Tense, dark, and chillingly realistic, the latest Doctor Who spinoff harks back to the golden age of the show.
★★★★★
The War Between the Land and the Sea, the first spin-off in the Doctor Who universe since 2016’s Class, is a masterpiece, a work of pure brilliance from show creator Russell T Davies, alongside fellow writer Pete McTighe. Utilising a set of villains from Doctor Who’s classic series that have had relatively little screentime, the latest spin-off lends this old foe a new weight in the modern version of the franchise.
The War Between the Land and the Sea follows Barclay Pierre-Dupont (played by Russell Tovey) and the Unified Intelligence Taskforce – UNIT – as they face an international crisis caused by Homo Aqua, previously referred to in Doctor Who as the Sea Devils – intelligent, amphibious reptiles who inhabited the oceans of Earth before humanity evolved – emerging from the sea and revealing themselves to humanity. The show follows these events from the perspective of Barclay, a transport clerk turned ambassador for humanity by a simple error who finds he must now help stop a global war.
The series immediately starts out on a darker note than seen in Doctor Who’s previous two seasons, with deaths on both sides of the conflict, before a fragile peace is negotiated between General Austin Pierce (Colin McFarlane) and a representative of Homo Aqua. The story places a stronger focus on the political and diplomatic side of things as formal negotiations proceed between representatives of the human race and Aquakind. As the show progresses, the deepening international crisis creates new relationships, as well as testing existing ones.
Events take tragic and twisted turns throughout the series, The War Between the Land and the Sea playing out as a tense political thriller, with frequent action beats throughout the narrative that keeps viewers glued to the edge of their seats. Soon enough, the dark sides to both Homo Aqua and humanity are exposed, creating a murky grey area where the viewer can’t take a side without having to hesitate, think about it, and consider the other perspective. The show raises some incredibly interesting and thought provoking questions throughout. Is war ever justified? Are deaths that Humankind and Aquakind inflict on the other acceptable in the circumstances, or just plain wrong? In a kill or be killed situation, is it truly okay for either side, no matter how much they’re protecting their own, to commit atrocities?
This darkness in the shows tone gives viewers a side to the Doctor Who universe not seen for too long. With some devastating plot developments and unexpected twists, The War Between the Land and the Sea does not play around, throwing viewers into a world that cannot be taken lightly.
Whereas Doctor Who remains focused on more outlandish science-fiction plots, The War Between the Land and the Sea provides a more realistic and down-to-earth narrative. The reality of it all hits home with how the international crisis is handled and how humanity “reacts to the simple fact that the species that was here before us has woken up”. Politicians desperately scrambling in the wake of an international crisis with all their priorities wrong, the natural fight or flight response of ordinary people on the ground, and the effects on everyone’s personal lives; these are all brilliantly showcased in the outstanding performances from Russell Tovey as Barclay, and Jemma Redgrave as UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
The characters in the show remain relatable throughout, shown through both the more serious and comedic moments. There is no forced humour, obvious jokes, or terrible puns, but instead the humour is focused around funny, natural anecdotes and reactions to situations. The viewer can relax and laugh upon seeing the show’s characters, both new and familiar, reacting like real people. Some of the supporting characters from Doctor Who get the chance to take more of a centre stage here, as we explore more of who they actually are, with Kate’s character in particular being much further fleshed out, both through the showcasing of her personal life but also in how we see the events affect her physically and mentally.
Throughout The War Between the Land and the Sea, the future of the franchise changes forever. With Homo Aqua emerging from the sea worldwide, humanity must now move forward in the knowledge and the acceptance that they were not the first intelligent species on planet Earth.
Drama and darkness, humour and relatability, sadness and bitter sweetness. Russell T Davies covers all the bases of what makes a great thriller; one which, despite the short number of episodes, does not feel rushed and which wraps up all it’s loose ends neatly and beautifully, ending on a high note that leaves the viewer wanting more.
The Verdict
The War Between the Land and the Sea is a top-quality miniseries that addresses the down-to-earth and more realistic aspects of the Doctor Who universe. This dark and gritty political thriller gives us superb performances from some excellent actors and confronts us with the consequences of our real-life actions; not in way that feels forced, but through a superbly plotted story and some remarkable writing.
Words by James Jobson
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