Chernobyl Part Five 'Vichnaya Pamyat' First Time Watching! TV Reaction!!

[@TBRSchmitt]

Such an amazing series!! The information we learned in this episode was riveting and mind blowing! Thank you all for the recommendation and the support!

[@GK-il3fn]

I really enjoyed your reactions to the series. Well done!

[@badprotocol1105]

If you have time watch the documentary 'The Battle of Chernoybl', it's very interesting and has tons of real footage of everything you see in the series

[@iKvetch558]

The series is great...I just wish they had not felt the need to engage in mythology. The Bridge of Death story is not really true. People did watch from the bridge, but some were interviewed in 2016, so it is not true that nobody survived. That bridge was upwind during the accident, so there would be very little fallout on it.

[@MetallicOpeth]

"it's just a history of death" Yep welcome to communism!!!

[@thethesaxman23]

I’d highly recommend checking out the Chernobyl Podcast! It’s a 5 part series that goes along with each episode and the shows creator talks about the show and the history. It’s really interesting and very informative!!

[@ethanvilla4418]

"They mistakenly sent the one GOOD man" That line gets me every time! Right in the feels.

[@jillfromatlanta427]

Love that park bench scene.....great writing and acting..

[@chrism7395]

Using those cards to explain how a RBMK reactor explodes is a masterclass in explaining a complex issue to a layman

[@greigclement9081]

The red and blue cards showed exactly how the imbalance was created. A very straight forward explanation for people who aren't nuclear scientists.

[@ihuliige6776]

The very same cards were used in the actual trial.

[@dastemplar9681]

The series did an excellent job in really informing the audience of the science behind it all. Total props to the direction and screenplay.

[@jayman58016]

I loved watching Boris's and Valery's relationship evolve. I started off hating Boris and ended up loving how he transformed over the course of time. Unfortunately at the cost of his life.

[@jackburton3701]

It reminds me of the relationship in another HBO movie about a russian serial killer Citizen X. The two have to fight the communist government covering up the murders in order to save more lives. Their problems are almost identical to the problem these 2 face. The relationship in the 2 movies are very very similar. Scientist and politician, in Citizen X its a medical examiner and a Soviet Milita officer

[@someguy7629]

He lived long enough to help during a big earthquacke, people there have streets named after him and a statue of him

[@matwatson7947]

The moment that Boris saw the 3 plant managers only trying to cover themselves and essentially just repeated what Valery said in the Helicopter despite having no idea what he was talking about was the moment I saw the avenue Boris could (and did) take.

[@taiwandxt6493]

But that relationship was merely professional in real life, it never got to the level the series portrays. Their relationship evolves in the show for character development reasons which is necessary for TV.

[@riffgroove]

It was that moment in the second episode where Valeri says to him "Yes we are... and we'll be dead in 5 years." that Boris' attitude shifts and he realizes the severity if the situation they're in

[@canadaemu]

That shot immediately after the explosion-of the graphite rods bent by the force-is like a monster clawing itself right out of hell. In a way, those men created hell on Earth. Thanks for the watch, and for your genuine reactions!

[@fredfredburger5150]

This series was amazing. However chernobyl has been rule 34'd with the creation of "core chan" and it's does take the edge of the horror.

[@memnarch129]

Gamer here. They had a sleeping dragon by the tail, and when the A3-5 button was pushed they didnt realize they had woke the sleeping dragon.

[@lapajgoo4572]

Still can't compare to the shot in first episode when two workers look down into the core. It's like the monster is just roaring on them from it's cave and locking eyes. And the music... oh boy, the damn metallic screech.

[@darthveatay]

Very fitting description. Radiation is a monster youcan't see, smell, or taste. It posines everything it touches

[@Riddle99-v7q]

​@@fredfredburger5150The duality of the internet i suppose lol

[@Indiescent]

quote of the century. "Where I once would fear the cost of truth, now I only ask: What is the cost of lies?"

[@Strider91]

Good to see nothing has changed since 86

[@jajejijoju7874]

The WHO should have remember that

[@pravusprime]

As great as that is, I find the "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid." to be the quote of the series.

[@Strider91]

@@pravusprime thats a good one. That and the " where once I feared the cost of truth. . . . " that whole line is like . . . .bro

[@TJF588]

A certain irony, given the scientific inaccuracies integrated into this very series.

[@GF_Baltar]

The Emmy nominations in 2019 for Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgard were well deserved; it's a total travesty that neither of them won (but at least the show itself won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series).

[@Zhest-yu8rw]

Another fact, the new containment finished in 2017 was built by 2 French Company and a Dutch one. It isn't designed to just stand there for 100 years while doing nothing, there are 2 to 4 mobile crane on top of it on the inside to dismantle the old sarcophagus and clean up the reactor itself using all new robots with hydrolic commands and control.So for the few decades to come this is what will be done.

[@ramiabdo5953]

It's because of Game of Thrones sadly, and I'm a big Game of thrones fan. But let's face it, Game of Thrones in 2019 didn't deserve anything for what they did.

[@yomama629]

@@ramiabdo5953 lol how did GoT win anything in 2019? The writing of the last season was god-awful and even the best actors' roles suffered massively because of it

[@ramiabdo5953]

@@yomama629 they did win though, go check it out

[@yomama629]

@@ramiabdo5953 I'm not saying they didn't, I'm just perplexed as to how they won

[@tylerchristopherson4245]

Just to give you a idea how powerful the explosion was. The UBS (upper biological Shield) weighed 4 million pounds and it got blown off like nothing.

[@someguy7629]

The shield was nicknamed "Elena"

[@johnmiller7682]

Boris lived for several more years. Time enough to become a hero after the Armenian earthquake in 1988.

[@jidhindharanm.p9351]

?

[@johnmiller7682]

@@jidhindharanm.p9351 In 1988, there was a massive earthquake. Boris basically did the same thing.

[@TheWitcherX]

There is even a bust of Boris in Nemtsov Square in Tyumen. He wanted to matter one day, he did. He was a hero. One of the few good politicians in the soviet union

[@warre1]

@@johnmiller7682 they should make a sequel about it with same actor.

[@mattresplay4928]

@@TheWitcherX серьёзно? Я не разу не обращал внимания... Надо бы взглянуть, когда мимо пройду...

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

The attention to detail is amazing. Notice how everyone with glasses has the same frames? There's only the one state supplier, and aesthetics are deemed irrelevant.

[@ihuliige6776]

Fun fact, there is practically only one supplier of glasses frames in the West today, too. The same company, Luxoticca, owns pretty much all of the eyewear brands you see in stores and supermarkets today.

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

@ManuelB1b3r The Russian can be inferred from all the lying and fear.

[@G1NZOU]

@ManuelB1b3r I'd rather have everyone speaking English and focusing on acting than trying to put on a fake Ukrainian, Belorussian, or Russian accent and doing it badly.

[@SanctusPaulus1962]

@@ihuliige6776 Except there are thousands of different styles of glasses with varying frames in the west today - not just the same copy+paste one that you're forced to wear whether you like the style or not. People actually have a choice

[@TheWitcherX]

Fun fact, Chernobyl Power Plant had 4 reactors. Reactor number 4 exploded in 1986, the other operated until they all got decomisioned in 2000 (2 shut down in 1991 due to an accident, 1 shut down in 1996, 3 was finally started being decomissioned in 1999). Imagine working in the other reactors knowing what happened literally 200 meters away from you. Also there were other accidents there. In 1982 reactor 1 partially melted down. No one noticed it for 7 hours and when it was discovered it was kept a secret. In 1984 reactors 3 and 4 had serious incidents. According to declassified KGB documents, Soviets already knew in 1984 that Chernobyl Power Plant is the most dangerous power plant in the world. In 1991 turbine in reactor 2 caught fire and the roof collapsed. They stopped using this reactor then.

[@My-Name-Isnt-Important]

I remember back during the 90s, all the deformities caused by Chernobyl. Children with twisted bodies, the result of exposure to the radiation before they were born. The animals running wild through the area, the offspring of peoples pets that survived. So much caused by something so small it can't be seen.

[@staceypiper3319]

They did a good job with casting and the actors looked like the people they were playing

[@travis3810]

RIP Paul Ritter ❤️

[@cassu6]

@@travis3810 Oh fuck... He died.

[@grahambuckerfield4640]

@@cassu6 Earlier this year of cancer, Paul had a long career on stage and TV, in the UK however he was best known for the slapstick comedy 'Friday Night Dinner' which ran for a decade, he could do scripted and physical comedy as well as portraying dramatic characters like here,

[@leewaffe3]

Historian here. The confinement building is a marvel of 21st century engineering. While its only meant to survive 100 years, consider how many truely large monuments or structures that have survived for 100+ years (eifel tower, pyramids, the capital building, the great wall, etc). In that time before its experation the confinement building is not only meant to be a containment, it was designed to incorporate unmanned excavation machinery that will remove the old containment building and will eventually remove all the high level radioactive material that was pushed into the core and eventually empty the core itself for proper radioactive disposal that could take over 50 to 100 years to complete because of sheer amount of material that was sealed up. I strongly encourage you both to learn about it and watch what you can about its construction and what it took to create it and move it into position and how much international cooperation was put into it. Great series, glad you both enjoyed it.

[@Belnick6666]

how many of those other buildings have a small sun burning inside of them?

[@kampfkeks6619]

I always feel so emotional at the end of the show since my cousin (who is adopted) had cancer at the age of 11 and it's probably because his biological mother was exposed to the radiation. He beat it and I'm so proud of him.

[@Hexon66]

Good for him. I know myself about the horrors of cancer. But nobody just beats it. It's about treatment and genetic predisposition more than anything. And as viscerally satisfying as it is to praise someone for beating cancer, it does a disservice to those who didn't.

[@sae1095hc]

“In our country the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the state.” - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[@757optim]

Ironic, when we are fed lies daily in the land of the free and home of the brave.

[@Reblwitoutacause]

“They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work”

[@sassymenses]

Solzyenitsyn is not a good source to trust though.

[@sassymenses]

@ganimed1969 Gani it is pretty same sh_t actually

[@flaminmongrel6955]

@@757optim much less than socialist states i think you never lived in a socialist country I did and I can assure you USA is heaven compared to my country.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

The graphite tips on the boron rods were there for a reason, not just because they were cheaper. It helped the controllers adjust the power output slowly as rods were inserted or removed. During the accident though, almost all rods were removed, and they were all inserted at the same time when they pushed the AЗ-5 (AZ-5) button. The reactor was already spiking, the graphite tips all entering at the same time created hyperactivity. The extreme heat caused the control rod channels to deform and the control rods to get stuck with the graphite tips in the center of the core. None or very little of the boron rods entered the reactor. The remaining water coolant instantly evaporated and atomized, creating the hydrogen which then exploded, knocking the lid off the core.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

IIRC, it was the steam pressure that threw the lid off the core - the hydrogen came from a different reaction that had to do with the fuel rods. The reactor was designed to withstand rupturing two fuel channels, and they ruptured no less than five.

[@bobblebardsley]

In 1998 my Physics teacher told us they had fully removed the rods, the heat caused the expansion, and the rods would not fit back in. Obviously that's not correct but it's interesting to know he wasn't 100% incorrect either, he just had some of the details wrong. (He may also have been deliberately over-simplifying it to make a point...)

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 True, the extreme steam pressure created by the instant evaporation caused the lid to burst. The hydrogen came from the atomized water. Once the lid burst, oxygen rushed into the core which allowed the hydrogen to ignite, which was the secondary explosion.

[@woodwind314]

Not quite. Those "tips" were actually quite long. Their purpose was to hinder water from filling the control rod channels when they were withdrawn to increase reactivity. So, in the fully withdrawn state, those graphite "tips" sat in the middle of the core. When the control rods were completely inserted, the tips would go underneath the core. So, insertion of a control rod always, in this design, would increase reactivity in the lower part of the core during the time needed for the rod to completely insert. That normally was not a problem; not even in the event of an emergency shutdown (aka as SCRAM). However, due to the catastrophic decision to try to ramp up power in the core which was, at that point in time, completely Xenon-poisoned and would have basically stopped on its own, ALL control rods were pulled out of the core. That normally NEVER happens. The operators had to override several computer interventions during this mad procedure. But even with all the rods pulled, power only climbed to about 200 MW, and hence the turbines were not spinning at the required speeds for the planned test, which demanded 700 MW of power output at test initiation. When they shut off the turbines, the down-spooling electric generators provided only very little electrical power for the pumps. With lack of proper coolant flow, immediately steam pockets started to form in the core. This created the initial power excursion. When the SCRAM was initiated, the control rods FALL into the core, all at the same time. That led to the the lightning-fast increase in reactivity. More steam was produced, which blew off the 60 tonne concrete lid of the reactor. Steam, oxygen and hydrogen were explosively released and ignited, causing the explosion. The H and O2 were created by the very high radiation levels in a process called radiolysis, somewhat similar to electrolysis. So, that is one of the few inaccuracies in the documentary: There never was a nuclear explosion. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to have a nuclear explosion in any known type of NPP. But we certainly can have other accidents occurring, that lead to massive contamination and core meltdown.

[@hiddenInsight486]

What I've never seen in the discussions is what happens to the 12 automatic control rods that insert from the bottom up.

[@barreloffun10]

It’s my understanding that the New Containment facility is meant to last for 100 years because by that time the reactor and contaminated buildings should be completely disassembled by remote operated robots. Each smaller chunk is much easier to encase and isolate securely than the entire large (and crumbling) structure.

[@ryans413]

They built it twice the first one wasn’t that good cause it was made in a hurry so workers wouldn’t get exposed as much to the radiation. The one finished in 2017 covers the whole dam facility.

[@burrichgrrl57]

I recently read that although the radiation counts are dropping throughout the site there is a sealed room in the basement in which they are rising and scientists don't know why. Oh good :-(

[@someguy7629]

@@ryans413 They are working on demolishing the 1st one.

[@ID-pw8zb]

11:43 Jared Harris is a phenomenal actor. He played his impeccably.

[@jillfromatlanta427]

Most don't realize he is Richard Harris' son. Strong great acting genes there. Skarsgaard is awesome in everything he does.

[@woeshaling6421]

every time i get more convinced this show should be mandatory for every educational program

[@ZeddBG]

It shows the way how the "socialism" worked and how the decisions were made, but other than that there are many untrue moments. Even the test was not really some regular safety test for a newly constructed reactor...

[@BoKnowsBrains]

maybe for a class on ethics and leadership. not so much for history. it is heavily dramatized and there are many documentaries and eye opening accounts that would serve a student of history better. it is a sad lesson in "passing the buck" though.

[@Robalogot]

I disagree, it's still a dramatization by filmmakers, not a historical document. It's very dangerous to let hollywood teach history. There are too many examples of shows and movies that have shaped opinions that turned out to be inaccurate. You want education based on the work of historians and scientists.

[@MegaRaikou]

@@Robalogot true, but at the same time it does still go over the main points, the main people, the repercussions etc, but by doing it in a way that keeps your attention throughout. It's hard to stay focused on history especially for younger people (high school mainly), in general because it can get boring, but what I think is the beauty of this show is that they did it in a way that even if you are not interested in history, you would still be intrigued enough to finish it all the way through because of how they told it if this was to be used in some instances of education in schools. I would just say even though it it is dramatized for the sake of creating a plot point as it it still hollywood, it's still probably the best thing to use if you just wanted to know what happened in chernobyl without having to do too much outside research

[@Dobviews]

Sadly, there are still a few details wrong concerning the movie and the dramatization of certain elements are terribly wrong. Take Lyudmilla and Vasya Ignatenko for example. She and Vasily Ignatenko lived off Zavodska Street in Pripyat in the flats connected to the fire station. You can see how close this is by looking on Google maps. The fire station is just South of the Yupiter Bldg off Zavodska Street. It has a fire tower in the back corner that looks like a square chimney at the NE corner of the firestation hall. She stood on the balcony (facing the reactor which she could easily see in the distance) all night long watching for the boys to return. The smoke from the reactor went just a bit North and East over the Red Forest less than 1/4 of a mile from their flat and wafted towards the river. This is where she received most of her radiation dose. Then after going to find Vasily at the hospital she walked back to her flat and then to Yaniv Rail Station even closer to the exploded reactor. She stayed there for quite a few hours until she caught a train to Moscow. Upon arrival at the hospital they took her clothes and washed her down only leaving her the money in her pockets because everything else was "hot". She did not receive a dangerous dose affecting her child by sitting near her husband. The plastic film between them and doctors visitors was to reduce transmission of infection from healthy people to the victims who had little to no immune systems left. I interviewed Dr. Gayle and Dr Angelina Guskova in 2001. Dr. Gayle was from the US and worked with Russian doctors to help victims. Angelina Guskova was the primary Russian Doctor at Hospital No 6 in Moscow.

[@Rmlohner]

That bit with the caterpillar wasn't scripted. They just happened to find it when they got to the location, and quickly threw together a way to put it in the scene.

[@possiblepilotdeviation5791]

Not true. The caterpillar was a payed actor. However, all his scenes were improvised. He's method.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@possiblepilotdeviation5791 He went on to play a part in A Bug's Life.

[@sunnyschramm9650]

you all dont know ;-)

[@nachoxm]

@@bloodymarvelous4790 He also played the maggot that was given to Jake the crow in The Shawshank Redemption.

[@possiblepilotdeviation5791]

@@nachoxm More of a bit roll, but still, you could see his potential, even back then.

[@keithnphx63]

This series deserved all the awards and accolades it gained and so much more. So very powerful. So well done.

[@stefanconradsson]

This actually happened .. I am from scandinavia (Sweden) we could not eat reindeer or moose meat for years after .. even mushrooms were too radioactive .. hundreds of kilometers away .. and it is not over. This happened and is still going on today.

[@seanrosenau2088]

The thing about mushrooms. I never even thought before of them being spongy and absorbent and sucking up more icky stuff than other plants or animals. That's sad, I love mushrooms.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

The wife of the fireman did have a son, but it required a lot of bone marrow transplant from her family and surgery to stabilize her body...must not have been easy...

[@CopperValentine]

Her eggs must’ve been radiation poisoned

[@KaterynaM_UA]

My brother was born on the night when it exploded! Myself 4 years later. And though we lived a few regions away from it both of my parents, one of two aunts, uncle and many other more distant relatives in 50+ age range had cancer, sometimes of a few different varieties. So many friends had parents who were "liquidators" too. Weird place and time to live in. The show was pretty accurate regarding the everyday routines, they did amazing job. Loved your reaction too!

[@jonathancunningham8739]

Neat fact the scenes in the power plant was done at the sister plant of Chernobyl.

[@ripLunarBirdCLH]

You've watched this in July 2021. I'm watching this reaction in April 2022 during the war on Ukraine and I ask: WHAT IS THE COST OF LIES? Make no mistake. Nothing has changed in Russia since the days of Soviet Union. Nothing but the name and the kind of lies being told. The system stays strong. And it keeps lying.

[@jmlaw8888]

Legasov took his own life on the day I was born. Brave man.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

I am a political science major and one of my class was on political economic system...One thing we absolutly learn about the USSR is that Chernobyl was the final nail to the coffin of that regime ! While it was dying because of how the regime was build, it shook it to the core. It drained major vital ressources, political capital, destroyed any potential international image of stability of the regime, created internal crisis and amplified the collateral damage of the Afghanistan war because of the use of those soldiers. If Gorbatchev was not the General Secretary at the time for the USSR, the crisis would have blown out of proportion...Now it's still the burden of the Ukrainian economy...

[@seanrosenau2088]

I wonder how much the actual dollar amount of 'all the liquid nitrogen in the Soviet Union' would be.

[@bobbwc7011]

Funfact: Dyatlov was involved in a bad reactor accident earlier in his career when he was in the Soviet submarine industry. He received a very big dose of radiation, more than 2 Sievert, which can sometimes be fatal and at least causes severe intermediate and longterm health problems. But he somehow survived and recovered. His healthy son suddenly died from leukemia shortly after. Then he moved on and survived Tschernobyl where he recieved approx. 3.9 Sievert, pretty much a fatal dose. But he did not die again and lived until 1995 when he died in his mid-60s ...a common retirement age...which many people involved with Tschernobyl did not reach.

[@Saranda4787]

Ok, and where's the "fun" in that fact? I wish people would stop using the term "fun fact" so loosely.

[@JeepersCreepers2013]

Great reaction! I was a sophomore in high school when this happened. Growing up in America in the middle of the Cold War was very different than today. The USSR was a VERY closed off part of the world. I do remember the evening news covering this event and the information was just leaking out. I clearly remember that our government and western Europe was talking about that they knew there was some kind of nuclear accident well before the Soviets came out and said anything publicly. That country was sealed up and very little information about anything got out.

[@robertoprestigiacomo253]

8:18 - Roose Bolton. In the first episode the old man who wanted the landlines cut off was Maester Luwin. 8:34 - At university we had to do this type of analysis at the chemistry exam. Most people couldn't do it. Good times.

[@nikolai60]

Here's something for you: there are still 9 operational RBMK reactors and 3 operational 'mini RBMK' EGP-6 reactors. And the retrofit to fix the problem? All it does is, instead of shoving all the rods in at once it does it in a cascade, one after another, and you have to hold it down till the end to ensure it works.

[@cassu6]

Ah the classic soviet problem solving XD Still these things really shouldn't fail if you don't fuck with them like they did with Chernobyl

[@woooster17]

So they still have graphite tips?

[@Rudi.418]

@@woooster17 yes

[@arkigabor]

@@woooster17 Yes, if my understanding is correct they are an integral part of the RBMK design. The explanation provided in the series is a bit simplified. These control rods are inserted from above. The bottom half is graphite which is acting as a neutron moderator increasing reactivity and the top half is boron acting as a neutron absorber decreasing reactivity. When the rods are "pulled", that means the graphite part partially remains inserted into the core. Otherwise the water that would displace the rods would be acting as a neutron absorber decreasing reactivity although not as much as having the boron parts of the rods in place. The problem is when the rods are pushed back in, temporarily - until the boron sections reach their desired position - even more graphite enters the core and water is displaced.

[@woooster17]

@@arkigabor Ah ok.. got it, thanks for that detailed response.. really interesting. Amazing series 👍🏼

[@spectre1404]

The new save confinement is only designed to hold for 100 years because the plan is to tear down and scrap the whole plant with build in cranes and tools. If everything goes according to plan, in 100 years, the powerplant and the core itself will be gone.

[@Curraghmore]

You were right about the actor whom you thought was in 'Game of Thrones', he's an Irish actor from Dublin, Michael McElhatton.

[@Thepirireis]

AKA Roose Bolton

[@Curraghmore]

The young guy who joined the men shooting the animals in Episode 4 is also an actor from Dublin, and Jared Harris/Dr. Legasov is of course the son of famous Irish actor Richard Harris.

[@jillfromatlanta427]

And had a nice part in the British/Irish TV series The Fall

[@ImaFnT-Rex]

"Let him finish" Boris for the win

[@ronmaximilian6953]

Hard Labor means one is sent to a Gulag. In the old days under Stalin, people rarely survived 10 years. In September 1939, my grandfather, his three surviving brothers, and about a dozen other Polish Jews fled to the Soviet Union to escape the Nazis. Someone purchased new shoes in the Soviet Union and mocked the quality of these. Someone overheard it and they were all sentenced to spies and sent to gulags. My grandfather didn't really speak of it. He was sent to mine for gold in Kolmya across from Alaska. The only time he spoke about it was when I complained about winter being cold. He said that it was so cold that when he pissed outside, it would freeze before it hit the ground. It was basically a death sentence. Those who survived into 1942 were sent into the army to fight the Nazis. As far as we know, the only one who survived were my grandfather and one of his brothers, who would die a few years later of cancer. Where is my grandfather mined for gold, his brother mined for a toxic heavy metal. Watching the show, it's clear that some people deserved to be sent to a Gulag.

[@possiblepilotdeviation5791]

Enjoyable to watch you two react to this. Thanks for the ride.

[@jytte-hilden]

"He who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer these questions three ere the other side he see!" "What is thy name?" "What is thy quest?" "What is the airspeed velocity of an exploding RBMK reactor?"

[@bhurzumii4315]

What do you mean? An AMB-100 reactor or an AMB-200 reactor?

[@prisonerofthehighway1059]

I don’t know that.

[@corvus1970]

@@prisonerofthehighway1059 *flung into the abyss* WAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!

[@justmerc1642]

"How do you know so much about reactors?"

[@bhurzumii4315]

@@justmerc1642 You have to know these things when you're a YT junkie...

[@necrionos]

i think a few years ago there were even reports that the radioactive activity inside that encasement is slowly going up again. not like a new potential explosion, but it seems like there are still reactions going on inside.

[@Yggdrasil42]

Yes, but that was expected to happen. The new enclosure is far more 'enclosed' than the emergency sarcofagus they built earlier. As a result no fresh rain water is getting in anymore and the rubble in the ruin is starting to dry up. If you remember from this episode, water is a neutron flux moderator. Less water in the ruins means reactivity increases. I.e. more radiation. It's not a lot though and was expected to happen, despite some news agencies turning it into an exciting story. The rubble will be radioactive for thousands of years still. The new enclosure has robotic arms inside to do demolition work and the better enclosure means they can demolish the old ruin without risk of radioactive dust blowing away on the wind. The plan is to chop the ruins up into smaller pieces that can be safely buried so the site can be made clean again.

[@badprotocol1105]

In the West we built out reactors with 'containment' which usually consists of having the reactors encased in steel silos which are covered in concrete. At Chernobyl the reactor was literally in the floor of the building.

[@i_love_rescue_animals]

This series is probably the best I've ever seen and I found myself having to remind myself that it REALLY HAPPENED. I remember the news reports at the time, but I was a young person (and way over in the states, not Europe), so didn't pay a huge amount of attention to it. I LOVED Boris and Legasov's relationship! AND I loved seeing those two AMAZING actors, Stellan Skarsgaard and Jared Harris acting together! I loved them so much, I wish someone would get them in a movie together. They have great chemistry. Finally, amazing to think too that this was directed by a guy who was mainly known for music videos before! Great reaction. Thank you. Another great series - MUCH longer - Ozark. The first episode is BRUTAL, but I promise you, you will become completely entranced in the story, the quality of acting, the tension and the characters. It is very violent (at times) - but it is SUCH a great show!

[@brendanmatelan2129]

This series is a well detailed, dramatic, and sobering portrayal of Chernobyl. HBO and the cast did an excellent job making it.

[@killman369547]

The one thing about the episode is how they described the graphite "tips" of the control rods. These were more like segments than tips. They were designed with purpose. Their purpose was to displace some of the water volume in the control rod channels to increase the reactor's efficiency. Water moderates neutrons but it also absorbs them too. Without these graphite segments the empty water channels would absorb too many neutrons making the reactor "work harder" to produce the same power or it might not even reach it's rated power. The problem was that these segments did not extend all the way to the bottom of the core. There was a 1.25m gap with nothing there. So when Akimov pressed AZ-5 these graphite segments start to lower, when they do they enter this area at the bottom of the core displacing the water moderating the reaction there and causing a power surge. The surge ruptured the control rod channels stopping the rods where they were. As he said they had no idea the shutdown button could act as a detonator, but under the..... unique circumstances that night, it did.

[@1trumantucker1]

I would've paid more attention in history class if events were taught like this series... brilliant.

[@johnstrong4089]

He took his own life to save the world 🌎

[@monograma1899]

Thank u for your reaction! I live in Belarus, it’s 2021 and Belarusian government is building another station and since our country’s running out of money and people in charge are still haven’t learnt from past mistakes I think the story will repeat itself. Hoping for the best! Sorry for my poor English and I enjoyed your reaction :)

[@757optim]

"Citizen X" is another good movie about how the myth of the infallibility of the Soviet System was so costly.

[@Michael.Virtus]

8:16 - Lord Roose Bolton (actor Michael McElhatton).

[@ploppill34]

What’s funny in comparison is that many famous musicians in the 1970s got together and did a concert and film and double album called NO NUKES because there was a water leak at 3 mile Island Nuclear plant where nobody died and there was no actual damage. They would never get together to condemn Russia over Chernobyl though.

[@marcelinob.4047]

Love your reaction to all these episodes of what had happened,,,,,,,,,, I was a teenager when this was on the news in 1986, when Ted Koppel came on and said there was a nuclear plant explosion in Chernobyl..😳😱😳😱😢😢….. You can look it up on KZbin when the news reported this….. in 1986….

[@stevenr6397]

i read a report on chernobyl from a few years back that identified a spike of 200 infant deaths, plus 100 birth defects in the north of england and scotland in the aftermath of the accident, all attributed to the fallout drifting over the continent 1000miles away

[@monsterkhan3414]

"What is the cost of lies?" A question as true today as it was back then. A question we are still paying for with lives even today.

[@lethaldose2000]

Lies cost us on Jan 6th. The day of insurrection. That can never be taken back. The suffering and heartache caused on that day are immeasurable. It's all the result of lies, misinformation, narcissism. As Valieri lagasov put it, "What is the cost of lies". Also, the other great quote was made by the KGB agent. "Why worry about something, that will never happen." Legasov, "They should put that on our money."

[@Noggahide]

@10:56 the scene on the bench between Boris and Legasov is a freaking master class in acting... in my opinion

[@zammmerjammer]

After watching this miniseries, I went and did some reading on other criticality accidents at nuclear facilities. And HOLY COW were those guys cavalier about safety back in the day! It took multiple very serious accidents to happen before proper safety procedures were put into place. So, I can believe Dyatlov not taking the threat of nuclear radiation seriously. He was definitely not an outlier in that considering the generation he came from.

[@Yggdrasil42]

Yeah, the demon core is another famous one. Holy cow... There are great KZbin channels summarizing these disasters if people are interested.

[@Skrellington]

An excellent book on the topic that does a very good job of summarizing a large amount of accidents, and goes into good detail about the causes of them is Atomic Accidents by James Mahaffey. Strongly recommended for those interested in the subject.

[@dalekwatcher]

Another good historical mini series is “Waco” concerning the Branch Dividians. Definitely worth a watch.

[@npc386]

i also can recommend "the loudest voice" with russell crowe or "mrs. america" with cate blanchatt. opens my eyes for the american culture alot.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

also Manhunt: Unabomber, and The Six Days (about the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London) - some really good stuff.

[@dalekwatcher]

@@brandonshaw2120 - Hi Brandon, no, but I’ve found a link due to your recommendation. Thanks 🙂

[@burrichgrrl57]

As someone old enough to remember Three Mile Island and think that there have been three major nuclear power accidents I was stunned to discover how many there have actually been and how far back (into the 50's) it's been happening. Honestly, it makes it hard to sleep.

[@Silver-rx1mh]

"Every lie we tell encores a debt to the future" A line that is still all too relevant in the world today sadly. Imo this series is the best and most powerful slice of TV that I've seen in decades. It not only manages to engage you on an emotional level but also teaches you a little about the science behind said event. I'm pleased that you reacted this this as imo more of the younger generation should learn about such events.

[@Mr.Ekshin]

“Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later that debt is paid.” One of the most powerful lines in the entire series... and it's a line that many people in government today still need to learn.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@Mr.Ekshin It’s a line that a lot of people need to learn, not just people in government.

[@aikrichter5403]

@@Mr.Ekshin i watched the series when it came out.that phrase, i thought it about a hundret times since then. i think i will keep that one for ever. remarkebly true.

[@Saranda4787]

*Incurs, not encores.

[@Silver-rx1mh]

@@Saranda4787 Thank to you Mrs pedantic....lol

[@jayleemanYT]

The series did a great job in retelling the story chernobyl. Of course they dramatized it here and there. That's normal. No one knows exactly what happened between certain characters. For example: The wonderful dialogue between legasov and scherbina probably never happened like this but it wraps up the journey of these two men in such a great way. Other things in the series were the helicopter crash from the beginning of the series. Despite the fact that a helicopter did crash over the building of reactor 4 it wasn't the first helicopter that flew over the fire. In reality it happened month later when they did the clean up of the area. Also it is worth to mention that the bridge of death is probably nothing more than an urban myth. Nobody knows exactly how many people were outside that night and nobody can say for sure that everyone had died. But in the series this scene works wonderfully as a symbol for the naivity of the people. They were told that everything is OK and they believed it. Many people had no idea how dangerous it really was. These are things we're a series like this can take some liberty while still honoring the source material.

[@jayleemanYT]

@Darkstar That is true

[@vee__7]

Aside from how emotional this series is, it amazed me how much it was like a documentary. It was such an interesting history lesson about the soviet union. Also as a physics graduate myself, legasov is an absolute hero. Politics is about successfully lying. Science is about truth and truth alone.

[@TJF588]

Yet, this series got aspects of the disaster's effects notably wrong.

[@mrsmerily]

@@TJF588 it was pretty close to the real thing, the changed few events... the courtcase... yeah, nothing like this, some events happend later, they forgot all the liqutators that came later without any prodective care, but it is really close or what part are arguing about? As far as I understand they showed Djatlov a bit worse than he might have been for dramatic reasons.

[@Daveyboy100880]

A brilliant set of reactions to a brilliant series! Thankyou TBR & Samantha for letting me relive Chernobyl through your eyes 😊 I do wish the series was longer, because a) it's just too short and I want it to go on and on, and b) I really miss the lack of coverage of the Vienna conference and the construction of the original sarcophagus. And speaking of the sarcophagus... the original one was designed and built in a big hurry while the site was still being cleared up. Because of the intense radiation, they couldn't use regular building methods and had to rely on cranes and remote techniques to do a lot of the assembly. They also couldn't build proper foundations and the roof rested on parts of the destroyed reactor building. It was a masterpiece of ingenuity and improvisation and it was hoped that it would last 30 years; in reality, it's a miracle that it lasted as long as it did! Part of the roof did indeed collapse, and you can see from videos shot from inside it that the rest of the roof was full of holes caused by faulty assembly, rain and snow damage and just simple decay. Who knows what would have happened if more of the roof had collapsed? The new containment building is a masterpiece of engineering and has given the world some breathing room... and it is to be hoped that it works as advertised!

[@vHindenburg]

How no one of the reviewers ever mentions the scene when Legasov drops one of the blue cards, which is such a great metaphor.

[@blizzardofodds4220]

I love the reaction and I felt the same way. This is the best mini series I have ever watched. Some information that I learned after doing more research is that Victor Dyatlov who was the man in charge that night running things actually ran another station in Russia earlier in his career that caused a radioactive accident but things were covered up and then later in his life he is a part of this explosion. The facts are unreal and scary about things being done on the super cheap with no regard to safety regulations. Not to be an alarmist but think about how many other countries are taking the same pathway where money or cost drives the amount of built in safety with nuclear energy.

[@Amh088]

Before 16:05, did you notice that before he enters that room with awful wallpaper in it, he checks behind the door. Common sense in those days in Soviet Union, since there could have been a KGB man with a pistol behind it ready to tap him out of the game :D Edit: And hard labor meant "Off to the gulag you go"

[@Blaskor314]

There is a documentary called Building Chernobyls Mega Tomb about the construction of the new dome over it that I found interesting.

[@Infernus171]

you guys really need to watch The Terror. Amazing actors,atmosphere and cinematography.

[@Yggdrasil42]

I love how they mention the Chain of Disaster. No incident is ever truly the fault of one person or action but of a chain of bad decisions, bad policy, peer pressure, random chance, etc. 99% of the time it gets corrected by another link in the chain, but when all things line up just right... Boom. It's human nature to want to blame the person who pushed the button but that absolves the people who made the system work that way, the people who pushed him to continue, the people who told him his warning didn't matter, etc. I'm learning about incident analysis in scuba diving, aviation, etc. and this is a common theme. Also known as the Swiss Cheese Model or the Incident Pit.

[@JonsTunes]

At the time I lived in North West England. My parents wouldn't let me play outside for a while. Even as an 11 year old the whole episode happening was scary. To put things in perspective, if the water tanks had exploded the area and population that'd be uninhabitable would be similar to relocating a quarter of the USA. 🤯

[@genericfakename8197]

I love how the writing in the show is always in the original Cyrillic. Even when cards with writing on them is a major dramatic plot point the colour coding makes it so easy to follow. I've watched a lot of Chernobyl reactions and nobody has complained that they can't follow the testimony b/c they can't read the cards.

[@iainbagnall4825]

Its worth remembering that the guys who drained the bubbler pool, and the miners, are to a certain extent evidence of the sheer panic and lack of knowledge that those co-ordinating the response to the disaster had - no-one honestly knew what the meltdown rate of the corium was, or what the actual reaction to hitting the water would be, because nothing like that had ever been experienced on earth before. So they had to assume the worst and put men's lives in danger. What must have hurt Legasov more was discovering afterwards that there was no need for the miners at all, and the tunnel they dug was backfilled with concrete. One of the reasons however that you can trust a lot of the information about chernobyl and RBMK reactors in general is because the soviet union collapsed so soon afterwards, so a lot of records and scientists, military figures etc were fully accessible for interviews in the 90s. Hell you can watch a full interview with Dyatlov after he was released from labor camp. A lot of western scientists got to see the destroyed reactor and do science there after '91 too, and it has become an object lesson in how to mitigate nuclear disasters, and their work was published. Something to note - a reinforced building/secondary containment structure wouldn't have made much difference to this disaster - it wouldnt have contained that explosion. Look at fukushima - the secondary containments were completely destroyed by a less powerful explosion(s). The most important containment in Fukushima was the primary - the reactor vessel itself. The RBMK effectively has no primary containment either, or a less effective one, and the positive void coefficient made an explosion from within the reactor possible. Conversely, the fukushima explosions occurred as a result of explosive gases building up in the primary containment, because it took a long time to get permissions to vent the structures, because that meant deliberately releasing some radiation, to prevent a bigger uncontrolled release. All this to say, because the Soviet Union had a completely broken safety culture and no whistleblowing mechanism, the shortcomings of the RBMK design were allowed to show through. Since then, RBMKs have been operated relatively safely because a culture, necessarily, had to be developed. In fukushima on the other hand, the design of the reactor contributed to limiting the release of radionuclides, although the need for active cooling after shutdown contributed to causing the disaster. Modern reactor designs are designed to fail-safe with passive cooling. Cooling ponds for spent fuel are still a big problem though, and a reason why as a species we REALLY NEED TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR LONG-TERM WASTE STORAGE. Regardless of whether nuclear power has a future or not, we have waste, and we need to store it long term. There are 9 RBMK reactors still operating today.

[@Matej_Sojka]

The Bridge of Death is an urban myth. there are no records of who all was there at the time so there is no way to verify if it is true or not. Definitely not a good place to have been though. As for the firefighter´s wife and her son, that poor man never worked in his life, he is on government assistance because he has severe asthma and multiple other health problems. There are things in the show that were added in places for dramatic effect since this happened over long time and they only had five episodes, like the helicopter crash that happened during cleanup, not boron dropping. Or the fact that the three guys who went to the water to turn on the pumps went in because they were told they volunteered, not volunteered themselves and they had no lights, they did it in the dark... Thankfully the water is a pretty good radiation shield so they did not get as high dose as everyone feared. The thing to remember when we watch this show is that partially because of what happened the average person in the West is educated in High school physics class about radiation, basic information of what it can do and how it works, but all these people lived in an era when all that was state secret. It was slowly changing, but most of them had no idea what danger they were in. Like the new doctor who immediately asks about iodine tablets when fire in nuclear power plant started, but old experienced doctor did not know how that could be useful.

[@nothingtobeconcernedabout7477]

One negative aspect about the series is that there is an interview with the real Lyudmila Ignatenko, the firefighters wife. She says there that she was never consulted or asked if she wanted her story to be made public. Apparently after the series aired, she was harrassed by the media to a point where she had to go into hiding. The producer disputes that. If true, for me, that would be a big negative for the series though

[@rogerrabbit5110]

There’s also an interview with a former nurse who was actually there, and she debunks a lot of the myths that surrounds the show, even more so than the producers on their podcast. If you type in “Chernobyl Nurse” or something, it’ll show up. I’m someone who values reality quite a lot, even though I love to read fiction as a pastime, and what sometimes frustrates me is how people (not TBR Schmitt and Samantha, per say) will take a show that is “based on real events” as truth and not realize which parts are dramatized. This series is good, sure, but it stretches the truth on certain parts, such as how radiation spreads, the use of iodine pills, and so forth. Understandably, one could argue against me that this show is meant for entertainment purposes, so showing the real events as they occurred may not be paramount (we have documentaries for that), but the distortion of truth does sometimes bug me. In that same interview of Lyudmila you mentioned, of which, I’m sure, is the same that I watched, she said her husband did not die in terror and was not hysterical at all. He was rather calm and collected about his death. For me, that’s quite the difference in character and truth of a story. Anyway, it’s not a big deal. I enjoyed their reactions, and I’m happy someone else knows the truth about the series👋👍

[@rogerrabbit5110]

@ganimed1969 Gani 👍

[@mrsmerily]

@ganimed1969 Gani I think it showed all of that even a better light, but it actually captured the mentallity of soviet very well. Especially if you know what it really was. But yeah, she was dismayed, but her story was public and part of the book about people whose life was affected by Chernobyl. The only one to blame here is the media and part people who did not understand as it was pointed out here as well what radiotion was. Also it is pretty sure she might have gotten damage to the baby within first day after the accident. Ive seen alse documentary with Chernobyl doctor who describes exactly what was going on that night including pre born babies with real damages.

[@Stu-Vino]

This was such a well-made programme. Shocking how the politicians tried to cover up what really went on.

[@user-zr5yw2st1e]

Gorbachev??? He is monster

[@lunagal]

I’d definitely suggest watching the documentary on Amazon about the new safe confinement cover and how it came to be. Amazing feat of engineering. They built the whole thing off to the side on rails and then just pushed it over the reactor. It’s big enough that they can work inside to dismantle the reactor. It’s supposed to keep the radiation in until they can transport (or bury all of it as they dismantle it) elsewhere. But in 100 yrs hopefully they’ll be done by then. Maybe. For thousands of years…it’ll be uninhabitable though. Hopefully in a 100 yrs, better science will be known to help.

[@twoheart7813]

Another great series comes to an end, love your reactions and perspectives on this series.

[@JonsTunes]

Quickest I've clicked on a video for a while. Love your reaction to this series.

[@milton1969able]

I still think this was the best TV series I've ever watched (and I'm 53) to put it all into just 5 episodes, outstanding piece of work.

[@jillfromatlanta427]

The Looming Tower is pretty darn good, too.

[@ciscof4041]

When he says, "L.A.C. disabled, global control activated" he essentially put the reactor in an "autopilot" mode. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Toptonov didn't realize or didn't know the global control was set to 0. Tha'ts why the megawatts went even lower, bacause that's the autopilot mode trying to set it to 0.

[@wyldslanerail]

Since the new safe confinement has been finished the temperature inside has slowly risen again. They have attributed this to the fact that the structure is so much more water tight than the sarcophagus that was originally built after the disaster which was basically not much more than a leaky umbrella.

[@moif_velocita]

Looking into that open reactor is akin to staring into the eyes of the Gorgon

[@John_Snowbird]

In real life, Anatoly Dyatlov lost his son years earlier in another nuclear accident. He was deeply traumatized by it, and some people suggest that some of his irrational decisions and actions were the result of it.

[@Zhest-yu8rw]

Also unfortunatley The brilliant Actor playing Dyatlov, Paul Ritter left us last March.

[@deadlyredly1]

So many brave souls made this awful thing way less awful than it could of been. Despite the lies etc - let us be proud of those men and women who refused to let the "official line" be the way things were handled

[@wisemantellsyousomething1134]

29:57 _"...but that one of them went back to work... at a power plant?"_ _"Like what kind of system do you have, where that individual is trusted with that level of responsibility again..."_ Well, I guess... he learned his lesson? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@NPA1001]

The best mini series I have ever seen. A remarkable achievement in television.

[@Liesmith424]

"Pretty sure that guy's from Game of Thrones, but I don't remember his name." I'm pretty sure we could probably say that about 90% of actors from the UK.

[@TobyLerone69]

Mr & Mrs Schmitt, I absolutely love your content! I can’t get enough of seeing you both enjoy some of my favourite movies. I’ll keep this short, I highly recommend the movie ‘Snatch’. Keep up the great content, much love from Birmingham, UK.

[@israelgonzalez5166]

I recommend reading the book Chernobyl 01:23:40 after you finish the mini series.

[@BeachcomberNZ]

@TBR Schmitt I'm posting this here because I don't want you to miss it on your viewing of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Anyway, you mentioned that you were really interested in learning everything about how that movie was made. The most impressive in-depth study of that movie I've ever come across was made on a KZbin channel called Cinema Tyler. Although he did it in seven parts, each about 30min long, I would urge you to watch the entire set, as you won't be disappointed. This guy is a true fan of the movie, and much of the content in his videos was unknown to me, even though I've watched the movie about 30 times, and watched many videos on it's making. I even saw the movie when it first screened back in the 60's! Anyway, please try and find the time to watch them, if you can. Actually, they're so fascinating, you could almost do a reaction video to each and every one of them! Here's the title of the first part: How Kubrick made 2001: A Space Odyssey - Part 1

[@BrahmaDBA]

"Episode 4 was probably the hardest episode that we've seen so far" "Yeah there was a lot of different things that made it ruff" Was that intentional? Props on you for the dark jokes though if it was.

[@TheVirdra]

Just a short info about the firefighter cloth in the hospital basement. That basement got closed and sealed with a lot of dirt and sand after some stupid tourists tried to take some of them after this show as souvenirs. Imagine how stupid some people are to really consider doing this. 🙄

[@Svadilfare]

The "New safe confinement" is only designed to last 100 years, because that's all it's needed for. The design allows for the old concrete structure, known as the "sarcophagus" to be torn down and thus allowing access to the inner parts of the reactor, without danger of leaks to the outside world. This will allow workers to slowly, but surely remove the radioactive material away and properly dispose of it. In time, the reactor will be fully cleaned out. At least this is the plan, as I have understood it.

[@lionhead123]

Dyatlov didn't put his name on it, but he did put his handprint on it.

[@ThatShyGuyMatt]

Glad you watched the series. You should look into elephant foot. The radioactive goo in the plant at the bottom. It's crazy. If I recall Fuikishima is having the same issue.

[@corvus1970]

The material is called Corium, lava-like fuel-containing material (LFCM). It has been created 3 times: 3-MIle Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.

[@mrsmerily]

actually i think it is getting weaker and it is causing a bit of the problem now and well in the worst scenario could lead to another explosion. Also the numbers have gone up lately near the plant.

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

"Now I only ask myself, what is the cost of lies?" That voiceover at the end made me immediately think of Anthropomorphic Climate Change. I was pleased (and horrified) to find out later that is exactly what the screenwriter and director Craig Mazin was thinking about to when he wrote those lines. Because we are living out our own Chernobyl process. Every lie about Climate Change and the economic impossibility of switching away from fossil fuels incurs a debt to the truth.

[@robland6804]

The Stalinists in Russia censoring the truth about Chernobyl, the Stalinists in USA censoring the truth about covid lab-leak origins -- what's the difference? NONE. Dorsey and Zuckerberg ARE Stalinists.

[@jd89]

Worst part is, that those who are responsible for that debt, are not the ones paying it when the credit finally runs out. It is most likely my generation, and the generations that follow who have to pay it.

[@markfilla9305]

Great reaction from you both! I was 24 and working at my first job after graduating from college, when this happened. It was pretty scary not knowing what was going to be the outcome of the fallout hitting us here in the US. It obviously was so much scarier for those living in Europe to the west and the rest of the USSR to the east. To see the events depicted in this series were truly horrifying. As bad as it was, it could have been so much worse.

[@Yggdrasil42]

In The Netherlands I remember we had images on the news of the estimated path of the 'radioactive cloud' as it crossed from Ukraine into Europe. We weren't allowed to play outside for a while or eat home-grown vegetables. I was too young to grasp the full extend but it made an impact.

[@andrewkell2474]

Funny thing. I watched a youtube show that was a scientific explaining how Chernobyl happened. I watched this show before. And boy did it help me understand.

[@lisamaitland157]

You can take tours in the towns near Chernobyl.. The radiation is is down to 6.0 to 14.0, But you can't go to certain places. " junk yard where all the machines are at, that cleaned up the waste" The radiation there is about 190.0/228.00 rad's, Fire fighter cloths are still giving off 133.0 Rad's.. They did a pretty good clean up, considering how much radiation touched everything. The radiation on the ground now is equal to being in a plane above 20,000 ft. =minus the hot spots. I remember the life span of the surface radiation being around 34 years, and the blob under the reactor is 20,000 to 22,000 years.

[@heliotropezzz333]

There are lots of videos on youtube about the real event including an interview with Dyatlov, and interview with the woman whose firefighter husband died, an interview with a doctor commenting on the accuracy of the series and videos on some of the people who cleared up. They are interesting to watch. Also I saw more recently a disturbing news item saying that there are already problems with the shield around the Chernobyl reactor.

[@Yggdrasil42]

Not problems but increased radiation inside the shielding. That was expected though. The new enclosure is far more 'enclosed' than the emergency sarcofagus they built earlier. As a result no fresh rain water is getting in anymore and the rubble in the ruin is starting to dry up. If you remember from this episode, water is a neutron flux moderator. Less water in the ruins means reactivity increases. I.e. more radiation. It's not a lot though and was expected to happen, despite some news agencies turning it into an exciting story.