Apple TV’s Most Overlooked Sci-Fi Series Is ‘Terminator Meets Resident Alien’

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As a sci-fi fan, I’ve been seriously impressed with Apple TV+ lately. They’ve quickly become the place to go for great science fiction, with shows like the ambitious Foundation and the gripping Silo. What’s really cool is they seem to give their sci-fi series a chance to find an audience, which is amazing! Some shows, like Pluribus, hit it big right away, but others need a little more time to build a following. I’m really hoping one underrated gem, a funny sci-fi show with Alexander Skarsgård, gets the attention it deserves.

The series Murderbot follows a security android (Skarsgård) who unexpectedly becomes self-aware. Surprisingly, all it wants to do is relax and watch television. Though capable of violence and with a past history of it, the android finds itself increasingly drawn to humans – a dynamic reminiscent of The Terminator. However, its conflicted feelings – a mix of disgust and fascination – towards humanity also bring to mind the excellent sci-fi sitcom Resident Alien.

Murderbot Is Criminally Overlooked Compared To Other Apple TV Sci-Fi Shows

I’ve been noticing how much buzz Apple TV’s sci-fi shows are getting – a lot of people are already calling them instant classics. But there’s one series that I think deserves way more attention: Murderbot. It feels like it’s flown under the radar, and I wonder if it’s because the books it’s based on were tricky to adapt. The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells are told mostly from the android’s perspective, in a really unique first-person style. We’ve seen first-person work on screen before – The Hunger Games did it well – but Murderbot is different. The way the story is structured in the books just doesn’t easily translate to a visual medium, and that might be why it hasn’t caught on with a broader audience.

Unlike the complete novels of The Hunger Games, the Murderbot series began as five shorter stories, later expanded with two full-length novels. Murderbot uniquely blends science fiction with comedy, a combination that makes it a challenging story to adapt for television, even though many shows successfully mix genres. However, the creators of the Murderbot adaptation have done an excellent job of capturing the story’s tone, themes, and particularly its humor, largely due to the strength of the characters.

The show features talented actors known for adding humor to dramatic parts, such as Noma Dumezweni (from Only Murders in the Building) and David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad). Despite a strong performance by Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Murderbot hasn’t gotten as much attention as other popular sci-fi shows on Apple TV. Now that a second season has been confirmed, the series has a good opportunity to attract a larger audience and gain the recognition it deserves.

Murderbot Season 2 Can Build Upon The First Season’s Success

The Murderbot series initially split up its main characters, but the upcoming second season will deviate from the original books to keep the core cast together. This is a good decision, as the show’s strength lies in its ensemble. However, season two will likely be darker and more focused on the cyberpunk genre, with Murderbot heading to the RaviHyral mining facility to uncover a troubling history.

As a big fan of the books, one thing that bothered me about the first season of the show was how they didn’t really dig into the really dark reason behind Murderbot’s name. It felt a little softened. But I’m hopeful! Now that the show is leaning more into the cyberpunk side of things and starting to focus on the corporation that’s so important in the books, I think they’ll finally give the massacre – which is a huge part of Murderbot’s story – the serious treatment it deserves. Season one was great, and with season two expected in late 2026, I think it has the potential to be even better. It’s already getting amazing reviews – 95% positive on Rotten Tomatoes! – and honestly, I think it could become Apple TV+’s next big sci-fi hit.

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2026-04-26 04:48