Chernobyl - A Masterclass in Perspective

[@ThomasFlight]

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[@Alpacaluffy]

8 days ago

[@TheNumber86]

The way this show was shot and how it sounded scared me. Chernobyl is 5 hours of pure horror.

[@keithbeckett1349]

Very true. The whole idea of what happened there, the danger of Chernobyl and what radiation is, and what it can do in general, is a very scary and strange thing... When it comes to nuclear energy and radiation etc, its very unnatural when you think about it...its something that feels like we shouldn't be messing with. We were not really suppose to be able to do what we do. Its a weird idea that we can manipulate something on such a small and specific level and the result is so powerful and so potentially dangerous. Something we cant see, yet it literally alters our body and cells, ensures certain death if exposed to enough of it, and the damage it does it terrifying. You have seen the firefighters condition on the show I imagine, and heard the descriptions of how radiation kills you. Your body basically decaying from the inside. How can something we cant even see and feel do something so bad? And the show emphasizes all this in a very effective way. And allows us to experience it in a way that scares us. In a totally different way to how its done in things like horror books/films or in fiction overall. Things we create and make up in our heads for the purpose of being scary. But radiation is fiction, and Its how real it is that makes it even scarier. I think I find it unsettling and creepy more than 'scary'. But whatever it does, and however it makes you feel, it does it very well. I think for me this applies allot to the focus on the graphite that was littering the site, and just how dangerous each piece was. Ejected from the core itself and now laying on the floor and roof...the pieces were basically death itself, yet they just look like harmless rocks. Remember that quote ? that said something along the lines of "that roof is now the most dangerous place on earth". Thats a creepy thought. As well as showing just how bad it was, it also makes you realise just how much worse it could have been, how much more it could have effected and how much further it could have reached. It genuinely put the world at risk. As they specifically show in the series, with the threat of the water tanks exploding, spreading the radiation and destroying the other reactors on the site, and the radiation reaching the ground water etc as well as all this, with the radiation its also the permanence of it...considering how long the area will be unsafe for. That itself is very scary....once it happens its done and too late, it will be radioactive basically forever (thousands of years). Its hard to comprehend.

[@amon16]

@Golden Eagle You don't want to do that.... Nuclear power is the best energy producing method we have...

[@bernieeod57]

@Golden Eagle Unplug your home from the grid and freeze in the dark

[@dimatut007]

@Sim2Go The series are not only "innacurate". It's purest propaganda you can find. It's on the same level of stupidity, as the "Red Sparrow", but with great picture. Nothing more. If you believe this show (even if you know nothing about Chernobyl) you have some real problems...

[@Andytlp]

@Golden Eagle coincidentally watching chernobyl got me to research nuclear physics and get a basic understanding that its not dangerous whatsoever. Oil and its products already ravaged the earth probably beyond repair. nuclear contributed almost nothing to it. Even the thousands of bomb tests.

[@pasza_dem]

That human perspective gave me 90% of impact of the show. I knew this story before, but it was just history book kind of knowledge...

[@AttilaSVK]

Exactly. I've watched countless documentaries about the disaster, those just mentioned the facts and I acknowledged them. After seeing this show (I watched all the episodes in one go) I understood much more what those numbers or facts mentioned in the documentaries meant.

[@cameronmcguire1599]

Depends on who wrote the history book you read.

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

It was also a lot more detailed, expansive, thorough, explained more about how things worked or happened; plus, you're learning how to feel about those things, in order to learn even more about them

[@leahkc295]

@@cameronmcguire1599By far the best history book on Chernobyl is Svetlana Alexievich’s Chernobyl Prayer. It’s compiled entirely of monologues from people all over the former USSR that were affected by the explosion (family members of the initial emergency responders, farmers that had their land and livestock destroyed, citizens that refused to move away from their now desolate hometown). It’s devastating. The writers of this show actually heavily consulted the book when drafting the script.

[@ltsrrpp8101]

"Do you taste metal?" Is one of the most haunting lines I've ever heard.

[@jm40004]

"3.6 Roentgen: Not great, not terrible."

[@ltsrrpp8101]

@@jm40004 Yeah the denial of so many people is terrifying. The line is stated just lays the atmosphere so well. Most of the people have no idea what it means and the ones that do understand there is nothing they can do about it.

[@socialtigerTV]

No but I can hear it :)

[@thetassieboys]

The biggest part for me wasn't a line. After the explosion when Dyatlov was going along the walkway and saw the graphite on the ground straight away. Absolute asshole

[@W3LLcoOL]

@@jm40004 So..... just like 9/11 then, oh wait.

[@sij6169]

I have worked as a technical safety engineer for a chemical company for 12 years now and I have to say the first episode of Chernobyl is the most frightening thing I have ever encountered. The reason I find is so terrifying is the fact that men can do everything in their power to stop a huge accident, but if there are secrets or someone has cut a corner, it doesn't matter what they do, it's over. I have to put 100% trust in my colleagues and they have to do the same with me in sense that we do everything right but even then some of the equipment comes from abroad, some of the workers can't speak a word of English and the directors are obviously just interested in making money. Obviously an incident at my work place would be nowhere near the scale of Chernobyl or even close, but it would be enough to kill me and my workmates. That is why Chernobyl scared me so much.

[@mrtwister428]

Chemical plant disasters can be just as bad, if not worse. Look into the Bohpal disaster. Scary stuff, and caused by the exact same thing. Greed and corner cutting.

[@sij6169]

@@mrtwister428 Finally an intelligent reply on youtube. Yes the possibility of releasing noxious gas into the surrounding atmosphere is a very real one but the safety precautions put in place so make the odds of it happening very slim. There was a guy I used to work with and he had to have his hand removed due to touching a container that was 400 below zero. His hand stuck to it and fused with the metal and all because he didn't wear a glove. Thanks for that I remember someone saying to me about Bophal years ago but forgot what it was called. Hope you're well mate and take care

[@mrtwister428]

@@sij6169 thank you! Yeah, Bhopal was so terrible precisely because it was a plant in India, and the Western company running it didn't really care about safety, and let multiple systems fail, as well as not following standard safey, such as not keeping any more of the extremely reactive and deadly chemical then you need on site at any one time

[@pratheeshkapu]

The aftermath of Bhopal Gas tragedy was worst. The storage of Methyl-Isocyanate (MIC) on site was kept secret. When first affected patients were taken to nearby hospital, doctors didn't know what they were looking at. When they called govt officials or plant maneger they didn't say what was it. After the situation got worse, first they told it was Ammonia, a little later they told it was Phosgene . Doctors firstly treated the patient based on these two gases which worsened them. Later an unknown phone call was received saying it's 'MIC' and hung up. But sadly, no one in the hospital knew what 'MIC' was.

[@wadesworld6250]

The scary thing in working in any of those situations is humans. Humans can cut corners on safety equipment through greed. Or worse, you can spend all the money and have a nearly perfect safety protocol and a human can say, "Oh, we just skip steps 2-11. I've been doing it that way 30 years and nothing bad happens. It's just unnecessary steps."

[@kibble24]

I rewatched Chernobyl a week or so ago and was looking up the score, to see who composed it. It was only when I looked it up that I learned that the score is made up entirely of sounds collected from a nuclear reactor. There are no normal instruments in the whole thing. Absolutely brilliantly done, and when combined with the filmmaking aspect, creates an environment of pure horror.

[@MeghamDraws]

That's actually incredible. The score always made me feel so uneasy and tense so that explains alot!

[@xanmontes8715]

Oh sweet gods is it actually?? That's awesome! Horrifying but... Still.

[@marymacleod3027]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I have now read about it, too, and I think it isn't entirely sounds collected from a nuclear reactor, but that isn't so important. Just thanks.

[@Ed-jd6wj]

@@marymacleod3027it is entirely from a reactor apart from the singing obviously. You’d easily think it’s from another source though so you’re not at fault for thinking that. They remix some of the sounds in the reactor almost like a DJ to make it sound more like a true cinematic ambience so it blends with the show better

[@oilstalker]

That's Hildur Gudnadóttir's work. A brilliant, brilliant icelandic composer. I absolutely love "Without Sinking", makes me feel uneasy. Brilliant. Much love from Brazil.

[@goldenwolf7154]

As a Ukrainian that has a family affected by this ,I want to share what I've been told by my mother.-my mother was 13 when it happened. She told me about the difference she felt physically before and after the explosion: "Before it exploded, I could work fast, run, and not break a sweat-everyone in the village walked strongly and quickly, even the elderly carried themselves as if 20.But,after-I felt a layer of sleepiness-I felt sleepy, tired, slow , and out of breath .I no longer had the stamina nor the strength I had days before-"everyone in the village walked around like ducks"-my Grama. No one talked about it until the American channel discussed it on Tv. Then the next day everyone else talked."

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Damn. Thanks for telling.

[@InvaderGIR98]

I know this comment is 3 years old, but with everything going on, I hope you and your family are safe.

[@xanmontes8715]

My mother was 16. I'm glad you have memories with yours!

[@damamae950]

Thank you for this. The experience must have been devastating.

[@callumwells]

When Vasily the firefighter was buried in the lead coffin... nothing has hit me in the guts from cinema or television quite like that.

[@maxim196]

Ludymilla's face screamed to me "My country 'took' my husband from me "

[@228Ghost228]

even more so, because you know that it is real. his corpse is still encased there, right this moment. so is the corpse of khodemchuk. the sarcophagus is his mausoleum. reality is the scariest there is.

[@user-zg6kb7jf4l]

@@jellied1755 Who said he was buried in some random field?

[@eustache_dauger]

@@jellied1755 it was implied that he died in Moscow, right? Since his wife was informed that he's moved/treated in Moscow.. And at one point, the wife lied about being able to see the red square & the Kremlin from the hospital room.

[@CharalamposKoundourakis]

@@jellied1755 Preety sure that was located in Moscow. Unless you think they ferried the highly radiated corpses all the way down to Chernobyl?

[@lordlogbert9602]

When the Geiger counter is going crazy it is such a weird sound. Its basically a small device telling you that you are dying

[@RovingTroll]

Radiation is such an unsettling thing. The noise the geiger counter is making is from particles slamming into it's detector, and that detector is small. That'd be happening all over the side of your body facing it

[@adamduerwachter2596]

Lord logbert profile picture checks out

[@chrisheathwood7097]

*Clickity clack you're going to crack*

[@_bellona_792]

When it maxes i think it sounds like a scream in a way

[@lashlarue7924]

Not necessarily dying. If you immediately move away from the radiation your body can heal itself. Even Komrade Diatlov somehow (ironically) lived for years after the accident.

[@reborn2134]

i personally love when thy had to clear out the grafite on the roof in 90 seconds, how you can only hear the radiation ticker and everything else is silent to emphasise how much radiation was there

[@janelleg597]

It was brilliant

[@Yeagerbomb77]

You're confused. That wasn't graphite.

[@erin3967]

@@Yeagerbomb77its probably burnt concrete or something

[@aoki6332]

@@Yeagerbomb77 it was graphite, concrete, steel ... basically everything that was into the roof and the reactor was on the roof that one of the reason it was so irradiate

[@spacejasontodd]

@@aoki6332 He was joking by quoting Dyatlov :)

[@nj9968]

I really appreciate how in many of the later scenes, Boris (Stellen Skarsgard's character) simply lets Valery do the talking. At the start Boris is in charge and intimidating. But as he learns the situation his stares become dead and bleak. He looks more and more lost when he in fact becomes more and more aware.

[@JudeFergy]

His look when Legasov tells him they'll both be dead in 5 years... You can tell he immediately believes him (as he says later), and that he probably in that moment understands the full severity of the disaster

[@Metatr0n]

I find his change in character amazing. He's a career politician, has been his whole life. He's what we sarcastically call today a "talking head", brought up in a system in which every single problem that the country has faced, was solved by politics. His "talking head" personality is the most striking in the beginning, he simply hangs up on Legasov after he gave his speech over the telephone, not caring for what Legasov has to say in the matter. In the first meeting with Gorbachev, he immediately talked the problem away. But the more he was confronted with the real Chernobyl problem, the more he learned from Legasov, the more he falls into the position of a listener, growing skeptic that this problem can be solved by politics. That's culminating in the telephone call after the German radio controlled robot failed, the first time in his life when he realized that politics is actively trying to sabotage the actual solving of the problem. That's when he changes to the opposite and lets Legasov do most of the talking and only talks when he can use his political power to enable Legasov.

[@DAGATHire]

"you didn't see perspective" "I did" *"YOU DIDN'T!!! BECAUSE IT'S NOT THERE!!!!"*

[@rtensor]

Now, if you'll excuse me... [vomits and passes out]

[@pbrstreetgang2467]

"Are you stupid"?

[@mindlessdroid3630]

I didn't see the perspective, I was in the toilet.

[@DAGATHire]

@@mindlessdroid3630 lol nice. rumour has it he's still in the loo looking for perspective

[@Shinigami344]

@@DAGATHire bruh AAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@shubham-pawar]

The old lady's scene in which she refuses to go away from her house where she has spent all her life with all the events of the Russia from the beginning fresh in her mind was also quite impactful in my opinion.

[@slobiden.2593]

It was a great argument that governments have no right to force people to leave when they don’t want to, even if their lives are in danger.

[@DatcleanMochaJo]

@@slobiden.2593 arguably the soldier shooting the cow proved that. That the Soviets may have had good intentions but their execution of law is always heavy handed and needlessly brutal if it means "doing the right thing".

[@nameless592]

I thought the soldier was going shoot her instead of the cow.

[@gregoryborton6598]

@@DatcleanMochaJo The cow was already marked for euthanasia, due to being within the 30km zone.

[@Cassiopeia7o7]

The moment the soldier shot the cow, I burst into tears and had to pause the episode. The visual side of the show is so accurate (even though I was born in Poland in 92) that it just hit me in that moment all at once. And I feel like in any other show the scene would have ended with the soldier leaving the old lady alone and told the others he shot her instead, but no, this is not how real life works.

[@Smusie]

I Love that they didn’t waste screentime with unncessary love triangles or extremely over-the-top conspiracies. It was so realistic and straight to the point and that’s what made it so unsettling to watch

[@bokmansmarie2820]

They didn't have the time (or the interest of doing so) with all the events going on. And as you said, it's a great thing they didn't try to put a love story other than Lyudmila and Vasilya.

[@vulpes7079]

When the characters spend so much time figuring out *what* happened before dealing with the issue at hand, or when someone else deals with the issue, it gives us the vague hope that the immediate next step is fixing the problem and stopping the disaster from happening. On the show, however, the disaster is still being dealt with and people are dying left and right before Legasov knows how exactly Dlyatov managed to blow up a nuclear reactor; before and after that, everyone is focusing on mitigating the effects

[@garethlloyd4716]

One of the most historically accurate programs I have watched every scene in Chernobyl happened in real life exactly as it was shown

[@syzionaurifex5383]

No one watches a tv show for the fucking romance. When a show focuses on that shit it KILLS the immersion. People don’t act like that… well maybe 15 year olds…

[@maefromnitw]

@@syzionaurifex5383 that's literally objectively not true... maybe you don't watch shows for romance but it is an insanely popular genre for many demographics. youre being very broad but clearly only talking about one kind of show, so let's be serious here

[@ghostdog2041]

You know what I thought was done terrific in Chernobyl? I’m sure there’s a name for it, but I don’t know it. Chernobyl had this interesting way of showing you something without any information, then later explaining what you saw earlier. They show you the graphite chunks on the ground and the firefighter picking it up, but it doesn’t mean anything until later when they explain the significance. The Chernobyl series did that all the time. Off the top of my head, when the wife went to see the firefighter husband and he was doing surprisingly well in the hospital. Then a couple scenes later, they explain that radiation sickness symptoms have a latency period for a day or two. That show did that so well. It keeps your brain more engaged than explaining something and then showing it to you. Edit- Now that I think about it, I suppose the best example of this would be not telling us why the plant blew up until the end. A friend of mine asked me two or three episodes in if they had explained the explosion and he missed it. I told him no, it’s all on purpose haha

[@MrAlexkaysyou]

The word I think you're searching for is "reincorporation" and this show is masterful at it.

[@MrMrRubic]

Chekhov's gun: any part shown or mentioned should have a propose later.

[@sahanavic7841]

As someone who has a little bit of background in nuclear physics, the way they revealed the danger of the graphite was one of the most memorable parts of the series, because it allowed me to experience the horror exactly like Legasov did when he was reading the report. When they first showed the chunks on the ground, my thoughts were: "Huh, what's that black stuff? Graphite maybe?". Then when the firefighter started screaming in pain, my understanding of nuclear reactors finally kicked in and the full scale of the horror dawned on me. "Oh no, it is graphite. Graphite that was inside the reactor. Oh no. Oh god no. All these men are dead and they don't even know it."

[@laurabowers6279]

It's indirect foreshadowing.

[@th3giv3r]

When the nurse who tells the firefighter's wife which room he is in, she asks her if she is pregnant, to which she replies no, and we don't think much of it. Then a few episodes later she visits her husband just before he dies and tells him he's going to be a father. I thought that was the best example of this.

[@iainengle-roe2861]

The scene at 7:31 is one of my favorites in the entire series. The look on the guy's face after he looked into the reactor; he knew he was dead. It was a mixture of "I told you so", "I hate you guys" and "I'm going to die soon". Heartwrenching, and very well done.

[@ShutTheMuckUp]

The only thing I wish was different about Chernobyl is that actor getting more screen time.

[@nigelft]

​@ShutTheMuckUp I was all of 12, going on 13, when Chernobyl happened. I remember seeing on the BBC 6 o'clock news the thin wisps of smoke coming from the broken reactor, and a quick snapshot, a single blurry frame, of a single patch of cherry red: the actual reactor, open to the air, still burning away, whilst the helicopter pilots, risking their lives in trying to drop kgs of sand and boron, but trying to hit such a small target, even from a helicopter, hundreds of feet above, especially with the mass swaying due to the pendulum effect, made worse by the prop wash of the main blades, made it next to impossible to hit. In fact, in all the sorties carried out, not one hit the exposed reactor directly. But it spreading around what would nominally be the 'biological containment vessel (a RBMK reactor doesn't have one ...) did, in fact, help, as, as far as I can tell, it drew a lot of bulk heat, but in a way that concentrated that heat lower down in the reactor vessel, where the fuel that wasn't vaporised, as the air rushing in met the superheated graphite and metal, resulted to the second, largest blast, of a thermic reaction, not an atomic one. What fuel was left behind melted, that, in contact with the concrete, and all the sand that was packed around the reactor vessel, as a kind of biological containment, melted together to form a lava like substance, that made its way through the ductwork beneath. It was that which made people fear that the highly radioactive substance would hit the now full 'bubbler' tanks - presumably designed to let naturally trapped air in the circulating heat exchanger, and condenser cooling water, escape, where full due in part to the cracked pipework, and the gallons per minute being poured on by the firemen - risking a thermal explosion, resulting from the radioactive lava hitting all that water possible, that was calculated to maybe be large enough to reduce all of the city of Chernobyl to dust, and destroying the still working 2-3 other reactors built yards away, causing huge destruction to the Warsaw Pact nation ... But all of that series could be summed up in that one single scene of that reactor technician being basically forced, by an armed guard no less, to go up near the massive vent 'chimney' ... and peer over the edge ... One of my few criticisms is that they made the smoke much thicker, and denser than it actually was, as seen from footage taken by camera crews on the Soviet helicopters, monitoring the radiation via probe through an open door. By still, that mournful expression his held tillted towards the concrete floor, his face bright red from both the ionising radiation, and the literal heat. How he just didn't jump straight in to that hell's pit, I never know ... But it is the following shot that, to me caps it all off ... There he is, sitting on a creaky old wooden chair, in a bunker designed against an American nuclear attack, thinking about everything, or perhaps nothing, save how long he may have to live, whist the two senior persons in charge of the powerplant of all four reactors, yell soundless words at him, with the backdrop being that quiet solo voice against remixed sounds from an actual working nuclear reactor ... him just staring ahead, barely moving except for a slight tremble, seeing, but not observing; listening to their ranting without hearing ... he knew he was a doomed man, no matter what they screamed at him .... Of course he saw the open reactor; his 1st degree burns are proof of it ... but the two plant managers still wanted to deny it ... because RBMK reactors don't explode ... Unlike the famous 'Suicide Squad' sent to find, and open a valve gate, whom volunteered, he was 'volun-told', with the likely threat of being shot dead if he didn't ... with the irony being that the bullet would've been quicker, cleaner, and less painful, than a face full of ƴ and fast neutron radiation spewing out. In the few seconds of staring into that pit, he would've recieved more than a lethal dose of radiation poisoning, in Severts (Sv). 4.5 to 6 Sv is usually considered a lethal dose; he likely recieved somewhere between 8 - 9 Sv in those few short seconds ... ... but I guess suicide was seen as an example of Western decadence, and his wife wouldn't receive any death benefits, nor his pension, had he lept over the edge ...

[@arturodelarosa4394]

I think my favorite is 6:47 I remember screaming at my TV: "don't hug him! are you stupid!" This is the moment i understood the real power of the invisible killer and how people miscalculated the size of the disaster. The entire storyline with this woman was very stressful for me. I was constantly afraid for her life.

[@adrienlibert960]

​@arturodelarosa4394 she was pregnant and baby died instead of her if I remember correctly

[@indigenous.rabbit2877]

@@adrienlibert960 Yeah she is based upon a real life person, don't know how but the baby ate all of the radiation instead of her. By hugging him she unintentionally and unknowingly killed her own baby, adding another level of sadness to the story.

[@mizzourahtigers]

7:30 the guy who was forced to go up and look down into the reactor is heartbreaking.

[@Nightraven26]

K Baum he should’ve faked passing out

[@cebruthius]

Why couldn't they just have given him a mirror on a stick :'(

[@Foxblaker754]

@@cebruthius In that case he needs a very, very long stick

[@cebruthius]

@@Foxblaker754 The biorobots had a chance as long as they didn't look over the edge

[@josiahstankus4193]

if you want to feel less sad, the guy in real life did it without being forced to, to report back to fomin what he saw so no one else would have to do it.

[@user-zm5wr2zw2t]

I give this video 15,000/10. All great, not terrible!

[@depthsofabjection]

haha chernobel quote meeme XD

[@tonysoprano2927]

@@depthsofabjection man you're a killjoy . Get a life.

[@depthsofabjection]

@@tonysoprano2927 gg ez

[@stefanconradsson]

There is no graphite on the roof because it is not there. Listen to the voice of reason.

[@mrcyberpunk]

I give this one a lick to the elephants foot out of 10. mmm spicy.

[@theharvinator7935]

Reality is the most terrifying genre of horror.

[@hayleyscomet3447]

The Harvinator truth

[@hayleyscomet3447]

Zak Jansen exactly

[@vivvy_0]

@Zak Jansen the only monsters

[@pigoman6566]

the power plant was already failing but they did not want to replace or fix it because it would had costed a lot so money is the biggest evil that ever existed

[@starman2334]

@Zak Jansen If humans are monsters and you are a human that means that you are a monster

[@Axemantitan]

The scene of the helicopter collapsing and falling sent chills down my spine. The third-person perspective was far better than if they had shown it from the pilot's perspective.

[@SocialBobcat]

Couldn't agree more on that. Seeing tragedy from that distance conveys a great feeling of powerlessness/ helplessness, coupled with whatever guilt they might have been feeling watching the consequences of the orders they had to give the pilots

[@lonelysheepling]

It also gives more weight to a previous scene where Boris wanted to fly the helicopter directly over the roof to get a better look but was stopped by Valery

[@cweakley]

Yes, the helicopter is seen from a distance and from a couple of different angles. It is hidden by the smoke from the smoldering pile, reappears for an instant, then goes down. If I remember correctly, there's no big explosion. It just drops off the screen, insignificantly.

[@ChristopherTradeshow]

​@@cweakley it happened like that in real life after the meltdown! it actually happened when they were trying to execute what happened in the scene

[@mrsirkosky7618]

My favorite scene was, when Dyatlov said: "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."

[@scubagirl2857]

I am still salty about the fact that Jared Harris did not win an Emmy for this.

[@jadedgal05]

ScubaGirl - Same...Wtf were they thinking?!?!

[@OrchidAlloy]

Maybe it's proof that the emmies are paid off by Russia :^)

[@rubymae5119]

same girl...he shoulda got the golden globe AND the emmy...his acting was crazy good

[@IAmJacksBalls]

Who won instead of him?

[@timschwarze1739]

@@IAmJacksBalls Stellan Skarsgard, I think

[@marcogh]

I love the soundtrack of this series, it's like it's watching the series _with_ you

[@Jaeden_Phoenix]

The music was made entirely using sounds from an abandoned nuclear reactor!

[@RicardoPierotti.]

@@Jaeden_Phoenix source?

[@Jaeden_Phoenix]

@@RicardoPierotti. The composer talking on a radio show about it

[@Equinox9337]

I love the soundtrack. I've only cried once listening to music and it was listening to the bridge of death.

[@nathangillmore5064]

Yes, exactly.

[@the1onlynoob]

Episode one, reactor already exploded. Me: well they got nothing to show for the rest then. Show: WRONG!

[@MiNeCZCrAFTeR]

Exactly my thought, turned out to be much better concept.

[@Studio2770]

Then showing the events leading up to the explosion in the last episode still had the same impact.

[@GreatSageSunWukong]

If you thought that you didn't know anything about the event did you. They should make another based on the nuking of Japan it would be more harrowing then grave of the fireflies.

[@the1onlynoob]

@@GreatSageSunWukong I kindda want them to dig at subject less historic. Like the invasion of iraq on false nuke accusations. or the annexation of Crimea

[@dylanmorgan2752]

the1onlynoob Aren’t both of those events historic?

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

Great job on this. I was struck by another thought when you talked about the helicopter. By not showing us the inside of the helicopter as it crashed, the event felt more real to me. I’m not likely to be someone inside an emergency helicopter, but I could easily be on the ground. And so it made me feel closer to the individuals now taken by history. I was put in their perspective because I can remember watching a disaster, much like them (9/11 comes to mind).

[@DMJ1978]

Also it shows what would have happened if the main characters DID fly over the core. They would have died, and this scene makes it clear and makes it clear for Skarsgards character.

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

Ionut Pogacean yes, I know.

[@cf105cp]

But the Helicopter didn't crash on the 2nd day. In fact it didn't crash until may months later. I hate this show because it changed allot of the facts around. Legasov NEVER tesitfied at the trail, he had nothing to do with the trial. He also never said "What is the cost of lies?". My issue is if they wanted to remain accurate, then they should have done so, not just change the facts around. Either stick to the established facts or get out.

[@miklosszabo4551]

@@cf105cp Depends on what your goal is. If you want to state a fact make a documentary. This was meant to show the suffering and despair caused by the incident and the rotten nature of the Soviet Union and that it did well.

[@cf105cp]

@@miklosszabo4551 No, my point is. The people behind the show claimed they wanted to show the facts, then they pretty much threw them out the window. Making up characters, adding things just to increase drama. Either do it right or don't do it at all. Next, you complain about the Soviet Union and how it was handled. Well look at Three Mile Island and how that was handled, th goverment and powers that be also lied to the public about how serious that situation was at the time as well. So let's say Three Mile Island would have had a complete meltdown the government of the US would act the same way as the Soviets and not reveal everything. Even today if it happened, I can promise the US Government would lie just like the rest. It's human nature.

[@tyronesalterego2199]

This show did an amazing job at being realistic. Lots of little details, such as ragged yellow-stained wallpapers, people's oversized jackets, hairstyles, even the facial features on the actors - these are all done very well. To someone who grew up in late 80s/early 90s Ukraine, all these aspects seem authentic.

[@avianeagle6459]

They sourced original soviet era fabrics to make the costumes, as well as props from the era, wallpaper and dishes from the era, and paid extra attention to making everything as true to the time period as possible. -- This was to pay as much respect to the people of the time as possible, and because they knew people who had grown up at the time would be watching.

[@moron1138]

If only the coal production minister looked like a real person and not some gay yuppie

[@elie8680]

12:26 this scene was crushing for me. First of all it shows how many firefighters died trying to burn the fire. It shows how many nerses and docters died trying to save them, because you see al these nurses hold the contaminated clothes with their bare hands. And it's even more horrible when you know those clothes are to this day still in the basement of that hospital still contaminated. The show is really worth the hype, and such an important story that had to be told.

[@arnold2491]

"And that's how an RMBK reactor core explodes. Lies."

[@borissenda]

It's fake because RBMK reactor don't explode, your delusional go to infirmerie!

[@brianjungen4059]

@@borissenda vomits, apologizes, passes out.....from radiation....

[@borissenda]

@@brianjungen4059 completely normal phénomène,that gastroenteritis!!

[@llothar68]

I hope we get the uncut version one day. I know of three scenes that were removed for being to emotional: 1) Vasiley (the firefighter) corpse can't be put into any clothings because his body was swollen by radioactivity and they couldn't put his shoes on why they gave them Ludmilla who carries them in the funeral scene. 2) The meatball cat. A furless unrecognizable something that runs to the animal control guys and is only recognized as a cat because it meows. This establishes the context why they have to shoot animals. 3) The scene when they bury the animals in in a hole with cement. One cat is still alive and want to swim out of the cement and Pavel tries to shoot it but they have not bullets left and the cat slowly drowns in the cement.

[@kuppikahvikeisari9120]

Damn...

[@history_loves_anime8927]

Okay, that last one would have me bolting from the room and cuddling with my cats.

[@SavCorp]

Oh yeah they talked about some of those on the podcast. I’m glad they didn’t show the one operators injuries, and instead showed the scientists reaction, though.

[@LeechWife]

I can now say for sure that my soul is broken. It will never be fixed again. I just.. I fucking love animals. I have a cat and I love him so much. He is my world. I will never be fixed again. I don't want to see those scenes ever. I loved the series, but I will NEVER want to see them. I fucking hate this world.

[@a.g.d3162]

@@LeechWife I absolutely agree my eyes were watering reading about those cats and i had to go check on mine immediately. This is soul crushing

[@TritaniumYT]

The part in Episode 2 where Ulana says "No-one's picking up the phone" is so eerie to me

[@theclockworksolution8521]

Yeah that’s probably my favorite scene in the show

[@dogelife7901]

Everything was perfect. I love how her reaction was immediate and she rushed to shut the window, then only open for a millisecond to get the sample. What a series.

[@encyclopediaofelizabeth]

Same.

[@Steve00com]

Wouldn’t want “misinformation” to get out. 😉

[@othello_red]

The line about how it *couldn’t* be Chernobyl because it would have to be split open, followed by no one picking up the phone really drove it in.

[@JohnMichaelson]

The last scene of Episode 2 with the lights going out and the Geiger counter going nuts is the scariest situation I have ever tried to place myself in while watching a show. The entire program is some of the best television that will ever be produced.

[@Farchon]

Yeah, it gave me a claustrophobic feeling and with a feeling scared on dark environment, it's scary as hell

[@AMac-qd6ft]

10:39 Thanks to perspective, the quiet, sobering line "send in the next one" leaves more of an impact than any flashy, loud helicopter crash.

[@RoguePlutonia]

Is it weird that the whole time I was watching the show I felt like I couldn't breathe?

[@Looo0007]

i took a 2-day break between the first and the second episode, and that came from someone who binge watch tv series in one go. it was just a lot to take in.

[@seribelz]

@@Looo0007 I Also had to take a break it was hard to watch

[@onetwothreefourfive12345]

Lol same I felt like I was going to end up breathing radioactive dust through the screen

[@roger5555ful]

it felt like i was under water,withe only the huge pressure and panic to go along

[@deepanwitatudu]

I had to pause multiple times in-between scenes because I just needed some time to process what I just saw

[@sannakarppinen4163]

Chernobyl miniseries is a Masterpiece. the soundtrack, lights, effects and everything is perfectly balanced and editing synch is perfectly done. i give this series 1000000000/10 and deserves every awards it can get. and it shows that even the worst disaster was voided the victory was bittersweet .

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

Agreed but there are many scientific inaccuracy

[@farukche3848]

I give it a 15000/3.6

[@aayushdas19]

@@RahulKumar-ng2gh isn't that a good thing?

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

@@aayushdas19 Woh sorry, I want to write inaccuracy. on quora a physics scientist from UCB has analysed it.

[@90AlmostFamous]

Rahul Kumar dude u can’t be scientifically dead accurate when telling stories. There’s documentary for that stuff

[@AhmedAlwazir]

Many people said that Episode 4 is the weakest of the series for its slow pace, but it's my favorite for its dramatic depth. Edit: I meant 4, not 5. Sorry, guys.

[@livethefuture2492]

Ahmed Alwazir There is no such thing as 'weak' in chernobyl.

[@AhmedAlwazir]

@@livethefuture2492 you're Goddamn right.

[@hamper6511]

Their emotiobs are weak

[@Ineedahandle75]

I found episode 5 excellent, especially the beginning showing life in Pripyat before the disaster. It was very poignant. I found the episode where they are shooting the dogs the slowest, (think it was episode 4) but was important part of the story and there were also excellent parts of that episode.

[@MidnightSt]

and for how it (finally, precisely at the right moment) puts all those pieces, all those fragmented perspectives from the previous episodes, together, and after you've experienced it from up-close from all angles, it reveals the gloriously horrifying full picture and view of the whole thing.

[@saurabh-tp7hs]

There is one scene in which the dog was chasing the bus as his owner was leaving the place. That perspective/scene was so impact full.

[@muttley8818]

They copied that from the BBC drama. HBO took a lot of inspiration from that drama.

[@theivory1]

I have watched this series 6 times since it aired. It's a perfect mix of an incredible story, superb acting, and top notch cinematography.

[@pacmanly]

The "nurse" you mentioned at about 4 minutes in was actually a doctor. I made the same mistake when I first watched the show but in the companion podcast the writer mentions that women doctors and scientists were not uncommon in the USSR back then.

[@iralubarsky1726]

Very common, actually. In my family all women were MDs and scientists. The only good thing that came up from this regime is a true gender equality in a job market. Women still were expected to take on all usual household responsibilities, though...

[@Siegberg91]

@@iralubarsky1726 also it was not humantarian decsions they just needed every workforce they could get there hands on on to keep up with the West. The higher ups were still male dominated.

[@iralubarsky1726]

@@Siegberg91 First of all, it's ok by me if the outcome was that women could get the same exact education and professional experience. It started long before the arms race. Lenin opened first kindergartens to "free" soviet women from their domestic prison right into a different kind of prison. But from what I very vividly remember and know is that quite a large number of women, especially after WWll, eventually came to hold high professional positions. The politics were male dominated, along with the army, but in terms of women being financially independent, the situation was much better than in the USA and most of the European countries back then. Of course, the salaries were very low, and there was not enough new housing being built in the cities, so women and man had to rely on their parents to help with raising kids and share their rooftop with them.

[@catherinesims1187]

Came here to say this. Thank you!

[@jd0192]

Ira Lubarsky Lol gender equality doesn’t mean much when both gender’s are treated like absolute dog shit

[@Escalusia]

A thing in Chernobyl that I personally adored, was the use of sound. Many times in the background, you could hear the alarms (beginning of the show) and the almost buzzing sound they get from counting roentgen. It really grounded the clips.

[@khalidsaiv6613]

Dont forget the evacuation announcement "Vnimaniye, Vnimaniye!"

[@SocialBobcat]

The sounds (enhanced by the relative lack of sights) in the flooded basement scene is a good example, pure horror show there

[@BOZAK115]

Dyatlov: *Sees graphite on the ground* Dyatlov: "I'm delusional, take me to the infirmary."

[@wiretamer5710]

He saw it... but he could not see it.

[@eaaeeeea]

It seems denial and lying was common in USSR. Deny a thing on a large enough scale and the thing ceases to be a problem or even to exist. So of course the instinctive first reaction of the administration was to be in denial but luckily they switched to being honest about the catastrophy relatively quickly so they were able to clean the mess. I'm quite impressed and glad how huge amounts of resources USSR ended up dumping in the cleanup.

[@John-iv2xy]

Dyatlov: I saw graphite. Also dyatlov: It wasn’t THERE!!

[@jesekreanne]

I maintain that the last episode of this show is the most masterful piece of tv I've ever seen. The way they balance the emotion, the tension, and the science, is perfection. It's the epitome of payoff at the end of a fantastic series.

[@kadiereed9615]

I watched this series with a marine who had been stationed in the ussr. He mentioned several times about how well they captured the dark oppressive feeling or Soviet Russia. The way that the houses weren’t in the best shape and particularly the way the library looked. Just simply the lighting and set design.

[@vincentlaw5663]

marine stationed in the ussr? when and where was this?

[@thatperformer3879]

@@vincentlaw5663 Probably West Germany, for whatever reason some US troops were allowed to cross the gate into East Berlin in the later stages of the Cold War.

[@amistrophy]

Embassy guard maybe

[@kadiereed9615]

@@vincentlaw5663 not exactly sure what year, sometime before 1983 (he was in the bombing in Beirut) in Estonia.

[@mdflorida1233]

They should just give the show all the Emmys now. Don't give the other shows false hope.

[@JurisLLM]

@Hal 9000 You must be so much fun at parties

[@StelzCat]

@Hal 9000 but at least it is anti-nuclear. So probably one or two awards, heavily sponsored by Greenpeace.

[@jwadaow]

@Hal 9000 Khodemchuk was woke. Appropriate soviet techniques should come to the fore.

[@ethhics]

Haven't you people been keeping up? It's nominated for like 35 Emmys. Also, the show isn't really anti-nuclear.

[@onetwothreefourfive12345]

Hal 9000 you are totally right. Even while watching it I was just thinking “this is so fucking good but i just know some left wing cry babies will spend all day crying on twitter about the lack of LGBTQPKLDFGHAKDNC and minorities. Or some other beta male journalist will write an article titled “Chernobyl - The racist HBO show”

[@mcsmaria28]

The scene that stuck with me the most is the scene where it cuts to the nursery after the firefighter’s wife ( I’m totally blanking her name) after her baby has died and she is surrounded by happy women who have all just given birth. The camera creeps up to her and we see her alone in a hospital room with an empty bassinet. That image is so powerful and heartbreaking. As a new mother, this affected me the most.

[@freezysyahz]

😢

[@jsmedia3729]

ignatenko?

[@mcsmaria28]

@@jsmedia3729 yes! Natalia.

[@krispinwah2784]

@@jsmedia3729 Lyudmilya I believe

[@nina-mill]

Yes, her whole storyline was so intense for me, watching her pregnancy progress knowing what would probably happen. I cannot imagine the feelings of loss, a husband and then a child.

[@kinnexion]

I’ll be honest; I’ve seen a lot of TV shows. Before I watched Chernobyl, I thought the first season of True Detective was the greatest thing on TV, but after watching Chernobyl, I genuinely believe this is the greatest TV series of all time. I can’t pick out a single fault with the show. Everything in it is perfect, in my opinion

[@jbv776]

CocoCandii tied!

[@casedistorted]

CocoCandii I think it helped it was only 5 amazingly crafted episodes. Each one is different and each one is fantastic in its own way.

[@kinnexion]

CRUSTYDOGTAINT I still have to watch it. I’ve not had the time since I got a full time job a few years back 😂

[@axelfoley6520]

I haven't watched it yet but I pretty sure it won't top The Wire 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@gabrielskye6251]

@@axelfoley6520 I love The Wire, and I agree it's very hard to match. As a 5 hour miniseries Chernobyl is pure art - if you appreciate The Wire you will also love Chernobyl.

[@ComputerWhiz_]

Chernobyl is easily one of the best written and best filmed miniseries of all-time. It's excellent from start to finish and, if you ignore some minor factual inaccuracies, simplifications and creative liberties, it's also a fairly informative show. I watched it twice when it first came out and got something entirely different out of the experience both times. I do plan to watch it again some time in the future.

[@MeadeJ67]

It's excellent even if you don't ignore those things, because anyone with a brain understands that those things need to be done to keep an audience engaged...

[@pan4909]

HBO's Chernobyl is an absolute masterpiece of cinematography and there is no other way to put it. The scenes, the music, the tension, the emotions, the perspective, etc all come together so perfectly the whole 5+ hours I was glued, I could not stop. It is so well made and done I think this will be my favorite piece of cinematography forever. Favorite scenes 5: Akimov and Toptunov turning on the flow of water even thought they both know they will die from it. 4: The bridge scene. Seems so innocent but the slight blue haze the 'atomic snow' and the music tell a different story. 3: The scene where one engineer is told to go to the roof and report back what he sees. He looked directly into the reactor core and his face was burnt immediately. 2: The court scene, Valery explaining what went wrong and why. 1: The 3 divers opening gates so the water can drain and save millions of people from sickness and death. Most moving scenes 3: The court scene. 2: Charkov telling Valery that he will never be known for what he did in the cell. 1: Vasily being buried. The music, the shots, and the closeups shook me

[@Hayden-pp2dy]

The scene of Vasily screaming and bawling from the pain of his radiation poisoning gets me every time

[@maralm5103]

But that didn't happen in reality though..... His wife (leydumila) said he was very calm.

[@mrcthulhu47themad45]

The burial is dark

[@OfficialROZWBRAZEL]

@@maralm5103 While that is true, I assume the change is more artistic license and visual shorthand for “he is getting f{}cked up by radiation and it’s only going to get worse from here”

[@midas2092]

Can we all acknowledge that our fair uploader hasn't tried to segue into the sponsorship and kill the mood and just say the sponsorship is there. More KZbinrs need to be like you.

[@bionmccool]

that's a matter of personal preference. Statistically people prefer a smoth transition to the ad, that's why every youtuber is paid more to do so.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

@@bionmccool Especially if it's done in a funny way and/or the transition is so smooth that you have to give it up to them for how smoothly they segued.

[@syzionaurifex5383]

Better yet, put a link in the description. If I care, I’ll click

[@ryanm7263]

It not only effectively conveyed the despair and doom of the disaster, it also conveyed the overarching environment of despair and doom that was Soviet society in general. In this way, the show presented the Chernobyl disaster not as an isolated event, but as a culminated outcome of large scale ideological derangement. By giving equal attention to both the disaster and its context, the show exceeded mere dramatization and vividly captured an important historical memory.

[@kiontupper]

This is especially made clear in the first scene in the first episode and in the trial in the last episode. Conveying the disaster as the realization of the cost of lies extends the event to a more metaphorical symbol of corruption, lies, and propaganda - and how those affect entire populations even when they don't know it.

[@Spewwow]

That would be so, if the show did not lie. I speak russian and was born in post soviet country. They did not seal off the city or cut phone lines, people were evacuated from Pripyat by the end of 27th and in the coming days from provinces nearby. There were no armed men when the minister came to the coal miners for help, there are accounts of people who are still alive who watched Chernobyl and said that it was not true. Ministers in those industries normally came from the workers, they had respect. No one would act like that. The news of the disaster were on TV and Radio. People volunteered days after knowing that their comrades were dying in the hospitals and they closed the sarcophagus. Hunting society took out all the animals. The real tragedy in betrayal is how those people were treated after the disaster. State funded care dissipated in the years after, they didn't get proper treatment, did not get adequate government benefits. One of the coal miners who was there said that first death that came after were suicides - people could not handle being a burden, being in pain. Then the illnesses came and took a lot of his friends, those who could afford care in post Soviet times is doing okay. Most is not okay. Chernobyl is so good in technical terms, in the way things look - takes me to my childhood. But it broke my heart that they made Dyatlov the evil man, he was not. It was not his fault, they used the wrong reactor that was not industrial and the chief engineers memo about how the reactor should be utilized in order to work industrially and not cause this was ignored because people in the government structures did not understand atom and how it worked; not because they were evil or didn't care... it is humans fault, but it was not deliberate. Dyatlov posted an hour long video in KZbin explaining what was going on that day, but he is not alive to defend his honor anymore.

[@Torgo1969]

@@Spewwow Thank you for sharing. But you wrote that ministers in the industries came from the workers, yet at the end you write that the people in the government structures didn't understand the scientific issues. This seems like a contradiction. I agree that anyone in government should come from working in the field for many years, and should not receive benefits or authority from anything besides merit. Cough, Hunter Biden, cough...

[@ChervonaLada]

@@Torgo1969 Ministers were career politicians that came from humble roots. We in modern day have ministers responsible for military matters that never served a day in any of the branches. Same applies to USSR. These high ranking politicians that are in charge of whole Industrial Sectors often enough have been career politicians that have been climbing up in the political ladder for decades and while the people under them have all the knowlage. But when shit hits the fan the politicians often enough lack the ability to see the real scope of the unfolding tragedy and people under them have tendency to under report the threat until it's so clear that it drown out any other alternatives.

[@ShadowZone]

Something to add to the helicopter shot you mentioned at around the 11:00 mark. This was almost a 1:1 recreation of documentary footage taken during the real operation. An accident like this happened and this perspective was effective in reminding the people that are young enough to have watched it on the news of this grave disaster that happened in their lifetime.

[@yucansuckadee8930]

R.I.P Paul Ritter. I never knew you before, gratefully I will never forget you. Thank you for your tremendous performance. The legacy you left was much bigger than this. However, I use that terrifying line, "Not great, not terrible" when deluding myself. It gives me great comfort.

[@aBroadMeadow]

What a strange comment

[@FilmedbyEdmund]

13 people who disliked weren't there ... they were in the toilet

[@cena5444]

🤣 good one

[@engadge]

hahahahaha.... I really laughed out loud reading your comment

[@bplup6419]

You didn't see any dislikes

[@FilmedbyEdmund]

@@bplup6419 LOL xD

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

Edmund Piunow no they are wishing that this guy had a thesaurus.

[@ronaldsauce3714]

Finally, a chernobyl video that isn’t a meme compilation

[@Hey-vn1qe]

Yea. I think the memes are kinda forced, because the series is so popular right now.

[@livethefuture2492]

I mean the memes are not great, but not terrible...

[@Hey-vn1qe]

@@livethefuture2492 🤦‍♂️😂

[@yak6896]

Until you read the comments...

[@jwadaow]

@@livethefuture2492 The memes are actually significant.

[@ThatAussieBloke1]

I didn't know it was possible to make radiation so scary, its invisible! yet this show makes it terrifying

[@JuanPalomoM]

The show doesnt make it. It portrays what are the extremes of one of the most basic natural phenomena, and what happens when you mess with it without enough precautions.

[@Alicechan3]

Radiation being entire unnoticeable, yet so deadly, *is* what makes it so terrifying I'd say.

[@illogical1421]

Radiation is truly scary, the show only showed that, it didn't make it.

[@efxnews4776]

You know what is more scary than radiation? Human stupidity! The whole damn show, is basicly about how stupidity cause this horrors. Radiation itself isn't the villain here, without the radiation from the Sun, we wouldn't be here, theres medical equipment that use radiation to save lives, so in essence, radiation save more lives, than than kill. What really kills people is human stupidity and ignorance.

[@littleskeleton420]

and in games radiation can GiVe yOu SoMe BuFfS iF yOu GeT lUcKy

[@Becky5205]

The scene where the worker was forced to look right into the open reactor and looking back to the camera with the "sunburn" was just crazy. This series has earned the title of one of the best series ever produced (according to IMDB)

[@ChamplainValleyRailSnapshots]

In Episode 5 when they really go over the accident I think it had a lot more weight than if they really focused on the details at the beginning. By that point I was so heavily invested in the characters and their own personal tragedy's, I wanted to know how everything went down. It meant more to me, because I'd already watched the sacrifices that went into the aftermath.

[@zkennedy5671]

I know how It had happened and most of the shows I try to put myself in their view, always asking how are they feeling, most of the time I cant capture('cause the acting are so, meh) but in Chernobyl, I could feel the wife worrying about her husband, the scientist being forced to lie to the residents of the town, the nurse trying to save as many firefights as they could without even knowing the consequences

[@maureenjacobs7452]

This video shed so much more light on an already phenomenal mini series! Chernobyl is the best thing I’ve ever seen. The powerful editing definitely infuses more strength in each characters emotions and intent! The soundtrack also lends itself to the overall mood without being overbearing and intrusive. The conflict within the characters themselves is portrayed with such ease.

[@clampmotosua1789]

Watch thunderfoots video and you'll see how much fearmongering this show is. Wish I could like it but with all the lies and false drama it no longer has integrity.

[@doesntmatter4477]

The shows integrity is well in tact. For those who are intellectually capable, and open minded with no agenda, its widely understood that the purpose of the show is artistic portrayal of the real event with historical accuracy to the point where in some aspects, facts are replaced or changed in a way to best support the artistic portrayal of other aspects of the event but without sacrificing integrity. Its a show about real events. Not a documentary, or an educational video. To say it's fearmongering is so far beyond ridiculous... U have an agenda. Ur not gonna hide that cuz ur too stupid to.

[@jaimeerindy4573]

The best part about the varying perspectives in the show was the dispersement of knowledge. We spent some time with characters that had a lot of information, and some times with characters that knew virtually nothing about the gravity of the situation, and moving between them created a really haunting and powerful tension.

[@olivedog]

I was a bit confused by the decision to portray the team of scientists aiding Legasov with just one character, but now I understand. Great video!

[@kingwacky184]

That was also for the reason that it is nearly impossible to get to know all of them in only 5 episodes. That would be to confusing and you would spend more time trying to remember who is who than actually paying attention to the story. With that many characters the show would need to be several seasons to give the audience enough time to get to know all the characters. So to create a fake character to represent many real ones is in this case a brilliant thing to do.

[@noahmay7708]

@@kingwacky184 Legasov was a real person. It was the lady (of whom I do not remember the name) who was made up to represent many people.

[@kingwacky184]

@@noahmay7708 That is what I said. I never said Legasov was fake I said it would be to difficult to remember all of them in just 5 episodes you would focus more on who is who that is why they made her. I never said Legasov was the fake character.

[@OfficialROZWBRAZEL]

It is _the_ best decision, because now whenever she’s on screen and speaking, I picture the bus/roomful of scientists she represents speaking in unison like legion And I think that’s funny

[@N3tech]

The performance of all the actors on this show was amazing as well. The perspective wouldn’t be nearly as effective without their emotional performances. Being able to properly convey facial emotion when I scene is only focused on your face has to take a ton of skill.

[@JJsiN84]

I actually knew a girl and her Mom that were refugees from Chernobyl. The mother was pregnant with her at the time of the disaster and luckily she did succeed in getting out. However her daughter, even though from the outside she looked fine and was even very attractive. She had serious internal organ issues and would suffer internal bleeding without a warning. One day she could be feeling fine, but the nest she could be in serious pain. As far as I know they did what that could for her to stem the organ issues but it will be something she will likely carry with her for the rest of her life. I hope she is doing well. We lost contact years ago.

[@TheAceFireFox]

Genuinely probably the best TV series, mini or not, I've ever seen. The audio, the tension, the way the story was told and unfolded. I was invested 100% of the time

[@NationalSecessionistForces]

How did Craig Mazin go from writing schlock like Scary Movie to this absolute masterpiece?

[@Manoj17Patankar]

when creators aren't motivated by commerical aspects, but by the work itself; they tend to do their best work.

[@kb4903]

Scary movie is also a masterpiece.

[@Owl90]

@@kb4903 I agree!

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Well, you need to build yourself a name before you can pitch a project like this to any studio. You need to prove yourself, before anyone lets you do what YOU want with THEIR money. This show is no amusement. From a business perspective that is highly dangerous. Big chance to lose a lot of money that you will not have for the next project(s).

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

Just like Jordan Peele went from goofy comedy to horror/thriller movies.

[@HobzyMcRuse]

the use of sound in this mini-series was so impactful. Really elevates the tension.

[@RenegadeSamurai]

the soundtrack itself is great. Also the usage of just sounds instead of music (sounds of a nuclear reactor in some cases) made it so goddamn good and fitting.

[@gcahbm]

Just the fucking cracking of the Geigercounter in the Rooftop-, the Basement-, so many scenes around the reactor

[@agreeableWitch]

The amount of empathy and horror this show creates is incredibly intense. I even bought a book about the event to depersonalize it again and free myself of the panic the show makes you feel. Everything about the show was so masterfully well done, and I highly recommend the podcast about the production to see how seriously they took making sure the actual history hit with maximum impact.

[@realbr1koo]

I loved the camerawork in Chernobyl. Using good perspectives have an enormous role in creating atmosphere, and they nailed it pretty well, just like they did with the music. Watching it sent chills in my bones.

[@tysonngubeni8545]

A chilling, haunting series. Great analysis 👌

[@ThomasFlight]

I agree. And thank you!

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

One of the best

[@shorgoth]

THANK YOU, I've been stuck on a key scene in a book I've been trying to write for years, literally. I just couldn't make the scene work with my narrative style but now I think I can get through it with a bit of effort. this might just allow me to finally fix what was wrong with my narrative style.

[@sunwukong1754]

shorgoth congratulations! What’s your book called, and what’s it about?

[@h.r.deville8153]

I was born in Moldova right before the Chernobyl disaster. Luckily the winds didn’t blow our direction. I had a friend who was in the path of the winds and I heard he lost all of his baby teeth shortly afterward. My parents had a lot of concern about where the milk and baby formula was coming from because a lot of our food came from the Ukraine. I believe they told me that they were told that the dairy was safe only later finding out that it wasn’t after more information started coming out. My parents grew up in the Soviet Union. They watched the Chernobyl miniseries and told me that the way the characters looked, their hairstyles, clothing, vehicles, buildings, the décor of their apartments… basically the whole environment was spot on. They said it was like revisiting their life there. I grew up in the U.S. and have very little memory of life in the Soviet Union, but I love the fact that HBO and the creators of the series decided to create it because there are very few shows and movies that offer accurate depictions of life in the Soviet Union and they did it so masterfully. Kind of shows me what my life could have been like if we weren’t allowed to leave. They really need to make a long series about the cold war, like in the perspective of some American families, and Soviet families. I think that would be neat.

[@silicone_salami1525]

Chernobyl was a show that I wanted to end and, at the same time, didn't. It was one of the hardest shows I've ever watched but also a show I want to revisit just because of all the qualities that you expertly highligh in your essay, and the horror that it evokes. It's more terrifying than most horror films, and equally as emotionally taxing. I love it - if that's even the right way to appreciate it given the context of the show.

[@MforMovesets]

What made this so intense to me is the constant closeups of people touching objects, each other, or standing in the dust, so you know the radiation is always present and killing the people on-screen eventually, even though its invisible. Its also almost like the droning music represents the radiation. The bridge scene especially.

[@rars0n]

I am getting more and more excited about new videos from Thomas Flight. I just had to say that right off the bat. Will probably comment again after the video is finished.

[@5finger4head53]

Nobody talks about how well they made the event and the radiation become its own character

[@gcahbm]

It even has its own droning theme in the music. It is, with the system of the soviet union, the true villain in this

[@aryotaheri7421]

As an enthusiast of the filmmaking craft, this video was INCREDIBLY informative and interesting. Not only did you introduce and explain such an important concept like perspective, which I had rarely come across before, but you found a fantastic example to use as a case study. Cheers, you taught me quite a few things in a short video like this. Much appreciated.

[@highlightshadow]

I watch the series (certain episodes mainly) fairly often.... the end scene of episode 2 remains one of the outright most tense and anxiety inducing few minutes of TV or cinema i've ever watched. The claustrophobic nature of the darkness/water/pipes, the failing light, the geiger clicks getting ever more frantic and frenetic as they approach the source and the episode ending in darkness with just that sound .... it's staggering how good it is. Anyone who's studied or has an interest knows the outcome of these individuals, we know they live, we know they succeed but that takes NOTHING away from the scene and i can feel my heart while watching it is the highest compliment i could think to pay to a creator.

[@heatherwheeler8330]

The end of episode 2, is a masterpiece of tension and dread, there are no dialouge, there is only the sound of the men splashing through the water, the sound of them breathing, and the guiger counter going off, and as they move, the guiger gets louder and louder, their breath increasing, as the thier flashlights begin to malfunction from radiation, the guiger gets louder and louder, until its all we can hear, as the scene cuts to black, leaving us in a state of fear, not knowing , if they are going to succeed or fail.

[@slobiden.2593]

I was fascinated by the Chernobyl event before the show. Mainly the accident itself and how they took this reactor that one second was stalled and within seconds exploded. Like a sleeping dragon that was poked in the eye. It’s also a cosmic horror. A horror on such a scale but no one knows it. The ones that do only know once their fate is sealed. The show is a masterpiece. Loved every episode. Especially episode 5 and how it goes full circle. I especially recommend rewatching episode 1 after watching the series.

[@danieldyson1660]

I did notice how Lovecraftian the show felt. People dying in excruciating ways but the details only being briefly shown and people with little to no knowledge on what is actually happening trying to sort everything out.

[@slobiden.2593]

Daniel Dyson the fear I feel when absorbing cosmic horror was the same from Chernobyl. If you’re reading cosmic horror. You as the reader know what the threat is. As a viewer we know already what Chernobyl was (to an extent) The scene which I use as a good example is when they open the reactor core door and stare into the exposed core. We know full well they’re dead. 0% chance of survival. The bridge scene is another example. A better one. They’re being showered in radioactive dust and we as the viewer know the magnitude of what’s happening. The other scene being the actual flashback. Seeing the reactor stall and drop rapidly in power. When we know it WILL skyrocket and explode. That’s not cosmic horror. But the fear it draws upon is very similar. There’s a game called Elite dangerous. Seeing a black hole in that game with the lights off and headphones on is eerie.

[@danieldyson1660]

@@slobiden.2593 never encountered a black hole in ED yet. I'll try to find one and experience it. From what you described it seems to be a similar experience to those lighthouse stars

[@ManchesterUnitedKing]

Take a shot every time the following is said by the narrator: > Objective > Perspective > Subjective Great vid, by the way!

[@grexx4437]

No thanks, I prefer not to die tonight

[@captainobvious6779]

R Welp. Let’s just say it wasn’t the radiation that destroyed my liver.

[@Lucky-Sevens7777]

YO, I KNOW THAT GLORIOUS THUGS COVER WEN I SEE IT

[@ttonkee]

The helicopter scene, explosion scene, hospital interrogation scenes and the basement scenes still haunt me after three months... One of (if not the best) shows ever.

[@mariascorzelli8875]

For some reason, watching chernobyl today, during a pandemic, makes me look at those scene with much more emotion; it really hits close to home even if we are talking about radiation and not viruses.

[@thesquad-airsoftgamingnerf9643]

Both the virus and radiation could be considered an invisible enemy

[@atifchoudhury5180]

It was the most watched show in China during the height of the pandemic.

[@hyperpotato1197]

Idk if Brovid-19 is quite on par with Chernobyl

[@helloneighbour2408]

ngl that's kinda dumb

[@forkii4122]

Insanely dumb

[@anthonyroom]

This show gave me goosebumps, the first episode alone is outstanding, the scene at the end of Ep2 (i think) when the guys are underneath the reactor and the flashlights dim and the Geiger is going nuts, literal chills! One of my all time favorite shows

[@RexGalilae]

I think, to summarize your point, it's not about perspectives themselves, it's about being *consistent* with your perspective so that it contributes meaningfully to the overall narrative. The last episode is objective because it started with Legasovs PoV and Legasov viewed and narrated the disaster from an impersonal and analytical pov. This is why it contrasted with Dyatlov's PoV from E1.

[@culturalhater1850]

Fantastic video, thanks for that. "Chernobyl" did a tremendous job at throwing the audience into the hellfire of the explosion. I liked the way you have compared it to "Deepwater Horizon" too. Many films and series, which try to tell a story of a large-scale disaster, fail at establishing a bond between characters and viewers. In "Chernobyl", we learnt about the explosion along with the series' characters. The terror was built on the fact of unknowing, and observing as even the best specialists were left clueless and thus hopeless. Again, loved the video!

[@ronshvartsman7630]

Fantastic video. On a light note, take a shot every time Thomas says, "perspective" for a fun, potentially deadly, drinking game.

[@neilwilson5785]

I will, thank you, Chained_Down_Django

[@watchableraven3517]

For an added challenge, add when he says "objective" or "subjective".

[@neuralmute]

@@watchableraven3517 Did you mean "added challenge" or "alcohol poisoning"? XD

[@watchableraven3517]

@@neuralmute They're the same if you go far enough with it.

[@rusan6415]

I was looking for this comment. XD

[@ZZ-zu7ht]

I really like the way it makes your gut turn when the firefighters first show up, they are severly underdressed for what they're dealing with and with hindsight we know that, but tjey don't know it even irl they didn't know it, which just makes it so much worse.

[@MadisonCLCoffing]

5 years later and I'm just now coming across this. As a writer who just wrote a thesis and taught a grad lecture on building suspense and tension in writing, your analysis of subjective vs. Objective perspective and how it can shape a story was spot on and fascinating!

[@lakshithalathpandura6264]

Another three facts I would like to share I noticed from the Series which might you have noticed already. 1. In Ep:1, Professor gave 3 more extra dishes for his pet before his suicide, because he wants to keep his pet alive until someone finds! 2. Ep:5, In court case, Professor's microphone was kept closer to him by a soldier in the middle of his explanation that makes more realistic the scene. Usually other movies do not follow those filming ideas. 3. Ep:4. When Ulana met Prof. Legasov and Mr. Shcherbina, Ulana responses immediately she knows what's in Vienna to Shcherbina. It's a fact that lot of persons don't like to hear things or theories of his own field from another person who is a small ant in that field. By the way, you have done a great job on explanation on this video. Your this video is awesome as Chernobyl TV Series!

[@herrsten1255]

Lakshitha Dinusha the microphone movement was actually not in the script, and was put in because it just worked.

[@3vimages471]

I noticed all those things …. most people paying attention would have.

[@merenwen4495]

A fact that is also pretty chilling is that he killed himself at 1:23:45. The exact same time as the explosion at Chernobyl

[@DucatiQueen]

I'm 50 years old and have watched a lot of stuff on tv. This is HANDS DOWN THE BEST SERIES / SHOW/ DOCUDRAMA ....etc, etc I HAVE E.V.E.R SEEN ! This show deserves a Grammy Award , no question about it !

[@erniecole2957]

11:06 This scene with the helicopter is one of the most horrifying things I've seen in a show

[@BasicShapes]

I absolutely LOVE the shot of the Fireman's Wife as she walks by the window. She doesn't see the burning. She has zero clue what's going to happen, that history is about to be changed forever, as will her future. She's only aware of the burning when she (and the rest of Pripyat) hears and feels the explosion. Its absolutely brilliant.

[@theversacelife5232]

It must’ve been terrifying to write this and not know if the actors will be powerful enough to convey such emotion in subtlety. Every single actor in this series was a masterclass in less being more.

[@shaunburns3789]

I think everything you highlighted in this video is what made episode 5’s cinematic portrayal so impactful.

[@christopherdavis2416]

To many Chernobyl was an industrial disaster. This series reveals what it truly is- A true Humanitarian tragedy & the personal perspective here brings this painful message home in spades

[@mrcthulhu47themad45]

But more it shows the government

[@oddgreen]

I wish I could erase my memory just for this series, like in Men in Black! I wanna experience it again.

[@LeechWife]

You want to wittness the suffering of the radiation patients and the mass murders of starving stray pets again, 'cos once wasn't enough.. rrright..

[@ricomotions5416]

Every Day is Rex Manning Day watching this series was a helluva experience

[@freezysyahz]

Same

[@CYCO1631]

The slow motion take on the train bridge... kids playing in the ash, adults brushing it out of their hair... and you know, everyone on that bridge that went to watch, is dead.

[@NikHem343]

Thomas I really want you to know that for me - and surely for many other people - your videos mean a lot more than just entertainment. That entertainment is important and would already suffice to make a great channel, because you help the viewers understand the stories they love so much even more, on a deeper level, and by that you give us a way to engage with the stories we love even more, an itch that everyone of us will know after having watched something that left a fingerprint on our memory, that we are desparate to engage with more after those stories sadly have ended. That's so amazing already. But especially after having watched your videos on The Wire, I must say that your channel has some real impact on how I, as a filmmaker, think about stories and some of the things that you observed really impacted the way I write, direct and shoot. You are a rare kind. I hope this comment isn't too corny, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate your thoughts and the effort you undertake to express them. Thanks.

[@GrayCatbird1]

This essay really drives home that the strongest and most impactful trait of this series is that it conveys how it would've felt to experience this disaster, all the stress and anxiety and sheer horror one would feel. It makes you realize that something we all know about, something that seems pretty insignificant nowadays since the worst was avoided, is actually gigantic and terrifying when you are right next to a runaway radioactive core.

[@faerie888]

to be able to see the power surging in to the reactor when the az-5 button is pressed, the steam filling up the reactor chamber following up to seeing the steel plate burst in the air from a steam explosion, just being able to see the mechanics step by step what was happening would’ve been amazing. Especially during the last episode when legaslov is telling the court what was happening every minute would’ve been amazing to see the mechanics and the perspective of the people in the control room. truely would’ve been amazing

[@edgardpoe]

Just go watch Chernobyl, its a masterpiece.

[@i_megaman_i8079]

No, its not. Over exaggerated documentary thats what this is.

[@PeterPing]

@@i_megaman_i8079 He's delusional, send him to the infirmary.

[@StelzCat]

@@i_megaman_i8079 calling this piece of propaganda fiction "documentary" would make it a huge favor. It does not contain a single fact put right.

[@i_megaman_i8079]

​@@StelzCat Sure thing. Its meant to shock, not to tell the truth.

[@Waffalish]

LogiKaiser yeah but like everything else seems believe

[@redt7452]

This is still some of the best acting and filmmaking I have ever seen on screen. Absolutely phenomenal job from everyone involved, down to the extras in the background. It’s a Master piece