Steven Moffat : on how The Angels Take Manhattan is “devastating” for The Doctor

 He said the pair’s departure and eventual replacement by a new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, would be difficult for Matt Smith’s character to deal with. He said: “This weekend’s episode is more devastating for the Doctor, at certain points he becomes useless and emotional. It was torment and hell trying to write the episode, I struggled for ages to work out a fitting ending and changed my mind until I finally got it right.”