Lets get this out of the way: I dont care for Neil Gaimans writing in general (though he's a very nice guy in person!). I liked parts of the Sandman comics, but didnt care for them overall. His novels, with the exception of Good Omens, co-written with Terry Pratchett, have left me generally bored. So I went into this episode expecting, at best, something mediocre. What I got instead was a wonderful story that, yes, had many of the Gaiman elements I expected, but also had something deep and different. I loved the take on the TARDIS as a woman, and the scene where she talks about the Doctor stealing her away was really wonderful and heartfelt. Wed always known that the Doctor loved the TARDIS, and it seemed to be somewhat vice versa, with this episode we learned that it very much is reciprocated.