'Murderbot' Might Have 98% on RT, but It Already Has One Fatal Problem
Despite receiving rave reviews from critics, fans are unhappy with how the creators of Murderbot simplified the original source. Here is what went wrong with the Apple TV+ show.
The first two episodes of Murderbot, an adaptation of Martha Wells's science fiction series The Murderbot Diaries, are now available on Apple TV+.
If you've read The Murderbot Diaries, then you know that the first episodes are an adaptation of the first story, "All Systems Red." However, the adaptation is rather loose – while the first episode adheres to the original source material, the second episode strays from it from the very beginning.
The Creators of ''Murderbot' Simplify the Story (And It's Already Not Very Complex)
While a free adaptation of the source material is acceptable, the creators of Murderbot have changed and simplified the already not particularly complex material too much.
In the original, the autoguard's cynical black humor was combined with serious topics, such as criticism of capitalist society and discussions about the value of any thinking being, whether organic or construct.
The show leans too heavily on humor bordering on parody. The scientists from Preservation, who are depicted as competent in the books, have been transformed into a group of silly hippies in the series.
The Preservation Group Turned From Competent Scientists Into Foolish Hippies
So far, this is the main complaint from viewers. Reddit user wingerism wrote:
“It's showing the Preservation group as like stupid and foolish. Which they aren't really in the books. They're sometimes made vulnerable by their ethical stances but they are sincere about them, and they're not less competent than amoral humans in the setting.”
Fans are most unhappy with the changes to the character of Pin-Lee. Redditor JCLynn3 commented:
“I just don't see how the writers go from Pin Lee sec unit of lawyers/systems analysis/habitat specialist scientist to whiny, clingy, needy wife. It's an irritating reduction of a strong female character.”
The absurdity of the events is further compounded by inserts from The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot's favorite show. In the books, he often references one episode or another from the series, but never recounts what happens in them.
'Murderbot' Still Has Time to Fix Its Mistakes
So far, Murderbot looks promising but far from perfect. In the second episode, showrunners Chris and Paul Weitz departed too much from the source material, further simplifying the story and adding absurd humor.
The next few episodes will reveal whether the showrunners were able to use the material entrusted to them to its fullest potential.
New episodes of Murderbot are released on Apple TV+ every Friday.
