10 Most Profound Doctor Who Quotes
1. Good Things And Bad Things - Vincent And The Doctor
It’s exceptionally rare that a quote sticks with you to the extent that it changes how you look at the world, and yet that is where I find myself with the perfect ending of Series 5’s universally acclaimed Vincent And The Doctor.
Many people’s minds might jump to the beautiful scene in which The Doctor and Amy take Vincent Van Gogh to the Musée d'Orsay to witness the impact of his work, and Bill Nighy’s deeply emotional (and uncredited) monologue. Whilst this absolute powerhouse of a scene is amongst the very best in the history of the show, we’re actually taking a look at a later scene for this list.
After the museum visit, Vincent is a changed man. Reinvigorated, he believes he has conquered his demons once and for all. Amy begs the Doctor to return to the gallery, expecting to find years and years' worth of new paintings, despite the Doctor’s warnings that this might not be the case. Sure enough, the duo arrive only to find that Vincent still tragically committed suicide on the very same day as before, with no new paintings to his name. Amy is absolutely devastated by this news, believing that they failed to save him, or make any difference at all. It’s at this point the Doctor drops arguably his most profound quote of all time.
"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 always spoil the good things and make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things."
It’s straightforward, but it’s such a powerful and optimistic message. In life, when things go wrong, we are quick to say that everything is ruined, devaluing the good, positive moments. We treat life in such a binary fashion - either we must be happy or we must be sad. But coping with the bad things is all about the little victories: spending time with those you love, finding that new song you really like, or just making yourself a knockout cup of tea. On their own, sure, these moments can seem insignificant in the face of hardship, but they most certainly count for something. There is always happiness to be found in little, unassuming ways, so long as you know where to look for it. And so long as there’s happiness, there’s a way out of the storm.
To paraphrase Bill Nighy's character: To me, this is the finest quote of them all.