I'm liking how the two-parters this season seem to be set up so that parts one and two are increasingly different. The last two episodes had the same cast and setting but were tonally different, now we have these episodes with one character but very different everything else. I'm guessing we aren't going to be seeing the last of Ashildr, either, given she seems to be this season's arc character.

I liked finally getting the link back to Fires of Pompeii, that was cool. The training stuff with the vikings was all gold, too. Honestly, there were only two things about this episode that didn't work for me. The first was how I kept waiting for the plot twist with Ashildr - I was expecting her to turn out to be Jenny from The Doctor's Daughter and was constantly looking for clues. The second was the villain's Monty Python and the Holy Grail bit. I love that movie and all, but that was just too silly.

Holy shit.

They referenced it!

Blew my mind at that.

I was hoping at the end that it wouldn't be yet another two-parter, but seeing how it's going to be played out differently than your traditional one kind of makes me okay with it.

oh goodie. A two part episode again. ... Yaaaaaaaaay.

That... is horrible.

Not if they continue to be this good.

And really, tonight's episode doesn't even have a cliffhanger. It's just that the next episode picks up on some aspects of this one.

These two don't really act like a two parter, given that we got the resolution to this plot this episode- it's just Ashildr that seems to be carrying over.
And two episodes later on (9 and 10) are unconnected, both being single parters. And I don't mind two parters. They can feel dragged out, but all the ones we've had so far have been plotted pretty damn well.

If it makes you feel any better, Sentai, this season's structure means that Osgood and/or Zygosgood should be in two episodes, not one.