In Murderbot, Alexander Skarsgård’s titular SecUnit isn’t a robot exactly. Instead, it’s a sentient construct which has some organic elements. But, as we see at the start of Episode 4, “Escape Velocity Protocol,” it’s very much made in a factory that looks like, well, a robot assembly line. The thing is, in the opening moments of this episode, Murderbot rejects one very old science fiction trope, and in doing so, adds yet another veneer of realism to this very funny and unique series. Paradoxically, the quirkier and stranger Murderbot gets, the more believable it seems, too.
Here’s why this very specific Murderbot plot point inverts a weird robot trope found in other sci-fi, and why it perfectly represents the ethos of the series.
