Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Murderbot Episode 6.
When watching the opening monologue in Episode 1, “FreeCommerce,” of Apple TV+’s sci-fi comedy, Murderbot, one could be forgiven for believing the season could consist of non-stop violence against humans. Yet, despite the show’s name, Murderbot has been remarkably light on character deaths, with Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård) itself seemingly beginning a journey towards understanding humans after being assigned to protect the scientists from Preservation Alliance. While there has been tension in the group after learning about Murderbot’s hacking of its governor module in Episode 5, “Rogue War Tracker Infinite,” the group’s relationship only seemed to grow stronger, with mutual trust being established.
However, the show’s latest episode, “Command Feed,” may have destroyed whatever progress was being made — and put the group and Murderbot on a very different course. The reveal of Leebeebee’s (Anna Konkle) true intentions as a spy who first sabotaged DeltFall and now PresAux presented the worst of humanity, and Murderbot did not hesitate to execute her when she forced it to choose between surrendering or killing her, sparking bigger questions about its true feelings towards humans. In the end, as members of PresAux point out, killing Leebeebee may have been the worst decision, no matter how it affects Murderbot’s allegiance, as the mystery of whoever wants them dead is no closer to being solved.
Murderbot Makes an Unsettling Confession in Episode 6
Murderbot’s execution of Leebeebee was as brutal as it was swift, and while it could be argued it was protecting its human clients, even its rival Gurathin (David Dastmalchian), the following voiceover from Murderbot, once left alone, is a reminder that it now has free will. While being patched up in its quarters, Murderbot inwardly confesses that it “felt good” to kill before the episode ends. Key here is the fact that there is a clear disconnect between how Murderbot views itself and how humans view it. While the PresAux team is horrified, Murderbot views itself as the hero, being surprised it was not celebrated, and this satisfaction validates that point of view. Therefore, when it is weighing up its own enjoyment versus the reactions of others, it isn’t surprising that the last line we leave Murderbot with is one pushing it to focus on the former idea, not the latter.
What also stands out is how differently this frames Murderbot compared to the rest of the episode. While the android’s sarcastic and blunt tone remains, Murderbot is now actively saving humans, including Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) and even Gurathin. In fact, in its efforts to save Mensah, it sacrifices a piece of its own wiring, and the fact that it only thinks about doing this because of the scientist’s actions in connecting it to the hopper implies the developing partnership brewing. Furthermore, Murderbot’s private enjoyment of killing contrasts with the characters it enjoys watching in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, who are portrayed as honorable, arguably representing how its core disposition is to place a lesser value on life.
Leebeebee’s Death Teases an Even Bigger Threat in ‘Murderbot’
What is thoroughly impressive is how Murderbot contrasts the darkness of humanity with its lead character’s apathy in order to keep us sympathetic to the SecUnit. Before Leebeebee’s reveal as a saboteur, she had already displayed some of the most negative aspects of humanity that even PresAux gawked at. The sexual way she both spoke about and treated Murderbot implied this sickening idea of ownership, meaning one has the right to exploit their property however they want.
When Leebeebee told the captive members of PresAux, such as Bharadwaj (Tamara Podenski), that she was doing all of this damage in the interest of becoming a millionaire, it revealed the nastier parts of humanity’s flaws. This stands in contrast to Murderbot’s lack of morality, as it isn’t programmed to be good or bad, but Leebeebee understands the expectations of how people like to be treated, and ignores them anyway. In doing so, Leebeebee is positioned as objectively evil, whereas Murderbot is assessing what is in front of it and, considering the only human we have seen it kill is her so far, making arguably the correct choices.
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‘Murderbot’s Biggest Mystery Is Still Unsolved
Perhaps the only reason most would have wished Murderbot had kept Leebeebee alive is so that we could learn more about who she is working for and why they have such an interest in hiding parts of the planet from DeltFall and PresAux, going as far as to kill them in the process. At first, one might assume “the company” that first built Murderbot is trying to foil the sustainability of independent planets. However, this feels unlikely, as the primary way these antagonists have attacked humans has been through the use of SecUnits as weapons. As Murderbot previously pointed out, this would tarnish the brand of security that the Corporation seeks to provide and, therefore, doesn’t make sense to see them as the larger villains. Therefore, whoever it is seems to be playing a much larger game that goes beyond the Corporation or PresAux.
The mystery itself does keep the tension high for the reveal, as what we do know about these villains points to an interesting possibility. Considering how they seek to use SecUnits to kill humans, and how Murderbot is already a SecUnit that has possibly developed a taste for murder in the past, could it end up having more in common with this mysterious threat than PresAux?
In the end, the biggest question coming out of this latest episode is whether Murderbot’s progress in caring about humans has been lost in its execution of Leebeebee and reaction after the fact. The fact that it did consider how it was seen after the killing does give hope for the humans to keep it online for now, but how will they fare if the situation becomes one where Murderbot is more likely to survive if they are dead? With the death of Leebeebee, Murderbot might begin to live up to its name.
Murderbot
- Release Date
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May 15, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV+
