The “shocking climax” of the Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea has a deceptively mild title.
The official synopsis for fifth and final episode of the series, titled The End of the War, describes some troubling dilemmas.
Barclay stands alone, UNIT is powerless, and the oceans rise as the war reaches its climax. While traitors conspire, can Barclay find Salt before it’s too late?
The premise of the spin-off covers how UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce) copes when the Doctor isn’t around. Aquakind, a fearsome ancient race formerly known as the Sea Devils who have been slumbering beneath the sea, wake up to see the polluted state of the oceans. Emerging from the waters all around the world, they dramatically reveal themselves and commence war on humankind. An international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war on an epic scale.
When asked what he is most excited for the audience to see and take away from the series, showrunner Russell T Davies mentioned cliffhanger endings and a shocking climax.
“I hope they come out thrilled and that every cliffhanger draws them back the next week. I think there’s a lot to think about in terms of what we’re doing to the oceans, but let’s face it, we should be thinking about that anyway. It’s a love story, it’s an adventure, and it has a shocking climax.”
“It is a limited series because there is a very, very definite ending, Davies told The Metro. “And I would say to people stay tuned for the very end. That doesn’t mean the Doctor appears; it stays within its own universe. Believe you me, the credits start to roll and you get one of the best scenes ever recorded in the last seconds – which is stunning – a stunning performance from one of its cast that I’m very proud of.”
The cast of The End of the War:
Russell Tovey: Barclay Pierre-Dupont
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Salt
Jemma Redgrave: Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
Jennifer Jones: BBC newsreader
Samuel Oatley: Tide
Ruth Madeley: Shirley Bingham
Alexander Devrient: Colonel Christofer Ibrahim
Catherine Garton: Corporal Jane Hart
George Robinson: Steve Chesney
Barbara Probst: General Dominique Dussolier
Stewart Alexander: General Oscar Gunsberg
Vincent Franklin: Prime Minister Harry Shaw
Francesca Corney: Sergeant Hana Chakri
Cat Gannon: Kirby Pierre-Dupont
Ann Akinjirin: Barbara Pierre-Dupont
Lucy Vandi: Dr Kadie Bangura
Antonia Bernath: Rose-Marie Hunt
Eddie Elliott: Iniko Bello
Alexander Tol: Willem
Devesh Kishore: Dr Bannerjee
Alys Metcalf: UK reporter
Quanna Luo Masterson: Chinese reporter
Adam Howden: Jogger
Carolin Stoltz: Psychiatrist
Gethin Alderman: Homo Aqua
Charles Sandford: Homo Aqua
Watch the new trailer for the series:
The End of the War, the fifth and final episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea will transmit on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK on 21 December 2025. The spin-off series will transmit exclusively on Disney+ outside of the UK (where available) some time in 2026.