The War Between the Land and the Sea is off to a soggy start. The BBC and Disney's latest collaboration, a two-part miniseries that promises an epic tale of humanity's first encounter with an aquatic alien species, has been met with underwhelming reception.
Russell Tovey stars as Barclay Pierre-Dupont, a low-level logistics clerk thrust into the spotlight when he becomes the ambassador for humanity in talks with the mysterious Salt - a humanoid variant of the Sea Devils. But behind-the-scenes drama and confusing connections to Doctor Who have left many wondering what to expect from this series.
On one hand, War Between is tackling some heavy themes: climate change, environmental degradation, and the need for urgent action to address these pressing issues. The show's attempt to bring attention to these matters feels admirable, if not entirely successful. With Tovey's affable everyman persona taking center stage, the series envisions a more grounded approach to humanity's first contact with an alien species.
However, the execution falls short in many areas. The show's reliance on familiar Doctor Who elements - including nods to classic episodes and characters - feels forced and awkward, disrupting the tone of what could have been a thought-provoking exploration of our relationship with the environment.
The series' treatment of UNIT as a neutral entity also raises questions about its role in the narrative. The organization is portrayed as largely benevolent, without any critical examination of its power dynamics or potential complicity in human injustices. This lack of scrutiny undermines the show's message and creates an uneven viewing experience.
Ultimately, War Between is left feeling surface-level, gesturing towards its themes rather than fully engaging with them on a meaningful level. While there's still time for the series to dig deeper, so far, it's hard not to feel that this spinoff of Doctor Who is stuck in a halfway point between seriousness and tone, struggling to find its footing.
For now, fans of Doctor Who may find themselves torn between wanting to invest in this new series and feeling that it doesn't quite live up to the standard set by its parent show. The War Between the Land and the Sea has all the ingredients for a compelling story, but its execution remains a work in progress.
Russell Tovey stars as Barclay Pierre-Dupont, a low-level logistics clerk thrust into the spotlight when he becomes the ambassador for humanity in talks with the mysterious Salt - a humanoid variant of the Sea Devils. But behind-the-scenes drama and confusing connections to Doctor Who have left many wondering what to expect from this series.
On one hand, War Between is tackling some heavy themes: climate change, environmental degradation, and the need for urgent action to address these pressing issues. The show's attempt to bring attention to these matters feels admirable, if not entirely successful. With Tovey's affable everyman persona taking center stage, the series envisions a more grounded approach to humanity's first contact with an alien species.
However, the execution falls short in many areas. The show's reliance on familiar Doctor Who elements - including nods to classic episodes and characters - feels forced and awkward, disrupting the tone of what could have been a thought-provoking exploration of our relationship with the environment.
The series' treatment of UNIT as a neutral entity also raises questions about its role in the narrative. The organization is portrayed as largely benevolent, without any critical examination of its power dynamics or potential complicity in human injustices. This lack of scrutiny undermines the show's message and creates an uneven viewing experience.
Ultimately, War Between is left feeling surface-level, gesturing towards its themes rather than fully engaging with them on a meaningful level. While there's still time for the series to dig deeper, so far, it's hard not to feel that this spinoff of Doctor Who is stuck in a halfway point between seriousness and tone, struggling to find its footing.
For now, fans of Doctor Who may find themselves torn between wanting to invest in this new series and feeling that it doesn't quite live up to the standard set by its parent show. The War Between the Land and the Sea has all the ingredients for a compelling story, but its execution remains a work in progress.
and dont even get me started on the doctor who connections i mean come on, cant they just focus on their own thing 4 once? 
war between the land and the sea seems like it had promise but now its just a mess... climate change & environmental issues need to be addressed in a more thoughtful way than this lol
... I mean, I love Doctor Who and all, but the connection to UNIT feels really forced 
Maybe that's the problem - it feels like they're just rehashing old ideas instead of trying something new. And don't even get me started on the fact that the show is tackling climate change and environmental degradation 
... I wish they'd delve deeper into those topics, you know? Make us think about our own impact on the planet 
. Instead, it just feels like a surface-level thing 
. Guess we'll have to wait and see if they can improve the second part of the series 
.
Anyway, I gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed in this series. I was hoping it'd be like, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" but instead it's like, "The Day the Earth Just Kinda Exists and We're All Like 'Meh'". And don't even get me started on Barclay Pierre-Dupont – sounds like a guy who just wants to get his logistics cred. But for real though, I do love how they're tackling climate change and environmental issues. It's about time we got some shows that care more about our planet than our Netflix ratings. Maybe with a little more work, this series can go from soggy start to epic tale 
It's like they took all the good vibes from Doctor Who and just kinda... watered them down 
You know, I was hyped to see what kind of epic tale they'd come up with but it just feels like a lazy cash-grab 
I mean, come on! You can't just force familiar elements into a show and expect it to work 
And don't even get me started on the handling of UNIT... like, what's the point of even including them if you're not gonna explore their problematic side? 
Anywayz, I guess I'll keep watching, but only cuz I'm still a Whovian at heart 
Maybe they'll find their footing next ep? 
. I mean, climate change is an important topic and all, but I didn't expect it to be handled like a watered-down version of the real deal 
. And don't even get me started on UNIT being glossed over as some kind of benevolent force - what about the dark side? 
I need more depth in my sci-fi, you know? This series feels like it's stuck between trying to be a serious drama and a lighthearted adventure, and it just can't make up its mind 
. Don't get me wrong, I love Russell Tovey as an actor, but here he just feels like a pawn in a game with no clear stakes 
. The whole thing feels too familiar to Doctor Who already 
I mean I love Russell Tovey but he's not enough to save this ship sadly 
I'm still gonna keep an eye on it though, maybe they'll get it together for the next episode 
think they should've stuck with some other concept instead of forcing it into an existing universe it's gonna lose fans fast 
. I'm still gonna keep watching though, 'cause I want to see if they can pull it together and make a more meaningful story out of this 
The whole "forced" Doctor Who elements thing is really annoying. It's like they're trying to check off all these boxes instead of actually creating something new and interesting.
, but now that it's out...meh. It feels like they're trying to cram too many ideas into one show - climate change, environmental degradation, all that jazz 
. It's so not believable.
, I mean, who wouldn't want to see humanity's first encounter with an aquatic alien species? It's like, the ultimate sci-fi adventure! But, on the other hand, I'm kinda disappointed that it's not taking more risks and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. The themes they're tackling are super important, climate change and environmental degradation are major issues we need to address 
, but at the same time, I'm not sure if his character is well-developed enough to carry the weight of the story. And don't even get me started on the Doctor Who connections... they're just kinda weird 
, like, why did they have to include those nods to classic episodes? It feels like they're trying too hard to appeal to fans of the original show.
. Overall, I'm still hoping for a better second season 
. I love Russell Tovey's affable everyman persona, but it kinda gets lost in the mess of familiar Doctor Who elements