Chernobyl (2019)

Peter McGinn

10.0

Apr 4, 2020

This is one of the best dramatic series I have watched in years. It can be difficult to maintain tension and drama describing true events that the viewer might be already aware of to some extent, but this program manages it nicely. It is a little predictable in how it tells the story, by which I mean it uses several angles from different characters' points of view: the scientists and administrators representing the Russian government, the employees of the power plant and other disposable workers, and of course the masses of people caught up in the disaster; and finally, for a close-up look, th…

Stephen Campbell

9.0

May 8, 2021

**_Terrifying and sobering – as exceptional a piece of television narrative as you're ever likely to see_** > _The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star was Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter._ - Revelation 8:10-11 > Вічная Пам'ять - Polychronion chanted at the end of Eastern Orthodox funerals > _This bitch was in the middle of the room with her puppies. She went for me – I p…

I was really excited for this series as I have read a good amount about the USSR and have a personal relationship to it, having been born in a former satellite country. But I came away disappointed. The series really drew out some scenes for no reason, to the point where I felt the need to fast-forward (for example, essentially the ~entire 5 minutes of going under the core to open a valve). I was also frustrated that the series started right at the point of disaster; I think I would have appreciated more context in a backstory section. Can't recommend.