Read this review to find out if the Murderbot episode “FreeCommerce” & “Eye Contact” are worth watching.
About Murderbot
- Season 1, Episode 1, 2: “FreeCommerce” & “Eye Contact”
- Directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz
- Written by Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz
- Synopsis: “Oh a fresh assignment, Murderbot’s newfound free will leads to odd behavior sparking suspicion from the PreservationAux team.” and “Mensah and Bharadwaj take dangerous risks exploring an unknown area while Gurathin confronts Murderbot.”
- Airdate: May 16, 2025
- Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tamara Podemski, Tattiawna Jones, John Cho, Clark Gregg and Jack McBrayer
“If you want to avoid spoilers for this episode skip to the overall section at the end.
Warning: Spoilers for Murderbot Season 1 Episode 1 “FreeCommerce”
Recap Murderbot (2025): S1E01 – “FreeCommerce”
Murderbot, a unit trained to obey commands, becomes smart enough to override its controls and give itself free will, giving itself the name “Murderbot. Totally normal. The unit’s endearing nature is because of Skarsgård’s acting, which embodies the character’s desire to watch soap operas instead of work. The film also features Jack McBrayer and John Cho as soap opera actors.
The “refurbished” unit learns skills from soap operas, such as keeping them calm. However, it makes a mistake by revealing its face, which could lead to suspicions of its free will. The show also explores the possibility of more dangerous creatures and the company Murderbot comes from.
The modified human Gurathin, played by David Dastmalchian, is on to Murderbot. His exchanges with Skarsgård, especially in “Eye Contact,” are a tense, high-wire act in which our SecUnit frantically tries to hide Gurathin’s eyes. They are the focal point of the premiere’s two episodes.
Dastmalchian depicts a person on the periphery of mankind. Thanks to his augmentations, Gurathin can communicate with data systems, something that the average human cannot do. Due to his stern exterior and socially retarded manner, Gurathin might be mistaken for a SecUnit.
Dastmalchian does, however, provide glimmers of Gurathin’s heart, from his expression of affection for his companions to his determination to shield them from a “faulty killing machine.” A balancing act is required.
As our lead bot, Skarsgård is truly exceptional. There is genuine discomfort in the instances where Gurathin commands Murderbot to establish and maintain eye contact. As the SecUnit attempts to hide its free will, its uneasiness and awkwardness are completely palpable. I was shifting about in my chair.
We see this series and its protagonists through the high-tech eyes of Murderbot, and Skarsgård does an amazing job of transporting us there so we can experience the viewpoint of the namesake bot. We even find ourselves agreeing with it, he added. MurderBot describes its clientele using a variety of famous quotes.
Its antisocial inclinations and sardonic, scathing remarks nearly make it more relatable than the people it serves.
Noma Dumezweni delivers a well-acted performance as Mensah, a leader who struggles with anxiety and is unwilling to let them down. Murderbot, despite having biological components and embracing human things like television, struggles to distance itself as superior. Its empathy is evident in its use of its knowledge of TV shows. The narrative conflict for the show is whether to lean into its humanity or kill all humans. The end of episode two explores the fate of the DeltFall team and the potential alien synthetics, setting the stage for an exciting story.
Overall: Watch Murderbot (2025): S1E1-2 – “FreeCommerce” & “Eye Contact”
Alexander Skarsgård’s performance in Murderbot showcases his underappreciated comic talents and makes the main character more likable. Skarsgård’s performance improves throughout the premiere, making it his show.
Murderbot airs Fridays on Apple TV+.
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