10 Most Terrifying Moments From HBO's Chernobyl
7. Boris & The Moon Rover
When working out how to clean Chernobyl’s rooftops of radioactive graphite, they realise the most dangerous roof is too toxic to be cleared by men, and that a bulldozer or any other vehicle would collapse the roof.
The terror sets in as you realise how stranded they are; there’s no way out.
The only viable option is a moon rover vehicle, which is lightweight and remote controlled. The only issue is that this vehicle is not available in the East, but is made by the West Germans, on the opposite side of the Cold War.
This is the Hail Mary. The last chance.
Almost as soon as it’s on the roof though, it breaks immediately. Now, as well as all the toxic debris, they have a West German moon rover stuck on the roof.
What truly makes the scene terrifying is not the moon rover though, but Boris’ reaction to it. Incensed that the KGB compromised with West Germany for nothing by giving them the propaganda number rather than accurate figures, the tightly wound company man finally explodes.
As he screams down the line and smashes his phone to pieces, we feel his searing rage at a life lived in the shadows.