The truth about 'Murderbot'

Is this the droid we're looking for?

Welcome to EJECTOR SEAT, where I watch the pilot episode of a TV show old or new, and ask myself (literally) whether it’s worth carrying on. This week: ‘Murderbot’ on Apple TV+

Murderbot – like, RoboCop, but bad?

Not exactly. The Murderbot of the title is a security unit, a robot living in the future, built to keep an eye on workers in a variety of grim and dull projects or expeditions and to provide reassurance to corporations and insurers that said expeditions and projects won’t go awry. These security units can never lie and are unable to refuse any order given by humans, unless such an order will endanger life.

They call a security robot Murderbot? Do they not think that’s rather tempting fate?

He doesn’t have actually have a name. He christens himself Murderbot after somehow hacking his ‘governor module’ – the component that makes him obedient – and gaining free will.

Which he then uses to murder everyone, like any sane recently freed robot servant would do?

Actually, no he doesn’t. The fate for malfunctioning SecUnits lands their metal bits in a furnace and their fleshy bits treated to an acid bath – a fate almost as bad as accidentally dropping two Lush bath bombs into the tub. So, instead, he bides his time, using his newfound freedom to binge on tacky soaps and reality shows.

Your cat when the shake of the Dreamies bag feels less weighty than usual. [Apple]