I'm not clicking on the spoiler. However, just addressing that first point, he's always free to leave them and become a nurse later.
Remember, though, that the Doctor punished Strax for some reason yet unknown by forcing him to serve in that war as a nurse. Strax may not have been from the time period we see in "A Good Man..." That, too, could have been part of the debt that Strax has to pay for whatever he did.
I'm assuming that it's earlier than Good Man... for Strax. Interesting question is, is it also earlier for Jenny and Veshtra? Or are they also dealing with the earlier version of someone they've seen die?
Ah, Dan Starkey... Doing a bit of brief research, I see he played Skorr in the Sontaran two-parter; he was Jask (not to be confused with the Cult of Skaro member) in "The End of Time"; and, of course, the afore mentioned Strax. Hmm, he's actually tied with Kevin Lindsay for the number of Sontaran characters portrayed. (Remember, Lindsay played both Styre and his Marshall who appeared on a video relay.) Even Chris Ryan has played only two, General Staal and later Commander Stark. Sincerely, Bill
I suspect it's just going to be that he wasn't *quite* dead in AGMGTW, and that he probably just went home with Vastra & Jenny afterwards. Occam's Razor, and all that...
Whilst I kinda hope that’s true as on the whole I hate to see characters I know are going to die (although strangely it doesn’t bother me with River) that was quite clearly a death scene in AGMGTW. Dan Starkey (no relation as far as I know) is great though, although I don wonder if it’s just that he’s the only one who fits in the costume… On an unrelated note, I find our reading tastes are spookily converging, I was reading Ash whilst I saw you were on Crickley Hall, ok not a major coincidence, but just a few days ago I started 11-22-63! If you read Stephen Baxter’s Wheel of Ice in between we might need to worry
Also, Vastra and Jenny were quite nervous, twitchy and very eager to appease The Doctor. Its very unlike their confident selves in AGMGTW who even challenged the Doctor's motives and ideas. So these might indeed be their younger selves.
Problem is, Jenny didn't recognize the TARDIS in Good Man, which would make no sense if it is the younger Vastra and Jenny we see in the Christmas special. Spoiler: Christmas special plot point. Especially since Vastra and Jenny are supposed to have a trip in the TARDIS in the special.
The nervousness can just be put down to their trying to get the Doctor to come out of his post-Amy funk. He has been growing more annoyed by their calls to get him involved in life since Amy, and they can't be sure he won't up and vanish all together. Strax, I guess he just got better.
Did anything come of the blackened vortex in the opening sequences of the last series? I can't help but think that this is all linked with the Doctor 'retiring' and this quote of River's:
Honestly, I think they just did that because they thought it looked cool. Just like every episode having a unique logo.
I didn't take them as nervous or fearful of the Doctor. More like desperate to help a friend out of what seems to be a deep depression.
Bleedingcool has put up a picture of the Doctor and Madam Vastra which should intriguing or frustrating depending on your point of view. That is assuming this isn't just a production goof. Be spoiler warned of course. http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12...ystery-is-right-at-madame-vastras-fingertips/
They probably just didn't show her hands in shot, or else its a rehersal, so they didn't bother with the gloves. Just needs a bit of Photoshop is all. Hmmmm, and does the Tardis look a bit more scuffed up than usual?
There was another image, a wallpaper, that revealed a bit of her wrist. I just checked, and instead of removing that wallpaper, they decided to edit it. Very poorly. Original: Edit: