Murderbot has come a long way since its debut, and with each episode, the Apple TV+ series continues to pull in both longtime fans of the book and newcomers alike. The fifth episode marks a turning point in the series, not just for the sake of the story, but also in how the bot is perceived.
After Gurathin plugs into the SecUnit’s system, Murderbot’s rogue status is finally exposed. Yet instead of deactivating it, the team chooses to keep it around, maybe because of its heroic actions and sacrifices. In turn, Murderbot doesn’t flee or rebel; it keeps serving. That loyalty is put to the test when it and Dr. Mensah make the bold call to hop on the hopper to connect the beacon signaling for the starship.
Explosion at the beacon
In Episode 5 of Murderbot, tensions escalate as the PreservationAux team grapples with the fact that their SecUnit has hacked its governor module. This revelation comes after Gurathin connects to Murderbot’s system after a successful reboot to confirm its rogue status. Despite this, the team chooses to keep Murderbot operational, and Mensah even promises that she won’t report its rogue status to the corporation.
The episode introduces Leebeebee, the only survivor from the gruesome attack on the DeltFall team. Her provocative and bluntly bold remarks about SecUnits add weird dynamics to the group, especially between Arada, Pin-Lee, and Ratthi, and also leave the bot feeling unsettled.
Struggling with the situation and limited options, Dr. Mensah and Murderbot decide to manually connect to a beacon to signal for corporate to send the starship and rescue the PreservationAux. While the team worries about the corporation trying to kill them, Murderbot clears it by mentioning how doing so would tarnish the company’s reputation and affect its potential clients. But that doesn’t take away the fact that they can hire a third party to kill the DeltFall and PreservationAux to preserve whatever anomalies have been happening on the godforsaken planet.
As they attempt to connect with the beacon, Murderbot‘s security alert starts lighting up like a Christmas tree, and when the hopper reaches the beacon, it explodes, pointing to the possibility that the same group that tried to kill them is also responsible for setting up these traps. While the episode ends with the hopper riding into the flames, there is a high possibility they escape death by a near miss.
Mensah and Murderbot are not the only ones in danger; Leebeebee adds a layer of insecurity in the minds of viewers, leaving us wondering if she is who she claims to be, or if she is involved in another way, making the Apple TV+ original show even more interesting.
Murderbot’s Secret Is Out
After sacrificing itself by shooting itself in the stomach to protect the team, Murderbot is rescued—something it clearly didn’t want. It would’ve preferred to be left behind, its mission complete. Instead, the PreservationAux crew saves it and even shows it kindness, which unsettles the bot more than anything could.
Once Bharadwaj removes Murderbot’s override module, Gurathin is granted access to its system to analyze its code. That’s when the truth emerges: Murderbot is rogue. It’s hacked its own governor module. Still, the group, especially Mensah, decides not to report it—if it agrees to stay with them. While the bot is relieved, it’s unclear whether Gurathin discovered the flashbacks and dark memories in its system: footage of mass slaughter. The tension lingers, and the arrival of Leebeebee only adds to it. Her erratic, borderline obsessive interest in SecUnits makes her come off as both creepy and unstable.
Murderbot is now available to watch on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
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