Caution: spoilers ahead for The War Between the Land and the Sea.New Doctor Who series The War Between the Land and the Sea asks the very important question of what happens when Earth gets invaded and The Doctor isn’t around to save it. Following in the footsteps of Torchwood, the latest spinoff plunges Earth into one of its most trying situations when the Sea Devils Homo aqua rises from the depths to have a firm and frank discussion about pollution.
While The Doctor is nowhere to be found in The War Between the Land and the Sea – and we’re not even sure which Doctor would turn up anyway – the Time Lord does have a small presence. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart mentions them, and so too does Russell Tovey’s character, Barclay.
Barclay met the Fifteenth Doctor during the events of either “The Reality War” or “Empire of Death” while working in a low-level admin role for UNIT. He describes briefly passing the Doctor inside UNIT Tower and the Time Lord saying “hello” before going on his way. Despite such a minor interaction, Barclay’s first brush with alien life is constantly on his mind, but there might be a deeper reason behind it that Barclay is blissfully unaware of.
Did The Doctor Say “Hello” To Barclay Because Of Alonso?
It’s important to acknowledge that The Doctor isn’t above greeting less prominent members of UNIT. He quite easily could have spoken to Barclay out of simple politeness. At the same time, we’ve seen The Doctor in UNIT headquarters before, and he doesn’t chat to every single soldier and staff member he passes. We can, therefore, assume something made The Doctor stop and say “hi” to this character in particular.
And Alonso could be that something. The War Between the Land and the Sea isn’t Russell Tovey’s first stint in Doctor Who. Back in 2007, Tovey played Midshipman Alonso Frame on a futuristic recreation of the Titanic in “Voyage of the Damned.” Alonso ended up helping the Doctor as something of a one-time companion, and the midshipman obviously left a lasting impression because when the Tenth Doctor was doing his pre-regeneration farewell tour, he returned to Alonso and set him up with Jack Harkness.
It’s easy to imagine Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor rushing through the halls of UNIT’s base, passing a man who looks suspiciously like his old Titanic friend, and verbally acknowledging him.
Doctor Who has a long history of casting the same actors in multiple roles, then revealing the two characters are distant relatives. As recently as Doctor Who season 15, Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra was confirmed as the ancient ancestor of Mundy Flynn 3000 years into the future. It seems very likely that Alonso would be descended from The War Between the Land and the Sea‘s Barclay.
Barclay’s Connection To The Doctor Explains His Entire Story
In The War Between the Land and the Sea, Barclay is elevated from anonymity to shape the future of Earth. Salt chooses Barclay after witnessing his compassion and sincerity, and as the talks between species progress, he displays a genuine willingness to do the right thing and find a peaceful compromise between land and sea.
Barclay is, effectively, showing the traits The Doctor looks for when choosing friends, and those very same traits were possessed by Alonso in “Voyage of the Damned.” The midshipman not only aided The Doctor, but risked his life to prevent the Titanic causing a devastating crash.
We’ve seen this before with same-actor characters in Doctor Who. Mundy Flynn and Belinda Chandra were both honorable individuals determined to help people. Eve Myles’ Gwyneth saved the world from the Gelth, then her descendant, Gwen Cooper, saved the world multiple times as a member of Torchwood.
From that perspective, Barclay’s unexpected role as Earth’s hero in The War Between the Land and the Sea feels like destiny. A genetic habit of selflessly helping others surfaces within him as it will many years later within Alonso Frame.
- Release Date
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December 7, 2025
- Network
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BBC One
- Showrunner
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Russell T. Davies
- Directors
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Dylan Holmes Williams
- Writers
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Russell T Davies, Pete McTighe
