When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.
Where to Watch The War Between the Land and the Sea
- Gulam27 December 2025First 3 episodes were really good, last 2 episodes were garbage, and the ending was terrible. It's like they ran out of story and money after 3 episodes and just rushed the last 2 episodes. It did not live up to the title, the so called war was more like kids throwing water balloons.
- Matt Kelly25 February 2026If you’re looking for a series that manages to make a "meeting in a boardroom" feel as dangerous as a deep-sea trench, The War Between the Land and the Sea (2025) is a masterclass in tension—at least for its first four episodes. This Doctor Who spin-off trades the Doctor’s whimsy for the cold, hard dread of a geopolitical thriller, and it is arguably the most "grown-up" the Whoniverse has felt since Torchwood: Children of Earth. Here is why those first four episodes are absolutely essential viewing: A Masterclass in Escalation The show’s greatest strength is its pacing. It starts as a "first contact" mystery and quickly spirals into an "anxious pressure cooker". The Lead Performance: Russell Tovey is phenomenal as Barclay, the low-level UNIT admin guy who is suddenly the only person the Homo Aqua (the species formerly known as Sea Devils) will talk to. Watching a "normal bloke" try to prevent global annihilation while shaking with terror is incredibly grounding. The Dynamic: The chemistry between Barclay and the enigmatic Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) provides a surreal, Shape of Water-esque heart to the show that is both bizarre and genuinely moving. UNIT at its Best: Jemma Redgrave delivers her best performance to date as a brittle, vengeful Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. Stripped of the Doctor’s moral compass, we see a much darker side of UNIT—one that is willing to make "harrowing" choices to protect the surface. while the first 80% of the series is a "masterpiece of cinematic storytelling," the 55-minute finale, "The End of the War," struggles to land the plane. Rushed Resolutions: After weeks of slow-burn political intrigue, the final resolution feels "patchy" and lacks the detail needed for a truly satisfying payoff. The "Zero-Sum" Problem: The war ends not with a clever tactical victory, but with a "devastating, soul-crushing" reveal of human culpability that leaves a "bitter taste" rather than a sense of triumph. The Pivot: The show shifts from a global conflict to a very "zoomed-in" personal ending for Barclay and Salt that many felt ignored the massive stakes established earlier. The Verdict (Ep. 1-4) If you stop before the credits of episode five, you have a near-flawless, high-budget thriller that treats the environment—and its monsters—with terrifying respect. It’s a bold, "refreshingly non-American" sci-fi epic that proves the Whoniverse doesn't always need a Time Lord to be great.
- Jay Orosco7 January 2026Best Doctor Who spin-off to date. Brought back the vibes of Torchwood . Honestly they need to bring that show back. Hate that Disney did the bare minimum over the last couple of years with the DW brand, however I do like that BBC used that Disney money to make something both entertaining and poignant. With that being said, the ending was rushed and lacked a lot of dialogue in the closing scenes. I found myself doing a lot of googling at the end. There were definitely some loose ends left, and there was significant character development related to Kate (leader of UNIT). I'm hoping they address these developments in future episodes of Doctor Who.
- jody.b528 December 2025I enjoyed this series, but there were some moments that I found very cheesy. The writing could’ve been better. The special effects were excellent. The makeup was excellent. Some of the acting could be improved upon. Especially the crying moments. They were very staged and forced.
- CodeCarter22 December 2025Overall, not a bad story. I’m a sucker for sci-fi, and this one kept me entertained. I just knew the B B. - C had to take a jab at our history with the “colonize and plunder” line 🧐. As another commenter pointed out, I’m not sure why they felt the need to bring the Doctor into the show, it really wasn’t necessary. If you’re a sci-fi fan, it’s a good watch. Can’t wait for the new Stargate series 😉
Watch The War Between the Land and the Sea Videos
The War Between the Land and the Sea Trivia
The War Between the Land and the Sea has 1 season.
The War Between the Land and the Sea has 5 episodes.
The key characters in The War Between the Land and the Sea are Barclay Pierre-Dupont (Russell Tovey), Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave).
The War Between the Land and the Sea was directed by Dylan Holmes Williams.
The War Between the Land and the Sea was produced by Edoardo Ferretti.
When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.
The War Between the Land and the Sea is rated 12.
The War Between the Land and the Sea is a Drama, Action, Adventure show.
The War Between the Land and the Sea has an audience rating of 5.6 out of 10.
The War Between the Land and the Sea episodes are 47m long.
There is no information yet from the studio on if there will be another season.