Chernobyl created and written by Craig Mazin is now two episodes into a five-part arc miniseries in a joint venture available on both networks of HBO and Sky Atlantic. This sophomore effort, directed by series director Johan Renck, intensifies and educates to a far more disturbing and brutally cutting manner. Following on from the previous episode that ended on a deeply chilling manner of a daunting phone call between atomic physicist Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård) with the latter dragged into these harrowing events with enigmatic reasoning and without an unbeknownst inkling of the desperation and fear that is maximising with every second. Cut to a dark ominous cloud heading for Pripyat, slowly but surely inevitably obliterating everything in its path.
An Intensified Entry
Game of Thrones, well received or not, is on the verge of passing through the threshold of the exit door, and now is the time for Chernobyl to really stride in its own plaudits, without the heavy endorsement of the former. “Please Remain Calm” does everything right to maximise both the tragedy and horror that the event of Chernobyl encapsulates. A complete diversion to the format of its preceding episode, episode 2 of the spine chilling show broadens the scale and scope of events while succeeding in remaining engulfed in a character study.
Instead of the sole setting of Chernobyl itself, the show opens up to a globe-trotting agenda, balanced at a well-paced knife-edge of tension and atmosphere. Thus, opening up the scope creates a resulting tension that is catalytic. Chernobyl is still reeling in this devastating atmosphere ever so slowly but even with the methodical pacing still retains the engaging haunting fashion it needs to immerse and not bait its audience into tuning in next week. They achieve this not perfectly. It’s an element that is ever so strong and this rate makes me question if the filmmakers can really keep it up to convey this dread without burning both the audience and material out.
This multi-strand approach results in a greater world being built and therefore the respective characters and performances are increased. In ‘Please Remain Calm’ we’re introduced to two main recurring characters in that of Boris Shcherbina and Ulana Khomyuk played by Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson, respectively. The two are fabulous, and while the episode, for the most part, separates them, both add to the chaotic inhabits of the episode and equally as effective in commanding screen presence.
The relationship between Shcherbina (Skarsgård) and Valery Legasov (Harris) is a true highlight. It has a constant bickering condescending manner to it from both sides, but the back and forth is brilliantly sculpted for the contextual animosity in the government during the event, as well as the panic that has erupted between officials for finding fault that is currently unknown at this point in time.
Chernobyl is still reeling in this devastating atmosphere ever so slowly but even with the methodical pacing still retains the engaging haunting fashion it needs to immerse and not bait its audience into tuning in next week. They achieve this not perfectly. It’s an element that is ever so strong and this rate makes me question if the filmmakers can really keep it up to convey this dread without burning both the audience and material out. It’s a direction we will have to wait and see if it goes right or wrong.
Nevertheless, at this time of writing the tension is palpable and with every closing shot I’m left dismayed at the inexplicable actions of man and their proceeding failures of their own race of people, and considering this is part two in a five part series I have a deep feeling in my bones that Chernobyl is going to keep something up its sleeve for an even darker reveal later on down the path.
A Darker Look Into Human Atrocity
Toned down, but not completely obliterated, is the forced entity of heavy-handed exposition via dialogue and in its wake visual cues that make for a far more pleasant and immersive experience. Granted, there is a lot to get through here and as this devastating event slowly begins to unfold, we begin to have a greater more increased pace. The running time covers an incredible amount of information, both visually and verbally, and the resulting covered ground is astonishing.
Writer Mazin and Director Renck have found a perfect balance here of tone and pace. Not the easiest of convictions, especially concerning the particular context of events. Yet the sophomore effort is a dazzling injection of both history and education, as well as an entertaining production that with its documentarian aesthetic (an element that once again much like its predecessor episode is stunning) continues to thrust this frightening world upon is in an even more captivating fashion.
Are you watching Chernobyl? Is this leading to be one of the better, or weaker HBO shows? Let us know in the comments below!
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