Murderbot Star Breaks Silence on That Brutal Season 1 Twist

And now that the season 1 finale has dropped, fans are finally getting answers about the show's biggest gut punch — and star David Dastmalchian is finally talking.

Dastmalchian plays Gurathin, a synthetic-augmented human who spends most of the season either clashing with or side-eyeing Alexander Skarsgård's SecUnit (aka Murderbot). But their tense relationship took a major turn in episode 7, and the actor says he didn't fully grasp just how deep that connection went until they were deep into filming.

"I definitely felt there was a bizarre, contrasting, conflicting, competitive kinship between SecUnit and Gurathin," Dastmalchian told Tom's Guide. "But I didn't realize until we were deep into the telling of the story, how interconnected and how kindred these two beings really are."

For Dastmalchian, the line between human and machine isn't as clear-cut as it seems:

"What's fascinating is us as humans… are, in a way, a biological machine, an apparatus that is informed by data and learning and a whole metric of experiences."

He compared Gurathin's trauma and addiction to the SecUnit's programmed behavior, adding:

"Gurathin, having come from a place of deep betrayal, abandonment, anxiety, fear and addiction, is desperate… for the approval and validation of his team, especially Mensah. But he's also got a heightened awareness of threat levels. He's constantly on the lookout for any threats — not only to his own safety but to the safety of the people he loves."

The parallels with Skarsgård's Murderbot weren't lost on him: "What makes one more valid and one less valid? In the end, I hope as people go on this journey with these characters, they'll see that these two beings may have a lot more in common than they ever would have imagined."

As for the show's future — and whether Dastmalchian is part of it — he's as in the dark as the fans.

"I don't know!" he laughed. "I haven't heard anything! So that's the only answer I can give."

That said, he made it very clear he's hoping for a return.

"There would be nothing I would love more than getting to climb back in a hopper and go to wherever PresAux is hanging out. This cast is so important to me. This experience and this character have changed my life."

And now that Murderbot season 2 has officially been greenlit — confirmed just hours before the finale dropped — fans are hoping the story keeps expanding. Whether or not Gurathin returns, Dastmalchian hopes the series keeps doing what it's already started: driving viewers toward the original source material.

"Martha Wells has crafted such an insanely beautiful universe, and I know people who've read the books are already aware of that. But I hope that the show leads people back to reading her books."

For now, Murderbot season 1 is available to stream in full on Apple TV+. Season 2 is on the way — but don't expect Apple to reveal more anytime soon.