Taken for Granted

Subscriber Short Trips #2018-2

Released: 19 June 2018

Listened: 5/29/21

Jo gets an origin story, even before her semi-disastrous introduction scene in “Terror of the Autons.” On her final day before joining UNIT, Jo attempts to meet her influential uncle for lunch, but finds herself pursued by mysterious cars, nefarious agents, and even alien insectoids. Calling upon all of her training, she evades them without too much difficulty, even slipping out of a pair of handcuffs and taking her assailant’s gun. It turns out the whole thing is a final exam (although it seems as much hazing as test), which she passed with flying colors. Honestly, Jo seems rather more capable here than she ever did on TV, but she is supposed to have had this training, and earned her place in UNIT, not just through nepotism. So I don’t mind a little retcon. Stephen Critchlow provides the narration, with a range of effective voices.