Why you should watch Chernobyl

Episode one: 1:23:45 ★★★★★

‘What is the cost of lies?’ asks Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) at the start of Chernobyl, a new five-part drama about one of the deadliest nuclear meltdowns of all time. Legasov’s question casts a haunting shadow over the 1986 catastrophe in Ukraine, and he attempts to explore its terrifying implications.

It’d be easy to turn the subject of Chernobyl into a bloodless disaster movie, but writer Craig Mazin creates something altogether more fascinating – exploring its political fallout as much as the radioactive horrors on the ground.

Episode two: Please Remain Calm ★★★★★

It’s easy to feel small inside a palace with long red carpets, winding white pillars, and sparkling chandeliers. This is where the nuclear physicist Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) waits to see the Soviet Council of Ministers to discuss the Chernobyl meltdown.

In episode 2 of Chernobyl, Legasov seems to begin as a tiny, obliging puppet but, in light of devastating facts, the authoritarian strings are weakened. He can't sit and wait for a potential armageddon.

Episode three: Open Wide, O Earth ★★★★★

Warning: may induce sickness and dread. It was tempting to believe that the worst of Chernobyl was contained in episode one and approaching disinfection in episode two. But this is an obvious, sickly error. Episode three returns to gruesome television, so heed the disclaimer.

Episode four: The Happiness of All Mankind ★★★★★

This week's episode of Chernobyl is light on plot, but makes lethal splashes with character. The problem of graphite has arisen once again with its deadly fumes, becoming the next world-changing risk for Boris (Stellan Skarsgard) and Legasov (Jared Harris) to sort out. Lucky them.

But writer Craig Mazin spends a lot of episode 4 on the ground, chiefly with the baby-faced volunteer Pavel, who’s been drafted into the Chernobyl military effort. He joins two other soldiers in Animal Control, which isn’t as simple as it sounds – its purpose far more horrific than the bland name implies.<

Episode five: Vichnaya Pamyat ★★★★★

Movies or TV shows about momentous events often have informational epilogues about what happened next. Real photos and videos are captioned with facts, a reminder that the story really happened. Predictably, Chernobyl does the same. Unpredictably, Chernobyl's facts and photos and footage come through in searing waves, each truth more upsetting than the last.