Chernobyl episode 2 review

After watching a gratifying Episode 1 where we invest into the characters like Fireman Vasily Ignatenko, we are now fully introduced into the world of politics that socialist Soviet Union has banked on to cover up the issue than really trying to understand the gravity of the situation.

We tend to go on an emotional upswing as the locals don't really get full picture and they just think that it is a simple blast even after the radiaton affects are visible.

Slowly, scene by scene and with that BGM and sound effects, we are transferred into the situation. We want that radiation to drop considerably low and also want everyone to know how catastrophic it all is.

Once we see Ulana Khomyuk is used as the moral centre of the series from just being a person who could detect the problem soon, we applaud Craig Mazin's dedication to make the series about humans and problems that we cause to ourselves more or less, due to our own stupidity.

Communist Party trying to make it all disappear politically and then underplaying the situation is well brought out in this episode.

Stellan Skarsgard and Jared Harris delivered more believable performances as the people who are responsible to give right solutions to the problems.

They both carry the two sides of the spectrum very lively and as the radiation spreads, their plans to contain the fire and damage, are depicted in most humane way possible.

Take aways scene from this episode would be Ulana giving Iodine tablets to a receptionist when the higher party official and city mayor doesn't respond quickly to her alarm.

Another one is the nuclear physicist and politician conversation about how it is important for both of them to be on same page rather than at warring heads. We get another haunting scene of three brave workers going to drain out the tanks to avoid thermal explosion.