Hmm

[eve11]

NOTE: There are mild spoilers in here from a few two-sentence summaries of the final two episodes that have been floating around in DW Magazine and as released by the BBC.

Amy and the Doctor went to visit Van Gogh in early June, 1890, so the story says. Van Gogh killed himself at the end of July, 1890, so it was indeed not only "less than a year" before he committed suicide but less than two months. Still, he is painting Wheat Field With Crows at the beginning of the episode and we clearly see evidence of something shambling through the field, disturbing the crows.

Question is, is it artistic license? Because scholars appear to agree that while not his last painting, "Wheat Field with Crows" was actually painted in July of 1890, which would have been a month after the Doctor and Amy visited Van Gogh. Is this a foreshadowing? Is there something else lurking in the wheat fields? We also know, for example that "The Doctor's friends unite to send him a terrible warning" in the final two episodes, and from the DWM blurb that in the finale "A Van Gogh painting is ferried across thousands of years." So is it "Wheat Field with Crows"? Timey-wimey-ness, indeed...

PS: If you know for certain because you've clicked on more spoilers than I have (which, um, yeah, the above are ALL I KNOW about the finale), don't send me links or anything, but if you want to speculate spoiler-free in the comments, go ahead ;)

In other news, I did quite like that episode a lot. And am glad. Off to watch again. Further comments to come.

Comments

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

Heee! I've got one eye on the sky, another on my laptop screen.

So...Timey Wimey: I think the issue of time being re-written is fascinating. The fact that some things change, others not so much and the way both Amy and the Doctor react to that is very well portrayed.

So wonderful how the sunflowers were for Amy. And the look on her face was perfect, as if she felt more real and present in her own life during that moment. At the same time the way The Doctor processed what she was feeling was lovely and edged.

[eve11]

I liked how they subtly dealt with the Doctor's own feelings of grief or remorse in this ep too, for what happened to Rory.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

Yes...not overplayed, just present and real. And sadness for them all I think.