Maybe I'm being unfair. I dont watch horror, I like happy endings. I like films and shows that at least have some breaks for positivity, even humor. Of course, you cant come to this expecting such things, but do you really know just how miserable this event was?

I considered the first season of The Walking Dead to be almost too tense to watch. It has nothing on this. The first two episodes of Chernobyl, right from the first scene, the first background music track, bring about more dread than I care to experience. For that I commend the director and producers as I'm sure twas their goal.

I was disappointed in the British actors and accents, though I suppose conscripting that many Russian actors probably would have been difficult. Personally I'd rather have subtitles with the true dialog than inaccurate accents. It was the second to last episode before you see anyone who even looks Russian.

I think the grandiose reputation of the show is mainly held up by those first two or three episodes. Yes, we all know how the Soviet Union operated (or how we've been taught it did in the West), but as dreadful as the beginning of the show was, we're made aware of the KGB and state influence but the only real tyranny we witness is from Dyatlov.

The final two episodes almost seem to take on a life of their own, drifting from the main story. Elements both could have been left out or expanded, and the whole thing is wrapped up rather hastily.

Its definitely not bad, its worth a watch. But as is probably abundantly clear by now, this review stands as a rebuttal to the insane 9.6 score the series has at this point.