There was this one in Brazil where it killed some people. Its only second to Chernobyl in death toll of radiation poisoning. It was Cesium 137.
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HBO's Chernobyl |OT| Do you taste something metallic?
- Thread starter Wrexis
- Start date
There was this one in Brazil where it killed some people. Its only second to Chernobyl in death toll of radiation poisoning. It was Cesium 137.
Reading the accounts of the firefighters Vasily's wife Lyudmilla in Voice From Chernobyl, is rough, super depressing. I'm sure the show will cover quite a bit of it, but what happens months and years later is nearly has harrowing as the days right after the accident and just as sad.
I wanna watch this after online raves, but, I dont wanna pay for HBO :(
At least when something people talk about comes on netflix or Amazon prime I've already got those or they're dirt cheap anyway.
Chernobyl story is fascinating, I've pored over that wikipedia a few times. Nuclear anything is just so chilling, as it's almost a supernatural power to deal with.
At least when something people talk about comes on netflix or Amazon prime I've already got those or they're dirt cheap anyway.
Chernobyl story is fascinating, I've pored over that wikipedia a few times. Nuclear anything is just so chilling, as it's almost a supernatural power to deal with.
Could just wait until all episodes are out then binge them with a free trial. That said, this show is great and I'm going to get another month of HBO for this show alone.
Currently rewatching episode 2. That moment when Bryukhanov theatrically turns to Fomin, asking why there is graphite on the roof is almost like I'm watching The Witness (except it isn't comedy of course).
It's impressive how well they captured the absurdities of the old system.
It's impressive how well they captured the absurdities of the old system.
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I have wondered what people that lived or are from those areas would think of this show. Its pretty upsetting / interesting to watch it as an outsider.
Well initially she was just annoyed with all the British accents haha. But yeah I've never seen her react this strongly to a piece of media before.
Generally you would only really find it in mines in specific areas in the world, at least in the US a lot of those old mines are marked as such. Also the radiation, as mentioned is weak, so it would be like maybe getting an extra chest X-ray or two.
One interesting thing to read about are criticality events. Basically very rare happenstances where two things that really should touch do touch and the fission material reaches criticality, instantly exposing the workers in question to often fatal doses of radiation.
Probably the most famous instances being the ones during the manhattan project while scientists were studying domes of uranium, knicknames named the 'demon core' after two separate fatal criticality accidents.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticality_accident
Fat Man and Little Boy has a good re-enactment of the screwdriver test failure with John Cusack, which honestly looks like the dumbest test possible.
The December 1958 one with the water vortex and dissolved plutonium is particularly horrifying.
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Scientists pointing out facts about reality
Just like the 3.6 roentgens coming from Chernobyl after the accident. It's just like getting a chest x-ray!
Just like the 3.6 roentgens coming from Chernobyl after the accident. It's just like getting a chest x-ray!
There might be a scene right there that was cut, in real life one of the men noticed a crack on the wall and he could see something glowing on the other side, he put the radiation detecter up to the crack and it went crazy so he yelled to the other two to hurry up and they started running down the hall. When I watched it I was kind of confused because they all of sudden start rushing really fast, I'm like now you hurry? I would be getting in and out of there as fast as possible and at first they were moving really slow.
I took it as bubbles implied heat and anything hot down there is immediately maximum scary no need to check it just get far away quickly. Maybe it was just patch work in editing realizing they would not be able to do the crack in the wall scene too late.
Yeah. They mentioned the crack in the wall in the show podcast. It's probably cut to build up more tension in the scene.
This series is incredible. I haven't felt this much dread and tension since watching fucking Threads. This shit is horrifying. It's hard to fathom that this disaster actually happened. That's probably the most terrifying aspect of all this.
This series has literally had me at the edge of my seat. I can't even relax when I watch this lol!
This series has literally had me at the edge of my seat. I can't even relax when I watch this lol!
Weeeeelllll.... there's also this:
Nature, you scary.
Basically, Earth did Super-ultra-deluxe worst case Chernobyl before it was cool. Maybe. Probably not, but an amusing thought nonetheless.
It happened here in Brazil, in the city of Goiânia, in 1987 (just an year after Chernobyl). Two scavengers found an old radiotherapy machine on an abandoned hospital (that machine shouldn't be there), broke it for pieces to sell and found a capsule of Cesium 137 releasing the material. They were amused by its shining. 4 people died and 1600 were affected in the city. Worst radioactive incident on America's, it was classified as 5 in the 1 to 7 of the International scale of Radioactive Accidents. The amount of material was tiny (0,093 kg) but it highly radioactive. I remember the news back then, the complete city was in panic.
Edited: some descriptions here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiânia_accident
Speaking about the homeless men story, I saw something similar on Spike's 100 ways to die. I don't know if it were a real story or not, apparently a doctor and nurse started having sex in a x-ray room, they accidentally kept bumping into the start button and ended up killing themselves.
You can watch a terrible quality video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ_VoWKsRIY
You can watch a terrible quality video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ_VoWKsRIY
What in the hell...
They could probably make another terrifying mini series about this incident. This right here hurt to read: Radioactive caesium chloride falls into a little girl's sandwich and she eats it. Also rubs it all over herself. Gets horrifically sick and is maltreated by hospital workers out of fear, and her burial causes riots because people were scared she would poison their land.
What a fucked up world.
There was a movie here made about the accident. And a documentary. I don't know if there are English dubs/subtitles for them however.
Yes, what happened to that little girl was horrible. She was one of the worst poisoned (she rubbed the material all over herself as makeup to glow, and also eat particles with her food) and no one wanted/knew how to treat her. I was a teenager at the time (15) and remember watching the news about people rioting about her burial .
Those orphan sources are far more numerous than one would like.
There was a similar but way less deadly event in Thailand involving a Cobalt source that ended up on a scrapyward which lead to a redesign of the radioactive warning ("trefoil") sign - the people that cut off the lead containment didn't recognise the various warning labels... and that happened post-Chernobyl, not even twenty years ago.
There was a similar but way less deadly event in Thailand involving a Cobalt source that ended up on a scrapyward which lead to a redesign of the radioactive warning ("trefoil") sign - the people that cut off the lead containment didn't recognise the various warning labels... and that happened post-Chernobyl, not even twenty years ago.
Hey at least they let people know. Here in Los Angeles we had the worst nuclear event on US soil and no one was told. There's a specific part of the San Fernando valley that has really high thyroid cancer rates as a result. People and children would leisure in the foothills below the site. Really fucked up.
Liked ep 2 except for the bit with the helicopters which was hilariously overexagerated and dramatized.
In real life the chopper crash was one of hundreds of runs that occurred 2 weeks after copter runs began, and it wasn't at all because the pilot flew directly over the reactor. The whole "send the next one in" was just waaay too artificially constructed to me, whatever point it was trying to make could have been made better without misrepresenting the deaths of several people by portraying them and their CO's as bumbling idiots.
Footage of the crash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICOu7KksgUA
In real life the chopper crash was one of hundreds of runs that occurred 2 weeks after copter runs began, and it wasn't at all because the pilot flew directly over the reactor. The whole "send the next one in" was just waaay too artificially constructed to me, whatever point it was trying to make could have been made better without misrepresenting the deaths of several people by portraying them and their CO's as bumbling idiots.
Footage of the crash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICOu7KksgUA
The entire series is WAY over dramatized. People breaking down in situations where they actually were calm, birds dying instantly, "we will be dead in 5 years", people bluffing their way past military police (in the Soviet Union!) and many others. In other words, it isn't the series for me.
I'm glad others are enjoying it though.
I'm glad others are enjoying it though.
This is definitely true, I've been able to make my peace with most of the dramatizations though, but that one really rubbed me the wrong way.
This is an odd complaint, as both the Party Minister would be dead in 4 years (of unknown causes but still).
That doesn't mean it was certain. Only the most extreme dosses could ensure death (in a matter of weeks). With the two of them not even getting a high enough dose to get radiation sickness, the most that can be said is that the CHANCE of death for the rest of their life was higher. And, of course, Lugasov died from suicide after failing in his attempts to reform the Soviet scientific community (and the damage to his career that his activism caused).
People who got higher doses are still alive today. Of course, there are many who didn't get Acute Radiation Syndrome yet still eventually died of causes that are difficult to link directly to their radiation exposure (cancer chief among these). But the point is that there was NO WAY to be able to make such a statement. Their exposure increased their chances of dying early, but the effect was totally unpredictable.
Episode 2 was intense.
People, watch this!
Stop treating it like a documentary, nobody is pretending this is not a dramatization.
People, watch this!
Stop treating it like a documentary, nobody is pretending this is not a dramatization.
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Are people complaining about THIS show? In the midst of the greatest collapse of a long running series in tv history! (On the same channel no less?)
Chernobyl is nearly flawless so far.*
*I'd say collapsing the nuclear physicists that intervened into one individual (Emily Watson's character), with no character flaws or unique motivations, is a weak choice... (she's basically a perfect individual right now).. and the only misstep.
Chernobyl is nearly flawless so far.*
*I'd say collapsing the nuclear physicists that intervened into one individual (Emily Watson's character), with no character flaws or unique motivations, is a weak choice... (she's basically a perfect individual right now).. and the only misstep.
How grotesque/gory is it? I've read a bit about Chernobyl and I'm interested in watching, but I'm a bit squeamish. Thanks.
Not very so far, but looking at the trailer, there might be some more gore later on to visualise what's happening with the victims of radiation.
There's a fireman with a bloody hand on the first episode. Some people are shown vomiting and faces and bodies reddened like they're getting sunburnt. I might have forgotten other stuff.
If you can handle the trailer, I think you should be good for the series.
It just isn't the show for me. I'm glad others are enjoying it.
I'm amazed how much some of the characters resemble their real-life analogues.
https://www.history.com/news/chernobyl-nuclear-disaster-7-people-who-played-crucial-role
https://www.history.com/news/chernobyl-nuclear-disaster-7-people-who-played-crucial-role
Bryukhanov, Dyatlov, and Fomin.
Lyudmila
Apparently they are handling it fine, lots of people love it.
It just isn't for me.
The lack of chill is something that stood out to me as well; both from a cultural standpoint (Soviets had an ingrained aversion to 'alarmism' and getting too heated was a genuine political and legal risk for many of these people) and an operational standpoint (real world team-based crisis response is remarkably detached and technical, because that's the only way for a mind to cope and focus on the task at hand in the midst of catastrophe.)
However, I personally think it's all pitched exactly right for a dramatization. We already have thorough and poignant primary and secondary non-fiction sources... a miniseries doesn't have to compete with that and I'm satisfied it is respectful of the suffering, bureaucratic stupidity, sacrifices and quiet heroism of the people affected.
Ya, I mean the writers in the "Inside the Episode" part even called it historical fiction. They're not trying to deceive anyone.
Wait where are the people breaking down in this episode? Or the first one for that matter
They all look...remarkably stoic considering the gravity of the situation imho.
Some even absurdly so crossing over to denying reality *coughDyatlovcough*
They all look...remarkably stoic considering the gravity of the situation imho.
Some even absurdly so crossing over to denying reality *coughDyatlovcough*
I don't know if it's already been posted but for those interested, this is an incredibly detailed, fascinating and full explanation of everything that happened at Chernobyl, complete with photos, diagrams, etc. It's a long but immensely worthwhile read...
https://imgur.com/a/TwY6q
https://imgur.com/a/TwY6q
Well, we've had posters saying the people depicted are heroes who saved the world who should receive the highest honour, except they didn't know some of them were invented purely for the series. Others saying it should be mandatory watching for anyone involved in the nuclear industry. Given some of the histrionic reactions to the episodes some are clearly taking this for a verbatim reproduction of what actually happened,
Forgot that this is on every Monday. Now that I finished binge watching Deadwood, I can now move on to episode two of Chernobyl lol
I really enjoyed the first episode, but the second episode was a giant let down.
The portrayal of Legasov was already drifting into the Hollywood "hero scientist" archetype, particularly that ridiculous first Kremlin scene, but then the made up Watson character came in and she was just a walking TV trope.
And it was all unnecessary IMO.
The portrayal of Legasov was already drifting into the Hollywood "hero scientist" archetype, particularly that ridiculous first Kremlin scene, but then the made up Watson character came in and she was just a walking TV trope.
And it was all unnecessary IMO.
Yeah, this is a concern although you also see posters going down non-fiction and wiki rabbit holes because they want to learn more about the real events... not sure how it balances out.
I think the core theme of 'people and society pay a real cost when leaders ignore and distort reality and inconvenient truths' is a more relevant takeaway than looking to the series for guidance on nuclear energy policy.
Pretty much the first thing we hear in the first episode is that rambling thesis about lies.
That sets the tone, and is what this series is all about.
So yeah, if you look for a documentation or in-depth review of the events at Chernobyl, you're out of luck. This is an entertaining series about a failure of leadership, a toxic mindset in all people involved in the run-up to and initial handling of the incident, and a bit about the invisible dangers of radioactivity. Plus the poor fuckers who had to come and mop up the resulting mess. They try to stick to the source material but aren't above taking shortcuts whenever the drama demands it.
This isn't a report created by the USCSB or the like (although they too make some damn fine - if somewhat unintentionally hilarious at times - videos).
And yes, any response to a catastrophe requires absolute, positively cynical detachment. Here in Chernobyl, it's "counting lives", but that's just the same principles used e.g. during triage. Limited resources, logical decision making, acceptance of horrifying outcomes. No romance involved. It's harsh on the stomach, but an absolute necessity.
That sets the tone, and is what this series is all about.
If you listen to the podcast, it's something the writer has a bit of a hard-on over. The series could otherwise portray pretty much any other catastrophe - while Chernobyl is a particularly brilliant case study with many unique aspects and a nigh-infinite supply of material, you'll find many if not all other manmade large-scale crises also involved some sort of head-in-the-sand philosophy at some point. For a more modern example take Dieselgate, Fukushima or the very recent plane crashes that stranded the entire model series for extended amounts of time.
If you look for the theme, there's always some moment where the chickens come home to roost after people lied or at the very least willfully ignored reality.
So, while others may want people of the nuclear industry to watch this, I personally feel more like anybody in a position of power should. Avoiding reality doesn't work. Creating a (workplace) mentality that's too focused on punishment and performance while muting dissent and stifling communication creates these large bubbles of half-truths and delusions, and when they eventually pop, shit really hits the fan.
In this particular example the stakes were ridiculously high - the cost in resources and human lives truly astronomical, with the potential fallout quite literally impacting all life on the planet for generations, but otherwise it's just the usual cautionary tale about human hybris.
If you look for the theme, there's always some moment where the chickens come home to roost after people lied or at the very least willfully ignored reality.
So, while others may want people of the nuclear industry to watch this, I personally feel more like anybody in a position of power should. Avoiding reality doesn't work. Creating a (workplace) mentality that's too focused on punishment and performance while muting dissent and stifling communication creates these large bubbles of half-truths and delusions, and when they eventually pop, shit really hits the fan.
In this particular example the stakes were ridiculously high - the cost in resources and human lives truly astronomical, with the potential fallout quite literally impacting all life on the planet for generations, but otherwise it's just the usual cautionary tale about human hybris.
So yeah, if you look for a documentation or in-depth review of the events at Chernobyl, you're out of luck. This is an entertaining series about a failure of leadership, a toxic mindset in all people involved in the run-up to and initial handling of the incident, and a bit about the invisible dangers of radioactivity. Plus the poor fuckers who had to come and mop up the resulting mess. They try to stick to the source material but aren't above taking shortcuts whenever the drama demands it.
This isn't a report created by the USCSB or the like (although they too make some damn fine - if somewhat unintentionally hilarious at times - videos).
And yes, any response to a catastrophe requires absolute, positively cynical detachment. Here in Chernobyl, it's "counting lives", but that's just the same principles used e.g. during triage. Limited resources, logical decision making, acceptance of horrifying outcomes. No romance involved. It's harsh on the stomach, but an absolute necessity.
It would be nice if the show was less over dramatized in certain parts and more strictly accurate and historical.
But to me the main point of the show and where it really succeeds is portraying humanities capability to ignorantly cover its own ass heedless of the lives of others. That's where it's scary as hell and hitting 100%. Its no wonder places like flint Michigan can happen. "Eh its fiiiiine"
But to me the main point of the show and where it really succeeds is portraying humanities capability to ignorantly cover its own ass heedless of the lives of others. That's where it's scary as hell and hitting 100%. Its no wonder places like flint Michigan can happen. "Eh its fiiiiine"