Doctor Who: The War between the Land and the Sea Review

Welcome back to Journeys in Fandom as we kick off 2026 by catching up on the long awaited Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea. After a bit of a hiatus, we are diving deep into this five part series to see if the Disney deal budget actually translated to a quality story. We look at the return of Russell Tovey and the evolution of the Homo Aqua, though we have some thoughts on how the "Sea Devils" name change was handled. The chemistry between Salt and Barkley was a highlight, but we cannot ignore the logic gaps that started appearing toward the finale. From the confusing tech levels of Unit to the missed emotional weight of the "virus" twist, it felt like a story that desperately needed two more episodes to breathe. We also discuss Kate Lethbridge-Stewart’s darker turn and whether the 14th Doctor is still just sitting in Donna's garden while the world almost ends. 0:00 Welcome to 2026 3:05 Homo Aqua and the Sea Devils Naming Debate 6:10 Russell Tovey and the UNIT Everyman Role 10:15 Comparing Land and Sea to Children of Earth 15:10 International Politics and UNIT Command Issues 18:50 Underwater Technology and Severance Secrets 23:45 Scientific Inconsistencies and Species Tech Levels 27:15 Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and the Final Act Critique