Mr Viral
Apple TV+
The first reviews are out for the anticipated new Apple TV+ darkly comedic sci-fi series “Murderbot” starring Alexander Skarsgard and based on Martha Wells’ “The Murderbot Diaries” book series.
Set in a high-tech future, the show follows a rogue security robot who secretly gains free will. To stay hidden, it reluctantly joins a new mission protecting scientists on a dangerous planet, even as it just wants to binge soap operas.
David Dastmalchian, Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Tattiawna Jones, Akshay Khanna and Tamara Podemski co-star in the half-hour series which hails from Chris and Paul Weitz.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series is pulling in a 100% rating from 14 critics’ reviews while on Metacritic it’s a 76/100 at the moment. Here’s a sampling of the reviews so far:
“Guided by the dry, not-quite-human tone of its protagonist, this sly and sometimes subversive series feels like a mix of Robocop and an old adventure serial, complete with cliffhangers and 25-minute episodes.” – Craig Mathieson, The Age
“The funny irony is that the things that make Murderbot a nice watch would probably make Murderbot dislike its own TV show. It’s about people, and a robot, caring about and deciding to value each other even when it’s inconvenient.” – Sam Barsanti, IGN
“Those who only know him from HBO’s True Blood or the Viking film The Northman may be surprised to discover how genuinely funny Skarsgård is, with a real gift for deadpan line delivery and comedic timing.” – Lacy Baugher, Paste
“Anchored by a wonderfully awkward turn from Skarsgård and an instantly likable ensemble, Murderbot is pure sci-fi fun, even if its slight story occasionally stretches too thin.” – Belen Edwards, Mashable
“Murderbot is both a familiar-ish science fiction series but also something utterly brand new. It’s a workplace comedy, a space opera, and a robot show all rolled into one. Apple TV+ almost certainly has a sleeper hit on its hands.” – Ryan Britt, Inverse
“It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s entertaining enough, a mostly light and breezy glimpse into a fictional universe that certainly feels like it has a lot more potential.” – Erik Kain, Forbes
“The first half of Murderbot’s 10-episode season is puzzlingly light on plot momentum and laughs. While the action, characters, and comedy do gel by the end, viewers will likely have to wait for a season 2 to see Murderbot reach its killer potential.” – Kristen Baldwin, EW
“I like Skarsgard more than I dislike the bland overall approach, and there’s a lot to be said for a show that just charges forward with most of its episodes coming in at under 25 minutes apiece.” – Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter
The ten-episode season launches with two episodes this Friday May 16th, with new single episodes airing weekly until July 11th.
