My thoughts after two viewings;
It's always an adjustment when the Doctor is someone else. I've been through this several times before, I'll roll with it this time too. It was wonderful to see Clara again, the Paternosters again, and 11 again. Those helped with the transition. Clara is far and away the companion I connect with the most. I also think she's been the most cerebral. As an actress in the role, Jenna has upped the game.
I'm fine with giving Capaldi a chance to make the character his own, just as all the other actors have. We're a single episode in and, to me, the franchise still seems to be in good hands. No complaints here. Cautiously optimistic and hoping for the best.
I definitely connected with the episode's theme of prejudice due to the lack of physical beauty (Vastra as well as the Doctor). Very profound her saying she wears a veil not to hide from the people who don't accept her, but instead to pass judgement on them.
I will say though, the end, with 11, made me realize how much I miss him. I'll need some time to let this settle. Few more viewings. Always nice to see the Paternoster Gang. Love Vastra. At one point, there was a nice nod to her being Scottish.
I thought the moment where there is an admission that Clara and the Doctor had been boyfriend\girlfriend the past year was one of the best emotional exchanges in the episode.
When the Doctor is lamenting that he's made mistakes and needs to start doing something about them, it was suddenly moving for him to say that thinking he was her boyfriend was his mistake. Clara was quick to defend herself, but he just as quickly let her off the hook, while exposing a weakness on his part. At that moment I felt the 11th and the 12th as the same person. I thought the Doctor stating "You look at me, but you don't see me. Do you have any idea what that's like?" was very moving.
In fact, I thought that entire scene - Clara on the phone, 11 asking for help, the struggle to accept prejudice - was the finest passage in the show by far. He's not just an angry Doctor, he's a broken Doctor. He's angry with himself, plus he now has to work harder to be accepted. I think that will serve the show well. It turns out our hero isn't better than us - he's a different version of us.
I thought the other moving exchange was Clara tearfully taking Vastra to task - "How dare you?!". Clara was right to call-out Vastra. They needed to finally come to terms with one another and Vastra was off the mark in her harshness.
Digging the new steampunk credits. Nice change. I watch an episode every night of the year (literally), so I'm fine with a change and still see the others regularly.
In closing; A huge adjustment for sure, but no complaints.