No one is quite sure what to expect from the forthcoming Doctor Who spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea. Primarily focused on the no-longer-quite-so-secret U.K. government agency known as UNIT, the series is theoretically going to explore how humanity copes with an alien threat when the Doctor’s not around to help. The aliens in question are the classic monsters known as the Sea Devils, who were introduced during Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor era, recently starred in a Thirteenth Doctor special, and who generally rank towards the bottom of any long-time fan’s wishlist in terms of villainous creatures we were hoping to see again, let alone get an entire series about. Plot details are scarce, but we know the show will involve a climate-change-fueled conflict between humanity and the ancient creatures, with Russell Tovey’s everyman, Barclay, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Sea Devil, Salt, at the center. Boasting a sort of star-crossed Torchwood: Children of Earth vibe, it seems as though the two members of very different races will have to find a way to save the world together. Are we going to see a little cross-species flirtation as well? Maybe! (Barclay and Salt are standing real close to one another in that trailer at various points, is all I’m saying.) Which is…certainly a thing that might happen, but it’s not the romance we deserve to see. cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});For two seasons and a special now, sparks have been flying between UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and her second-in-command, Colonel Christofer Ibrahim. Though we know relatively little about Ibrahim — I had to do some googling to even figure out his first name — he and Kate seem quite close. She’s trying to live up to the legacy of her father, the famous Brigadier; he seems to be trying to keep her alive. They’re constantly together at work or on missions, and she clearly trusts him, which, given her position and history, is no small thing. Heck, he’s even the guy who is allowed to check her behavior when she goes too far and almost lets a vicious alien eat the villainous incel who tried to destroy UNIT’s reputation. (Which, let’s be real, he completely deserved). The show has already hinted repeatedly that something of a decidedly non-collegial nature is going on between these two. They’ve proven to be into one another no matter what reality they happen to find themselves in, and the flirty tension between them is palpable. They even held hands that one time! (Though without any sort of romantic declaration, it’s equally possible to read their sudden display of affection in “Empire of Death” as everyone just being really happy they were no longer Sutekh’s desiccated space dust.)But with a UNIT-focused spinoff on the horizon, it’s past time to let these two crazy kids have some happiness. (Not to mention an official label.) Both characters are clearly going to play a big role in this story, and making their nebulous relationship onscreen official raises the stakes for both in new and interesting ways. More importantly, it will allow the show to finally delve into both characters as individuals, rather than just pieces in the Doctor’s larger story. Despite her family’s legacy status and the fact that she’s been a recurring character on this show since season 7’s “The Power of Three,” we still know relatively little about Kate as a person beyond her role at UNIT. And while that’s clearly the most important thing in her life, surely it can’t be her entire life? What does she do for fun? Does she have friends who aren’t subordinates? Is she lonely? As for Ibrahim, well, I was today years old when I learned his given name, so there’s clearly plenty of room to grow when it comes to his character. After all, being very good-looking, extremely loyal, and protective of his boss in a way that could be construed as some kind of HR violation are all intriguing tidbits about his identity, but they’re also not the same thing as a personality.The Doctor Who universe’s relationship with romance has always been somewhat uneven, featuring everything from occasional yearning between the Doctor and a companion (Ten and Rose) to TARDIS travelers who were already established couples (Amy and Rory). Technically, we haven’t seen a proper romance on the show since the Twelfth Doctor era, when companion Clara Oswald was still trying to date Danny Pink. (And no, whatever that confusing, noncommittal thing the show was trying to do with Thirteen and Yaz does not count. But that’s a rant for another day.) Making Kate and Ibrahim a couple for real isn’t just a sweet nod to the fans that have been shipping their characters; it opens up the sort of story potential that sets War Between the Land and the Sea apart from the flagship series. A show that’s focused on the human side of this franchise’s story needs its viewers to care about the people at its center, and watching two characters we already have an existing attachment to attempt to navigate the thorny issues that would almost surely arrive should their professional and private lives become entangled in this way sounds like solidly compelling TV. Plus, these two are just darn cute together, and someone in this franchise deserves some happiness. Isn’t it finally Kate’s turn?The post It’s Time to Let This Doctor Who Relationship Finally Become Canon appeared first on Den of Geek.