Doctor Who 5x10

[such_heights]

Okay, I'm about to run out the door, so very quickly:

LOVE. Oh, goodness, I enjoyed this so much, and how the plot was secondary to the characters and emotion of the whole thing.

I LOVE AMY. a;sldkja;s SO MUCH OMG. I thought Karen did a fantastic job here, and her love for Van Gogh's art, and all the joy and sorrow of meeting him was just really beautiful. Also, MANY REDHEADED CHILDREN OMG. :D

I was nervous, going on, about the way mental health would be dealt with as a theme, but I ended up being personally pretty happy with it. The way Curtis wrote Van Gogh felt true to some of my own experiences, and I'm happy that he was neither a caricature of 'madness' nor a tortured artist in the sense that he was only good because he was in so much pain. (I'd welcome other people's thoughts on this portrayal, though - I may have depression myself, but I'm not always that critical about its portrayal in media.)

The Rory references were DEVASTATING. D: Make it better, show!

I loved the sentimentality of it all - the scene in the field with the OT3 hand-holding and the sea of stars was absolutely glorious.

So yes, love love love. Please to not be harshing my squee in the comments!

Comments

[pocketmouse]

It was gorgeous, and I was so glad that the plot being resolved early was to wallow in Van Gogh, and not a red herring.

Also, I'm taking the Rory references as a sign that we're not done with him.

[calapine]

GILLAN'S FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ARE AMAZING.

And, omg, there was lots of running for the Doctor and he runs brilliantly.

Plus, y'know, CRAZY AMOUNT OF LOVE FOR ART AND THE MUSEE D'ORSAY AND THIS IS MOST PLEASING.

[shei]

I loved it too. There won't be any squee harshing from me. It was hauntingly beautiful and it'll stay with me for a long time.

[such_heights]

Yes, the wallowing was glorious and lovely and just the sort of thing Doctor Who should be able to do.

Oh, absolutely = it's not the end! I refuse to believe it! In the meantime, I am enjoying the OT3 of the Week theme they have going.

[such_heights]

I KNOW OMG. Her faces of squee! Both of their actings delight me immensely.

SHOOOOOOOW. How are there only three episodes left?!

[pocketmouse]

Yes, with the Doctor doing obvious cockblocking of Amy/Rory shippiness.

*bursts back into room to check on them*

[such_heights]

Beautiful, yes, entirely. That scene with the stars! Oh, my heart.

[gandaki]

I'm happy that he was neither a caricature of 'madness' nor a tortured artist in the sense that he was only good because he was in so much pain.

YES, THIS. That's the same impression I got from the episode.

[beck_liz]

I loved this ep SO MUCH! Amy was awesome! And oh, the Doctor forgetting Rory wasn't there while Amy didn't remember he was supposed to be there at all! *sniff* And the guy playing Vincent was amaaaaazing.

[aoftheis]

I was also very happy with the portrayal of depression, for many of the same reasons you were. It was a complex thing, a part of him that coexisted with all of the beauty and the wonder he saw. I thought it was heartbreaking but ultimately right that he still committed suicide. I liked the quiet, respectful way the Doctor tried to talk to him about it, and the way he brushed it off; it seemed very real to me. Whoever portrayed Van Gogh did a brilliant, nuanced job.

The OT3 moment had me squeeing SO HARD.

Essentially, this is one of my new favourite episodes. ♥

[nekare]

RORY IS NOT GONE NO HE ISN'T HE TOTALLY ISN'T. My denial, it is big. Lovely episode though, got me teary. It was also really pretty, visually, what with the starry night and everything. Aw.

Don't have any DW icons in DW, so let's have an artsy one instead!

[crooked]

oh my god, this was an absolutely beautiful episode. i will not even try to deny that i got teary on more than one occasion. OH, SHOW. ♥

not having (so far) any mental health issues myself, i don't know that i'm the best person to give an opinion on the portrayal, but i personally thought that the way the show handled it was respectful and it felt very real.

OT3 moment in the starry-skied field of nighttime beauty and wonder? ALKHASFASLK OH, MY HEART. <3333

[lorannah]

I am breathless with how much I loved this episode, just absolutely breathless. The deep vein of sorrow and grief throughout, alongside the beauty and joy. Just perfect.

[lefaym]

I loved it too.

It made me cry, but in a good way. It's weird, but even though I've been crying, this is the opposite of the way CoE made me feel. There was something very life-affirming about this episode.

I was also very happy with the way depression was portrayed. It resonated with me strongly.

[such_heights]

Yes, feeling that they'd got it right made me think of some of your posts, actually!

[such_heights]

So much heartclenching! OH SHOW. <3333

[such_heights]

I liked the quiet, respectful way the Doctor tried to talk to him about it, and the way he brushed it off; it seemed very real to me.

YES. And just -- having the Doctor talk that way about something that's a part of my life really hit me right where my feelings are.

a;lsdkj;as I want to watch it again right now! (Boo, silly revision.)

[such_heights]

I JOIN YOU ON THE DENIAL TRAIN. HE'S TOTALLY COMING BACK.

And yes, the visuals were really gorgeous and I want to go wallow in them some more. <3

[such_heights]

EVERYTHING WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND LOVELY AND SAD AND I'M STILL ALL TEARY. DAMMIT, SHOW. <3333 *twirls you*

[such_heights]

SO GOOD. And yes, all the feeling in it was really gorgeous, a;slkdja;sj. I LOVE THIS SEASON SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.

[such_heights]

Absolutely - this is the good kind of crying! It felt redemptive and beautiful and wonderfully accepting. The idea that the Doctor talks about, about good things and bad things, it was all just wonderful.

[calapine]

How are there only three episodes left?!

THAT IS JUST UNFAIR. How did it go so fast? Why is there not more? HOW CAN THEY MAKE US WAIT TILL CHRISTMAS?

[51stcenturyfox]

Same same. I bawled but it was good bawling.

Agree with the hand-holding. AWWWWWW! Sweeeeeet!

[snorkackcatcher]

I may have depression myself, but I'm not always that critical about its portrayal in media

Ditto. Because hey, breaking news, it is scary. But this episode dealt with it really well (and I didn't even realise going in that it was going to), not to mention tapping into my Van Gogh fanboy streak. Just right for this point in the series.