Almost Human Skin (redhead sexbot Charlene - Darla-Taylor)More and more jobs are being automated and even the world’s oldest profession isn’t safe. Prostitutes get an upgrade in the latest Almost Human episode “Skin.”

Sex robots, or Sexbots, aren’t illegal. In fact, the police regulate them. Since the sexbots were introduced crimes in the sex trade are down 38% touts Captain Sandra Maldonado (Lili Taylor).

Sexbots aren’t perfect though. They literally lack the human touch so a group of Albanian gangsters kidnap women off the street for their skin.

Almost Human Skin (sexbot Charlene - Darla Taylor on bed)

The sexbots are so real that a competitor does a personal inspection to find out their secret. He books a session with a sexy redhead named Charlene (Darla Taylor) but the only thing he sticks in her mouth is a DNA swab. Before he can get the result, the Albanians kill him. They detonate a DNA bomb that destroys genetic evidence but not before it emits a blacklight that reveals a load of semen stains all over the room.

Almost Human Skin DNA bomb

Charlene is found skinned but lab tech Rudy Lom (Mackenzie Crook) tries to recover her memories with a robot autopsy. It’s deeply disturbing for Dorian (Michael Ealy), who is himself a robot but with emotions. Rudy also has a very personal connection to the sexbots, a term he takes issue with.

“Sex machine, bangbot. It’s a bit myopic isn’t it?” he comments. “Not every who visits a sex is looking for sex. Some people go for the conversation or for a sympathetic ear at the end of a long working day surround by people who only ever come to visit when they want something from you. I’m just saying that the neural interface is quite sophisticated.”

Almost Human Skin (sexbot Vanessa - Ella-Thomas - Dorian - Michael Ealy)

The detectives manage to track down another another sexbot named Vanessa (Ella Thomas). After Rudy awkwardly accesses her “data port” they find the location of the Albanians and shut them down. Unfortunately, there’s no happy ending for the prostitute.

Captain Maldonado orders that the sexbot be deactivated because it contains human DNA. Dorian requests to be present at the procedure to comfort her but it’s more for his own benefit. He recalls an existential conversation with his partner, John Kennex (Karl Urban), and tells Vanessa that she’s going to a better place but that he will remember her, which simultaneously validates her existence and his own.

Fox has apparently received so many complaints on Youtube that they’ve made the more provocative promo videos private so you’ll have to watch the episode. Fortunately, the droid you’re looking for is right at the beginning.