The Sacrifice of Jo Grant [AUDIO/2019.7.17]

★★★☆☆

  The Legacy of Time so far has been a wonderful series, a far superior effort of Big Finish's concerning these legacy-spanning epic multi-part, multi-Doctor events than some of their previous releases. Each story feels fresh, blowing kisses to the past while heads are held high towards the future with fun and exciting stories. The Sacrifice of Jo Grant, thankfully, is another example of this boxset being genuinely fun, presenting a narrative that will please the Jon Pertwee era fans and general Who enthusiasts alike.

  It's no secret that the Third Doctor era, especially the exile on Earth portion of his tenure, is a frequent subject of nostalgia trips from various mediums. It's also no secret that many of these stories tend to focus on copy-and-pasting the atmosphere of the era instead of entertaining the audience, something I've seen from quite a few Big Finish releases over the years. Thankfully, this is not the case with The Sacrifice of Jo Grant; while it's definitely a celebration of UNIT both old and new, it's also an engaging tale about Jo Grant meeting her Doctor for one last time, and being brave enough to face her own supposed destiny. How perfect is it that after a heartfelt conversation, Jo talks about what she's learned from the Doctor before delivering a Venusian aikido chop to knock him unconscious so that she can sacrifice herself to save the world? If anyone had any doubts about Jo as a character, this is sure to prove them wrong. Katy Manning is having the time of her life, and the rest of the UNIT cast (mainly Kate Stewart and Osgood) get fantastic scenes too. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  For those of you who are unaware of Big Finish's UNIT: The New Series spinoff, give it a go if you get the opportunity. Their set of characters are fantastic, and there's a newfound layer of appreciation to be had with Kate and Osgood. The Sacrifice of Jo Grant feels like a crossover between that spinoff and Doctor Who in the early 1970s, and it's bloody good fun.

(artwork by Matthew Purchase)