I think that getting the mystery out of the way and giving her a chance to simply support the Doctor really gave her character a chance to shine through in ways that haven't been clear before. Clara really loves the Doctor - not in a romantic way, but in a deeper, more emotionally sure way - and she hurts for him…

Yes, thank God. Anyone know if she's supposed to appear in the Christmas Special?

This is a very No-Prize answer, but I think that the cutting and pulls were meant to symbolize that time was unstable - that Hurt's choice could have changed history and things were starting to get wavy as a result. But that's reading more in than was onscreen.

Yeah, I really enjoyed that they spent the majority of the episode on something that could have been just another adventure. If Ten and Eleven had spent the episode trying to stop Hurt through time nonsense - or gone up against each other somehow - it would have felt way too much like fanservice. After all, the Doctor…

I would have liked to see the Zygon plot resolved, but I was satisfied with Piper's appearance in that shot in the hut - Tennant and Smith flanking Hurt, Clara and Rose/Bad Wolf backing up their doctors.

Ha, yeah, I was pretty sure that's what you were typing, too, but I still wanted to be right. Curse of the internet.

I'll admit to being less than solid on my knowledge of the Valeyard and the classic series - and I'm not sure I like the idea of there suddenly being a new Doctor inserted in - but the presentation seemed set to make us call Capaldi 13.

As much as I enjoyed the special, I kind of hope the search for Gallifrey isn't the arc. Gallifrey belongs in the past. Bringing it back pretty much kills the "Last Time Lord" idea that's dominated the series since it came back.

Seems to me that they plan on counting Hurt officially, though. The Gallifreyans said there were 13 Doctors there.

Capaldi popped up for a half-second in the Doctors montage, same as Eccelston. His hair was frizzy.