“300 million billion trillion bullets” is the kind of phrase that, regardless of context, conjures up its own feelings of dread.
When placed in the context of a race against time to stop the lethal effects of a power plant on the verge of a meltdown, it’s a collection of words that by themselves are enough to bring about action.Yet, in “Please Remain Calm,” Episode 2 of the HBO series “Chernobyl,” that’s more the culmination of an understanding of the volatility of nuclear fission rather than an oversimplified substitute.
Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) delivers his dire report to a room filled with upper-level Soviet government ministers, but it’s only when he provides an entry-level explanation of what comprises a nuclear reactor that he’s able to drive home the severity of their situation.“I had to argue with myself all the time,” series writer and creator Craig Mazin explained.
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