I've known brave assaults than you, Homiot.

Men who had their moment and did nothing, because when it's your life and the lives of everyone you love,

your moral conviction doesn't mean anything. It leaves you.

And all you want at that moment is not to be shot.

Hi and welcome to episode four of the Chernobyl Podcast.

It's the podcast you listen to when you've watched the HBO series Chernobyl and you just need to talk to somebody about it.

Well, we are here for you. My name is Peter Sagel. I'm here with the series writer, producer, and creator, Craig Mazem.

Good to be here. Peter, it's always good to be back with you.

We are talking about the series Chernobyl being presented on HBO and Sky.

Today, of course, we're talking about episode four, the penultimate episode of the series, which I will admit right now is my favorite of the five for three reasons.

I guess these aren't spoilers because everybody's watched the episode, I hope, because of the real-time sequence on the roof of the bioro-bots.

Because of, I don't know what you want to call it, the self-contained story of Pavil, the liquidator.

And because of one of the greatest tantrums I've ever seen performed on film by Stellan Scarsgard.

Let's go through the episode though from the beginning.

Another remarkable little scene with someone who really doesn't want to leave.

Right. And that is what I believe. I used to call it babushka.

Yes. So, I mean, these were the people that were the most resistant.

And for good reason, they were old. They had lived their whole lives.

I think when you're, say, 82, 83, your concern about a future impending death from radiation exposure is reasonably less than someone else's.

And more to the point, your connection to the land you are on is greater than your need to be, quote, unquote, safe.

Right. And what I wanted to do with this, first of all, that story is inspired by a real account of a soldier who was moving through the zone and had to evacuate people.

And there was a woman milking her cow and she just didn't get it. And he would dump the milk out.

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