diff --git a/torchrl/data/replay_buffers/samplers.py b/torchrl/data/replay_buffers/samplers.py
index 8d594fc91a3..582ac88f52d 100644
--- a/torchrl/data/replay_buffers/samplers.py
+++ b/torchrl/data/replay_buffers/samplers.py
@@ -1085,12 +1085,10 @@ def _get_stop_and_length(self, storage, fallback=True):
             # We first try with the traj_key
             try:
                 if isinstance(storage, TensorStorage):
-                    trajectory = storage[:].get(self._used_traj_key)
+                    trajectory = storage[:][self._used_traj_key]
                 else:
                     try:
-                        trajectory = storage[:].get(self.traj_key)
-                    except KeyError:
-                        raise
+                        trajectory = storage[:][self.traj_key]
                     except Exception:
                         raise RuntimeError(
                             "Could not get a tensordict out of the storage, which is required for SliceSampler to compute the trajectories."
@@ -1112,9 +1110,7 @@ def _get_stop_and_length(self, storage, fallback=True):
         else:
             try:
                 try:
-                    done = storage[:].get(self.end_key)
-                except KeyError:
-                    raise
+                    done = storage[:][self.end_key]
                 except Exception:
                     raise RuntimeError(
                         "Could not get a tensordict out of the storage, which is required for SliceSampler to compute the trajectories."
diff --git a/torchrl/envs/transforms/gym_transforms.py b/torchrl/envs/transforms/gym_transforms.py
index 99f38ebb32c..35f122b770a 100644
--- a/torchrl/envs/transforms/gym_transforms.py
+++ b/torchrl/envs/transforms/gym_transforms.py
@@ -150,9 +150,8 @@ def _step(self, tensordict, next_tensordict):
         end_of_life = torch.as_tensor(
             tensordict.get(self.lives_key) > lives, device=self.parent.device
         )
-        try:
-            done = next_tensordict.get(self.done_key)
-        except KeyError:
+        done = next_tensordict.get(self.done_key, None)  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+        if done is None:
             raise KeyError(
                 f"The done value pointed by {self.done_key} cannot be found in tensordict with keys {tensordict.keys(True, True)}. "
                 f"Make sure to pass the appropriate done_key to the {type(self)} transform."
diff --git a/torchrl/objectives/a2c.py b/torchrl/objectives/a2c.py
index 4a0948e1bca..a236b80d56c 100644
--- a/torchrl/objectives/a2c.py
+++ b/torchrl/objectives/a2c.py
@@ -408,34 +408,23 @@ def _log_probs(
 
     def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
         if self.clip_value:
-            try:
-                old_state_value = tensordict.get(self.tensor_keys.value).clone()
-            except KeyError:
+            old_state_value = tensordict.get(
+                self.tensor_keys.value, None
+            )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+            if old_state_value is None:
                 raise KeyError(
                     f"clip_value is set to {self.clip_value}, but "
                     f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value} was not found in the input tensordict. "
                     f"Make sure that the value_key passed to A2C exists in the input tensordict."
                 )
-
-        try:
-            # TODO: if the advantage is gathered by forward, this introduces an
-            # overhead that we could easily reduce.
-            target_return = tensordict.get(self.tensor_keys.value_target)
-            tensordict_select = tensordict.select(
-                *self.critic_network.in_keys, strict=False
-            )
-            with self.critic_network_params.to_module(
-                self.critic_network
-            ) if self.functional else contextlib.nullcontext():
-                state_value = self.critic_network(
-                    tensordict_select,
-                ).get(self.tensor_keys.value)
-            loss_value = distance_loss(
-                target_return,
-                state_value,
-                loss_function=self.loss_critic_type,
-            )
-        except KeyError:
+            old_state_value = old_state_value.clone()
+
+        # TODO: if the advantage is gathered by forward, this introduces an
+        # overhead that we could easily reduce.
+        target_return = tensordict.get(
+            self.tensor_keys.value_target, None
+        )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+        if target_return is None:
             raise KeyError(
                 f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value_target} was not found in the input tensordict. "
                 f"Make sure you provided the right key and the value_target (i.e. the target "
@@ -443,6 +432,20 @@ def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
                 f"TDLambdaEstimate and TDEstimate all return a 'value_target' entry that "
                 f"can be used for the value loss."
             )
+        tensordict_select = tensordict.select(
+            *self.critic_network.in_keys, strict=False
+        )
+        with self.critic_network_params.to_module(
+            self.critic_network
+        ) if self.functional else contextlib.nullcontext():
+            state_value = self.critic_network(
+                tensordict_select,
+            ).get(self.tensor_keys.value)
+        loss_value = distance_loss(
+            target_return,
+            state_value,
+            loss_function=self.loss_critic_type,
+        )
         clip_fraction = None
         if self.clip_value:
             loss_value, clip_fraction = _clip_value_loss(
diff --git a/torchrl/objectives/multiagent/qmixer.py b/torchrl/objectives/multiagent/qmixer.py
index f843a3659b5..c9dc281ef41 100644
--- a/torchrl/objectives/multiagent/qmixer.py
+++ b/torchrl/objectives/multiagent/qmixer.py
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ def forward(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> TensorDict:
         td_copy.set(self.tensor_keys.local_value, pred_val_index)  # [*B, n_agents, 1]
         with self.mixer_network_params.to_module(self.mixer_network):
             self.mixer_network(td_copy)
-        pred_val_index = td_copy.get(self.tensor_keys.global_value).squeeze(-1)
+        pred_val_index = td_copy[self.tensor_keys.global_value].squeeze(-1)
         # [*B] this is global and shared among the agents as will be the target
 
         target_value = self.value_estimator.value_estimate(
diff --git a/torchrl/objectives/ppo.py b/torchrl/objectives/ppo.py
index 20dfab3d6b4..c29bc73dfa8 100644
--- a/torchrl/objectives/ppo.py
+++ b/torchrl/objectives/ppo.py
@@ -482,9 +482,10 @@ def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
         # overhead that we could easily reduce.
         if self.separate_losses:
             tensordict = tensordict.detach()
-        try:
-            target_return = tensordict.get(self.tensor_keys.value_target)
-        except KeyError:
+        target_return = tensordict.get(
+            self.tensor_keys.value_target, None
+        )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+        if target_return is None:
             raise KeyError(
                 f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value_target} was not found in the input tensordict. "
                 f"Make sure you provided the right key and the value_target (i.e. the target "
@@ -494,9 +495,10 @@ def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
             )
 
         if self.clip_value:
-            try:
-                old_state_value = tensordict.get(self.tensor_keys.value)
-            except KeyError:
+            old_state_value = tensordict.get(
+                self.tensor_keys.value, None
+            )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+            if old_state_value is None:
                 raise KeyError(
                     f"clip_value is set to {self.clip_value}, but "
                     f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value} was not found in the input tensordict. "
@@ -508,9 +510,10 @@ def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
         ) if self.functional else contextlib.nullcontext():
             state_value_td = self.critic_network(tensordict)
 
-        try:
-            state_value = state_value_td.get(self.tensor_keys.value)
-        except KeyError:
+        state_value = state_value_td.get(
+            self.tensor_keys.value, None
+        )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+        if state_value is None:
             raise KeyError(
                 f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value} was not found in the critic output tensordict. "
                 f"Make sure that the value_key passed to PPO is accurate."
diff --git a/torchrl/objectives/reinforce.py b/torchrl/objectives/reinforce.py
index 3d867b8cb99..af9f7d99b46 100644
--- a/torchrl/objectives/reinforce.py
+++ b/torchrl/objectives/reinforce.py
@@ -398,32 +398,21 @@ def forward(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> TensorDictBase:
     def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
 
         if self.clip_value:
-            try:
-                old_state_value = tensordict.get(self.tensor_keys.value).clone()
-            except KeyError:
+            old_state_value = tensordict.get(
+                self.tensor_keys.value, None
+            )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+            if old_state_value is None:
                 raise KeyError(
                     f"clip_value is set to {self.clip_value}, but "
                     f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value} was not found in the input tensordict. "
                     f"Make sure that the value_key passed to Reinforce exists in the input tensordict."
                 )
+            old_state_value = old_state_value.clone()
 
-        try:
-            target_return = tensordict.get(self.tensor_keys.value_target)
-            tensordict_select = tensordict.select(
-                *self.critic_network.in_keys, strict=False
-            )
-            with self.critic_network_params.to_module(
-                self.critic_network
-            ) if self.functional else contextlib.nullcontext():
-                state_value = self.critic_network(tensordict_select).get(
-                    self.tensor_keys.value
-                )
-            loss_value = distance_loss(
-                target_return,
-                state_value,
-                loss_function=self.loss_critic_type,
-            )
-        except KeyError:
+        target_return = tensordict.get(
+            self.tensor_keys.value_target, None
+        )  # TODO: None soon to be removed
+        if target_return is None:
             raise KeyError(
                 f"the key {self.tensor_keys.value_target} was not found in the input tensordict. "
                 f"Make sure you provided the right key and the value_target (i.e. the target "
@@ -432,6 +421,20 @@ def loss_critic(self, tensordict: TensorDictBase) -> torch.Tensor:
                 f"can be used for the value loss."
             )
 
+        tensordict_select = tensordict.select(
+            *self.critic_network.in_keys, strict=False
+        )
+        with self.critic_network_params.to_module(
+            self.critic_network
+        ) if self.functional else contextlib.nullcontext():
+            state_value = self.critic_network(tensordict_select).get(
+                self.tensor_keys.value
+            )
+        loss_value = distance_loss(
+            target_return,
+            state_value,
+            loss_function=self.loss_critic_type,
+        )
         clip_fraction = None
         if self.clip_value:
             loss_value, clip_fraction = _clip_value_loss(