“This show has one chance to redeem itself” Proceeds to one of the best episodes of the show ever.

Bill Nighy apparently made his speech up about Van Gogh because he himself is such a big fan.

I always thought the monster in this episode was a little wacky but then it clicked that it's actually just a metaphor for depression. Something noone else can see but the presence of which can be noticed by how it affects your actions, against which even the best doctors can only do so much and which can only be dealt with when you accept the help and support of others and face up to it yourself. When it originally aired the BBC finished off the episode with a message that "if you or anyone you love has been affected by issues in this episode call the number onscreen" with a mental health helpline number.

"900 years of space and time and I've never met someone who was unimportant." "Everyone is important to someone." True wisdom of The Doctor.

When Amy said, "I'm not really the marrying kind," I didn't take that to mean she didn't really want to marry Rory. I took it that in a reality where she never knew him, she never had any desire to get married. In the reality where she did know him, she did.

This episode encapsulates why Eleven is my favourite Doctor. He is so deeply empathetic and tactful with how he treats Vincent. He knows he cant really help in the broader sense of saving his life. He treats him with kindness, gives advice, gives him space when he needs it. Hes incredibly thoughtful towards him in what he knows is a tricky situation. Then there is his treatment of Amelia, he consoles her grief so beautifully. He shows what a truly great friend he is to her. Eleven is wonderful.

AMY: So you were right. No new paintings. We didn’t make a difference at all. THE DOCTOR: I wouldn’t say that. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and… bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things.

Who Fact - Bill Nighy who play the art historian is a huge Who fan and an even bigger Van Gogh fan, He offered to do the episode for no pay, just to be a part of the episode was payment enough for him.

Oof, when Paula said she loves Van Gogh my heart instantly broke. This is honestly one of the greatest episodes in all of television. Of course this is my opinion and anyone can disagree

Usually I go into these videos thinking "I wonder if they're gonna cry today." This episode, I didn't have to wonder. Crying for this episode is inevitable.

Tony Curran played Vincent and he is a PHENOMENAL actor! I first saw him on Defiance and he kills it in this episode!

The writer of this episode, Richard Curtis wrote, "So - here’s the thing - the key reason I wrote this episode - was out of love for my sister Bindy. She was a gorgeous and brilliant person, 2 years older than me. She loved Vincent Van Gogh and life. She couldn’t have been more full of generosity and joy. But half way through her life she was hit by depression and intermittently it hurt her for the rest of her life. And a few years before this show, like Vincent, she took her own life. That was me trying to show Bin how glorious she had been in our lives - and how nothing could change that, taking her own life wasn’t a failure by her, or a rejection of all of us. It was, as they say on Love island, what it was."

I think in Matt Smith's run this will be the one he is remembered for most and rightly so, hits such an emotional chord.

When Paula said she loved Van Gough I knew we was in for a tissue session. Then she said she went to his exhibition in London and I died a little inside.

EVERY time i see this the end scene back in the present makes me cry lika a baby ... i never cry with any other episode of any show but this episode for me is the best episode of tv history ... the only thing making me cry xD

Did I cry? Maybe a bit more than usual whenever I’ve rewatched this episode. That bit where they visualize how Vincent “sees” the vivid colors of the Starry Night sky is always my favorite aesthetic moment..

This one really gets to me. Suffering from depression for decades, I find it easy to identify with Vincent. It is interesting that see his role as a manifestation of Amy’s sadness after losing Rory. She can’t even remember his existence but she’s still suffering and grieving. I’ve often felt like I’m grieving but don’t know why. Or for whom. Maybe myself. But to be crippled by pain with no known source or reason is hard to bare.

Went all through the comments and no one named the song. Athlete is the band, and the song is Chances. I can never hear it without crying. What an episode.

This is honestly one of my FAVOURITE episodes of matt Smith, that ending slays me every time

I love this episode. Heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I think Vincent being the only one able to see the invisible monster is a metaphor for the invisible monster people with mental illness fight inside their heads all the time. No one else except them knows what it's like to live through it all everyday. This still could've been cheesy, but it works because it's Vincent Van Gogh. One of the most brilliant, creative minds to have ever lived. That scene with Vincent in the museum is so emotional, I tear up every time I watch it. It's very poignant that a man who knew nothing but pain and was treated like dirt by those around him, comes to find out that he's cherished and celebrated by people long after he's gone. The actor that played Vincent (his name escapes me atm) did an incredible job. What I love the most about this episode is that Vincent still ended up killing himself. That might sound strange, but it would've been all too easy for them to "fix" Vincent. I think it would've been quite insensitive for them do that. Instead, they presented the issue of depression in a very true to life and realistic manner. The Doctor's "life is a pile of good things and bad things" speech right at the end is absolutely beautiful and life affirming. This is also one of the episodes in this series that I actually like Amy in, along with "The Eleventh Hour", "Amy's Choice", "flesh and Stone" (until the last five minutes) and the finale. In other stories during this series I either don't care about her or I find her annoying. One of the reasons why I like Amy in this episode is her dynamic with Vincent, I think it's adorable. It's really nice how much she grows to care about him as an actual person rather than just an historical figure. It's also really great how Vincent can sense Amy has lost someone. Despite the fact that Rory has been erased from time, traces of him still remain inside of Amy. The pain of his loss is there, but Amy doesn't understand why. It's a pretty scary idea to be crying and not know the reason why. Next episode is a fun one, but It's all about the finale for me now.

Honestly the song playing when Vincent is seeing all his work makes it 10x more sad. Like it would be sad anyway but THAT SONG.

Bill Nighy is also pretty much obsessed with the works of Van Gogh, to the point where his speech at the end that brings Vincent to tears is something that he completely ad libbed, pouring out his own true feelings straight from his heart.

All the comments are talking about Van Gogh (very understandable), but let's not forget how the episode constantly drives the knife in and twists it, to remind us of the Rory-shaped hole in the universe.

Bill Nighy kicks ass in this episode.

As a 25 year old male that suffers with depression and has to deal with the mental gymnastics on a daily basis - I LOVE this episode of Doctor Who and it will always be important to me. It so delicately dived headfirst into depression and wasn't afraid to show some of it's true colours and how it isn't a simple matter of, "well why don't you just stop being sad?" I'm also glad that the episode didn't back-step at the end and kept Vincent's history intact with no changes so the message of depression never got fantasised or brushed to the side at the end. It was tackled very very well and with a lot of respect. I loved your reactions guys and the breakdown at the end regarding getting help and not feeling pathetic for it. I took way too long to admit I had a problem and I always made the excuse that I had no reason to be depressed as there are many others who suffer silently with lives that have been far worse than mine and they were the ones who deserved the help. To anyone who has thoughts like I had (and I do still get them), try your best to beat them early on and to get help as soon as you are ready. Never let depression eat you up because it will only spit you out 10x worse till it wants more and it won't go away. I hope both of you guys take care of yourselves and stay safe - especially you Katrina as I know this quarantine has been a nightmare for everyone but dare-I-say more for us that suffer with mental illness.

I remember Tony Curran as the invisible man in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This was a great episode! You ladies are troopers for making it through this after the heartache of last time. Paula, don't give up on the show please. Kat, I hope you have more good times than bad. We can all make it through this quarantine. Stay strong, you two.

Came seeking this reaction out today because it's one that allows a bit of relief in the midst of depression; oftentimes I find myself watching the episode itself on days like this (for much the same reasons I watch The Body, from Buffy's own Season Five), because it is a reminder that, even in the midst of these moods & in times of grieving; death; torment, there are still moments of beauty; love; friendship & comfort. I've watched a Colombian lesbian movie (only one to date as far as I know) for similar reasons. There's always a flower in the dark if you let yourself see it. I've been fortunate; Goddess willing, I will continue to be so, kerk

I’m pretty sure most everyone cries at the end of this one, every time. Of course I can only speak for myself. It was a beautiful way to highlight mental health, and incorporate it into a story in an effective way.

Being bipolar this episode has a profound meaning for me. Thanks for watching it and feel it.

There are probably bigger spectacle episodes with big moving speeches but this is probably the most human in the whole series and the ending is hard but authentic.

I fight chronic depression every day. I'm also a gigantic Vincent van Gogh fan. (To the point that as I type this, I am wearing a t-shirt that features "A Starry Night" prominantly. I've seen this episode perhaps 40 times so far, and every single time it makes me cry. Big tough guy that I am, I cry like a baby, every time.

14 years and this scene still gets me

Young Ladies, you both need to rename this wonderful show the " Sniffles Gals! " 😁

I cry every time I see the end of this episode. I was fortunate to see several of his paintings and sketches at an exhibit near where I live in January. It was definitely one of the most memorable experiences so far. There was a timeline done of his life among other things about him and this episode was referenced.

When I need a good cry I come back to this episode.

Katrina's face when Paula is making her introductory comments about loving Van Gogh is priceless!

I love Amy's last line. It's just beautiful. And I'm already in tears when she says it.

I've been binging these reactions the past few days, and I I've cried so much. Honestly, this must be one of the most tear-filled periods of my life. I've cried watching episodes of Dr Who before, but I get empathy emotions really easily when people around me are sad/crying so watching you both I've been a wreck honestly.

Being suicidal is just about the worst. It's like part of you has already died and all that's left is a capacity for pain. You're incapable of catching your breath and all rationality is fading. You're only half alive. Then you just snap out of it. No reason. It just happens. No one is in control. Luck is life.

One of my favorite subtle moments in this (frankly amazing) episode is amy's reaction to eleven "I also don't belong on this planet, I also am...alone"

This episode gets to me every time as it seems to do to a lot of other people who have seen and felt the sharp sting of reality. I find it to be one of the most intemporal episodes in the entirety of Who and that says something. I'm glad the Doctor was always there for Vincent and for a lot of other people.

Beautiful episode! I have to cry everytime. 😢

Vincent and the Doctor is one of the most beautiful episodes ever written. Tony Curran plays Vincent incredibly well, selling both the character's emotional struggles, and his passion for the arts (and yes, apparently he did have Synaethesia), especially in the scene where he tells the Doctor and Amy how he sees the world, and we see the night sky turn into his "Starry Night" painting. It's a staggeringly beautiful moment. The episode also does a fantastic job at showing Vincent's depression. It would've been very easy to make this into a very maudlin and tasteless experience, yet the the script from Richard Curtis (Blackadder, Four Weddings and a Funeral) treats the subject matter with proper maturity and grace. Vincent's mood swings are treated with great respect, and the scene where he comforts Amy with her own trauma, in spite of her not remembering why she's upset was fantastic. A lot of people have criticised the Krafayis, saying it was a pointless addition, but even the monster fits into the episode's theme; an invisible monster that no one can see, yet causes great despair, can only be seen by Vincent, and can be fought off with help from a doctor. But the final 10 minutes are really where the episode shines. I don't think I've ever watched the scene where Vincent visits the gallery without getting emotional; we can feel the joy and happiness that he's feeling as Bill Nighy gives that impassioned speech, as he sees hundreds of people not just looking at his paintings, but actually enjoying them. It's a beautiful scene, and one that turns into a proper gut-punch once Amy and the Doctor return and find that in spite of seeing this, Vincent still committed suicide. Because depression is a complicated thing, and one happy experience is not going to cure it and automatically make everything better. At the same time, as the Doctor puts it, just because Vincent killed himself doesn't mean that the good experiences were pointless; they made his life just a little bit better, and that's definitely worth something. This is my favourite Eleventh Doctor speech; normally his speeches are big epic diatribes boasting of his skill and power. Instead, here he says something small, sweet and life-affirming, and it's even more impactful given that the Doctor is put in the background for most of the episode compared to Vincent and Amy. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan do a phenomenal job in this final scene, as they look at the new dedication added to the "Sunflowers", providing the perfect ending to this wonderful episode

Still my favourite historical episode to date, and just one of my favourite 'Doctor Who' episodes in general ❤️ I still tear up at Vincent's big scene and the end every time. Even watching your reaction tugged at my heartstrings!

I've watched the museum scene almost as many times as Katrina has seen the episode. Can't help but cry every time

Amazing episode in my opinion, and the quote regarding life being a pile of good things and bad things still one of my favorite quotes of any media. Add my favorite painter if all time and here we are. Dealing with depression and those times that I am feeling down... probably one of the episodes I come back to the most because of it.... one of those episodes that makes you REALLY appreciate this show

Remind me when i read Vincent Van Gogh biography and i am crying reading it and the end of his life was so sad. No one cared or like his painting when he still alive. His painting was heavily critisized when he is alived. The moment he die, i cried very hard and it end with how his painting was only being appreciated after his death and Vincent didn't even know about it. I got very emotional watching this.

This episode was dedicated to the writers sister who took her own life from depression something i have lived with for years she was a huge fan of vincent he wrote it beautifully and helped highlight mental health wish i could just get rid of this pain

Richard Curtis did a great job scripting this episode; he has always been interested in mental health.

The actor that played Vicent is also in the movie underworld and blade 2. He played Marcus in underworld. In blade 2 played priest.

I always want to send each of them a box of tissues! This is in my top 3 all time favorite episodes. And Given I was 5 when it first hit the BBC in 1963, I have watched a lot of episodes :)

The set dressing and lighting in this episode is so, so good.

This one - yeah, it makes you cry, but I never feel like it's a bad cry. It's a really good cry, because it's such a beautiful portrayal of depression, and of it's human expression. And the end is, without doubt, the best use of a time machine in all of fiction.

The extra kick in this scene is that Vincent and the Curator were also Markus and Vyktor in the Underworld movies. Nice seeing them get along. ^_^

I've had depression my whole life (I'm 51) and these last few months have been hard. But one of the joys is watching Doctor Who videos like yours. You make a difference.

One of the greatest parts of "Who". Some episodes purely for fun and laughs but also some really tug at your emotions. And even touches on some reality with this. Seen many times and still tear up at it. I understand you have to clip and edit these down for the youtube masters. But kind of a shame didn't see you reacting to my favorite shot of this episode. The starry night scene.

I always like to imagine Vincent is one of those rare people with naturally polarised vision which is why he could see it.

One of the best episode of doctor who, top 5 for me, visually stunning and it doesn't stop to get emotional even after 30 times ;)

I don't know if either of you realized this, but Bill Nighy and Tony Curran both portrayed vampires in Underworld:Evolution. This probably explains Bill Nighy's quizzical look after having met Vincent.

Definitely an episode you need to watch with someone, you need them afterwards! Sorry you gals couldn’t be in the same room.

You're absolutely amazing Kat! Nothing but Respect & Solidarity

I think this was one of my ex-wife's favorite episodes. Depression and anxiety run in my family. So it struck a real chord. Particularly with COVID-19. My daughter, a smart and mature teenager that she is, recognized her depression was getting out of control and checked herself into an inpatient program which probably saved her life. Episodes like this probably help a lot of people.

Your shows really help me keep track of what day is Tuesday and Thursday during this isolation.

I think you'd both really enjoy a movie called 'Loving Vincent'. It is the most BEAUTIFUL animation I've seen in years, and literally every frame is an oil painting!

imagine watching this episode, and just thinking "it was just fine". jesus .

god this episode is so good! its one of the only episodes that gets better the more you watch it. and the symbolism with the monster is crazy, a monster only Vincent can see and the doctor can only get a glance at the monster, its so obviously a metaphor for depression but it doesent do the kid show trope of telling without showing which makes it all the more powerful!

Been waiting for paula to see this episode. I hope all the crying didnt get her dehydrated. Btw it is such a brilliant metaphor for depression. A monster only you can see. A monster other people may not believe exists for that fact but importantly its a monster that a doctor can help you fight. I think my favorite part of this episode is that they didnt flinch in explaining that sometimes no matter how much of a positive impact you make on someone like vincent it just wont be enough to keep the monster from winning and thats ok it doesnt change how much of an impact you had.

Love your reactions as always! Depression and mental health handled in a very deft subtle way; it affects us all. Well done for being so brave and sharing with us. When people reach out to help, maybe they will be rejected, but the key is never never to give up on anyone, no matter how things go. This episode was written by Richard Curtis, who wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, Love Actually. Bill Nighy the Van Gogh exhibit curator, is a real Van Gogh fan and basically wrote his own speech at the end.

The Doctor always sees the universe as a net of fixed and not fixed point in the universe. He already knew that by showing is future to Vincent it gonna not change anything. But at the same point the Doctor KNOWS that the life is done by small things and everyhing does a difference even if small and he wanted to do this little kind thing.

I just noticed the arrow curser is alternating between being a toothpick and a nose pick for Katrina. LOL

Possibly my favorite episode of the modern show - and yes Ive seen it many times and the last scenes always get to me! I think it also improves with more watches too....send you both big virtual hugs!!

This episode (specifically the speech from the museum guy about Vincent) always makes me tear up...

Even before i watch, there going to be a lot of crying and tears..... thats just from me lol, gets me everytime

I've also struggled with depression which is why this episode hits close to home. It is definitely my favorite episode of Doctor Who. Thank you Katrina & Paula for creating this wonderful content during these tough times. You've both definitely added to my pile of good things🖤

Katrina. I think the word you were looking for was Savant. Which Vincent certainly was. Great Reactions Girls. Yep! You got me again. the tears started watching you both. Though not as much as your Reactions to, 'Cold Blood'. Listening to your chat after it I was shocked and stunned. Stunned and Shocked Paula. Did you use a swear word? I have never used a single swear word in my life. Three or four but never a single one. Ha! Ha!

I just saw that your animation reactions just dropped today, but I decided to rewatch this video because I needed to hear your conversation again from 21:00-29:00. It is so important for us to hear during this time and I need to be reminded that I'm not alone in the struggle so thank you for talking about this. OK. I think I'm ready shift the target of my catharsis. I'm going to go watch your videos from today, which I also need. Thanks again and sorry for the long post!

I love that both of you have such depth of feeling. In my experience, that makes you such remarkable people.

This episode is about Van Gogh fighting an enemy only he can see - and also there's an alien monster in it, too. I love how the idea of the monster is a personification of Van Gogh's depression. Only he knows its there, he is attacked by others because of it, he gains strength through other's believing him, yet still only he can fight it - and ultimately, its death is a sad event. I was also really glad you played Nighy's speech in full. I love that moment and was glad to see your full reaction to it. This is a fantastic episode.

Oh girls, want to give both a hug - such a good episode, need to show it to everyone.

Two major tearjerkers in a row. I've been through a lot of mental health problems myself, like depression, anxiety and autism. So this episode definitely hits me. I seem to recall Bill Nighy did this episode for free and totally uncredited. I think it was because of Richard Curtis writing the episode (the same guy who wrote pretty much every British rom-com of the last 30 years, some of which Nighy has starred in!). Also, Nighy's a real-life fan of Van Gogh, so that whole monologue about him came from the heart.

“Oi, Suzi” “50,000 people used to paint here, now it’s a ghost town”

Bill Nighy was rumoured to have been courted for the role of The Doctor at one point. That would’ve been quite something.

I’ve seen elsewhere that Bill Nighy who Doctor Who couldn’t normally afford did his part for free/low rates because he’s such a Van Gogh fan. Fun fact 2: when Dutch people pronounce ‘Gogh’ it comes out as a slightly phlegm-y ‘Herk’. (Thanks to QI for that nugget!).

Vincent wasn't just depressed, he was Bipolar. He's in the club of famous creators who could channel their pain and emotions into great beauty and into things that would be so beloved for decades or centuries after. Edgar Allan Poe and Carrie Fisher are two others. All three of them faced severe manic depression and weren't able to get the help they needed in time, and while Carrie eventually did get help, it wasn't until later in her life after a total breakdown and years of self medication through various drugs and alcohol had already taken their toll. But all three took the dark places they were in and turned it into amazing works of art, literature, cinema, and even comedy which to me shows that even the darkest of moments, there is always light, even if it can't be seen immediately.

Mad respect for you girls, letting your emotions all hang out here. Definitely been crying with you on this episode as in most if not all the others. lol Best show on tv, like ever, and it wouldn't rank like that if it didn't touch me so deeply on an emotional level. I re-watch Dr Who regularly, and have even watched and listened to every available episode from 1963 to the present several times. Sharing your reactions to them is turning out to be an amazing alternative way of doing that. Looking forward to the rest of Doctor Who and Star Trek after... and maybe Torchwood at some point? ;) ***hugs*** from the future. Thank you for your show.

I love your genuine reactions! Keeps me watching. Big Dr Who fan too

You mentioned Vincent possibly having synesthesia, I went and looked it up and actually many art historians believe that Vincent had a form of synesthesia called chromesthesia where sound and other senses are experienced as colours, so well observed!

Try watching 'Loving Vincent' - a beautiful Polish collaborative animated movie of the end of Van Gogh's life, all done with each frame being an individual oil painting! It is breathtakingly beautiful, both visually and story-wise. Also, if you do watch it, be prepared to question everything you thought you knew about Vincent's untimely end.

Thank you, girls! I was having a down day and being able to share this video with you made me feel MUCH better. :) AND it's one of my favorite ALL TIME episodes of DW! Much love to both of you!

That was great, thank you ladies. I've watched this episode a bunch and it never fails to make me a weepy mess. I'm not the least bit embarrassed to state it. I look forward to you next Doctor Who reaction very much. Consider yourselves hugged. Love ya both!

If you love Van Gogh you might know this already, but there's a very good film that was released recently called Loving Vincent, about his life and death, that is animated in the style of his art. Every frame of the movie is an individually painted oil painting. It looks stunning, but is also intelligently and interestingly written and tells his story from several different viewpoints to produce a rounded picture of him as a man. Trailer here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fd9ghbl1spfXfnU.html

OMG... I'm giggling because it amuses me, I'm evil... But Rory dies, sending you into a teary meltdown, then you get wacko'd with this emotional masterpiece.

I do love this epiaode, and it breaks me every time-like clockwork when the curator starts giving his opinion on Van Gogh. Also impressive is that, the portrayal of Van Gogh aside, the monster itself is one that can't be seen and is a great analogy for mental health in and of itself.

Best Doctor Who episode ever. The really cool thing is that it harks all the way back to the William Hartnell era with one of the original ideas of the whole franchise: introduce children to history, and it does an amazing job of it. Tony Curran should have been handed a very big award for his portrayal of Vincent.

Yes! Waited so long for this one!!! Love this channel!

I sob every single time. 😭

A beautiful episode. Tony Curran makes an excellent Van Gogh. A very heartfelt reaction from both of you. I'm looking forward to your response to the rest of this season.

Such a great episode, so much care and love went into this, than again, the director of this also director “Love actually” and “About time”, it had its doctor who-ness but still had this honest tone, which attempts to handle the subject of mental illness, with out being easily fixed nor doomed, but that is complex an requires understanding and compassion. Wonderful episode.

Poor Paula two tear jerkers in a row. Richard Curtis knocked it out of the park with this story, great casting. Van Gogh is also my favorite artist of all time!

Grateful that Richard Curtis did this episode- he really knows how to tug at ones heartstrings like he did for me with Nottinghill & Love Actually. Definitely one of my favorite Doctor Who Episodes, along with the ending of “Deep Breath” which I look forward to seeing your reaction.