Summary
- The new Doctor Who spinoff lacks major characters from the show, needing the Paternoster Gang for better connection.
- Madame Vastra’s team is key to the success of the series, adding depth and interest to the new show.
- UNIT recruiting the Paternoster Gang in the new spinoff offers a solution to the timeline challenge, creating a stronger connection.
The new Doctor Who spin off is in the early stages of production, but it could really use some additional Doctor Who characters to make the series stand out. The War Between the Land and the Sea is set to follow the Sea Devils and UNIT in a brand-new spin-off, but so far, only Jemma Redgrave and one other Doctor Who actor have been confirmed to reprise their roles from the original show. Redgrave plays Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, the leader of UNIT, but the show could really use more Doctor Who characters.
Some of the other actors confirmed for the series have also appeared in Doctor Who before, but, they are not reprising those previous roles. Ultimately, this means that the show will have precious little to connect it with the main show, and it could work against the show’s overall success. Fortunately, there is one group who would be perfect additions to the cast in order to make this a captivating Doctor Who spin-off; the Paternoster Gang.
Doctor Who’s Sea Devils Spinoff Needs Madame Vastra
Madame Vastra Has A Lot In Common With The Humans And The Sea Devils
The Paternostar Gang is the formal name for the group of Victorian detectives which is comprised of Madame Vastra, her lover, Jenny Flint, and their butler, the Sontaran Strax. These characters, especially Vastra, have been a wonderful addition to Doctor Who ever since they met the Eleventh Doctor. Vastra is also an experienced diplomat who has a keen interest in maintaining the balance between humans and other species who occupy planet Earth.
As a Silurian, Vastra was one of the earliest species to occupy Earth, along with the rest of her race. However, as Earth changed, the Silurians went into hibernation beneath the Earth’s surface. Vastra is one of the few Silurians who has woken up early, and she chose to leave her race behind because of their archaic opinions on certain matters. However, with the Earth coming under threat from another Earth species, the Sea Devils. Vastra would be a perfect addition to this debate, and it would only make sense for her to bring her team along.
The Paternoster Gang Deserve A Bigger Role In Doctor Who
Since they were first introduced, the Paternoster Gang has only appeared in a handful of episodes, but they could be used for so much more. Throughout Doctor Who’s history, there has been a pattern of including recurring characters and organizations. UNIT, Torchwood, Captain Jack, River Song, etc. All of these characters have been introduced and then brought back again and again. While the Paternoster Gang remain established in Victorian London, they have been introduced to time travel technology, so there is no real reason to exclude them in other stories.
Otherwise, Victorian London is one of the Doctor’s favorite stomping grounds. There are plenty of historical events and individuals from this era that could be used in the series, and thus create an opportunity to bring Madame Vastra and her associates back to work with the Doctor and his companions. It would also benefit the new era of Doctor Who, which stars Ncuti Gatwa to form more connections to the modern reboot that began in 2005. While the show has made a big push to connect with Classic Who, it does feel distanced from the era that came immediately before.
UNIT Recruiting The Paternoster Gang Would Make Sense In Doctor Who’s New Spinoff
There is a pretty significant issue that could stand in the way of the Paternoster Gang being introduced in The War Between the Land and the Sea, but Doctor Who has lots of ways to overcome this. The new spin-off is a contemporary show, while the Paternoster Gang are living in Victorian London. This clearly means that they are not concurrent, and would struggle to crossover, but Doctor Who is a show that revolves around time travel, with the lead character being an alien known as a Time Lord.
Vastra is also an experienced diplomat who has a keen interest in maintaining the balance between humans and other species who occupy planet Earth.
It’s not even necessary to pull in the Doctor to bring the group forward in time, as UNIT is likely to have apprehended some alien tech that allows them to jump through time, similar to how Torchwood had devices that could send people into other universes. Otherwise, the show could call upon the Doctor to bring back up for UNIT with the Paternoster Gang, which would create several links to make the show feel connected to Doctor Who
