This was an incredible episode, naff monster of the week aside - and yet the idea that Van Gogh could see it where no one else could was a good metaphor for his depression. The treatment of his illness was very respectful - and the ending played out perfectly, even if it didn't end the way Amy had hoped. I was even happy with the slightly indulgent music montage because it said something profound about how people can be appreciated outside of their lifetime - or can be loved, even if they don't feel themselves worthy of it.
And I really liked how it figured into the ongoing character arcs - and figured it might well be foreshadowing, particularly with the idea that time can be rewritten being voiced again.
yet the idea that Van Gogh could see it where no one else could was a good metaphor for his depression.
That hadn't occured to me while watching, but I saw honorh bringing it up in her review, slapped my head and said "of course!".
And I really liked how it figured into the ongoing character arcs - and figured it might well be foreshadowing, particularly with the idea that time can be rewritten being voiced again.
*nods* Amy, being relatively new to time travel, assumes rewriting means a complete reverse - i.e. Van Gogh lives into an old age - and this is not what happens, but neither did their visit pass without an impact on him, and that definitely feels like foreshadowing. Also, it occurs to me that Amy with her childhood full of psychiatrists due to the Doctor's visit has even more reason to empathize with Vincent...
Also, it occurs to me that Amy with her childhood full of psychiatrists due to the Doctor's visit has even more reason to empathize with Vincent...Yes, that concept could be used for a very complicated story delving into Amy's psychology, though I'm not sure Moffat will go there. But given her multitude of psychiatrists, no wonder she had hoped they were able to "fix" Van Gogh and help him live to a ripe old age
( ... )
I was also intrigued by her line of dialogue, "I'm not the marrying kind." I wonder if this merely addresses a fundamental part of her character - her commitment issues, or perhaps suggests that with Rory completely out of the picture (to put it mildly), she is finally able to articulate how she really feels.
Might be both. She had her doubts about marriage with Rory in the picture as well, but without a best friend who had already shared most of her life in her memory, she both can't imagine having that kind of relationship, and has no problems saying that out loud.
I cannot wait to see where all this is headed, since I'm still not sure how the Doctor meddling in Amy's timeline (ie. a probable visit to young Amelia, a return to the site of the Byzantium crash - as alluded to in the two-parter) is supposed to help or fix anything - but then I guess we don't know how bad things get yet.
I wonder whether the crack somehow feeds from Amy losing memories. Given the Doctor's emphasis that she should remember in Flesh and Stone, and his
( ... )
As minor as the alien was in the episode, it was a brilliant and brilliantly used concept, I thought. I love all the sympathy afforded the "villains" this series. Or in general.
Reading other reviews pointing out the depression/Vincent as the only one who can see the monster metaphor has risen the alien in my esteem from "well, that worked" to "ah, that was clever!", definitely.
Which makes me reestimate my guess about Rory coming back; he might in the sense that we see him on screen again, but before his death, and what will be gained will be Amy's memories of him, but not his life.
Well, he died before he fell into the crack, so that's possible, but I'd like to think only Darlton would be cruel enough to return a beloved character just to have him or her die a second time on screen *glares*. I am suspecting that dealing with the crack might have more fundamental consequences for Amy's past, though - time can be rewritten - so he simply might end up not being intertwined in her life that deeply.
Amy with Van Gogh: I'm valiantly trying to keep out of any Amy-related fandom nonsense, but if I see anyone claim she isn't compassionate after this episode, I might resolve to name-calling and mud slinging.
Given this season's fairy tale motives, a magical mirror was bound to come up sooner or later
It also varies the theme of having to be able to see what is at the corner of your eye.
Well, he died before he fell into the crack, so that's possible, but I'd like to think only Darlton would be cruel enough to return a beloved character just to have him or her die a second time on screen *glares*.
Well, Rory died twice on screen already! And yes, the fact that he died before the crack got him contributes to my changing my original guess. We'll see how cruel the Moff is as a showrunner, I suppose. How was his record on Jekyll in that regard
( ... )
Actually, quite fluffy. He kind of overdoes the moments where Hyde seems poised to kill someone and then doesn't, and everybody who dies kind of has it coming to them.
Well, Rory died twice on screen already!
Well, admittedly, yes. It didn't stick at least once, though. I mean, maybe Moffat is going for third time's the charm, but how often would the audience want to see Rory die before it kind of loses it's impact?
Moreover, post-writing the review, it additionally occured to me that with the Doctor appearance and four psychiatrists in her childhood, she knows, in a milder version, what it's like to have people assume you're crazy and to see what nobody else has seen.
Yes, she would have greater understanding for that. She also knew how to deal with him and wasn't put off when he got irritable or moody, which even the Doctor didn't manage quite as well. (The Doctor was great, but he treated Van Gogh less as a peer and more as a beloved, fragile person you worry about.)
Which makes me reestimate my guess about Rory coming back;
Yes, I wondered that too. There was a very elegiac atmosphere to the episode as a whole and the fact that things can't always be fixed was stressed. As you say it may be that Amy regains her memories of him and is able to grieve for him with awareness rather than subconsciously.
Best use of special effects for a while.
Definitely. I haven't seen the Confidential yet but I'm interested to see if they talk about it.
As you say it may be that Amy regains her memories of him and is able to grieve for him with awareness rather than subconsciously.
I think she might also have the chance to say goodbye to him, which she hadn't both times he's died so far, but yes, I'm officially now in the "Rory probably is genuinenly dead" corner after this episode.
Which makes me reestimate my guess about Rory coming back; he might in the sense that we see him on screen again, but before his death, and what will be gained will be Amy's memories of him, but not his life.
I hadn't thought of this, but yes, it makes sense given the overall importance of memory in this series. And on a practical level, we know Gillan is on board for the next series, and given that the Beeb seems to prefer team TARDIS to be a twosome, it's a way of resolving things with Rory. It may also be that Amy gets to say a proper goodbye to him, too.
The monster was daft, but the sequence where the sky transformed was beautiful.
I hadn't thought of this, but yes, it makes sense given the overall importance of memory in this series.
As I've said to crossoverman, I'm now wondering whether the crack somehow feeds on Amy's memories, so that regaining them will contribute to fix it. (After all, Rory's existence isn't the first time she misses out on memories, there is the still unsolved mystery of her not remembering anything connected to the Daleks or the Daleks themselves, and whatever it is the Doctor told/will tell Amelia.)
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And I really liked how it figured into the ongoing character arcs - and figured it might well be foreshadowing, particularly with the idea that time can be rewritten being voiced again.
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That hadn't occured to me while watching, but I saw honorh bringing it up in her review, slapped my head and said "of course!".
And I really liked how it figured into the ongoing character arcs - and figured it might well be foreshadowing, particularly with the idea that time can be rewritten being voiced again.
*nods* Amy, being relatively new to time travel, assumes rewriting means a complete reverse - i.e. Van Gogh lives into an old age - and this is not what happens, but neither did their visit pass without an impact on him, and that definitely feels like foreshadowing. Also, it occurs to me that Amy with her childhood full of psychiatrists due to the Doctor's visit has even more reason to empathize with Vincent...
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Might be both. She had her doubts about marriage with Rory in the picture as well, but without a best friend who had already shared most of her life in her memory, she both can't imagine having that kind of relationship, and has no problems saying that out loud.
I cannot wait to see where all this is headed, since I'm still not sure how the Doctor meddling in Amy's timeline (ie. a probable visit to young Amelia, a return to the site of the Byzantium crash - as alluded to in the two-parter) is supposed to help or fix anything - but then I guess we don't know how bad things get yet.
I wonder whether the crack somehow feeds from Amy losing memories. Given the Doctor's emphasis that she should remember in Flesh and Stone, and his ( ... )
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Well, he died before he fell into the crack, so that's possible, but I'd like to think only Darlton would be cruel enough to return a beloved character just to have him or her die a second time on screen *glares*. I am suspecting that dealing with the crack might have more fundamental consequences for Amy's past, though - time can be rewritten - so he simply might end up not being intertwined in her life that deeply.
Amy with Van Gogh: I'm valiantly trying to keep out of any Amy-related fandom nonsense, but if I see anyone claim she isn't compassionate after this episode, I might resolve to name-calling and mud slinging.
Given this season's fairy tale motives, a magical mirror was bound to come up sooner or later
It also varies the theme of having to be able to see what is at the corner of your eye.
The scene where ( ... )
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Well, Rory died twice on screen already! And yes, the fact that he died before the crack got him contributes to my changing my original guess. We'll see how cruel the Moff is as a showrunner, I suppose. How was his record on Jekyll in that regard ( ... )
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Actually, quite fluffy. He kind of overdoes the moments where Hyde seems poised to kill someone and then doesn't, and everybody who dies kind of has it coming to them.
Well, Rory died twice on screen already!
Well, admittedly, yes. It didn't stick at least once, though. I mean, maybe Moffat is going for third time's the charm, but how often would the audience want to see Rory die before it kind of loses it's impact?
Moreover, post-writing the review, it additionally occured to me that with the Doctor appearance and four psychiatrists in her childhood, she knows, in a milder version, what it's like to have people assume you're crazy and to see what nobody else has seen.
Yes, she would have greater understanding for that. She also knew how to deal with him and wasn't put off when he got irritable or moody, which even the Doctor didn't manage quite as well. (The Doctor was great, but he treated Van Gogh less as a peer and more as a beloved, fragile person you worry about.)
Oh, and I ( ... )
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Yes, I wondered that too. There was a very elegiac atmosphere to the episode as a whole and the fact that things can't always be fixed was stressed. As you say it may be that Amy regains her memories of him and is able to grieve for him with awareness rather than subconsciously.
Best use of special effects for a while.
Definitely. I haven't seen the Confidential yet but I'm interested to see if they talk about it.
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I think she might also have the chance to say goodbye to him, which she hadn't both times he's died so far, but yes, I'm officially now in the "Rory probably is genuinenly dead" corner after this episode.
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I hadn't thought of this, but yes, it makes sense given the overall importance of memory in this series. And on a practical level, we know Gillan is on board for the next series, and given that the Beeb seems to prefer team TARDIS to be a twosome, it's a way of resolving things with Rory. It may also be that Amy gets to say a proper goodbye to him, too.
The monster was daft, but the sequence where the sky transformed was beautiful.
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As I've said to crossoverman, I'm now wondering whether the crack somehow feeds on Amy's memories, so that regaining them will contribute to fix it. (After all, Rory's existence isn't the first time she misses out on memories, there is the still unsolved mystery of her not remembering anything connected to the Daleks or the Daleks themselves, and whatever it is the Doctor told/will tell Amelia.)
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