Vincent and the Doctor review [Richard Curtis]

After taking Amy to a French museum, the Doctor discovers a sinister-looking creature in one of the paintings of Vincent van Gogh.
The Doctor's Case:

• A Good Quotation:
• "I'm... new in town." 
• Whilst William Shakespeare in The Shakespeare Code (who had an artistic block and fancied the Doctor's companion) didn't feel much like a real person and just spewed off some of his quotes every now and then, Vincent is a far more nuanced character, written without being a caricature by Richard Curtis and played with subtlety by Tony Curran.
• When you think of this episode, you probably think of the last few scenes with Vincent at the museum (a truly touching and eye-watering sequence) and then Amy expecting new paintings but discovering that depression still won out. These are scenes that will go down in the series' history as amongst the best. 
• It's a small part but Bill Nighy does a very good job as Dr Black, the museum guide who shares the Doctor's penchant for bow-ties and rambling.

The Valeyard's Case:

• "Oh, look, just shut uuuup, the pair of you!" Amy Pond seems to think she's above everyone and can speak however she likes to whoever she likes regardless of where she is. Granted, the Doctor does this but he's a seasoned, non-human time-traveller who isn't meant as an audience surrogate. Amy's Choice has proven that she can be a good character and removing her smugness and delusion of superiority and she might be bearable, which, in fairness, she was for the rest of the episode.
• The CG Krafayis isn't very impressive, but given how little we see it this isn't much of an issue. What's more of an issue is that... it's a bit of a naff monster. The episode is a character piece, yes, but that doesn't jettison the need for an interesting and compelling villain. It leaves the episode feeling rather uneven, ending with brilliance but being rather run-of-the-mill until then.
• The episode's high points are where it deals with the darkness of depression and sometimes feels slightly undermined by farce and light humour, usually from the Doctor.
• As a cat owner, I don't think the cat that shrieks when the TARDIS materialises would make a noise at all. I think it would run away without making a sound and then look back from a safe distance. But that's just pedantry.

The Master Plan: Amy, deep down, is aware of her loss of Rory.

I'll Explain Later:

• So, Rory was wiped from time and never existed. How, then, can Amy miss him subconsciously? It's the Flesh and Stone issue again. They're wiped from history and ever existing, only not really.
• Vincent says that the paintings are precious to him, yet he puts a coffee pot down on one. He also tries to trade one for a drink. How precious can they really be to him?

This Reminds Me...:

• The Eleventh Doctor will again suffer through the slowness of time's usual pace in The Power of Three.

The Inquisitor's Verdict: It's easy to remember the fantastic and heart-wrenching ending of the episode and to forget the undeveloped monster inserted as an afterthought, but unfortunately the episode isn't consistently good. The setting is good and the character of Vincent is explored rather well, but it doesn't make for a great episode. C

Doctor Who (Series 5)

The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood  |  Vincent and the Doctor  |  The Lodger