Warning: Spoilers For Murderbot Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2
The first two episodes of Murderbot Diaries series.
Titled “FreeCommerce” and “Eye ,” episodes 1 and 2 set up the plot of Murderbot with the introduction of a team of scientists called PreservationAux, along with their designated security bot, or “SecUnit.” The premiere follows the novel almost exactly, including Murderbot rescuing two scientists from an attack by a giant centipede creature. Episode 2, however, included a moment from the book that I was surprised to see revealed so soon.
The Preservation Team’s Discovery Of An Alien Remnant Happens Much Later In The Murderbot Book
The Remnant Is One Of The Book's Big Mysteries
In Murderbot episode 2, Mensah and Bharadwaj go out to explore more of the planet while Gurathin interrogates the SecUnit from HQ. During the expedition, Mensah finds a pit filled with dead giant centipedes just like the one that attacked Bharadwaj in episode 1. The creatures seem to be drawn to a strange magnetic field that then kills them, and also destroys one of the Preservation team’s droids. The group later holds a meeting about the discovery, deducing that the device is an alien remnant, which may also be causing interference with their maps.
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Everything is designed to stay true to the story being told, the characters showcased, and the emotions the show is trying to evoke.
The scene in which Mensah finds the centipede corpses was a new addition to the Apple TV+ series and does not appear in the book. The revelation of the alien remnant in episode 2 also gives away a major plot point from book one of the Murderbot Diaries, “All Systems Red.” While it’s true that the Preservation team notes early on that their maps are glitching, the reason for this remains a mystery until much later in the original text.
The Reveal Of The Alien Remnant Takes Away Some Of The Mystery Of Murderbot Season 1
We Already Know Why People Are Showing Up Dead
With the Murderbot TV show revealing the alien remnant early on, it changes the game compared to how events transpired in “All Systems Red.” The end of episode 2 has Preservation trying to another survey team, DeltFall, but a smash cut shows that at least one member of the group is dead, and so is their SecUnit. The scene sets up a new danger for the Preservation team to come in future episodes: someone doesn’t want either Preservation or DeltFall to leave the planet alive. That someone is a secret third group, which the team dubs EvilSurvey in the book.
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Apple TV+'s Murderbot dropped viewers directly into a complex sci-fi world and conspiracy, and some fans may need an explanation for it all.
The motivation of the murderous EvilSurvey is unknown until the novel’s final chapters, but episode 2 of Murderbot freely offers the reason behind the killings with the discovery of the alien remnant. As Gurathin points out, these remnants are worth a lot of money, and some people might be tempted to illegally excavate them without getting proper authorization (hint, hint). The fact that Murderbot revealed the remnant so soon takes away the mystery of why EvilSurvey is killing the other groups, whereas the book doesn’t reveal their motives until the very end.
Murderbot Season 1 Might Be Setting Up A Major Villain From The Books
GrayCris Is A Main Antagonist From The Murderbot Diaries
While it did seem strange to me that Murderbot chose to reveal the presence of an alien remnant so soon, I think I might be able to speculate what their reasoning is. In “All Systems Red,” the Preservation team calls the group of murderers EvilSurvey because they don’t know who they are or who they work for, as there is no record of them being on the planet. The killers remain a mystery until the end of the novel, when it is revealed that they are a part of the GrayCris corporation.
GrayCris is a continuing antagonist throughout the Murderbot Diaries series, and their existence is only barely hinted at in book one. However, because the second episode revealed a big clue early on in the show, they might be setting up to reveal more about GrayCris in season 1. GrayCris will no doubt go on to play a larger role in the series, and it seems like Apple TV+ may be jumpstarting their presence in Murderbot.
Murderbot
- Release Date
- May 16, 2025
- Network
- Apple TV+
- Showrunner
- Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Cast
Murderbot
Noma DumezweniMensah
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
- Writers
- Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
- Franchise(s)
- The Murderbot Diaries
- Creator(s)
- Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
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