War Between The Land And The Sea review – Strong start but tired tropes

The War Between The Land And The Sea premiered last night (7 December) and, while it shows promise , its uneasy politics and sloppily written female characters left me feeling a little… sunken.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The War Between The Land And The Sea’s first two episodes.

From its opening moments, The War Between makes one thing very clear: this is a character-driven story first, genre spectacle second. Despite its apocalyptic framing and world-changing stakes, the first two episodes ground the conflict firmly in the everyman. And that everyman, played by Russell Tovey , is the standout of the series. Tovey’s character, Barclay, brings warmth and accessibility to the audience, playing the surrogate for anyone who isn’t familiar with the Whoniverse. With a narrativ