They change the subject again to how Amy must not know much of art if she likes his art, because he doesn't believe in himself and that sort of thing. Then they change the subject one last time, to flirting with each other in a very sexy way while the Doctor gets more and more uncomfortable. Finally we talk about the churches and whatever, Vincent's been thinking about painting it, and but then one of the rude bistro lady's daughters gets gored by an invisible rooster creature, which causes the first of this episode's few false notes, which is somehow this situation results in the three of them having to run this gauntlet of mean townspeople from central casting who yell and spit and I don't know, throw rocks. Mental illness, you see, there is a stigma.

While the character and the actor are spot on, there's a negative space around the character that is very show-don't-telly, like, I don't think very many village drunks engage in conversation about how they're the village drunk, okay, but Vincent can't wait to talk about how this is the case, with anybody who will listen. Anyway, Vincent asks where Amy and the Doctor are staying, which the Doctor adorably turns into an invitation, and then we're at Vincent's house.

"Dark night, very starry," the Doctor mugs, which is something they always do on this show to make us feel smart and hilarious, so I'm not going to whine about it. Amy talks a great deal about how much she loves his art, which is scattered all around the place and of which he is not taking very good care. The Doctor also. He thanks them for their kindness but he doesn't really hear it. The Doctor keeps pressing him about the church, but I think he just honestly isn't that interested because he's not there yet. The invisible rooster creature is not a part of that particular moment in his life, it's his life all the time, and he's got a million plans and schemes burning all the time, so why this one thing? (Also, dear This Season: What is it with you and churches?)

Vincent begins ramping up to a serious manic episode at this point. I think if I was a little kid, or I guess if I were a little kid with a very different childhood, I would find this all very funny or deep or something, but honestly it just scared the shit out of me. This is totally the scariest part of the entire episode, not only because mania is automatically upsetting, but also because you know what's going to happen next. There's a double-dutch jump, sort of revolving-door moment, in this cycle where you see beauty and hope through the spinning, and then it goes away again.