Monday 9 September 2019

Chernobyl — Series 1 Episode 1: 1:23:45 — A Review

9th September, 2019.


OK … 

I have to confess, I was complaining, this morning.



That there was nothing good on TV.

Well … 


There’s possibly plenty.

But nothing that had been grabbing me.

Given I’d had a quiet day?



Doing nothing more than light shopping, cleaning, laundry — oh boy, laundry — and filming for the blog.

Oh … 

And sorting out an issue with the benefit office: they want me to go into for a meeting.



Except, of course, the central office has told me it’s at the benefit office around the corner from me … 



Which, I was informed last week, was shut last Friday.



Apparently?

The new office is in the town hall … 

Where do I go … ?


I think I’ll have to make phone calls … 

~≈¥≈~



That, of course … ?



Is sort of beside the point.

I wanted TV … 



I wanted TV, tonight … 



And think I found an interesting little historical thriller.



Chernobyl … 

~≈¥≈~

Episode 1: 1:23:45 opens two years after the disaster at Chernobyl: introducing us to Valery Legasov (Jared Harris): who, after recording a set of tapes blaming the disaster on named workers at the plant?

Hangs himself.

Two years earlier?

We’re introduced to Vasily Ignatenko (Adam Nagaitis), and his wife, Lyudmilla (Jessie Buckley) … 



The latter?



Is watching a fire through her kitchen window: coming from the local power plant.

At the plant?

Anatoly Dyatlov (Paul Ritter) is the man in charge of Reactors Three and Four.



And, despite the evidence — and his staff — telling him the reactor four is burning down?

Is complete dismissive of what’s happening.

What’s he’s ignoring … ?



Is looking serious … 

~≈¥≈~

Now … I’ll happily admit to being knackered enough, at the moment, to want to hit the sack.


And to not usually being a fan of historical drama.



Episode one of Chernobyl, with visions of how a government — during my own lifetime — badly failed its people?



With a superb ensemble cast, with a very understated soundtrack?

Is looking like like interesting viewing.

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