GALLERY

CAST

Regular Cast

Russell Tovey (Barclay Pierre-Dupont), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Salt), Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart), Colin McFarlane (General Austin Pierce), Francesca Corney (Sergeant Hana Chakri), Adrian Lukis (Sir Jonathan Hynes), Waleed Hammad (Colonel Tariq Hashim), Barbara Probst (General Dominique Dussolier), Gethin Alderman (Homo Aqua), Charles Sandford (Homo Aqua), Alexander Devrient (Colonel Christofer Ibrahim), Cat Gannon (Kirby Pierre-Dupont), Ruth Madeley (Shirley Bingham). Ann Akinjirin (Barbara Pierre-Dupont), Lachele Carl (Trinity Wells), Vincent Franklin (Prime Minister Harry Shaw), George Robinson (Steve Chesney), Hannah Donaldson (Captain Louise Mackie), Mei Mac (Min Tso), Lucy Vandi (Dr Kadie Bangura), Benito Curteanu (Marko Novak), Patrick Baladi (Sir Keith Spears), Stewart Alexander (General Oscar Gunsberg), Antonia Bernath (Rose-Marie Hunt), Manpreet Bachu (Ravi Singh), Catherine Garton (Corporal Jane Hart), William Gaminara (Ted Campbell), Ray Sesay (Sierra Leone Delegate), Joshua Sinclair-Evans (Homo Amphibia), John Addison (Captain Daniel Gaitz), Teri Ann Bobb-Baxter (Commander Olivia Harper), Seeta Indrani (Priya Lakhani), George Robinson (Steve Chesney), Russell T Davies (Idea Originator)

CREW

SYPNOSIS

Barclay makes a terrifying descent into the world of Homo Aqua. Back on the land, Kate stands alone as Downing Street conspires with the army to change the course of the war.

PLOT

Barclay arrives at H.M. Naval Base Blackport, alongside General Pierce, Captain Mackie, Min Tso; and two new additions – Ravi Singh and Ted Campbell, for rigorous training in preparation for their descent into the trench for negotiations. Pierce has a meeting with the other five about their planned two-hour submersible descent towards the meeting point. Meanwhile, Kate contacts Captain Gaitz to see how checks are proceeding on the submersible.

In a flashback: as Barclay prepares to leave London, Barbara pleads with him not to go, whilst Kirby watches a TV programme citing the potential dangers.

Having gone for a swim, Pierce catches Barclay to remind him to sign his legal indemnity papers and update his will.

In another flashback: as Barclay goes to leave London, Kirby storms off in apparent anger but Barbara assures him that they are simply upset. Overcome by the pressure, Barclay breaks down slightly but Barbara comforts him. Kirby rushes back in, apologetic, and also hugs him tight. Taking a moment to compose himself, he then leaves.

As the team heads out to Gaitz’s ship via helicopter, Ravi nervously rambles about how he isn’t fit for the job whilst Barclay and Ted reassure him. Ted then shows the rest of the team a wooden globe that he has brought along that is meant as a diplomatic gift. Getting onto the ship, Pierce gives the team a rallying speech and a salute before leading them all into the submersible. Commander Harper confirms that the submersible is securely locked, and Captain Gaitz orders her to crane it into place above the water. With proceeding okayed, they are then lowered into the water.

As the descent begins, Mackie asks how Ravi was assigned to the mission, and Ravi explains that his presence was the result of a diplomatic lottery to determine what other country should be represented, as was Ted’s, with Ravi being India’s representative. Ravi also ponders the possibility that the lottery might’ve been rigged, as he had heard rumours to that effect.

Meanwhile, Kate attends a meeting with PM Harry Shaw, Sir Keith Spears, General Dussolier, General Gunsberg and Priya Lakhani in-person with members of the Cabinet video-linked in remotely. Gunsberg explains that the US military is arming itself with sonic weapons, whilst Dussolier lists key shipping routes on the sea that have been identified as imperative to protect. Kate questions this approach given the armistice currently in effect, and why these things are being discussed in a meeting meant for diplomatic discussions. Shaw agrees with Gunsberg and Dussolier that the armistice will not hold and that these are important conversations to have, citing past conflicts that Britain has had involvement in: The Western Front, the Falklands, Iraq. Sir Spears also notes his belief that the economics are more important, to which Kate rebuts that he has a vested business interest in matters. Lakhani agrees with Kate, but ultimately, the rest of those present pressure the argument and ultimately make a veiled threat that if Kate will not fall in line with them, then Kate’s diplomatic responsibilities could transferred to someone else. Sir Spears pushes the point that there are alternatives to UNIT, whilst Kate protests his presence at the meeting due to his lack of Cabinet or Agency ties, and his companies’ reputation for putting raw sewage into the water. Kate then follows this by reminding Shaw that Dussolier also leaked Barclay’s identity to the press, but Shaw is firm, and the rest of the room emerges victorious in the conversation.

Back in the submersible, the team mull what they will do if they safely come back from the diplomatic mission, before Ted begins to have a panic attack. Barclay soothes him with some breathing exercises.

After the meeting concludes, Spears, Dussolier and Gunsberg assure Shaw (otherwise worried about a close one’s test results) that he is doing the right thing and that UNIT has their own interests, whilst they should do whatever is required to win out over Aqua Kind. The trio tell Shaw that they have already devised a strategem to deal with matters: Severance.

In the UNIT base in Empress House, Ibrahim takes Kate some coffee and biscuits, and tries to reassure her that things will be okay and that she needs to get some rest. This conversation is interrupted by Shirley informing her that the submersible has entered the deepest part of the trench, and she rushes back to work. Aboard the submersible, panic starts as it suddenly begins to lower at a drastically more rapid speed than intended, with Min and Shirley both independently determining that they are under control of someone else and being dragged down, and radio contact is lost between UNIT and the diplomatic team.

Coming to a sudden halt, they put on their helmets, and emerge after some hesitation to discover that they are in a properly pressured membrane under the sea, and Salt welcomes them, telling them that the environment has been specially prepared for them. Barclay trusts in Salt and removes his helmet to discover perfectly breathable air, and the rest of the team follow suit.

Back in Empress House, Ibrahim finds Kate away from the rest of the UNIT team, fatigued, and whilst comforting her subtly, he implores to take rest as she has been awake for nearly 48 hours straight. Kate opts to go home to her apartment, but notes that it is fully geared up to work as a communications hub.

Salt leads the team through corridors, explaining the nature of Aquakind’s living and their distinctions in terms of species. When Ravi has another moment of worry, most of the team stop to check on him, but Salt and Barclay keep walking, with her taking him off away from the others. The pair share an intimate moment together, and Salt explains that she can sense human emotions – including his good intentions – before they are reunited with the rest of the team, and enter a large antechamber filled with hundreds of Homospondyl erectus and other Homo Aqua. Salt welcomes them to her people’s Domain.

Back at Kate’s apartment, Ibrahim continues to implore Kate to rest, and Kate admits that she does not know how to be anything other than commander-in-chief in life anymore. The phone rings, and despite Ibrahim telling her to leave it, she picks it up to a call from Shirley, who explains that she has found repeated reference in diplomatic communications to the word Severance in the past fourteen days.

At the same moment, a sniper takes aim through the windows at Kate, and Ibrahim swiftly puts her out of the way, taking a fatal blow, and the sniper lines up a new shot on Kate’s head.

Below, in the depths of the sea, Ted brings forward the diplomatic gift globe to Salt, but then it glows red and he declares: “Your war is lost.” Barclay, realising the malice, rushes forward and shoves Ted with the globe tumbling down into a deeper part of the antechamber where it explodes in a blinding white flash.

NOTES

In The Witch of the Waterfall an obituary is dated 22 October. The preceding episodes take place over a matter of days.
The same room previously filled in for the Cabinet Office in Children of Earth, as well.

Worldbuilding
Individuals

Barclay nursed his mother through cancer.

Vehicles

The delegates are lowered down from the James Cook.

Locations

The delegates train for their underwater expedition at Blackport.
Kate attends a Cobra meeting at the Cabinet Office.

Brands

Barclay wears a The North Face hoodie.

Continuity

Austin Pierce had previously described Christofer Ibrahim as “loyal to the end” in Colonel Christofer Ibrahim. He indeed was loyal to Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, giving his life to protect her from an assassin’s bullet.
In the antechamber, a group of Sea Devils of the variant met by the Thirteenth Doctor in Legend of the Sea Devils can be seen. They are not wearing pirate garb, like the Pirate Sea Devils in that story.

TRAILER