Doctor Who Audio Review: Companion Chronicles 6.04 – “The Many Deaths of Jo Grant”
It’s always a pleasure to get to a Companion Chronicle that doesn’t feel quite like a story from the series, but still stands out as something good and interesting.
rating: 4
Its always a pleasure to get to a Companion Chronicle that doesnt feel quite like a story from the series, but still stands out as something good and interesting. Such is the case with The Many Deaths of Jo Grant, which feels like nothing that would have aired in the 1970s, but still manages to entertain. The story is related by Jo Grant (Katy Manning, a lovely and pleasant woman I had the chance to meet a couple years ago), companion to the Third Doctor. Along for the ride is a fellow by the name of Rowe (Nicholas Asbury). It begins with the Brigadier and Jo talking to each other. Hearing Jo Grants impression of the Brigadier really is quite a thing, especially in light of Nicholas Courtneys passing earlier this year. Theyre both lamenting the fact that the Doctor has been gone for the last three days after saying hed be gone only for a morning. Even as they discuss this, the TARDIS arrives and out drops the Doctor, looking quite the worse for wear. They get him situated and find out that hes carrying with him a small alien. They dont have time to digest this before UNIT headquarters is attacked by an entire fleet of aliens. Along with the help of Rowe, a UNIT soldier, Jo Grant tries to get the Doctor and the alien to safety, but is cut down and dies. Yes, dies. Never let it be said that the title of this story is misleading. She then finds herself standing in a room on a distant planet. It turns out she and the Doctor are at a colony thats failing spectacularly. The man theyre talking to, named Rowe, has decided the two of them may well be trouble, and might have been sent by the authorities. Soon enough, Jo gets killed again. Then she finds herself standing at the edge of a great precipice with a strange alien beast at the bottom. Rowe is back again, and says that she and the Doctor will be dropped into it to ensure good things for him and his. Jo fights back, but tumbles down into the pit and into the aliens mouth This sort of thing can happen when you travel with the Doctor. This was a really interesting story. Not a great one, but it was solid and entertaining. I had no idea what exactly was going on, though there were a few hints here and there. I found the eventual resolution to be a slight letdown, but not by much. I also really did enjoy hearing Manning as Jo. She does an excellent job of pitching her voice just right so that she sounds like she did back during the early 1970s. Not an easy trick to do. She doesnt sound much like either the Brigadier or the Doctor, but she does a good job of giving the overall feeling of them. Asbury is also good, though in a lesser role. Along with the story itself, you get a little behind the scenes interview extra with Manning and Asbury, and thats interesting, as well as quite touching when Manning talks about reading the Brigadiers lines for the first time since Courtney died. I liked this story. I didnt love it, but I did like it. I was good and solid and kept me entertained.