Once you’ve listened, talk about it below! Even if you listened to it before and just want to discuss it - dive right in! Just please use spoiler tags where appropriate.
I listened to this on my way home from work and to work this morning and I liked it.
I think a story about hate in politics is even more relevant today than it was when this first aired and I think they predicted many things that we see today. Even if it is talk radio and not podcasts. I also liked Ace more in this story than I did when I watched her in the show.
This is my favorite Audio Club story that we have done. Score: 4/5
I remember this one being another one were they experiment with the audio format a bit, and it’s fairly eerie. I’m going to give it a re-listen today to find out if I was right!
This is one of my favorites. It easily feels like it be a missing Season 27 story. The political aspects just really work and it has Jacqueline Pierce as the villain which is always fun. Looking forward to listening to this one again.
This was just as good as I remembered, and the best MR so far.
The political plot, authoritarian themes, and the Fearmonger entity are very topical and well-written. Sylvester and Sophie are on top form with great chemistry, and the supporting cast is marvellous (especially Jacqueline Pierce as the villain!). It’s tense and mysterious from the start, with a manipulative Doctor and an eager Ace, and the pulse-pounding climax gets me every time. It can be a bit difficult to follow at times, but the overall plot and atmosphere still work very well.
Definitely one of my favorite 7th Doctor audios so far. The end got me by surprise even though it absolutely shouldn’t have, and. while that absolutely says something about me, it also really hit it home for me because i genuinely couldn’t believe it while it was happening. i would have been more stubborn than Ace and Definitely would have fallen victim to the titular fearmonger. Definitely changed my brain chemistry for the better and did its job as a story.
hm. i should expand my vocabulary, i used the word “definitely” 3 times in that short paragraph.
Oh man. I think this was the first non-Eight story I ever listened to and it won me over on Big Finish SO fast. I have some mixed feelings on what the political message of this story is supposed to be vs. what it ends up being, but putting that aside I remember thinking this is one of those stories where the writer really got how to use the medium. such a great piece of Ace and the Doctor’s dynamic, really great characters (including the slimeballs). I have such a soft spot for this one. a great start to a great run in the monthly range.
Jonathan Blum just really understands the way politically motivated public speaking can rouse emotional responses in groups, particularly negative emotions such as hate and fear. The power of rhetorics can be immense and the way Jacqueline Pierce acts is just spot on in portraying this.
The whole “they are just saying what everyone thinks” excuse is still as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago.
Having a monster that feeds of these emotions is a good idea. Slight upcoming VNA bookclub spoiler: This general idea is also explored in Timewyrm: Exodus with a certain mustache-wearing Austrian from 90 years ago
The story almost gets too real in regards to how the political winds are blowing in a whole range of countries right now and how these political groupings have gained influence over the last couple of decades.
Ace and the Professor are delightful and a perfect continuation of their onscreen relationship.
I’m currently halfway through and it has a strong start. The plot and political themes are well written, plus I love the 7th Doctor and Ace. So far this is my favorite monthly range audio.
Listened to this one today and it is still one of my favorite Seventh Doctor stories in any medium. It’s a brilliant political thriller that seems to never lose its relevence. It feels like it could’ve been part of Season 27 and aimed at Thatcher, it was written in 2000, and in 2024 feels like it could’ve been released last month. It’s just really good and doesn’t lose anything on repeat listens.
(On a Side Note: I caught a mention of Department C19 which was a sort of Torchwood-like organization before the existance of Torchwood. It was apparently mentioned in Time-Flight and then featured heavily in “Scales of Injustice”, “Business Unusual” and “Who Killed Kennedy?”.)
I figured that since I’d listened to it before, I’d have a good chance of not getting distracted the way I do a lot of times with audios, and if I did, that having heard it before would help. I also used to play roguelike games that are like rogue a lot, but haven’t much in a while, so I sat here playing Angband while listening, since it doesn’t have any music or anything to distract from the story.
I’d say the Fearmonger was as good as I remembered, but honestly, it was even better. Great writing and Ace and the Doctor were very Ace and the Doctor, and the message was just so good and relevant, especially with the current political situation, and it being another election year. And that first political speech, oof…
…we will continue to speak up in the name of decent God-fearing, hard-working, tax-
paying white people throughout this country…
Great audio. (And hopefully the bot doesn’t block me posting again…)
To say this one is still relevant today is not really a compliment given the political commentary but yes it is still a really strong story even if the trope of an alien that lives off fear is an overused one. I don’t like McCoy but he & Ace are really good in this feeling like they’ve both just carried on from where they left off. Jacqueline Pearce is on top form & there are some great cliffhangers. It’s a bit long & there’s some clunky descriptive audio as usual for these early stories. However it doesn’t distract much from a great story,
Loved the first two episodes - forgot how good this was. It really feels like the sort of story that could have ended up on TV for Season 27 or 28. McCoy is on top form as the master manipulator and Aldred is great as his trusting, but ever-increasingly competent sidekick.
Jacqueline Pearce is great as Harper and very much channelling the same vibes as Emma Thompson in RTD’s Years and Years. Not seen much mention of the wonderful Hugh Walters back doing what he does best - obsequious deputy to a powerful woman.
Initially, yet again, I couldn’t really remember this one just from the title and summary, but from the first minute, I remembered it straight away - yeah, this one’s good good. Great cliffhangers, great acting, and that classic Seven era political commentary that’s smart enough to hit home and feel relevant and cutting. I think between this and Whispers of Terror have been my faves so far, and this one is probably my fave of the first five.
But next week is EVELYN!!! so nothing can beat her
