Doctor Who: A Town Called Mercy

I was excited that Doctor Who was going to a western American town in the late 1800s, and I was ready for a great Western Doctor Who episode, but it took me two viewings to like the episode. It was very straight forward, and easy to follow, which I did like, but it just didn’t catch my interest much on the first viewing. It wasn’t a bad episode, it just wasn’t a great episode.

However, it was visually and cinematographically stunning. I love how cinematic the show has become. One of the great things that has come out of the shows popularity is the bigger budget for locations and special effects.

Observations:

Looking at the Cyborg's targets from his point of view was like looking at a Dalek's target from its point of view. And the Cyborg's phrase, "terminate," was similar to the Dalek's "exterminate."

The episode had a familiar "western" conceit of a stranger coming into a town and changing everything. There is the typical scene of the stranger walking into town and there is no one in the street, but the townspeople watch the stranger from their windows.

I love it when the Doctor enters the saloon. He pushes the swinging doors open and walks in bowlegged like he just got off his horse after a long journey. It's also funny when he gets the toothpick stuck in his mouth. I just love little details like that.

Why do they give the Americans from the west bad grammar? Just asking.

I loved the effect when the Cyborg is coming toward the town, how he disappears and then appears closer to the edge of the town.

Why do they call the Cyborg The Gunslinger when his weapon isn't a typical gun, and everyone one "slings" a gun? And, his weapon doesn't shoot bullets, so why would there be a single bullet hole in the hat they give to the Doctor?

I love that the Doctor speaks "horse."

We know how Jex got to earth, but how did the Cyborg get there?

The Doctor certainly goes from one extreme to another in this episode, from judge, jury, and executor to protector.

Amy talks about the Doctor traveling too long on his own, and how he needs other people to help him keep his humanity (even though he's not human). However, his solo traveling happened between the season 6 finale and the season 7 opener. We didn’t see him traveling by himself, so we don't know what happened during that time to cause him to make the choices he makes. With David Tennant, there were episodes of him traveling by himself, so the consequences we see in episodes like "The Waters of Mars" of him traveling alone rang more true.

I loved it when Amy accidentally shoots the gun. That was a great moment.

By the time Amy and Doctor had finished talking about how "that's not the way we roll," the Cyborg would have killed Jex.

If it's a western, we have to have a shoot out at high noon. That's so predictable.

The Doctor never carries a gun. I don't like that he carried one in this episode. But, I suppose the writers thought he had to in a western.

So, who was the real villain here? I don't think there was one. I'm not sure I like that. A great western has to have a great villain.

There wasn’t enough of Amy and Rory this time. Amy was the Doctor’s conscience, and Rory… well, Rory didn’t do much of anything. Are we being weaned from them so we won’t miss them? After seeing the preview for next week’s episode, it looks like that’s not the case. But there was just too little of them in the episode. Looking at the image above, you would think that something about the dirt in the town would be part of the plot. Uh, no.

Quotes:

Rory: The sign does say "Keep out."
Doctor: Keep out signs are suggestions more than actual orders. Like dry clean only.

Doctor: Anachronistic electric lights, Keep Out signs, aggressive stares. Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?

Doctor: Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag.

Isaac: We call this town "Mercy" for a reason.

Amy: What is that? No crazy schemes, no negotiations?

Doctor: I've matured. I'm 1200 years old now.

Jex: You're a mother, aren't you?
Amy: How did you know?
Jex: There's a kindness in your eyes. And sadness. A ferocity too.

Jex: That wasn't the plan. He's not following the plan.
Amy: Welcome to my world.

Security System: Thank you for using the Brakkson (sp?) Security software. Incinerating intruders for centuries.

Jex: Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking in a mirror.

Amy: You've clearly been taking stupid lessons since I last saw you.

Isaac: Anyone who isn't American, drop your guns.

Amy: See, this is what happens when you travel alone for too long.

Isaac: You're both good men. You just forget it sometimes.

Doctor: You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid.

Jex: We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past. Yours is your morality.


And, here's a trailer for the next Doctor Who episode, The Power of Three. This episode looks great! I'm so excited to see Brian, Rory's Dad, in another episode.