Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Murderbot season 1, episode 2.Apple TV+ has made a few changes for its adaptation ofMurderbot, and one of them actually improved upon Martha Wells' books.Murderbotis based on theMurderbot Diariesbooks by Martha Wells, but the Apple TV+ show has found some room for creative liberties. The show is largely faithful to the books, but, for example, thecast ofMurderbotremoved two of the original characters from the books. Theend ofMurderbotseason 1, episode 2also mentioned the alien remnants PreservationAux found much earlier than the books did, and there have been other small changes throughout the first two episodes.
Normally, when a TV adaptation makes changes to a beloved book, they’re not well-received. There’s a long list of theworst book adaptations, fromThe Dark TowertoThe Hobbit, and one thing they all have in common is how much they changed from their source material. Interestingly enough, many ofMurderbot’s changes haven’t made that same mistake, and one change actually improved upon Martha Wells' original books. Fans ofThe Murderbot Diarieslikely recognized it right away:Murderbotis actually showingThe Rise & Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
The Rise And Fall Of Sanctuary Moon Was Always A Big Part Of The Murderbot Diaries
Sanctuary Moon Is Murderbot’s Favorite Show & Its Guide To Interpreting Humans
Murderbot’s “show within a show,“The Rise & Fall of Sanctuary Moon, was always a big part of Martha Wells' books. Right from the start,inAll Systems Red, Murderbot describedSanctuary Moonas its favorite show on the entertainment feed. The series also played an important role in several parts ofThe Murderbot Diaries' plot. Murderbot frequently uses dialogue and names fromSanctuary Moonwhile it’s trying to pass as an augmented human, and it will frequently watch the show to calm down after stressful social interactions. InArtificial Condition, Murderbot even mentions thatSanctuary Moonhelps it escape from the awful reality of functionally being a slave.
Sanctuary Moonwas always important as a comfort show forMurderbot, and it was always great, too.Sanctuary Moonis fairly often used as a joke inThe Murderbot Diaries, and it very often worked tremendously. For example, inAll Systems Red, Murderbot got very defensive about a plot line inSanctuary Moon, even while it was being interrogated and outed as a rogue bot. As important and frequently used asSanctuary Moonwas in the books, however, there was still room for improvement. Apple TV+ figured out exactly how to makeSanctuary Moonbetter: by actually showing it.
Apple TV+’s Murderbot Is Actually Showing Sanctuary Moon & It’s Better Than I Imagined
Apple TV+’s Decision To Make Sanctuary Moon A Star Trek Parody Works So Well With Murderbot’s Corporate Dystopia
Even thoughSanctuary Moonwas an important part ofThe Murderbot Diaries, the books never actually described full episodes of the show. There were only vague references to absurd plot twists, like a bodyguard being murdered, and we never got a feel for what the show was actually like.Apple TV+‘sMurderbotactually showed us clips ofSanctuary Moon, and it’s even better than I was expecting. Throughout the books,Sanctuary Moonis understood to be a trashy soap opera, which makes it funny that Murderbot likes it so much. In theMurderbotshow, however,Sanctuary Moonis so much more.
Martha Wells once describedSanctuary Moonby comparing it toHow to Get Away with Murder(viaNewsweek), but the Apple TV+ adaptation made it more likeStar Trek.That change was perfect: including a parody ofStar Trek, a show about a utopian future for human society, works so well as a humorous contrast toMurderbot’s deeply dystopian corporate nightmare. While Murderbot is being blown to bits for a company that views it as property,Sanctuary Moonshows someone falling in love with a bot.Sanctuary Moonis the perfect way to highlight the absurdities ofMurderbot’s deeply disturbing universe.
Martha Wells has been directly involved in Apple TV+’s Murderbot. She works as a consulting producer for the show, which likely helped the series remain faithful to her books.
Along with being a great way to show just how awful the dystopia ofMurderbotis,Sanctuary Moon’s depiction in the Apple TV+ show also helps make Murderbot’s story better. Now that it’s a parody ofStar Trek, it makes even more sense thatSanctuary Moonis Murderbot’s favorite show.Sanctuary Moongives Murderbot an idealized, comforting fictional world where bots are treated with respect to escape to while it interacts with awful humans and risks death to protect them. Somehow, Apple TV+‘sMurderbotfound a way to makeSanctuary Moonan even better part of Murderbot’s characterization.
