So there I was racking my brains, which took all of 2 minutes 
and I realize the nature of the beast is such that you can't please all of the people all of the time, but I reckon that one of the things that makes Steven Moffat a master screen-writer & showrunner is he treats his audience with intelligence and assumes we can handle all the twists and turns in the storyline and the weighty matters of Life & Death etc... 
Even if the audience are likely to be children (which is likely with this show). No flatulent space-invaders for him! But, one thing that shocked/saddened me about the Ponds' farewell was the fact we saw a definitive end for them. With the companions in the RTD era, they were all safely returned to the sanctity of their families. Albeit sans Doctor, but Amy & Rory get sent back to finish their days separated from their own families, friends and normal lives in their own timeline. Okay, sure they lived long and together but... Part of me wonders whether it has to do with Series 5 and 2010 being the "base-code of the Universe" when all the cracks in time originate from and that follows Amy around. I wonder if that meant they weren't able to live beyond 2010 in their natural lives?
Though, in some ways (perhaps before he regenerates) I'd quite like Eleven to revisit the Ponds - however briefly - like Ten did with Rose so that it brings him full circle. Though maybe the conclusion of Series 7 with Clara can somehow make it all better... Or maybe I'm tripping & blowing smoke? I like how Moffat gave the companion's back-story some mystery & intrigue instead of ordinary 21st-century cockney lass. After a duo, Jenna's singular heroine makes it seem fresh and novel again after so long.
The TARDIS has personality!
Is River the likely lady who gave Clara the "best helpline in the Universe" in the shop? Thread of continuity their between companions' arcs? Yep okay, I'm having a hard time leaving Amy & Rory behind 'cos I don't cope especially well with death even in fiction. Who does? I hear you cry, but not everybody cries for nearly a year when Dobby died in Harry Potter (& don't even get me started on Professor Dumbledore!).
