2. The Time War Was Apparently Quite Epic And Terrifying
We'd had hints before, of course. There was mention of something called the Nightmare Child, and that doesn't imply fluffy bunnies and happiness. But to actually see the toll the war was taking...I mean, we don't get to see any battlefields, but just look at the Doctor! Here we get to see not only how frightened normal people are, but the personal toll it is taking on the Doctor. Like I said, just look at the man. Haggard, ill-dressed, unshaven. He looks a mess. The Doctor normally never looks like that. And look at the TARIDS. We don't get to see the interior, but the exterior has clearly seen better days. And look at how desperate he is. Yes, he's doing what he normally does; going around saving people. But there seems to be a certain air of dread about him even from the first moment we see him. He's clearly trying to outrun the Time War, and it's sad, but perhaps inevitable, that he doesn't succeed.