Doctor Who, Ecstatic Beauty

I’m starting with my thoughts on this week’s Doctor Who episode “Vincent and The Doctor” and working backward. Call it a timey-wimey privilege. First off, I’d like to say that I recently made it dry-eyed through two very moving awards ceremonies and a touching graduation ceremony; what I did not make it dry-eyed through was this episode. I was vaguely familiar with the life of Vincent van Gogh, and though the show may have taken liberties with the portrayal of his daily life, I was floored by my own reaction to the episode. The writing, the visuals, and the excellent, excellent acting were beyond anything I expected from this one. I appreciated the shades of “The Shakespeare Code” (another favorite of mine) and how Vincent was tied in with the “villain” of the episode. I was not quite prepared for the Starry Night scene, and nothing, NOTHING could have prepared me for the “visit” Vincent took with The Doctor and Amy. I was so genuinely overjoyed and saddened simultaneously that I was nearly immobile for the rest of the episode. I freely admit to having tear-soaked sleeves. I think I’m not the only one. That one scene was instantly added to my top ten scenes of all time, quite possibly the top five. I love this show, guys.

Moving back: I may be the only viewer who thought the crack was sealed for the rest of this series. I don’t know why I thought it was, and I was actually a bit surprised to see it again. The shock of the events at the end of “Cold Blood” was nearly overridden by the opening of the crack, but I’m not disappointed that it’s still relevant. The Doctor, always so brave, reaching into the crack to pull out “shrapnel” was frightening enough, but when the collected fragment was revealed, I let out an audible gasp and my heart raced. This isn’t good. No, it’s not good at all. 😮 Seems to me that The Doctor and Amy are due for some serious treachery in the remaining episodes. Whoa. I’ll definitely be watching on the edge of my seat!

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