I do find how the contrast between Doctors is different a bit weird, how they refer as seperate people, I kinda like it, kinda dont.
I prefer to think of them as the same person, just with a bit of different quirks and preferences. I don't really like when they refer to each other as different people, like Ten talks about "I'll be dead and some other man goes swanning off" because hello? He was clearly the same Doctor when he changed from Nine to Ten. And how Eleven says "I'll always remember when the Doctor was me" because hello? He's still him. He just looks and maybe acts a little differently.
Speaking of regeneration and different Doctors; I've watched how Four regenerated from Three and how Five regenerated from Four. Four was really odd and energetic and initially didn't even remember his assistants, Five was very confused and mixed up his different lives (or so it seemed, I've only guessed from the way he rambled names and such). Compared to that, Nine->Ten was awfully smooth since he stayed pretty much the same if you think about it. Ten->Eleven wasn't perhaps "smooth" physically (poor TARDIS getting roasted) but I still think he's pretty much himself only sort of burying all the grief and regret from his adventures as Ten.
From what I've said in my first paragraph here, I should prefer this New Who style rather than how some earlier regenerations did it. But I kind of hope that Twelve will be a bit more like Four initially! I mean, in how he acts after regeneration. Odd and half-remembering Clara etc. Only because fun :3
Also, I've watched all of New Who rather quickly with no pauses between seasons. Thus, I was still missing Nine while watching S2, and I was missing Ten awfully while watching S5. I think it'll be easier to not miss Eleven awfully much when I start watching S8 because it's been a while since S7 ended :]
I find that my mind must be backwords, most people loved ten & rose, I couldnt stand it (Not because of relationship, martha ,amy, river , and clara were all fine to me). Season 2 was great, too me it was pretty much the worst, imo. Season 7 was "meh", I really liked S7, it seemed weird, and kinda over the place, and poor endings most of the time. But besides that I really liked the feel of it, same with S6 which also gets some hate. Nightmare in Silver and Journey I also liked. Gahh.
I also agree with you about Series 2. I'd say its definitely the weakest series of NewWho.
I agree on S2 and S7 being the weakest parts of New Who :x As much as I like TenxRose, and as memorable as their adventures were in S2 (New Earth, Werewolves, The Wire, Satan's Pit, Cybermen etc) I just didn't find the season as a whole to be as good as some others. I like when there's at least some kind of continuous plot. S1 had the Bad Wolf thing in the background, and they kept revisiting Platform One/The Game Station/The News Station (okay I might remember wrong, maybe Platform One from episode 2 wasn't the same thing) and they picked up random other travelers here and there (Adam, Jack) which made the adventures fit together somehow.
S5 did a good job with that, S6 even better. S3 was... Well I'm not a Martha fan so sue me xD Well, the adventures were pretty alright in S3 anyways. I need to rewatch the whole thing, haha.
S4 might be another weak point imo. Even though Silence In the Library/Forest of the Dead is one of my favorite parts of Who ever
despite River Song, sue me again! and despite Donna being awesome, I didn't enjoy S4 as much as I would have wanted to. Can someone convince me it was better? xD Maybe I'll change my opinion upon rewatching, yeah.
I guess we shouldn't wage companion wars here. I loved Rose and others didn't and that's how it is :]