Doctor Who fans celebrate anniversary of “greatest scene in television”

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Vincent Van Gogh scene in Doctor Who

It’s been almost 10 years since Matt Smith stopped being the Doctor, but fans still cry over an emotional scene a decade later.

Doctor Who is known for being action-packed and often very scary, but it can also be a heartbreaking and emotional series.

Often it’s these emotional scenes that fans remember, as they usually involve a companion’s departure or the Doctor’s death. But sometimes, it may not be pivotal to the overall plot of the show itself, and be more bittersweet than sad, while still managing to make just as much of an impact.

This is true of a scene during Matt Smith’s stint as the Doctor in Season 5, which takes place at the end of the episode titled ‘Vincent and the Doctor’.

Vincent Van Gogh scene in Doctor Who
‘Vincent and the Doctor’ is one of Doctor Who’s best episodes.

What is the Vincent Van Gogh scene in Doctor Who?

Yesterday, popular Doctor Who fan account @BadWolfArchives posted on Twitter that the aforementioned scene from ‘Vincent and the Doctor’ – and subsequently the rest of the episode – is now 12 years old.

The scene involves the Doctor and his companion Amy Pond (Megan Gillan) taking Vincent (Tony Curran) – who considers himself an artistic failure – to a museum in 2010, where crowds of people come to view his paintings.

The Doctor then pulls over a tour guide, played by Bill Nighy, who explains to the Doctor how much of an amazing painter Van Gogh was, and how he may have been one of the greatest men to have ever lived.

The scene is beautiful to watch, as we see Vincent tear up while realising that his work actually means something to others. The performances are spectacular, as is the dialogue and the music, altogether creating a fantastic scene that many struggling creatives are likely to relate to.

How did fans react to the anniversary of ‘Vincent and the Doctor’?

As this is an iconic scene, naturally many Doctor Who fans reacted excitedly to the post about the scene being 12 years old, as well as stating just how much this moment meant to them.

Doctor Who is currently available to watch on HBO Max in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

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About The Author

Lucy-Jo is a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master's Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it's something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp. You can contact her at lucyjo.finnighan@dexerto.com