Whether or not it was 100% correct it was depressing and brutally dark. Even the music was perfect for it. The fact it’s based on truth makes it even darker.

Nit pick after nit pick

Legit question... I have not watched it. Is it actually good on it's own merits?

> It’s like we’ve chosen to ignore the truth in favor of a good story or a good feeling.

Aww, man. I've got some bad news for you about literally any fact you know that isn't derived from math. And even that is still, philosophically, just some stories we're telling ourselves about the observations we're all seeing.

How can a work of fiction about a real-world event have a myth?

Propaganda at its finest...

This kind of "for the drama" variance is very common. Look at archaeologists reaction to Coogans film about Richard III which went to court.

Films, even documentary, don't always get it right and often don't even try because "based on" admits a lot of change.

People often don't understand history. "The KGB regiments shot deserters in ww2 Stalingrad" since the KGB was formed in 1954, that's a serious mis-statement of history. Should we be surprised the role of soviet structural agencies is misunderstood by an american dramatisation? (This kgb comment is a generalisation for illustration not a dig at anything in the doco)

Still. It's a pretty egregious list.

This is an incredibly naive and wild take. The first complaint is that the show focuses on Legasov and “claims” he was the primary scientist when Legasov says he wasn’t, then proceeds to “debunk” the show based on the tape alone. A testimony BTW which is not only not always consistent with the multitude of other sources and evidence but also sometimes contradicts things Legasov himself said (allegedly or on-record).

I don’t defend the show as an academic, completely accurate documentary, because it isn’t and never claimed to be. But suggesting it is almost entirely falsified is an awful take. I can’t wait to read about their outraged takedown piece on Titanic once they get around to reading one survivor’s memoirs.

It really annoys me when fiction is based on real events, takes a lot of liberty with the source material that it enters into the public consciousness.

The classic case is the "The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus" where it was claimed he was aiming to prove the Earth was not flat. My personal peeve is movies like "The Imitation Game".