The War Between the Land and the Sea just fumbled that devastating underwater twist

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The War Between the Land and the Sea spoilers for episodes 3 and 4 follow.

Besides Russell Tovey (who appears without a shirt) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in an underwater scene, most of the actors in this Doctor Who spin-off will be recognizable to fans of the main show. The series gives more attention to the UNIT organization, allowing popular characters like Shirley Anne Bingham (Ruth Madeley) and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) to take center stage outside of the Doctor’s storylines.

Even with humanity facing a threat from fish-like creatures, it’s nice to see some relaxed moments with UNIT, away from their usual crisis-fighting.

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The initial episodes made it official: Kate and Colonel Christofer Ibrahim (played by Alexander Devrient) are a couple. While the show had previously suggested a romance, it’s nice to see it confirmed. This relationship adds complexity to both characters and helps build a larger, more connected universe beyond simple references to the Doctor.

Or it would, if we actually got to spend a meaningful amount of time with them…

As military officials consider using sound-based weapons against the Homo Aqua, a diplomatic team headed by Tovey’s Barclay travels to their underwater world. Reports suggest life there is surprisingly good.

Unfortunately, the situation quickly deteriorates. It takes a disastrous turn when a diplomat detonates a bomb, attempting to kill Salt. Though Salt and Barclay survive, everyone else in the room perishes in the explosion.

This features General Austin Pierce, played by Colin McFarlane – you might remember him from Torchwood – and Colonel Ibrahim, who we recently learned is dating Kate.

The earlier scenes showing Ibrahim wishing they hadn’t hidden their relationship, and encouraging Kate to disconnect from work and enjoy their moments together, were deliberately crafted to make his death even more heartbreaking.

And it works, for Kate at least.

Throughout the next episode, Kate struggles emotionally while continuing to work. Despite needing time to heal, the heartbreaking loss of Ibrahim puts her at a breaking point.

Kelly Redgrave gives a truly convincing performance, powerfully portraying both the pain of loss and a dangerous drive for revenge. However, the show doesn’t quite succeed in making the audience feel that same emotional impact.

It’s true that five episodes isn’t much time to tell this story. But to make a dramatic plot twist like this work, the relationship needs to be well-established and developed beforehand. Otherwise, viewers won’t be emotionally invested, and sad scenes or memorials won’t be enough to make the impact feel genuine.

It’s possible we already knew these characters before they appeared in The War Between the Land and the Sea. However, we were never certain they were in a relationship, and most of their scenes focused on their jobs rather than their personal lives.

This isn’t a grand, epic romance. Honestly, at this point, people are far more obsessed with Russell Tovey’s arms.

Unfortunately, with only one episode left, it doesn’t seem like the show will address the underdevelopment of the UNIT team. While they’ve been given a chance to shine outside of The Doctor’s influence, the focus has remained on Tovey and his physical appearance, leaving the team members themselves feeling underdeveloped.

You can watch “The War Between the Land and the Sea” starting Sunday, December 7th, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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2025-12-15 01:19