I don’t think, at first glance, we an see just how subtle the writing and performance of Doctor Who really is.
When he mentioned how “I’ve seen that face before.” Something began to click.
The face of the man in Pompeii.
The Scottish accent.
Both great regrets.
Both times he was saved.
In Pompeii The Doctor knew he had to destroy the city, killing thousands. He’d resolved to cut off his feelings and run away. But Donna made him come back and save one family. He couldn’t save them but, but he could save them.
An event that would have given such gut but helped and saved him too.
Scotland, Amy Pond. A woman who helped and saved him in so many ways. But such regrets. The things that happened and the ways he couldn’t save her.
Two aspects. Two things that have given him regret but at the same time have helped him in so many ways, portrayed in this one performance.