6th December, 2025: “Plastic Apocalypse”.The Introduction.
As I write, it’s still Saturday night.
And the burger I mentioned, here, is still cooking.
The chief difference that — right now? — the spuds are in the air fryer.
That’s still not grabbing your attention, is it?
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That’s still a digression: so let me welcome newcomers to Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar, and tell them — you — there’s an associated YouTube channel, and that I write the Daily Teaser quiz, and movie and TV reviews.
Again, that isn’t something I need to remind long term readers, about.
But, whether you’re an old timer, or new to this blog?
I’ve started watching the Dr Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Starting with the first episode, “Homo Aqua”, on Sunday: and the second episode, “Plastic Apocalypse”, on Tuesday, 9th December, 2025.
I’ll be doing the same thing, for episodes three and four, next week: and something very similar for the last episode!
Yes: I have started reviews of the first two episodes, early: but December is busy … !
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10th December, 2025.Part One.The Summary.
To show us the aftermath of Barclay Pierre-Dupont (Russell Tovey) being chosen as ambassador to the Homo Aqua delegation: waiting in a large — and very unwelcoming — room for his boss, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave).
In that meeting?
Kate is determined to find out why the Sea Devils have chosen a low level clerk as the human they’ll negotiate with.
Whilst this is going on, we see Barclay’s wife and child (Barbara and Kirby, played by Ann Akinjirin and Cat Gannon, respectively) are taken — under protest — to a safe house.
Barclay is only allowed to joined them, once he’s met someone, someone Kate needs to speak to first.
She’s under government pressure: to check something with Salt …
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Part Two.Thoughts.
So what did I think of this episode … ?
Who, in the cast, stood out?
What did I make of some of the plot elements?
Do I call this episode a political thriller, as I did the first episode?
Yes, I do.
I believe “Plastic Apocalypse” maintains the political edge of “Homo Aqua”.
We see one member of UNIT’s lab staff steal Sea Devil tissue samples: bribed into doing so by Sir Keith Spears (Patrick Baladi), leader of a trio plotting to make sure the negotiations go their way.
The worker … ?
Now has paperwork that let’s him stay in the UK.
The scenes of the negotiations, themselves?
Show us Barclay being encouraged to to stick to the script agreed by politicians: only to cause various shades of panic when he goes off course.
OK: I grant this isn’t The Manchurian Candidate.
But I think there’s enough politicking to keep Forsyth and Le Carré happy.
Talking of politics … ?
There’s one scene, when Salts tells her human audience that transport over water — by ship or air — is to be forbidden.
Which almost starts a riot, caused by one delegate’s outright fury at Salt’s demands, and Salt’s insistence that Barclay be the only negotiator.
To silence the delegates, the angry Sierra Leonean (Ray Sesay) in particular, Salt yells “Enough”, as loudly as possible, turns into a male version of herself, then repeats his demands … !
That move is enough to silence the arguing humans …
We don’t know how unique Salt’s abilities are: whether they’re unique to her, spread amongst her subspecies, or common to all of the undersea peoples.
But it’s enough to catch the attention.
Was that a very political move?
Was it a pure piece of SF theatre?
Was it a move to catch the attention, and remind us Salt and her cohorts aren’t human?
I’d say yes …
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Part Three.Casting Aspersions.
Yes, those scenes stood out for me: as did the cast.
I will say this, again: the ensemble cast of this series seems very strong.
But for me, the standouts performers were Russell Tovey, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Tovey’s everyman figure is a delight to watch, and his “Our kids are way ahead of us” speech, riveting.
Mbatha-Raw’s performance as Salt is just as riveting: and the very definition of ‘regal’.
The only thing I can compare her performance to?
Is Emilia Clarke’s performance as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones: the mix of utter confidence, a cut-glass accent delivering commands that are going to be obeyed, and and her willingness to unleash the Sea Devil equivalent of bus-sized flying reptiles is on a par with Clarke’s performance as the Mother of Dragons.
It makes Salt a character to watch.
Barclay and Salt, Salt in particular, have me hooked!
There’s other things, of course: at least one of which is trivial by comparison.
Trivia, first: both IMDb and Wikipedia give Russell Tovey’s birthday as 14 November, 1981.
This episode gives Barclay’s birthday as 15th November, 1982.
The character is (almost) a year younger than the actor playing him.
No: I don’t think Russell T. Davies is up to something, there.
But, slightly less trivially?
That co-incidence, and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart’s throwaway line, of “It’s like working with the Doctor” had me wondering … who will be playing the Time Lord, next … ?
It wouldn’t be the first time someone in a spin-off has cropped up in the main show …
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Part Four.Thoughts and Observations.
What else can I tell you … ?
Probably plenty!
The more serious point?
I’m not sure if Kirby — Cat Gannon’s character, and Barclay and Barbara’s child — is male, female, trans or happily gender fluid.
As the character isn’t identified as such, nor — at the time of writing — even listed in the episodes IMDb or Wikipedia entries.
Personally?
I’d feel comfier knowing, one way or the other: but I’m also aware it’s not at the top of the writers’ agendas, nor Cat Gannon’s, themselves.
I could also tell you Kate Lethbridge Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim are definitely involved!
Which shouldn’t be that surprising: there’s been hints of a relationship, before now.
There is one minor point, there.
I caught this episode on the BBC’s iPlayer catch-up service.
Now, something that’s annoyed me for years about the iPlayer?
Is that — for some reason — the BBC couldn’t make subtitles work on the Apple TV 4K version of the software.
Thankfully?
They seem to have solved that, with some of the recent updates.
However … ?
Colonel Ibrahim whispers a sweet nothing into Kate’s ear.
In Arabic.
And, of course, the subtitles don’t offer an English translation of the phrase.
There’s always something, isn’t there … ?
~≈🧜🏼♂️≈~
Part Five.Final Thoughts.
So what did I think of “Plastic Apocalypse”?
I loved it!
It’s got pace, solid characters, political shenanigans, and sympathetic villains who are both menacing … and powerful.
And quite prepared to use that power to stop humanity’s crimes.
About my only complaint?
Isn’t to do with the show, itself.
As far as I can tell, the show is available on the iPlayer in UHD/4k: at least, it is on compatible TVs, according to the brief pop-up I got on my TV.
Which is nice, if you have a 4k set.
However?
Although a 2k version is available for pre-order on Amazon — on both bluray and DVD — there’s no sign of a 4k version.
Given we know the 4k version of “Twice Upon A Time”, Peter Capaldi’s last episode, is still available?
I think the BBC are missing a trick: and can only assume there’s either a bad business case for a 4k release The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Or that the terms of the Disney deal forbid it: The War Between … is the last release under the terms of that deal.
Who knows?
Either way?
That complaint is about a 4k release of the series.
The episode is superb!
“Plastic Apocalypse”★★★★
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Part Six.Until Next Time.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is where I’m going to leave things.
At least, that’s where I’m leaving things for now.
I’ll leave you with my thanks for reading this: or for watching the video version, if that’s what you’ve done.
And tell you I’ll have my reviews of episode 3, “The Deep”, up by Tuesday, 16th December.
Before I go?
I will ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel: and follow Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar.
If quizzes are you thing, I’ve published the Daily Teaser quiz for years: and I’m planning more of them, along side more reviews.
Feel free to tip, keep your eyes peeled and I’ll see you next time.
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