This episode of Doctor Who is one of the most beloved episodes since the show returned in 2005 but I just cannot see why this is the case. You see as much as I did enjoy "Vincent & The Doctor" there were a lot of things about it that don't quite elevate it to that level for me.
The monster is the most obvious failure but there's also the sense of it being very much a filler episode and the fact that Van Gogh still kills himself so the whole thing was a waste of time. Not that I dislike the episode mind you, it just doesn't hold its own against many others.
Still there is a lot to like about it. Pitch-perfect acting, the direction is exquisite, the script written by the one and only Richard Curtis is utterly beautiful (despite many many flaws) and the emotional story is nailed to perfection. There's just something about it that doesn't click with me but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
If you want a properly emotional episode of Doctor Who then I'd recommend "The Girl Who Waited" or "Doomsday" or "Journey's End" or "Death In Heaven" before this one. I'd give this episode a 5/10, maybe a 6 if I felt generous? It's an episode with a lot of potential but missing that vital spark of life.
The monster is the most obvious failure but there's also the sense of it being very much a filler episode and the fact that Van Gogh still kills himself so the whole thing was a waste of time. Not that I dislike the episode mind you, it just doesn't hold its own against many others.
Still there is a lot to like about it. Pitch-perfect acting, the direction is exquisite, the script written by the one and only Richard Curtis is utterly beautiful (despite many many flaws) and the emotional story is nailed to perfection. There's just something about it that doesn't click with me but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
If you want a properly emotional episode of Doctor Who then I'd recommend "The Girl Who Waited" or "Doomsday" or "Journey's End" or "Death In Heaven" before this one. I'd give this episode a 5/10, maybe a 6 if I felt generous? It's an episode with a lot of potential but missing that vital spark of life.