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Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi series has debuted with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes

The show stars Alexander Skarsgard as a sentient robot.

By Joe Allen May 15, 2025 2:03 PM

Alexander Skarsgard in Murderbot — Apple TV+

Apple TV+ just seems to know how to churn out good shows, and Murderbot is no exception. The series has debuted with a 98% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and seems to be the latest critical success for the streaming service.

The show, which is adapted from a series of novels by Martha Wells, tells the story of a security robot who acquires free will. After discovering that it can think for itself, it agrees to take on a dangerous mission protecting a group of scientists, even though all it really wants to do is binge-watch TV.

Starring Alexander Skarsgard, the series has earned praise for its light, witty tone and for his central performance.

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“Murderbot isn’t an exact recreation of the books — and it’s too irreverent to be the kind of thing Murderbot would enjoy — but it’s very fun and satisfying as its own thing,” Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall wrote in his review of the first season.

“Murderbot is the latest example of a trend I’ve noticed on streaming TV — exquisitely produced science fiction and fantasy shows that may not be seen outside of a small-yet-passionate fanbase,” Eric Deggans of NPR added.

Apple has proven to be particularly adept at adapting sci-fi stories, having already had success with shows like Silo, For All Mankind, and of course, Severance. Murderbot seems to have a slightly different tone from each of those shows, but thankfully, it seems to work pretty well on its own merits. The show is set to hit Apple TV+ starting on May 16.

Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming… Read Full Bio

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