Doctor Who - That was Lovely

[shipperx]

Several days behind, but I did finally see this week's (U.K.) Dr. Who, and yes, this one will go down as one of my favorites. It's always quite easy to have a soft spot for Van Gogh. He's such a terribly tragic, brilliant figure. His death is so gruesome and so very, very sad, as is the fact that he never knew that he would be considered to be brilliant. Picasso and Gauguin were douchebags. But Van Gogh's letters always evoke such sympathy for him. The episode about him is also sad but lovely. As stated in the comments, it's diffiicult to resist the wish fulfillment of giving such a tragic character a glimpse of what he's meant to others. Indulgent? Perhaps, but lovely.

The monster looked like a Chicken-Parrot-Griffen. Clearly there's a thing going on the species winding up on earth and being abandonned there.

And I loved the moment where Van Gogh said that Amy was crying. Amy denied it, not remembering, but Van Gogh saw the sadness that not even she remembers. That was a nice touch.

Then there was the doctor's Freudian slip of mentioning Rory.

Anyway, I think this episode is definitely up there with some of the best of the New Who.

Comments

[ww1614.livejournal.com]

It's funny because I just watched Shakespeare Code tonight, and they take very different attitudes towards the two men, both geniuses. I liked them both. I didn't like the Churchill ep, though.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I agree. I didn't like the Churchill episode either. I think something cool could have been done with Churchill, but the way that episode was done didn't feel right.

OTOH, I loved how they incorporated Van Gogh's art into this episode. And it's really difficult to not enjoy a bit of the wish fulfillment romanticism in the show giving a tragic historic figure the sort of validation that the real person never got. It's sort of irresistible.

[jerrymcl89.livejournal.com]

I think it's somewhat hard to reconcile Churchill's worldview with the Doctor's, although that episode still could have been done better.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

True. I hadn't thought of that.

That said, I think the characterization of Churchill was some of the problem. It didn't seem like a good use of the historical figure.

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Easily my favorite of this year (at least so far!) I think part of it is that the writers are figuring out how to write 11. The story was magic though; I loved the three of them laying on the ground, holding hands, looking at the stars and seeing Starry Night. I got all teared up in both the museum scene at the end of the episode. this is the kind of storytelling that keeps me watching through space whales and pig slaves!

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was brilliant, I wouldn't have minded if Van Gogh had been there for the rest of the season.

Loved it!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Loved the scene of their staring up at the Starry Night.

Also loved The Doctor's line asking whether this was the way that time usually worked, so slow... and in the right order. :)

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

Yes, this episode made me very happy. I think 11 is finally getting his "time legs," as it were. It was delightful.