Shall we all be in agreement that last week's Doctor Who wasn't very good, and move on? I only have the vaguest recollections of it. From what I do recall, it was like I myself had a time machine and travelled back in time to a point just before the last series of 'old' Who was cancelled, and then remembered why. All people running around in scaly leotards carrying stunguns which can apparently be exploded just by pressing a button on the sonic screwdriver. The only thing of significance that happened was that Rory died; I might have cared more if he hadn't also died two weeks previously, and is now turning into a comedy "why can't you stop dying all the time" type character. They are bound to bring him back from the dead, otherwise why place the engagement ring so carefully on the Tardis console? I will save my tears. Also, how come the Doctor can now stick his hand in the "it will be like you have never been born" time crack and pull it out unscathed?This week's, penned by Richard "Love Actually, Notting Hill actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral actually, I'm dead famous actually" Curtis, was better. After an art history lesson from Bill Nighy (why aren't you the Doctor? Why?), the Doctor and Amy go back in time to save Vincent Van Gogh from a monster only he can see. Depression? Psychosis? No, a great big space dinosaur. The idea of an invisible monster is quite scary, but in reality it wasn't at all really, unless you are totally freaked out by nineteenth century French furniture being knocked over (my mother would probably have been behind the proverbial sofa.)
Fortunately the episode was saved by a great turn from Tony Curran as Van Gogh, and a thoughtful script that didn't dodge the tricky territory of Van Gogh's depression (Curran, curled up on his bed, sobbing with despair that the Doctor and Amy will leave him) and eventual suicide. (The first episode of Doctor Who ever to have one of those "if you have been affected by issues in this programme" phonelines?) I was promised tears aplenty, but I didn't shed any; I'm guessing that the blubworthy scene in question was when Vincent was taken to the contemporary Musee D'Orsee to see an exhibition of his own work and hear Nighy describe him as one of the greatest painters of all time, and one of the greatest men. Lovely grown-up fantasy stuff. The rest of the interest was in watching Vincent and Amy flirt outrageously; which I think is meant to be poignant in the post-Rory era, but actually just made me hope they don't bring back Rory after all, and Amy can carry on making eyes at all the other male guest stars.
Only three to go until the end. James Corden! River Song! Exploding Tardis! Bring it on!
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7 comments:
You are indeed a heartless witch.
I thought the first third of the Vincent episode was fun, an enjoyable set-up well done.
In the middle I was spectacularly unimpressed by a lame monster and a seemingly limp plot but as everything seemed to be coming a head a bit early I figured there was more to come.
And the ending was great. Sentimental but genuinely moving. The idea that this poor struggling artist who only ever sold one painting was given a brief glimpse of the glorious reception his work would receive generations later was a wonderful way to use time travel and provoke a tear or two.
I was lucky enough to see the screening at the BFI and no one aged over about 18 was left dry eyed. Fascinating Q&A afterwards with Curtis, producer, director and Karen Gillan.
And they had his little mirror machine thingy there which was cool.
As a stand alone episode I thought this was splendid.
Great review, Marie. I agree with the much of the sentiment (of your review) but I felt that the whole episode itself suffered from a lack of structure. This episode reminded me of the difference between the first series of Blackadder and the second, when Ben Elton came on board with his knob jokes (but a sense of urgency too, and drive).
The main problem for me was that Van Gogh's character was deliberately unlikeable. Fair enough, and accurate, but I couldn't really care less about his emotional exposure to the exhibition. And the episode seemed to end about five times in a row. When the credits rolled, I was a bit bored.
The guy playing Van Gogh, though, put in a terrific turn. Blew everyone else away.
But what's this malarkey about the locals sounded like Phil from Time Team and Van Gogh sounding like Taggart? It's almost as bad as the wire.
(I can only apologise for the typos in that last post; blimey.)
Well you know I cried... the monster was hopeless but I rather liked it being 'invisible' (*cough* cheap *cheap*)
Elder daughter loudly and defiantly claims that, had I not known that Chris Chibnall wrote the Silurian two-parter, I would have quite liked it. She's full of it. It was still crap.
Also, elder daughter downloaded this week's Doctor Who and failed to tell us until late last night. So I haven't seen it yet. *Fingers in ears. Lah-lah-lah, etc.*
Canadian television transmitted "Amy's Choice" this week and we re-watched it. Twice. Damn, that one is good...
I can't pretend to be a connoisseur or a critic. I just know I laughed and I cried (real sobby tears).
And I loved the whole idea of playing around with time and looking into the future from the past. A bit like Dickens' Christmas Carol and the ghost of christmas future - but Van Gogh was sooo much more attractive than Scrooge.
I still don't know how I feel about this ep (which is kind of how I feel about this whole series 5 actually) but, at the end, if they HAD to use an overly sentimental emo-rock tune (I'm not a fan of them in Sci-Fi or fantasy shows, it used to bug me with Joss Whedon's programmes too), why not use the ready-made cry-fest that is Don McLean's 'Vincent'??? C'mon! It's right there! :-)
Really not into Amy but this was the ep where I came closest to seeing her as a proper character. I still have a few eps to go in the good ol' US of A. Hmmmmm.
Erin.
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