When it comes to television shows that matter and that are important, it has to be said that there aren't really that many of them. Most tv shows just aren't good enough to make us think and to make us reflect about how our society works.
In reality, in order for a show to have actual merit and value, it has to be about something real and meaningful. Its premise has to be 'important' and good enough so that we could actually care about the show and its characters.
So when I noticed that there was a new HBO series called 'Chernobyl', I for once managed to get my hopes up. I knew that there was a solid chance that the series would work, since its premise was so important and real (a nuclear power plant disaster).
Having now finally seen all the episodes of this mini-series, I can safely said that 'Chernobyl' indeed works. It is easily one of the best mini-series ever made, even though watching it was admittedly a rather harrowing experience.
So the biggest reason that the series works so well is because it looks and feels completely authentic. The series does a really good job in showing all the horrors of the disaster and what happened during and after of the horrific accident.
Indeed, during this five episode mini-series, we go systematically through every aspect of the disaster: the explosion, the rescue operation, the operation to prevent an even bigger disaster, the investigation and the trial for those who caused the disaster.
When it comes to the series, its narrative comes from its three main characters. You have Valery Legasov, a scientist/investigator (Jared Harris), Boris Scherbina, a politburo chief (Stellan Skarsgård) and Ulana Khomyuk, a nuclear scientist (Emily Watson).
Over the course of the series, they help to give us a good look of what really happened during and after the accident. Their brave efforts (Watson's character is a composite though) help us understand the scientific, political and the human aspects of the case.
Not surprisingly, we get to see that there were so many things that went wrong that lead to the disaster. It took extreme negligence, hubris and secrecy from the leaders of the power plant and the political establishment for the disaster to occur.
At the same time, just because the series brings up these problems and the flaws in the soviet system, the show isn't just about these things. Criticizing the Russians clearly wasn't the main reason that the show was made in the first place.
Indeed, as you watch the series, you can't help but to notice how the main focus is on the heroic efforts that the soviet servicemen and workers did in the aftermath. Many of them risked their lives knowing that they had to do it in order to save their country.
After all, let's not forget that had they not managed to mitigate the fission process that happened during the explosion and its aftermath, millions would have died. The effects of the explosions would have been severe even in western Europe too.
Not surprisingly, we get to see that there were so many things that went wrong that lead to the disaster. It took extreme negligence, hubris and secrecy from the leaders of the power plant and the political establishment for the disaster to occur.
At the same time, just because the series brings up these problems and the flaws in the soviet system, the show isn't just about these things. Criticizing the Russians clearly wasn't the main reason that the show was made in the first place.
Indeed, as you watch the series, you can't help but to notice how the main focus is on the heroic efforts that the soviet servicemen and workers did in the aftermath. Many of them risked their lives knowing that they had to do it in order to save their country.
After all, let's not forget that had they not managed to mitigate the fission process that happened during the explosion and its aftermath, millions would have died. The effects of the explosions would have been severe even in western Europe too.
In that sense, when I think about the series as a whole, I'm so glad that those involved with making the series got the story right. I'm glad that they managed to show who the real heroes were and what they managed to do once the disaster happened.
After all, even though there are certainly some bad 'guys' in the story too, they are not what 'Chernobyl' is about. The series is clearly a tribute to all those who sacrificed themselves and did their part to get things right.
In that sense, if you're one of those who haven't managed to watch this HBO mini-series yet, I would certainly recommend it for you. You should definitely give it a chance and not think that the subject matter is something that you might not like.
After all, even though watching the series isn't always easy, that doesn't mean that this is not an important or a rewarding series. You shouldn't be thinking that just because there are a lot of heart breaking moments, it's not worth watching.
On the contrary, 'Chernobyl' as a whole works and shows that when things get bad, as human beings we'll do the right thing. We'll do the right thing and won't give up, no matter what the human cost is or no matter what political repercussions we'd eventually have to pay.
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