For fans ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldswho can’t wait for season 3, Apple TV+‘sMurderbotis the perfect show to watch in the meantime.Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3is set to premiere on July 17 on Paramount+, but there’s still over a month until it will be ready to stream. That’s an almost unbearable wait, especially given all theteasesStrange New Worldsseason 3 has to answerafter the cliffhangerending ofStrange New Worldsseason 2. While there are plenty of otherStar Trekshows to watch,Strange New Worldfans may be looking for something a bit different.
Luckily, Apple TV+ has the perfect replacement forStrange New Worlds.Murderbotalready has a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s easily one of the most promising new sci-fi shows out there. Alexander Skarsgård leads thecast ofMurderbotas the titular SecUnit, an android that provides security for a group of hippie explorers whose lives are constantly in danger. It’s a show about Murderbot learning to be an independent person and trying to survive in a deeply dangerous sci-fi world, and it’s perfect for fans ofStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Murderbot Is A Fantastic New Sci-Fi Show With Hilarious Star Trek Parodies
Murderbot’s Sanctuary Moon Is A Spoof Of Star Trek, But It Also Has Plenty For Sci-Fi Fans In General
The single best reason to watchMurderbotwhile waiting forStrange New Worldsseason 3 is because ofMurderbot’s fictional showThe Rise & Fall of Sanctuary Moon.Sanctuary Moonis essentially a parody ofStar Trek, complete with a crew of dramatic space explorers, colorful costumes, and more.Strange New Worldsitself is an homage to the history ofStar Trek, andMurderbotwas also clearly inspired by the legendary franchise.Sanctuary Moonis also perfect forStar Trekfans who don’t mind seeing some of the franchise’s sillier elements played for comedic effect, and you may even identify with Murderbot, who is aSanctuary Moonsuperfan.
Sanctuary Moonisn’t the only reasonMurderbotis such a great replacement forStrange New Worlds, however.Murderbotfeatures many of the same sci-fi elements that makeStar Trekso beloved, from exploring a novel and dangerous world to the interpersonal drama of a group of scientists and experts on a deadly mission. Plus,Murderbothas a huge focus on the technology and logistics of its sci-fi setting, which is one of the many highlights ofStar Trek.Strange New Worldsspecifically also has a darker tone and more brutal violence than many earlierStar Trekshows, which fits perfectly withMurderbot’s corporate dystopia and utterly gory action sequences.
Alexander Skarsgård’s Murderbot Character Is Reminiscent Of Star Trek’s Data
Murderbot & Data Both Balance Their Artificial Minds With The Illogical Humans They Work With
The single biggest similarity betweenMurderbotandStar Trek, however, isn’tSanctuary Moon; it’s the Apple TV+ show’s main character.Murderbot is extremely similar to Data inStar Trek: The Next GenerationandPicard. They’re both hyper-intelligent artificial lifeforms who don’t truly understand humanity but have to work alongside humans nonetheless. At the start of his story, Data also didn’t have human emotions or understand strange parts of human culture, and Murderbot is just as socially and emotionally clueless. Data eventually wants to become more like the humans he works with, and Murderbot ends up getting there too inThe Murderbot Diaries.
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There are, of course, some major differences between Data and Murderbot. For example,Murderbot (as the name implies) holds a grudge against humanity and is only prevented from going rogue and killing its owners because it would rather watch shows likeSanctuary Moon. Conversely, Data never had violent urges or wanted revenge against humanity, but his origin story was also a lot less traumatic than Murderbot’s. However, Data and Murderbot are also both endlessly lovable and slightly odd artificial lifeforms that end up saying a lot about humanity, and mostStar Trekfans will enjoyMurderbotfor that reason alone.
Murderbot
Cast
Murderbot, released on June 04, 2025, is set in a high-tech future where a rogue security robot gains free will. To remain undetected, it must join a mission to protect scientists on a perilous planet, while its true desire is to indulge in watching soap operas.
