If you're a fan of Alexander Skarsgård, then you'll definitely want to tune in to the actor's new show on Apple TV+! Murderbot comes out very soon on the streamer, and we're already hooked on the sci-fi thriller action comedy just from the initial looks of it. Yes, it has all those genres wrapped into one. As a member of the press, I've already seen the first couple of episodes, and I can tell you that the writers have set that tone successfully.
Murderbot premieres Friday, May 16, 2025 with the first two episodes on Apple TV+. There's a total of 10 episodes in the season, all running for about 30 minutes. So it really isn't a very long watch, and it's easy to squeeze into your schedule. Going froward, you can only expect one episode each week though, with the finale on Friday, July 11, 2025. Need a breakdown of when each episode is out? We've got your back. Check out the release schedule below:
Episode # | Release Date |
|---|---|
Episode 1 | May 16 |
Episode 2 | May 16 |
Episode 3 | May 23 |
Episode 4 | May 30 |
Episode 5 | June 6 |
Episode 6 | June 13 |
Episode 7 | June 20 |
Episode 8 | June 27 |
Episode 9 | July 4 |
Episode 10 | July 11 |
What to expect from Murderbot on Apple TV+
The show is based on The Murderbot Diaries book series by author Martha Wells. There's a total of seven books so if the Apple TV+ production does well, there's still plenty of material to pull from. Ready to learn more? We shared the official synopsis and trailer from Apple TV+ below:
"Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe."
As seen above, Murderbot is able to hack its own programming to give itself freewill. Though it's not that easy for it to go rogue. The SEC Unit will need to continue to play the part. For how long? We don't know. Since it doesn't want the company who built it finding out about this new development, I'm assuming there's major consequences for such a thing.
After all, no one wants a machine to have its own free will. Can Murderbot be trusted, or will it live up to its name? We'll find out soon! It seems harmless enough though. All this SEC Unit wants is to watch soap operas. Can't fault it for that!
Skarsgård not only stars at the titular cyborg, but also serves as an executive producer. The show was created by brothers Chris and Paul Weitz, and also stars Noma Dumezweni as Mensah, David Dastmalchian as Gurathin, Sabrina Wu as Pin-Lee, Akshay Khanna as Ratthi, Tattiawna Jones as Arada, and Tamara Podemski as Bharadwaj.
Did you also catch actors Clark Gregg, John Cho, DeWanda Wise, and Jack McBrayer as the stars of the fictional soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon? I'm definitely ready for some of the comedic elements this series brings!
Murderbot premieres Friday, May 16, 2025 with the first two episodes on Apple TV+.