If there has been any infamous place in Europe in our generation known to almost everyone on the planet, it has to be Chernobyl. The Soviets did try to conceal their catastrophic blunder, but this was too hot to handle, even for the KGB.

We have all heard and read about the Chernobyl disaster at some point in our lives. The disaster, the evacuation, the possible impacts it could've had if left uncontrolled. But we common folks still never really realised at what scale and level this event could've altered the future course of a good part of Asia and Europe. Also, it is one thing to read or know about such events, but it never gives you the real picture and feels of what the people associated with it, voluntarily or involuntarily, had to go through - essentially, what does a nuclear plant disaster mean?

The best medium to tell this story was to present it in a way where it would reach as many as possible, and this is what this HBO mini-series did. They could've made a documentary, but for regular people to stay involved in it and talk about it in their daily lives, they needed to present it as a riveting thriller. And that's what "Chernobyl" does.

What impresses me about this series is that everything shown feels so real. The tension, the stakes, the looming doomsday omens, the baffling questions that scientist face - all brilliantly executed.

The periodic use of common terms to describe the scale of the disaster is useful in drawing a picture that everyone can see.

Jared Harris as Valery Legasov has delivered a noteworthy performance, carrying the series on his shoulders, and the actual disaster management. His co-ordination with Boris(Stellan) was an essential force needed to fight what they were dealing with. The transformation of Boris from a snobbish minister to an indispensable helping hand is acknowledged well by Legasov, who gives that credit where credit's due.

And the final showdown that happens in the court, where Legasov chooses to do something that would inevitably bring the wrath of the KGB upon himself - he chooses not to kowtow to their commands and chooses to tell the truth to the world.

The series ends with real pictures from that time being displayed. What's interesting the entire cast physically resembles their actual prototypes. We learn that the infamous RBMK reactors are finally corrected a few years later, giving all that Legasov endured for a final reward.

"Chernobyl" is one of the most excellent portrayals of a significant historic event, and we need more such works.