The plot and feel of the Christmas special always leaves me sorta feeling high and dry until they get back to real episodic story movements - b/c the truth of Moffat is that he writes a decent one-off, but when he tries to pimp a new companion twice like this, it does sort of feel like he's run dry on ideas and figures the anti-Rory (let alone Kenny from SP as you mentioned) die-reborn-die-reborn again through whatever mechanism he chooses (Deus ex machina)thing is a well-run-dry by this point.

Is she the promised reward from the Universe™ that he's been pouting about, and how does River interweave w/ the new companion and when does her story peter out (will we even see her send off to meet the tenth Dr?) - and how does COO play/push him any closer towards the question being asked is a little beyond my sight at this point.

Moffat definitely left me with a few questions, but he usuaully does. Sometimes I see where he is going, and other times he just turns left on me.

As to her turn-about on the "bigger blah blah" ... eh - it's just to show how he'll find her interesting and his curiosity will remain b/c she sees the Universe™ through a different lense.

The badbuy was the Great Intelligence from a previous Dr. apparently - had to look that part up even as I didn't remember that episode (I was more of a Tom Baker era watcher).

-Roon

P.S. Hopefully this season will play out better than the last half ended. Thought it was sort of a dry and weak sendoff for the Ponds imo.