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2.1 Dead London by Pat Mills
Dead London is a fun opener to the series with some strong side characters but a rather messy plot. Honestly I don't have much to say here, Dead London isn't particularly special but plays with some fun ideas and is just a bit of a fun romp. Sophie is a solid character and the banter between her and 8 is top quality. Not much to dislike here, but the concept of this story feels more bold than what is actually done with it.
7/10
2.2 Max Warp by Jonathan Morris
Max Warp is a very fun Top Gear parody but has similar problems to the rest of the 8DAs, it's just missing that special something. The side characters aren't that interesting (they're Top Gear satires so it wasn't really expected but still...) and the ending is a bit dull. Overall, another decent 8DA.
7/10
2.3 Brave New Town by Jonathan Clements
Brave New Town is a very strong story with an intriguing mystery and really solid side characters. The villains are used in a really good and unique way here which I really enjoyed. Adrian Dunbar of Line of Duty fame is also here and he's great! Brave New Town is a really solid story and worth a listen.
8/10
2.4 The Skull of Sobek by Marc Platt
Not offensively bad, but it is very boring. The Skull of Sobek starts out decently, but as it went along I just got more and more bored. The atmosphere also feels pretty much non-existent. I never felt any suspense or excitement in this story. It's also just a kind of silly story with silly Doctor Who monster voices and I couldn't tell if it wasn't trying to be serious or not. This is definitely the worst 8DA so far. Do yourself a favour and skip this one.
3/10
2.5 Grand Theft Cosmos by Eddie Robson
Here's to crime!
Another fun one, Grand Theft Cosmos sees the return of The Headhunter and Karen, who are trying to steal a diamond, the same diamond that the Doctor and Lucie are interested in...Grand Theft Cosmos is very similar to the other best 8DA stories, with strong side characters, a solid, fun concept, and entertainment abound. It's nothing particularly special (for about the fifth time) but it is a lot of fun, and the two teams of The Doctor + Lucie and The Headhunter + Karen have some wonderful interactions together.
8/10
2.6 The Zygon Who Fell to Earth by Paul Magrs
The Zygon Who Fell To Earth has some really fantastic elements, namely the relationship between Auntie Pat and Trevor and the sheer emotional weight of this story, but also some weaker elements, like Zygon replacements being horrendously obvious to us but the characters taking ages to notice. The plot itself is also fairly dull, I found myself getting a bit annoyed at all the non-character stuff (and the character stuff is wonderful). The Zygon Who Fell To Earth also concludes with a very intriguing final scene that I did not remotely see coming. Overall, a great story.
8/10
2.7 Sisters of the Flame by Nicholas Briggs
Sisters of the Flame is mostly a set up episode for next episode but is still able to stand on its own two legs and deliver a fun story in its own right. Lucie is the focus of this story, with the Doctor out of the picture for much of it, and Sheridan Smith gives a great performance here, making great use of Briggs' script. This focus on Lucie serves the story really well, as we get to see how far she's come through travelling with the doctor. Sisters of the Flame also features some great side characters like Rosto and the return of Straxus. Lucie and Rosto's relationship and chemistry is bloody marvelous and the best part of this episode. Sadly this story feels a bit meander-y in places and does suffer from set-up-itis a bit, keeping it from true greatness. Still, a solid story.
7/10
2.8 The Vengeance of Morbius by Nicholas Briggs
Vengeance of Morbius is quite a messy end to the story but still good fun, and has an ending that packs quite an emotional punch. My main complaints with this story is all the standing around and talking as the main threat grows, it's quite irksome. I really liked the last 15 or so minutes of the story but I feel like more could maybe have been done with it, and the lack of the brilliant Rosto for much of the story is a big personal problem that I have here. Still, The Vengeance of Morbius is a good story, just a bit disappointing.
6/10