Too long an episode with not enough Capaldi. While Smith is the drive in his first episode, this one feels like Moffat cared much more about Clara, which is similar to The Christmas Invasion, which is also boring on rewatch. All of Clara’s stuff is good though, it just doesn’t make me see Capaldi’s era start with him hitting the ground running. Adding Matt Smith also detracts from Capaldi; there’s a reason no one has chose to have the previous Doctor cameo before, because it just reminds you how much liked them before getting to know the good actor.
Also one of my favorite parts of The Girl in the Fireplace was the Doctor never finding out why the clockwork droids chose Madame de Pompadour, but I guess Moffat forgot about that since 12 seems to know all about now. Even if you say “He somehow found out about the ship’s name in between these stories” it still makes the former episode retroactively worse to me. Unecessary connection🤷♂️