Just finished watching episode 2 Please Remain Calm. Very riveting. Honestly, I don't understand why people feel the need to go out and spend a small fortune to watch fluff like MCU movies when they can remain in the comfort of their own home and for much less watch something like Chernobyl which is IMO much, much more entertaining and is just all around much better made.

I'm with you guys...then again I've ALWAYS been fascinated by the Chernobyl disaster..HOW it happened, WHY did it happen...seeing it in a quality production and with great movie-class actors is definitely got me fanboying a little (kudos HBO)!

2nd episode wasn't as impactful as the first, but the storytelling is top notch!

WOW what a shocking show. The incompetence of the Soviet bureaucrats was frightening & degusting at the same time.

I had no idea how bad it was.....15,000 Roentgens when the initial dosimeter report quoted was only 3.5 Roentgens.

read this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

In 1988 I started an entry level job cleaning labs out at UBC- Vancouver . Ever time we started work we had to 'gown up' with a Cap + N-95 mask + a Visor plus latex gloves doubled in case one tore. At Coffee - Lunch and Miller time , we disposed of the mask gloves and cap, and laundered the lab coat at the end of the day. It seems we took more precautions than the lab techs at this nuclear power plant.

Bio hazarded level 1 was our level , with Bio level 4 the highest Government lab, I think only two of those in all of Canada.

Any idea if there is more than five episodes planned for this show.

Just finished episode three Open Wide O Earth. I took it as a friendly reminder that the oppressive political climate in which the events occurred was just as, if not more, dangerous to the people involved as the radiation.

@revengine said:

Just finished episode three Open Wide O Earth. I took it as a friendly reminder that the oppressive political climate in which the events occurred was just as, if not more, dangerous to the people involved as the radiation.

It was less oppressive than we had been led to believe....but Wiki reports the whole Chernobyl experience was leveraged by Gorbachev into "Glasnost & Perestroika " and ultimately the collapse of THE WARSAW PACT.

@psl said:

Any idea if there is more than five episodes planned for this show.

I’m pretty sure it’s only going to be a 5 part mini series.

@psl said:

@revengine said:

Just finished episode three Open Wide O Earth. I took it as a friendly reminder that the oppressive political climate in which the events occurred was just as, if not more, dangerous to the people involved as the radiation.

It was less oppressive than we had been led to believe....but Wiki reports the whole Chernobyl experience was leveraged by Gorbachev into "Glasnost & Perestroika " and ultimately the collapse of THE WARSAW PACT.

I was thinking specifically for the people directly involved in managing the catastrophe such as Legasov and Khomyuk who were (according to the show at least) being monitored by the KGB, initially without their knowledge.

It occurred to me during episode 4 how tricky it can be to get the pacing right for a show such as this - one without much action. Considering the subject matter it has to create tension without dragging or becoming too fast paced (which would just be out of place). I think they've struck a very nice balance.

@revengine said:

It occurred to me during episode 4 how tricky it can be to get the pacing right for a show such as this - one without much action. Considering the subject matter it has to create tension without dragging or becoming too fast paced (which would just be out of place). I think they've struck a very nice balance.

AGREED

Thanks for the explanation !

Although I agree that a story like this won't be "action packed" unless fluff is added for dramatization, but the last episode dragged a bit for me, its slowed down to a crawl. I guess the energy in Ep 1 was too much to follow up! Nevertheless, I'll be tuning in for the season finale this Monday!

It was very interesting to finally see the events and circumstances which caused the Chernobyl disaster. I think Legasov's decision to say what he did was a bit predictable but the part of his speech concerning importance of truth was really good and rather timely. Overall a very enjoyable mini-series.

@revengine said:

I was thinking specifically for the people directly involved in managing the catastrophe such as Legasov and Khomyuk who were (according to the show at least) being monitored by the KGB, initially without their knowledge.

It occurred to me during episode 4 how tricky it can be to get the pacing right for a show such as this - one without much action. Considering the subject matter it has to create tension without dragging or becoming too fast paced (which would just be out of place). I think they've struck a very nice balance.

I think the oppressive nature of the throbbing sound tracks , the closer you got to the reactor was Really Ominous for me and a very effective substitute for action/ violence.

I often find the best movies have good to great sound tracks!

Ep 5 definitely lifted the tension when things were ramping up to the explosion. Loved the dedication to all victims at the end. Very sad the "official" death toll is still only "31"

I hear the death toll from the 9-11 attacks are climbing every year!