A “life” on the ocean wave
Fulmar’s Folly review
Production company – Static Airwaves
Rating – 
This show cropped up in a Reddit post, and it sounded worth a listen. The inhabitants of the various podcasts subreddits are usually spot on with their recommendations (not all the time though), so I will usually trust them.
As episode one progressed, I was wondering if this was one time the consensus was wrong. I really wasn’t enjoying it as much as I’d hoped. You know that I don’t write a show off after one episode though, so I stuck with it and hoped for the best…
So what’s it about?
A strange disease called “the wasting” has overtaken humanity, leaving small pockets of survivors dotted about the world. The infected are rotting zombie-like creatures that only seem to want to attack to spread the contagion further. It’s not just a bite that can spread it though. Merely breathing the air around these creatures is enough to infect you. So far, so generic, so what, you may ask. After all, dramatic horror thrillers based around a disease that turns people into zombies has been a well worn path since George A. Romero unleashed his vision on the world back in 1968.
This show though, rather than tread the tropes of shows past, has a rather novel spin on things. You see, the infected can’t swim, so deep water is obviously a safe place to be. This story takes place on a sailing boat, the titular Fulmar’s Folly, and the family on board that are desperately trying to survive. This seems like an easy proposition until you realise that to try and go ashore for whatever reason is a real threat to life. Supplies are scarce, and what’s left of humanity is fighting to survive.
Is it any good?
I should stress that I really don’t like zombies. Or vampires. I just think there could be much more gripping subjects if only people would use some imagination. However, having said that, I really love this show.
The sound of the show reminds me a lot of the Limelight series by the BBC. It would fit in brilliantly there. The BBC really does high drama very well, and I I know some people complain about the actors describing what they are doing, but when the voice talent is this good, you really don’t notice it.
The acting is outstanding. The raw emotion in every episode sets the stress of the survival situations so well. Also, as the story develops, and things get increasingly bleak for the family, you feel as if you are personally involved. There were many times as the story reached its climax that I had to stop what I was doing and just immerse myself in the seeming futility of their situation..
Final thoughts
This is post apocalyptic horror done right. There is no wall to wall action, no “Mad Max” style heroism, no brutal fight scenes with the infected. Just a desperate clinging on to life in the face of insurmountable odds. In fact, I’d say that this show has more in common with Threads than it does with Mad Max. To quote the tagline of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, “Who will survive, and what will be left of them?”
The premise isn’t original, far from it in fact, but the execution is outstanding. Whenever audio dramas use the “trope du jour”, I pray for some new angle to set it apart from the rest. I’m usually left wanting, but not this time.
You can get Fulmar’s Folly here:
https://www.greatpods.co/podcasts/fulmars-folly-3215709
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