Harry -
I love Doctor Who stories that give me glowing memories, even more so when the story is better on a rewatch years later.
Sarah -
"Vincent and the Doctor" was an immediate fan favorite. I can’t think of any other story that is so beloved in fandom. It’s so compassionate in its portrayal of mental illness.
Harry -
"Vincent and the Doctor" is also an art geek's dream. Even the troubling, unresolved absence of Rory was set aside for now. I was squeeing for 45 minutes.
Sarah -
The Doctor has taken Amy to a Vincent van Gogh exhibit at the Musée d'Orsay to see her favorite artist’s work. Amy is excited to be there and asks the Doctor why he is being so nice to her. While she isn’t consciously aware of Rory’s absence, it weighs on the entire story. The Doctor seems to be trying to keep her distracted with a series of trips and she mentions visiting Arcadia and the Trojan Gardens, before the museum visit.
The Doctor, being the Doctor, is distracted by a menacing face in the window of one of Vincent’s paintings and there’s only one option – a trip to 1890 in the TARDIS to talk to Vincent van Gogh!
Harry -
Only the Doctor could deliver a line like "We need to talk to Vincent van Gogh" and the universal response is "Yes! Let's do it!"
Although it has been a long time since the true historicals of Doctor Who, I'm totally fine with the historical/alien hybrid stories because they almost always throw a well-known person into the mix. The production team created a beautiful "south of France" set in Croatia, including the village lanes and the famous café, setting the stage for our first glimpse of Vincent himself. When he barged out the door I felt the same surge of electricity this time as on the first viewing.
Sarah -
Definitely one of the best entrances in the history of Doctor Who! Before he arrives, everyone is so dismissive of Vincent – “He's drunk, he's mad and he never pays his bills.”
The whole episode looks so good. Who needs the South of France when we have Croatia – and it’s so much more affordable. The crew made it look like a movie – and a van Gogh painting.
Harry –
It was nice to see Amy establish an immediate rapport with a fellow ginger. It helped Vincent get over his initial hostility to the Doctor, gain his and Amy's trust, and bond into an invisible alien hunting team in a matter of minutes.
Sarah -
I was so charmed by Amy and Vincent’s flirting and delighted by how uncomfortable it made the Doctor.
Harry -
The plot of the story was very straightforward, which was great here because it did allow everyone to explore the realities and impacts of mental illness. Only Amy could deliver a line like "I'm sorry you're so sad" and it's not awkward but filled with empathy.
Sarah -
And Vincent sees Amy’s sadness when she’s crying without knowing why. His “It’s all right, I understand,” hit me so hard.
Harry -
I will admit, there was a lot of waterworks activity throughout while watching this story.
There were also moments of humour, as Amy kept popping around a corner and scaring the living daylights out of the Doctor. Those moments were great. Karen Gillan's performance in this episode was so good. Amy stood strong in a field of wounded characters. The Doctor was befuddled and frustrated throughout while Amy kept steering conversations in just the right direction. She and Vincent made a great team and their moments of rapport were so sweet.
Sarah -
I’m developing a whole new appreciation of Karen Gillan’s performance on this rewatch.
Harry -
The alien antagonist turns out to be a frightened, isolated creature to empathise with. The Doctor's alien-finding doohickey discovers that the monster that has been terrorizing the village is a Krafayis, a kind of roostersaurus abandoned on Earth by its pack. Left behind and unable to see, it lashes out in frightened anger. The villagers have no idea what's going on. Only Vincent had some kind of ability to see the creature as no one else could, the same way he could see and paint the movements of the stars as no one else could. His vision resulted in the painting that caught the Doctor's eye in the Musée d'Orsay and launched the story in the opening scene. In this way, writer Richard Curtis suggests that the great artists of history saw things that others did not. Not sure what to think of this proposal.
Sarah -
I have a lot of artists in my life, so I’m comfortable with the idea of artists, especially van Gogh, seeing things we can’t. If anyone in the village was going to understand the Krafayis, it’s Vincent. Like Vincent, it’s lost, misunderstood, and unable to communicate.
The Doctor's alien-finding doohickey allows him to see the Krafayis, which he realizes is blind. It’s making its way around the room and finds the trio by following their faces. Vincent holds up an easel in defense and the Krafayis impales itself on the legs. The Doctor consoles the Krafayis, who was just afraid. Vincent understands the alien, “He was frightened, and he lashed out. Like humans who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me."
Harry -
Richard Curtis absolutely nailed it with this story.
Sarah -
It was an immediate classic, beloved by all! With the exception of cranky people who don’t understand emotions.
Harry -
I loved the scene where the trio lay in a circle gazing at the starry night sky, watching it swirl into the shapes of Vincent's famous painting.
Sarah -
Iconic!
Harry -
And then, the Doctor decides to ease some of Vincent's anxieties in a way that only he could, with a trip in the TARDIS.
I remember on first viewing, the scene where the Doctor brought Vincent to the Musée d'Orsay seemed over the top. It was because of the music - the sudden insertion of a modern, Coldplayesque thumper was so jarring at the time. On a rewatch it makes much more sense, imagining what it would be like for Vincent to be thrown into the early 21st century with all of its sights and sounds. He learns - courtesy of Bill Nighy's wonderful performance - that his art has left a lasting legacy to the world. No surprise it would have been overwhelming.
Sarah -
Taking Vincent to see the future of his work always feels wrong to me, but I’ll give it a pass for the beautiful moment for Vincent. There was not one dry eye in my house. Can we take a moment to appreciate Tony Curran’s amazing performance? I believe him every moment he’s on screen.
Harry -
Our emotions take a kicking when the Doctor and Amy return to the museum to find that their adventure had not changed the course of Vincent's life. But then they spot the dedication to Amy on the painting of sunflowers. A tiny change to the course of history that neither could find fault with.
Sarah -
In the end the Doctor can’t rewrite history, but maybe just in one small line.
Harry -
Possibly my favourite Eleventh Doctor story of them all, certainly the best story of the season. A weepy joy from start to finish.
Best Line: the Doctor watching Vincent paint the church. "Is this how time normally passes? Really slowly, in the right order?"
Favourite Moment: the three friends gazing at the starry night sky.
Lasting Image: Vincent at the Musée d'Orsay
9/10
Sarah -
Best Line: You’ve taken my quote, so here’s my second choice: “Sometimes winning, winning is no fun at all.”
Favorite Moment: Vincent at the Musée d'Orsay
Lasting Image: The three of them looking at the starry night sky
9/10
Our marathon continues with Story #211: The Lodger...
