For three long years, fans have been waiting for the release of season 2 of Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone. Reviews about the series were so different that I had to conduct a real analysis and make out all the interesting storylines of this serial film. Why didn’t the Americans understand the director’s ideas, and what did the Russian audience do on the day of the premiere? Find out!
What is the series about?
The first season told a fascinating story about the trip of five guys to Chernobyl. It was not interest that led them there - they followed the thief who had stolen the money. After the party, Pasha’s apartment was found missing and quickly found the culprit. The guys met many obstacles along the way. They visited the village where they got to the wedding and handed the bride a present from the deceased first groom. Alex managed to set up friends and got them into trouble with the police. But thanks to this, they got a device that threw them into the past. Or rather, in 1986. On the day the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Back to the Future
In the past, the guys got to the police station, where investigator Kostenko became interested in their passports and phones. However, their constant movement in time played a cruel joke with him - the man was fired from the police department. Kostenko from the future calculated everything and realized who the strange guys were. He returned to Chernobyl, being already 26 years older, and caused the death of four friends. Pasha managed to survive, but thanks to the fact that in the past he had prevented the accident, the time machine threw him into a completely different world. It was the Soviet Union. The strongest and most powerful power in the world. He learned that the accident at the nuclear power plant occurred in America in August 1986. Now he has to find his friends to change the future again.
The United States
Pasha had to work hard to persuade his friends to go to America. He witnessed the murder of his double from the Soviet present and watched the stranger’s appeal with detailed instructions for his future actions. A strange masked type followed them on the plane, where they met the last member of their group - Anya. In this reality, the characters of the main characters were completely different than in the first season. The modest and touchy nerd Gosha was the son of a wealthy official and had an affair with Nastya. Alex from a bully and a badass turned into a quiet and shy guy, who gave all his time to study.
Masks are ripped off
On the plane, the guys learn that they have to prevent an accident at a nuclear power plant. True, Pasha is silent about the fact that after that their rosy Soviet present will be replaced by harsh Russian reality. A masked man hijacks a plane while friends sleep in their passenger seats. They sit down near the station, but fall into the sight of local bandits. They coped with danger with great difficulty, but lost their guide. At the same time, they learned that he was another Pasha from the future - after an unsuccessful move, he lost part of his face.
After numerous tests and movements, they still change reality - the accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Once in modern America, they turn to the embassy for help. Having reported their names, they are waiting for a decision, and it comes in the form of Kostenko. He tells the guys that it was them in childhood that an unknown maniac killed. In fact, they do not exist in the real world. All traces lead to one influential person. Returning to Russia, in an attempt to hide from the persecution, they lost Gosha. To help out a friend, they have to go to Chernobyl to meet with the enemy. There they are again confused by mirages, but in the end everyone gathers in the old pool. Pasha comes to grips with the Zone itself and wins. All friends are alive, but the story did not end there ...
“Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone”, season 2: reviews of actors
In 2013, the first episodes did not arouse much interest among the audience. The series did not become a deafening premiere, which they were looking forward to. Of course, the word “Chernobyl” and a brief description of the plot gathered its audience, but there was no great excitement. However, closer to the middle, the number of viewers increased significantly. The storyline took on a mystical twist, and science fiction lovers stuck to the screen. The main characters, practically unknown actors, played a significant role in this. Young, talented and most importantly - promising guys. For the viewer, accustomed to see the leading roles of famous artists, it became a breath of fresh air.
Fans of the series immediately appreciated the director’s idea - all the characters were with bright and memorable characters. Each gathered his army of fans, but the second season unsettled everyone. Another reality, different characters and, as a result, even more interesting situations associated with these changes. The most colorful role Sergey Romanovich could boast of - Lesha in his performance has gone from a nerd to a bully in 8 episodes. Despite the youth of the main characters and their little experience in cinema, they managed to realize an interesting scenario.
“Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone”, Season 2: American reviews
The series, which took place mostly in the USA, could not pass by a foreign viewer. Director Pavel Kostomarov involved not only Russian actors - quite famous Hollywood actors played the roles of Americans. This also caused some interest. But to give reviews about the film “Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone” (season 2), having no idea what was happening in the first part, was not very appropriate. The Americans simply did not understand what the director wanted to talk about, and limited themselves to calling the plot unrealistic and too confusing for their perception. A significant role was also played by the fact that the accident that happened 30 years ago was already erased from the memory of the adult population, and young people know almost nothing about this disaster on a global scale.
The reaction of the Russian audience
The release date of season 2 of Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone is November 10th. This day will forever go down in history with such an event as disabling the Rutube video service. Russian hosting did not know such a number of viewers and requests. The series was one of the most anticipated in 2017. The plot was known, and fans were waiting with great interest how the company of friends would again change the course of history. For three years, fans have created forums, publics and communities where they shared assumptions and made forecasts.
Unlike the Americans, Russian youth know about the accident and the restricted area, if not all, then a lot. Even after 30 years, this place makes you feel almost sacred horror and interest. All fans of science fiction wanted to see how events could have developed if the disaster had happened in the USA. Russian viewers liked the American exclusion zone. The color of the local population scared no less than a zombie dog in Pripyat. The desert, pimped houses, an exorcist priest, a visionary child - the director’s interesting finds have found a warm response from the Russian audience.
A major role in the positive reviews of critics for season 2 of Chernobyl: The Exclusion Zone was played by a mixture of genres. This is not just science fiction - here you can find a love line, chase scenes, and a dramatic component is present in each series. Praise also went to the opportunity to see a different future - what it would be like if the Soviet Union had not collapsed. Olga Buzova in the role of news host on the TNT federal channel, which is designated as the first cognitive, domestic cell phones, blockbusters, and Runet - all this causes a storm of emotions and opinions.
Summing up, we can say that the series received the vast majority of positive reviews. The painting "Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone" (season 2) and the film, which they plan to shoot in 2018, aroused great interest among the Russian audience. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of a full-fledged artistic tape with their favorite characters.
“The world will never be the same”
With this slogan came out the second season. If in the film the guys changed the world, the film crew completely changed the idea of Russian TV shows. Popular sitcoms gave way to an exciting mystical plot, and the very idea of filming a story about such a mysterious and mysterious place fully justified the directors' trust. Ratings and heated discussion on the Internet show that it is time to make high-quality drama series.