Added to my Pile of Good Things.
D'aaaawww, Doctor Who, this is why I love you---you can break my heart and lift me up all in one episode.
I think Doctor Who handles historical figures quite well. Even though the Doctor always goes on about how the featured person is "the greatest X who ever lived," the episodes also show them as people with insecurities and flaws, who often feel that the stuff they produce isn't all that awesome or special. Yes, the portrayals might be slightly simplistic (with a bit of a "Greatest Hits" thing going on), but there's only so much you can do for a 45-minute family sci-fi show. Still, they never feel one-dimensional to me. Maybe I'm just insane.
I loved Van Gogh! Vincent was so sweet, even though he was so tortured. I did like that we got to see both sides of his bipolar condition: his manic side (when he was talking about the colors talking to him---people in manic states can evidently have delusions like that) and his depression (obviously, when he was crying on his bed). Going from manic to depressed stages takes much longer than that, and apparently, there's a period of normality in between, but Vincent did mention later that they usually last for weeks or months, and I think they caught him in the in-between stage. Still, I thought he was darling. I liked that this episode was about the man, not the monster. Also, I was amazed that they found an actor who could end up resembling Van Gogh's self-portrait (DW either has the best casting director or the best makeup artist in the world).
I also like that they did not sugar coat the fact that he was not well-liked or well-known at all during his lifetime. He's also the first historical figure they've met whose career was pretty much posthumous. I mean, a figure like Shakespeare did only grow to godlike status after his death (thanks to his buddies who published the Almighty Folio), but he was still well-loved during his lifetime. Same goes for Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens. Not the case here, which was a really nice change of pace, sad as it was. I also liked that the writers chose a painter instead of an author this time. Again, it's good to shake things up a bit.
Vincent/Amy OTP! Okay, I'll admit it: I haven't been able to bring myself to watch "Cold Blood" because I don't want to watch Rory fade out of existence because I really like Amy/Rory. But Vincent/Amy was so adorable! Is it horrible that my sentimental side wanted them to get married and have tons of Ultimate Ginger Children? I do kind of wish she'd had a little more development in the episode, though. Mostly she just flirted and gathered sunflowers.
Vincent/Amy/Doctor OT3! I loved when the three of them lay on the ground holding hands and the sky transformed into "Starry Night." I know that a bunch of people will probably rant about how cheesy it was. I. DON'T. CARE. I thought it was sweet and beautiful. I should probably mention right now that his "Starry Night" always makes me feel happy and calm. Always. So that was really wonderful, at least for me.
My more cynical side freaked out when they took Vincent to the Musee D'Orsay (which is now in Cardiff, apparently), thinking, "Nonono, bad idea! Big no-no! Paradoxes await thee!" But my sentimental side won out in the end when he cried "tears of joy." And Bill Nighy was nerdishly awesome as the art expert.
The only niggle I have is that the voiceover dude plugged a depression hotline over the credits. It felt cheap. But not even that could ruin the episode. And apparently, next week is the Doctor-Lite episode. Have you ever noticed that Nine didn't get a Doctor-Lite episode?
ETA: I realized that the episode's monster (the Grivace?) was an outcast because it could not see, while Vincent was an outcast because he saw things differently. Interesting contrast (though I might be pulling out some epileptic trees here).
Also, I enjoyed the portable rearview mirror's scan of the Doctor that showed One and Two when he printed it out. I think it's a funny little running gag, but I think it's also a good way for the writers to remind the viewers (children, yes, but especially fangirls) that the current Doctor is not the only Doctor, which is a message that I think got lost during Ten's era (as we saw when his regeneration was announced).
I think Doctor Who handles historical figures quite well. Even though the Doctor always goes on about how the featured person is "the greatest X who ever lived," the episodes also show them as people with insecurities and flaws, who often feel that the stuff they produce isn't all that awesome or special. Yes, the portrayals might be slightly simplistic (with a bit of a "Greatest Hits" thing going on), but there's only so much you can do for a 45-minute family sci-fi show. Still, they never feel one-dimensional to me. Maybe I'm just insane.
I loved Van Gogh! Vincent was so sweet, even though he was so tortured. I did like that we got to see both sides of his bipolar condition: his manic side (when he was talking about the colors talking to him---people in manic states can evidently have delusions like that) and his depression (obviously, when he was crying on his bed). Going from manic to depressed stages takes much longer than that, and apparently, there's a period of normality in between, but Vincent did mention later that they usually last for weeks or months, and I think they caught him in the in-between stage. Still, I thought he was darling. I liked that this episode was about the man, not the monster. Also, I was amazed that they found an actor who could end up resembling Van Gogh's self-portrait (DW either has the best casting director or the best makeup artist in the world).
I also like that they did not sugar coat the fact that he was not well-liked or well-known at all during his lifetime. He's also the first historical figure they've met whose career was pretty much posthumous. I mean, a figure like Shakespeare did only grow to godlike status after his death (thanks to his buddies who published the Almighty Folio), but he was still well-loved during his lifetime. Same goes for Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens. Not the case here, which was a really nice change of pace, sad as it was. I also liked that the writers chose a painter instead of an author this time. Again, it's good to shake things up a bit.
Vincent/Amy OTP! Okay, I'll admit it: I haven't been able to bring myself to watch "Cold Blood" because I don't want to watch Rory fade out of existence because I really like Amy/Rory. But Vincent/Amy was so adorable! Is it horrible that my sentimental side wanted them to get married and have tons of Ultimate Ginger Children? I do kind of wish she'd had a little more development in the episode, though. Mostly she just flirted and gathered sunflowers.
Vincent/Amy/Doctor OT3! I loved when the three of them lay on the ground holding hands and the sky transformed into "Starry Night." I know that a bunch of people will probably rant about how cheesy it was. I. DON'T. CARE. I thought it was sweet and beautiful. I should probably mention right now that his "Starry Night" always makes me feel happy and calm. Always. So that was really wonderful, at least for me.
My more cynical side freaked out when they took Vincent to the Musee D'Orsay (which is now in Cardiff, apparently), thinking, "Nonono, bad idea! Big no-no! Paradoxes await thee!" But my sentimental side won out in the end when he cried "tears of joy." And Bill Nighy was nerdishly awesome as the art expert.
The only niggle I have is that the voiceover dude plugged a depression hotline over the credits. It felt cheap. But not even that could ruin the episode. And apparently, next week is the Doctor-Lite episode. Have you ever noticed that Nine didn't get a Doctor-Lite episode?
ETA: I realized that the episode's monster (the Grivace?) was an outcast because it could not see, while Vincent was an outcast because he saw things differently. Interesting contrast (though I might be pulling out some epileptic trees here).
Also, I enjoyed the portable rearview mirror's scan of the Doctor that showed One and Two when he printed it out. I think it's a funny little running gag, but I think it's also a good way for the writers to remind the viewers (children, yes, but especially fangirls) that the current Doctor is not the only Doctor, which is a message that I think got lost during Ten's era (as we saw when his regeneration was announced).