‘Doctor Who’s Spinoff Changes Franchise Forever With Sea Devils’ Fate

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Be warned: this article reveals major plot points from the finale of The War Between the Land and the Sea, including disturbing themes of genocide. While this spin-off takes a much darker and more realistic approach to the Doctor Who universe, it’s still connected to the main show. That means the finale’s shocking events have significant consequences for the larger Doctor Who storyline, and the show will need to address them when it returns. Russell T Davies, who is writing the script for the 2026 Christmas special, now has some unresolved plot points to deal with. In many ways, The War Between also offers a definitively bleak ending.

With the finale of ‘The War Between’, the BBC’s agreement with Disney has come to an end. Even though ‘Doctor Who’ had a gentle refresh before the 60th-anniversary specials, everything made during this partnership is officially part of the show’s main storyline. This means the events of ‘The War Between’ – including what happens with UNIT and a well-known villain from the classic series – will have a lasting impact. It will be fascinating to see how ‘Doctor Who’ moves forward and incorporates these developments.

The Shocking Genocide of Aquakind Is ‘The War Between’s Biggest Addition to ‘Doctor Who’ Canon


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The secret operation, known as “Severance,” is revealed in the finale of The War Between, and it instantly ends the central conflict. It turns out Mankind created a virus designed to spread quickly through the oceans, devastating Aquakind. By the time the virus runs its course, only 10% of Aquakind will be left. Originally called the Sea Devils, Aquakind has been a part of Doctor Who since they first appeared in 1972 during the adventures of the Third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee.

Aquakind is no longer a significant threat. With so few sea-dwellers like Salt remaining, they couldn’t win a fight against humans. Although the Sea Devils haven’t appeared often in Doctor Who, there was always a chance they could return. However, after the events of ‘The War Between’, any future stories involving Aquakind would need to focus on something other than them being a danger to humanity – there just aren’t enough of them left to pose a real threat.

Kate Finally Explains Why the Doctor Generally Doesn’t Appear in ‘Doctor Who’ Spinoffs


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As a longtime fan, I’ve always noticed a pattern with the Doctor’s appearances in the Doctor Who spin-offs. He usually only shows up when things get really bad – when the heroes clearly need help beyond their capabilities. And he never sticks around for long. But in The War Between, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart finally gives us an explanation, revealing a conversation she had with the Doctor. He apparently told her, and it’s a brilliant line, “I save the human race, I don’t shape the human race. You can get that wrong all on your own.” It perfectly justifies his limited involvement and feels incredibly true to the character.

While it’s a broad statement, it makes sense that the Doctor isn’t involved in The War Between, as it focuses on a conflict between Earth-based species. It’s not his kind of problem, so his absence from the show is understandable. In the future, if other Doctor Who spinoffs feature threats that aren’t from outer space, this explanation likely applies to why the Doctor isn’t present. However, this doesn’t explain why he didn’t help during Torchwood: Children of Earth – fans of that series will remember that he probably should have intervened.

Kate’s Mental Ending in ‘The War Between’ Sets up a Worrying Future


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In The War Between, Kate Stewart is profoundly affected by the death of Christofer (Alexander Devrient). Believing she has PTSD, she manipulates her therapist into increasing her medication when asked to step down as head of UNIT to focus on her recovery. Although she appears to be coping, the final scene of the story reveals that the defeat of the Sea Devils hasn’t helped Kate escape her combat mindset. This also highlights the significance of Christofer’s debut in Doctor Who earlier in 2023. The story demonstrates Kate’s fragile state when a simple request for a beachgoer to pick up a plastic bottle quickly turns into a threatening situation, with Kate holding him at gunpoint after he refuses to comply.

The final episode of ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea’ is Jemma Redgrave’s 21st time playing the role of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.

Okay, look, I get it, things have been crazy, but Kate’s overreacting big time. As the head of UNIT, you’d think she’d handle grief a little better, especially losing someone like Christofer. It’s really concerning to see her taking out her emotions on people who haven’t done anything wrong, and honestly, it doesn’t suit her character. I’m really curious to see how the Doctor will deal with this version of Kate if they team up again in Doctor Who. And honestly, I’m a little worried about what kind of mess UNIT might make while she’s acting like this.

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2025-12-23 22:18