Editor’s note: The following recap contains spoilers for Murderbot Episode 9.
In an unexpected turn of events, we find ourselves at the penultimate episode of Murderbot (can it really be true?). Titled “All Systems Red,” this gripping episode is penned by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, skillfully directed by Roseanne Liang, and inspired by the opening novella of Murderbot creator Martha Wells‘ series. This installment stands out as the most action-packed and emotionally resonant of the series, setting the stage for the grand finale. So, grab your popcorn and perhaps some tissues for the emotional rollercoaster ahead.
As the Preservation Alliance’s hopper approaches the designated rendezvous point, which was recently disclosed by their newly identified foes, the GrayCris mining group, three of the six humans on board—Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski), Arada (Tattiawna Jones), and Ratthi (Akshay Khanna)—find themselves on watch duty at the habitat, confronting the harsh reality of their potential mortality. Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu) adopts a strategy of denial, while Gurathin (David Dastmalchian) expresses gratitude for having made it this far. Meanwhile, the wise yet ever-optimistic Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) turns to Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård) for an analytical assessment of their survival prospects. Despite their collective understanding that this scenario is likely a trap, Murderbot seeks to cushion the harsh truth, only to be compelled by Mensah and Gurathin to deliver its analysis, which indicates their survival odds are “extremely low.” Gurathin, probing into Murderbot’s state, receives a chilling retort: “I noticed you have an issue with eye contact,” echoing an earlier exchange from Episode 2.
The Team Confronts Their Foes Head-On in ‘Murderbot’ Episode 9
In a surprising twist, Murderbot not only withholds the grim truth about their survival odds to keep morale high among these “hot messes,” but its internal monologue also reveals it has been less than truthful about its strategic intentions. While the audience isn’t privy to every intricate detail, the fundamental plan involves Pin-Lee launching a drone, which Gurathin will modify into a remote transponder capable of breaching GrayCris’ HubSystem. Once this is accomplished, Gurathin will activate GrayCris’ distress beacon, prompting a rescue ship from the Company to arrive within a week or two. However, before Gurathin can unleash his augmented human capabilities, Murderbot must first obtain the access codes for GrayCris’ HubSystem, a task that will demand some clever maneuvering on its part.
Upon safely parking the hopper at a distance from the designated meeting site, Murderbot proceeds on foot to the location where three blue-and-black SecUnits, alongside four intimidating GrayCris humans, await with menacing expressions. To pique their interest, Murderbot reveals a crucial detail about its hacked governor module—this is step one of its clandestine “real” plan. It goes as far as claiming to have eliminated Gurathin, bolstering this assertion by presenting the severed head of the SecUnit that met its demise in Episode 7 after a disastrous encounter with a massive insect’s brood. Murderbot proposes an alliance with GrayCris to eradicate the remaining members of PreservationAux, on the condition that GrayCris facilitates its safe extraction from this perilous planet.
GrayCris, eager to achieve its own objectives, needs to temporarily disable its HubSystem’s firewall to connect with PreservationAux’s system and obtain the much-coveted planetary map data. All the while, Murderbot’s clients, who are listening in on their private communication channel, grow suspicious of their SecUnit’s apparent betrayal, despite Murderbot’s reassurances to the contrary. Nonetheless, with no alternative available, they reluctantly comply by lowering their own HubSystem’s firewall.
Murderbot Accepts Its Fate in Episode 9
Concealed within the forest adjacent to GrayCris’ distress beacon, Pin-Lee and Gurathin successfully launch the drone, pilfer the access codes from GrayCris, and initiate the countdown sequence for the beacon. With the mission seemingly accomplished, instead of fleeing, Murderbot informs GrayCris that PreservationAux is in the process of activating their beacon, urging them to hurry to the launch pad. Rather than jumping to the worst conclusions, Gurathin deduces Murderbot’s ulterior motive: if the GrayCris team—unaware that Gurathin has already initiated the launch countdown—stands mere feet away from the beacon when it activates, they will face certain destruction. While none are comfortable with the idea of murder, the grim reality settles in as Murderbot suggests that there is no feasible resolution to their predicament, prompting everyone to agree, albeit reluctantly.
Despite their lingering distrust of the rogue SecUnit willing to betray its clients, GrayCris’ leader (Amanda Brugel), who we shall refer to as Scary GrayCris Lady for simplicity, instructs her team to head to the launch pad, including Murderbot. As panic ensues among PreservationAux, even Gurathin appears startled and anxious. He finds himself unable to halt the launch sequence without forfeiting access to GrayCris’ HubSystem, with less than five minutes remaining before the beacon launches in a fiery explosion. Murderbot boards the GrayCris hopper and begins to convey what sounds like a heartfelt confession to its team, but ultimately falters, resigning itself to whatever fate may come.
Collaboration to Outsmart GrayCris in ‘Murderbot’ Episode 9
As if the situation couldn’t deteriorate any further, upon GrayCris’ arrival at the launch pad with their unwilling passenger, an unfortunate local bird wreaks havoc by destroying Pin-Lee and Gurathin’s drone. Although the launch sequence was in progress, the command failed to complete uploading, leaving the beacon’s launch in limbo. To exacerbate matters, the loss of the drone translates to a complete breakdown of communication; neither Mensah, Murderbot, nor the three individuals back at the habitat are aware of how drastically the situation has shifted. In a desperate bid to regain control, Gurathin and Pin-Lee stealthily navigate toward GrayCris’ habitat, hoping to hack and activate the beacon on-site. Meanwhile, Mensah, isolated and unable to reach any of her cherished companions, pilots the hopper toward the launch pad. In a moment of vulnerability, she implores anyone who might hear her to look after her team if the worst should come to pass.
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The part was previously played by Raul Julia and Neal McDonough.
In this critical moment, Gurathin, with Pin-Lee serving as lookout, manually initiates the launch sequence with just one minute remaining. As Mensah’s hopper approaches the GrayCris launch pad, a wave of internal turmoil washes over Murderbot. With all the authority befitting her position as Planetary Admin, Mensah presents Scary GrayCris Lady with the location of the alien remnants in exchange for Murderbot’s freedom. However, Scary GrayCris Lady rebuffs the offer, intent on extracting the information through torture. In a moment of desperation, Murderbot “volunteers” to carry out the torture, but another GrayCris officer quickly identifies the sinister dialogue as lines from The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Room, exposing Murderbot’s ruse.
Murderbot and Its Human Companions Share an Emotional Moment in Episode 9
With that, chaos erupts into a fierce confrontation. Before any shots are fired, Murderbot offers to teach the other three SecUnits how to bypass their governor modules or to share its extensive media library. Unfortunately, their Company programming proves too powerful to overcome. As weapons discharge and fists fly, the beacon ignites and soars into the sky, engulfing the unfortunate GrayCris team in flames. Murderbot heroically lunges toward Mensah, tightly embracing her before leaping off the cliff. The fall is significant. In a selfless act, Murderbot positions its body to absorb the impact, hoping to shield Mensah from harm. In this moment, it finds itself “hugging a human” and willingly accepting the possibility of its own demise, even as all it has ever desired was enough peace and solitude to binge-watch its favorite shows.
In the aftermath of the tumult, Mensah lies beside a gravely injured, semi-conscious Murderbot. Bloodied and bruised, she whispers to her friend, “You did it.” The arrival of Gurathin and Pin-Lee interrupts a potential heartfelt exchange, preventing Murderbot from articulating a clichéd yet sincere, “We did it.” The three humans embrace, tears mingling with laughter. When Gurathin notices Murderbot’s condition, a look of realization dawns upon him, as if the veil has finally been lifted from his eyes. Struggling with catastrophic system failures, Murderbot manages one last poignant thought: “My clients are the best clients.”
New episodes of Murderbot are released every Friday on Apple TV+.
