The War Between the Land and the Sea episode 2 ending explained: Where did Salt propose the third meeting point with the humans?

The War Between the Land and the Sea is a five-part BBC sci-fi drama set in the Doctor Who universe. Created by Russell T Davies, who revived Doctor Who and wrote Years and Years, the series premiered on BBC One and iPlayer with a double bill on December 7, 2025. 

It centres on the Homo Aqua, amphibious beings once known as Sea Devils, who surface enraged by human pollution that has killed their young and fouled their oceans. They demand negotiations to stop the harm, but talks soon edge toward war.

The plot highlights environmental fallout: humans offer gradual cleanup, but the Homo Aqua reflect back the damage, turning ocean waste into a global crisis. In episode 2's ending, Salt proposes the third meeting with the humans at the North of the Equator, just off the coast of West Africa, the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Atlantic Ocean.

The third coordinate of 7.76M which stands for metric units for length and depth, is a commitment test by the Seas Devils for the humans for peace and equality.

The story follows Barclay Pierre-DuPont, a logistics clerk at UNIT played by Russell Tovey. He becomes the human ambassador after Salt, the Homo Aqua's shape-shifting leader, portrayed by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, chooses him for his unassuming empathy during their first clash.

Jemma Redgrave reprises her role as UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, handling the crisis with steady resolve. Alexander Devrient is Colonel Christofer Ibrahim, a measured military advisor, and Ruth Madeley plays analyst Shirley Bingham, who decodes the aliens' signals.

The War Between the Land and the Sea ending explained: Negotiations and agreements

Episode 1 titled "Homo Aqua," opens with dead Homo Aqua bodies washing up on beaches, signalling a threat. Barclay, a divorced dad with a teenage daughter named Kirby, joins a UNIT response team on a standard callout.

When Salt and her group rise from the Thames demanding a summit, she dismisses high-level officials and selects Barclay as their ambassador after he makes a small sign of respect over a deceased Homo Aqua.

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart quickly clears Barclay's background - his Scottish family ties, split from wife Barbara, and even his goldfish named Simon. World leaders resist sending a civilian, but Salt holds firm, viewing him as free from elite agendas. 

The initial talks at Empress Hall grow tense. Barclay reads prepared regrets for oil spills and untreated sewage, then speaks plainly about corporate greed in water firms. Salt pays attention; her pearl necklace possibly aids their fungal network communication.

At home, reporters crowd Barclay's space, and his family stays protected. Experts note the Homo Aqua's synchronised movements, like unified breathing, in videos. The episode closes with Salt telling Barclay to come real next time, or she leaves. It grounds the high stakes in everyday people facing interspecies talks.

Episode 2 titled "Plastic Apocalypse," picks up at the second summit in an underwater bunker, with water pressing against reinforced walls. Barclay, briefed by Kate's group, meets Salt one-on-one.

She asks about his parenting, revealing her grief over two children lost to human toxins. He samples polluted river water to prove his point, citing executive payouts amid public health risks. Salt calls him her "favorite human," showing a brief connection.

Human commitments fall short. Barclay presents the UK's target: halve pollution by 2065, with stronger steps later. Salt calls it useless for her dying kind. She triggers their ability, dumping years of sea trash, plastics, rubber and fishing gear onto land worldwide. 

London floods with junk, vehicles smash under loads and scores perish in the chaos. Salt frames it as returning what belongs to humans. Rescue teams rush in, costs hit billions and Prime Minister Harry Shaw orders military action.

Barclay challenges Salt in the wreckage, hurt by the breach. She blames human excess. He calls for a truce, saying-

“The United Nations of the Earth demands an armistice agreement.”

Salt gives three conditions to this-

“1. Pollution of oceans and waterways ceases with immediate effect. 2. Formal designations of borders. The entirety of all oceans and waterways. Transport across water will not be permitted.”

“Trade between continents is an essential function”, and “ Continents depend on imports.”

With all the chaos and angry hurls, Salts shouts “enough” in a manly voice. Salt’s intonation and appearance change to a male, with spikes of testosterone, cortisol and ketotestosterone.

Barclay controls the situation back to normal and Salt proposes her third demand. Their next meeting will be in the Atlantic Ocean. The coordinates that Salt gave show the North Equator, just off the coast of West Africa.

The third coordinate signifies their metric length and depth, Romanche Fracture Zone, a 25,000-foot abyss, the Atlantic's second-deepest point. Kate points out that-

"Manned submersibles have imploded in less than half that."

To prove their commitment towards peace and quality, the humans have to meet the Sea Devils deep underwater, in their world.

Credit rolls as Barclay says “ok” to the conditions.

What to expect from episode 3 of The War Between the Land and the Sea

Episode 3, titled "Deep State," airs December 14, 2025, with episode 4. Barclay faces a harrowing dive into the Homo Aqua realm using a specialized sub, confronting their underwater society and secrets up close.

On the surface, Kate battles isolation as government officials plot with the military to escalate the conflict, risking full war. Expect heightened tension, deeper lore on the aliens' history, and Barclay's personal limits tested in the abyss.

Watch new episodes of The War Between the Land and the Sea on BBC iPlayer in the UK, with BBC One broadcasts on Sundays at 8:30 pm. Outside the UK, it's on Disney+ starting in 2026.

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