Welcome back to Feats N’ Faults, where our Tiered Point System ranks and records our favorite characters based on their achievements and deeds. Please check the About Page for a more in-depth look at how points are awarded. Our Tier System is below for quick reference. Spoiler Warning!
We are back into my favorite Universe, Doctor Who! Today, we are taking a look at the most recent spinoff, The War Between The Land and The Sea. I know that title is a mouthful. Why add that many “The”? In this show, we are following two new characters, Barclay and Salt, while also providing an update on Kate Stewart. I was also able to get my hands on Daemons, a spin-off from the wilderness years featuring Kate, so I decided to watch it and update her score at once.
Let’s Get Started!
Poor Barclay. Throughout the series, he was not supposed to be there, yet his actions affect an entire species and world politics. He had the chance to enact some extreme changes and score some serious points, but of course, capitalism and war got in the way. He tried his best and even earned the respect of U.N.I.T and Kate, but the enemies behind the scenes sabotaged him. These bad actors were able to drug him and infect him with a virus. While he was unaware, he was the one who went and passed this virus on to an entire Homo-Aqua population, and as a result of his action, 90% of that species perished. Yeesh, that’s not a great way to impress your new Homo-Aqua girlfriend.
Salt, on the other hand, held her own and acted admirably on behalf of her people. In the end, she was not able to enact the peace that she demanded or the respect for her people and oceans, but she was able to remove all the garbage from the seas and relocate her people. Will we ever see this character again? Probably not, but it is interesting to see these kinds of stories in the Who Universe.
With this show and the movie, I was able to get completely caught up on Kate and have now watched 100% of Doctor Who visual media. I had been trying to get my hands on Daemons Rising for a long time and was stoked when I finally did. I was not expecting anything fantastic, but it is nice to have in the collection. I was also hoping to award Kate at least a couple of points from it, but, womp womp, those wilderness years were not kind to anyone. I will get into it more in the review, but Kate did not earn a single feat or fault from that film. However, she did earn a couple from Land and Sea. She improved her score by 5 points and finally entered the thirties! I want Kate to eventually hit the hundreds, but who knows if she’ll ever be able to pull it off.
Land and Sea is a very realistic look at what would happen if another species were discovered on Earth. The Doctor is not around to bring out the best in humanity, so it is up to us to figure this pivotal moment out in Earth’s history. While some characters, like Kate and Barclay, have good intentions, the corrupt government, capitalism, and greed ultimately cause absolute destruction. There is no happy ending; instead, it shows humanity a mirror and allows us to come to terms with the society we have cultivated. Homo-Aqua should have stayed hidden, but instead, they witnessed and were culled by the horror that is our human species.
Besides the bummer of an overarching global plot, the smaller romantic story is engaging and the single bit of light in this bleak drama. The practical effects are also well done, making the world feel like Doctor Who. In the end, it is a nice little addition to Who lore, even if it puts a pit in your stomach that you won’t be able to shake for days. The best part is that Kate actually gets some! Way to go, Kate!
While Downtime was a relatively charming low-budget romp, this sequel is one of the most boring and inconsequential Doctor Who I have ever seen. Kate has no control over the plot, even though she has become the main protagonist. The story centers on a retired U.N.I.T. captain calling Kate for help after he stole the book of Daemons from the Black Archive. He has been uncontrollably reading it and eventually summons the Daemons from the Third Doctor’s era. Oh, and there is also a future ghost guy that never does anything but say that the future is in danger. Sometimes you can hear him, and sometimes he is on mute, but that doesn’t really matter because nothing really matters in this movie.
Eventually, the Daemon is summoned and asks what people want. He is basically a genie now for some reason. The Unit Captain is tempted by lust but eventually resists. Then the Daemon chastises the human race for always wanting power, and then eventually chooses love because Kat mentions it. Then the Daemon decided to go to the future and fix it? Kate does nothing, and the plot happens around her. The effects are god-awful, the sound design is dog shit, the soundtrack is non-existent, and the acting is boring and laughable. Unfortunately, it is not bad enough to be funny, and nothing saves this film. It is Doctor Who, so I am glad to have it in my collection. I just wish something, anything, had happened in it.
Thank you for tuning into review-heavy Freats N’ Faults! I hope you all have a fantastic week full of Jelly Babies, and I will see you next Thursday for more Feats N’ Faults.
Until Next Time!
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