The Many Deaths of Jo Grant

Companion Chronicles #6.4

Released: 14 October 2011

Listened: 6/26/21

Here we’ve got a Companion Chronicles story that very much does what it says on the tin: Jo dies. A lot. In very nearly Rory Williams fashion. Of course there’s something else going on, something alien, but the point is that Jo is very much willing to sacrifice herself for the Doctor, perhaps a little too much so. That’s not a unique attribute for a companion, but Jo is quite devoted to him. Because this story is so action-oriented, Katy Manning ends up doing a bit more narration than impersonating Jon Pertwee or Nicholas Courtney, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The plot is tricky on the jeopardy, because of course listeners know that Jo’s not going to actually die, but we also don’t know exactly what’s happening. There’s a twist that’s unexpected, but at the same time not really surprising. It’s a good story, if not a classic.