Series 5, Episode 10 - "Vincent and the Doctor"

pixelburp · 04-06-2010 2:10pm #1

I guess for the next 2 weeks we get the filler / monster-of-the-week episodes until the big finale.
However, I didn't know that Bill friggin' Nighy was in it. Damnit he should have been the 11th doctor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RsrDV38jh8

Doctor DooM · 04-06-2010 2:45pm

I suppose drawing a parelell between Bill Nighy and John Cleese's role in City of Death would probably be a little fanboy-ey?

Daemos · 04-06-2010 3:14pm

Oh my God, he was in the season trailer as well and I didn't recognise him, awesome stuff

Doctor DooM wrote:

I suppose drawing a parelell between Bill Nighy and John Cleese's role in City of Death would probably be a little fanboy-ey?

Since City of Death is one of the few classic episodes I've seen, I'm going to say no

K-9 · 05-06-2010 12:32am

Just read a review from the Blogtor Who site and he is saying it is very good.

No real spoilers but don't read if you don't want any info on it:

Goghtor Who

BBC Wales trailer:

Goghtor Who

Pittens · 05-06-2010 1:11am

This episode is getting rave reviews in previews.

spoiler-free preview from den-of-geek

K-9 · 05-06-2010 1:21am

Pittens wrote: »

This episode is getting rave reviews in previews.

spoiler-free preview from den-of-geek

Ah, that was it, what annoyed me about Cold Blood but I couldn't quite put my finger on it:

Gone are the awkward, fey, foppish eccentricities of the Doctor-Diplomat seen in parts of Cold Blood.

I'd be glad of a change of tact in this one.

Stark · 05-06-2010 10:31am

I'm still put off by all the verbal fellatio when it comes to Van Gogh. I cringe every time a character says "greatest artist who ever lived". Reminds me of a bad episode of "Glee". At least they had the excuse of having to brown nose in order to avoid royalties.

Raphael · 05-06-2010 2:14pm

What time is it on this week?

pixelburp · 05-06-2010 2:22pm

Raphael wrote: »

What time is it on this week?

18.40, or 6.40 pm if you will

Nice reviews, I forgot that Richard Curtis was behind this story so it should be interesting (even if I'm of the opinion that he's vastly overrated - Blackadder was more Ben Elton's success than Curtis').

Raphael · 05-06-2010 3:16pm

Cool, thanks. Have an alarm set on my phone for it, else I'll just play Red Dead Redemption straight through it.

monkeyfudge · 05-06-2010 4:31pm

The trailer last week made this episode look horrible.

But I can't see Richard Curtis handing in a dud script. There's a huge amount of scope to play around with in an Episode about VanGogh (Although I can't help but notice they're going with the common mispronunciation of his name.)

Hope the atrocious CGI that we glimpsed in the trailer doesn't let things down too much.

Killer_banana · 05-06-2010 6:27pm

Surprised to see the name of this season's finale. Didn't think we'd be seeing

River again so soon.

This ep looks okay. I just wish they would have one set anywhere but Earth. This season's been fantastic but I would have liked to see way more non-earth adventures. After all the TARDIS can travel in space as well as time. /rant

iUseVi · 05-06-2010 7:33pm

I approve of this episode. I actually cried during the end bit and I'm a dude. Good stuff.

Killer_banana · 05-06-2010 7:36pm

Well that was better than expected. A few hiccups here and there and felt like there was something missing but very, very good for a Monster of the week in my opinion. Some pretty adult themes, was very surprised by how deep into them they went.

Next week looks interesting.

05-06-2010 7:39pm

I'm such an art nerd...part of me lit up with joy recognising all those shots of the Museé d'Orsay.

Very good I thought!

Pittens · 05-06-2010 7:43pm

I reckon that one will improve with more than one viewing. The monster was almost incidental.

Ginny · 05-06-2010 8:01pm

I really really liked it,Vincent and his story was handled very nicely, the episode was very adult in parts in its tone, and was a nice change.

BuffyBot · 05-06-2010 8:07pm

Good episode and I agree the monster was absolutely incidental. The end of it was a little much

Bringing VanGogh into the TARDIS and giving him a spin

didn't work for me at all.

sceptre · 05-06-2010 8:11pm

That was marvellous. A few small blips but the in-jokes were excellently done.

The one part that niggled me was the obviously (for anyone who's visited) fake Orsay inside gallery, including paintings that just aren't there (notably Wheatfield with Crows, which is in Amsterdam, it's one of my favourite paintings and Starry Night, which is in MOMA-NY). Then again that's just me being particular, pointless going to all that trouble to recreate a real location and there are certain paintings that people would expect to see. AT least outside the little gallery, they used the real Gare d'Orsay, which was worth something (picky I am about real locations where people would be familiar with them).

Very nicely done episode, manages to exhibit Van Gogh's mania and depression in what at 45 minutes is a very short timeframe with monsters to be dealt with as well. As Pittens said, the monster was almost incidental to the plot, though it managed to easily exhibit Van Gogh's ability to see things as others didn't.

Got an oops fear towards the end when

they brought him to the Orsay to see his stuff, I was half-afraid that they'd somehow make him a happy camper after that and imply that his depression would have been cured knowing future reverence but happily they didn't

.

The

monster in the window of the church at Auvers

reminded me of an old Sapphire and Steel episode as soon as I saw it. Might just be coincidental, doesn't matter either way.

Nice that even though there isn't really anything there on the ongoing season arc, they made reference to Rory and what the Doctor can remember that she can't. Little implication there that there's sadness for her even though she doesn't know why, which tied into the theme of the episode as well.

I felt teary, thumbs-up. Definitely worth a second viewing.

iguana · 05-06-2010 9:10pm

sceptre wrote: »

The one part that niggled me was the obviously (for anyone who's visited) fake Orsay inside gallery, including paintings that just aren't there (notably Wheatfield with Crows, which is in Amsterdam, it's one of my favourite paintings and Starry Night, which is in MOMA-NY).

But this was clearly a special exhibition which Amy had been very eager to go to. Museums and galleries often loan each other certain items for particular exhibitions. I saw many of Edvard Munch's paintings in the Art Institute in Chicago even though they are normally in Oslo. (And this must have been a very special exhibition in order for someone with access to all of time and space to make the trip to.)

Harmsden · 05-06-2010 9:13pm

Dull episode with no ideas and little to remember.

There's touching. Then there's groping. That was groping.

The Recliner · 05-06-2010 9:25pm

I did like the reference to Amy and Vincent having the same accent and the concurrent nod to them all speaking English even though that wouldn't be likely

And the reference to only using the screwdriver for screws in future and the nod to the previous doctors again

As filler episodes and monster of the week go it wasn't bad at all

iguana · 05-06-2010 9:32pm

Harmsden wrote: »

There's touching. Then there's groping. That was groping.

That sums up just about everything by Richard Curtis this century.

Daemos · 05-06-2010 9:36pm

The Recliner wrote: »

and the concurrent nod to them all speaking English even though that wouldn't be likely

That's because of the translation circuit in the Tardis

iUseVi · 05-06-2010 9:51pm

DaPoolRulz wrote: »

That's because of the translation circuit in the Tardis

Yesh and this is why they had Dutch accents also.

The Recliner · 05-06-2010 9:53pm

DaPoolRulz wrote: »

That's because of the translation circuit in the Tardis

iUseVi wrote: »

Yesh and this is why they had Dutch accents also.

Aye I just thought it was a nice touch for newcomers who might question such things

sceptre · 05-06-2010 10:05pm

iguana wrote: »

(And this must have been a very special exhibition in order for someone with access to all of time and space to make the trip to.)

Ha, fair point, perfectly logical as well.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 05-06-2010 10:30pm

I enjoyed it a lot and I didn't think I would because I thought it'd just be dull filler, though while it was filler, it was fantastic filler...

Pittens · 05-06-2010 10:34pm

Curtis does ladle the sentimentality on. Like Love Actually.
And clearly Van Gogh is his favourite painter ( I dont think him the best ever).

I liked that Amy thought that Van Gogh would survive and paint more, that that would be the new timeline. There was no reason why he couldn't - Van Gogh's death, or life was not set in stone in that timey wimey wibbly wobbly way - but he didnt.

Very adult on depression. Part of me feels they could have lost the monster, and just visited Van Gogh as a vacation, the rest of the story would have been largely the same.

Daemos · 05-06-2010 10:57pm

Pittens wrote: »

Very adult on depression. Part of me feels they could have lost the monster, and just visited Van Gogh as a vacation, the rest of the story would have been largely the same.

True but having said that it is a story that's trying to reach a large target audience, so that the more mature fans can appreciate the seriousness of the depression storyline, while younger audiences will like the invisible monster that you can only see of you look at it with a mirror.

pixelburp · 06-06-2010 12:20am

Massively sentimental episode, but still very enjoyable all the same. Sure it didn't advanced any arc or reveal anything amazing, but if you have to have the 1-shot filler episodes, it's good that they're at least diverting and entertaining.

It handled van Gogh's depression quite well & decided not to ignore or pretend it didn't exist. Nor did the episode patronise by implying it could have been cured by a quick visit to the future; it was a tearful ending all told & props should go to the guy who played Vincent. His self-awareness of his insanity was a bit heavy-handed, but that wasn't his fault of course.

The monster itself was quite well done - the CGI was ok to be fair, perhaps the Venice episode was just an aberration - and although was probably surplus to requirements, at least it wasn't your standard "take over the world" affair. A blind monster that no one could see eh, how hellish.

As for the usuals; we only got little hints of the Doctor / Amy arc, so I guess that just confirms the episode's "filler" status, but clearly we're not done with Rory just yet.

PS. more props must go to the SFX of the night sky turning to a painting, that was really nicely done.

PPS. if this episode left one mark on me, it was the maintained desire to see Bill Nighy as the Doctor. All those little facial ticks and mannerisms, he practically was the Doctor in those scenes.

PPPS. Next week's looks VERY low-budget hehehe.

Series 5, Episode 10 - "Vincent and the Doctor"

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