History Funny / Chernobyl

--->'''Glukhov:''' What's as big as a house, burns 20 liters of fuel every hour, puts out a shit load of smoke and noise, and cuts an apple in three pieces? A Soviet machine made to cut an apple into four pieces!

-->''(to a nearby soldier)'' We need a new phone.

* Shcherbina, after discovering that the Central Committee gave a deliberately low radiation level to the suppliers of the West German bomb 'bot - which meant not only that its circuits fried within seconds of getting exposed to the graphite debris, but that the Committee knew all along that it's never going to work - smashes a phone to pieces in frustration. He then drags the phone with him back outside to explain to Legasov the "official" story.
-->''(to a nearby soldier, after having calmed down just a tad)'' We need a new phone.

--> '''Bacho:''' Those guys over there?They dig up the ground. Those guys,they cut down trees. Those guys I think evacuate people, you know? Like villagers?

--> '''Bacho:''' ''Those guys over there?They dig up the ground. Those guys,they cut down trees. Those guys I think evacuate people, you know? Like villagers?
--> '''Pavel:''' ''What about those guys?''

--> '''Bacho:''' ''I don't know them, fuck them.''

** The cherry on the top is comparing their current methodology to their fathers' and grandfathers' techniques. You know, those from the bad old Imperial days of low-tech, high-manpower, highly dangerous, slav--*cough*--serfdom and short lives that the great Soviet Union has put well behind it with its great concern for the rights and quality of life of the general worker, Comrade. [[TheJester Feel the burn of naked truth to power dressed in the finest of True Soviet™ and suitably cliched phraseology straight out of the most certified of positive propaganda pieces.]]

* Dyatlov's lame excuse:
--> '''Dyatlov:''' I wasn't in the room when they raised the power. \\
'''Prosecutor:''' If you weren't in the room, then where were you? \\
'''Dyatlov:''' ''[{{beat}}]'' I was in the toilet.

--> '''Shcherbina''': [[SarcasmMoe No, no. Let's go light that roof back on fire, it was so easy to put out the first time!]]

--> '''Shcherbina''': You want to shoot exploding bullets at an exposed nuclear reactor?
--> '''Tarakanov''': Well...
--> '''Shcherbina''': No, no. Let's go light that roof back on fire, it was so easy to put out the first time!

* Shcherbina's reaction to one of Tarakanov's clean-up ideas:
—>Shcherbina: You want to shoot exploding bullets at an exposed nuclear reactor?
—>Tarakanov: Well...
—>Shcherbina: No, no. Let's go light that roof back on fire, it was so easy to put out the first time!

Shcherbina: You want to shoot exploding bullets at an exposed nuclear reactor?
Tarakanov: Well...
Shcherbina: No, no. Let's go light that roof back on fire, it was so easy to put out the first time!

Make no mistake. ''Chernobyl'' is an incredibly dark series that, despite the few moments of artistic license it does take, is an accurate account of the real life horrors the victims of the nuclear disaster endured and the incredible heroism undertaken by hundreds of individuals in the months long battle it took to contain the radiation while preventing the disaster from getting worse. However, there are a few, arguably well earned, moments of levity that come up a few times throughout the series and give the viewers a good laugh.

* Although it's a serious scene overall, when Boris asks him why he could see graphite on the roof if the reactor hadn't exploded, Brukhanyov, (in a classic sitcom gag) immediately turns to Fomin and asks him, "Why did the deputy secretary see graphite on the roof?"
** The way Scherbina asks is also ''hilarious.'' From the script:

* As Legasov explains Khomyuk's findings related to the fire extinguishing efforts and why they won't work, there is a moment where Gorbachev looks up and flatly asks, "You made ''lava''?"
** Tellingly, for the rest of the meeting, [[SureLetsGoWithThat that is how it is described]].

-->'''Glukhov:''' What's as big as a house, burns 20 liters of fuel every hour, puts out a shit load of smoke and noise, and cuts an apple in three pieces? A Soviet machine made to cut an apple into four pieces!
* Speaking of Glukhov, there's this exchange he has with Legasov, which resembles something from ''Series/TheThickOfIt''.

* In Episode 4, the containment personnel are [[{{Squee}} visibly giddy]] to operate the Lunokhod STR-1 moon rover... which, to be fair, is a pretty cool toy to get your hands on.
** As the technicians are firing up the rover, Shcherbina remarks "To think, that's what we put on the moon." Legasov [[CaptainObvious feels the need to remind him]] "not that one," to Shcherbina's annoyance.

'''Bacho:''' No, no, you can wait until the radiation gives you a cunt. Yes, now. ''[Pavel begins pulling his pants down]'' Over your clothes! Fucking shit!\\

** Also, Dyatlov's lame excuse:
---> '''Dyatlov:''' I wasn't in the room when they raised the power. \\

** Unintentionally humourous the actor who plays Viktor Bryukhanov [Con O'Neill] Has a naturally shrill high pitched voice. And sounds like he runs out of breath in his complaining about the officials he'll have to call about the accident.
--> *Barely able to get it out* ... That my power plant is on fire..

--> '''Scherbina:''' Graphite is only found in the core, where it's used as a neutron flux moderator-- correct? [[note]]He's quoting almost verbatim what he learned from Legasov literally one scene ago.[[/note]] \\

* Although it's a serious scene overall, when Boris asks him why he could see graphite on the roof if the reactor hadn't exploded, Brukhanyov, (in a classic sitcom gag) immediately turns to Fomin and asks him 'Why did the deputy secretary see graphite on the roof?

** Also, Dyatlov's LameExcuse:

** The cherry on the top is comparing their current methodology to their fathers' and grandfathers' techniques. You know, those from the bad old Imperial days of low-tech, high-manpower, highly dangerous, slav--*cough*--serfdom and short lives that the great Soviet Union has put well behind it with its great concern for the rights and quality of life of the general worker, Comrade. [[TheJester Feel the burn of naked truth to power dressed in the finest of True Soviet™ cliches phraseology straight out of the most certified of positive propaganda pieces.]]

** The cherry on the top is comparing their current methodology to their fathers' and grandfathers' techniques. You know, those from the bad old Imperial days of low-tech, high-manpower, highly dangerous, slav--*cough*--serfdom and short lives that the great Soviet Union has put well behind it with its great concern for the rights and quality of life of the general worker, Comrade. Feel the naked burn.

** The cherry on the top is comparing their current methodology to their fathers' and grandfathers' techniques. You know, those from the bad old Imperial days of low-tech, high-manpower, highly dangerous, slav--*cough*--serfdom and short lives that the great Soviet Union has put well behind it with its great concern for the rights of the worker, Comrade.

** The cherry on the top is comparing their current methodology to their fathers' and grandfathers' techniques. You know, those from the bad old Imperial days of low-tech, high-manpower slav--*cough*--serfdom and short lives the great Soviet Union has put well behind it with its great concern for the worker, Comrade.

* The irony of the title of Episode 2: "Please Remain Calm" (Taken from the real loudspeaker announcement telling the populace of Pripyat that they are being evacuated.)

-->'''Miner #1:''' (''laughing'') Look, they're drinking vodka! No one ever drank vodka while we were working...
-->'''Miner #2:''' Andrey, you can't be so picky about this, [[MST3KMantra it's just a film]]...

* Zharkov's HandWave towards the guard that tries to help him up.