Collider's Carly Lane said: "Murderbot will arguably go down as one of the strongest so far this year, as well as one of Apple TV+’s best sci-fi shows yet, thanks to a delightfully layered lead performance from Skarsgård, a terrific ensemble and a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and high-stakes drama."
Particularly praising the show's fourth episode, Empire's Olly Richards cheered: "It’s a flash of a goofier, wilder direction this show could go in if it carries on beyond this season. Then Murderbot could be killer."
The Verge's Andrew Webster rounded off by reminding us how Murderbot is a tonic to the rest of Apple TV's sci-fi collection: "While it has century-spanning epics and near-future nightmares and grim dystopias, it’s all pretty serious stuff. There aren’t a lot of laughs. And while Murderbot explores some important issues surrounding artificial intelligence and free will, it does so with a sense of playfulness and charm, and just the right amount of awkwardness."
Even though Netflix boasts the aforementioned and the likes of Love, Death + Robots, and Sense8, Apple is not-so-slowly making a name for itself with its own sci-fi showstoppers like Severance, Foundation, Silo, and now, Murderbot. We just need to hope it doesn't get axed after one season.