Last week’s Dinosaurs
on a Spaceship was a prolonged failure of an episode. It completely
encapsulated what happens when every weakness of Moffat era Doctor Who is amped up to the max and
its strengths removed. Well, conversely A
Town Called Mercy is in fact the total opposite of this – Displaying every
single strength in the series thus far without any of its weaknesses dragging
it down.
You can already tell it’s a major improvement when the
script addresses the exact criticism which was had of the last episode –
Instead of beginning with a jumbled, chaotic series of events, jumping all over
the place without rhyme or reason; this one just cuts straight to the start.
After a genuinely good very short pre-credits teaser the
Doctor, Amy and Rory appear on the outskirts of a Wild West town. Ignoring an
obvious perimeter and warning signs they go in and proceed to learn that not
only do the townsfolk have working electrical lighting over a decade before it is
discovered but they know of aliens. A cyborg known as the Gunslinger is blockading
the exterior, trying to starve out the town. His demands are that the alien
known as “the Doctor” be handed over for execution. However, all is far from
what it seems and the Doctor quickly discovers he might be fighting for the
wrong side...
Unlike, again, Dinosaurs
on a Spaceship this episode has the best sort of pacing. Each development
happens in turn at exactly the right time with the audience being given just
enough time to absorb information before the next stage is put into play. This
is exemplified during the first attempt to outthink the Gunslinger and reach
the TARDIS. In which hints are dropped suggesting the cyborg isn’t entirely
what he seems when he refuses to fire upon innocents and leads almost directly
into a revelation about his origins.
The level of zaniness and outlandish insanity is kept to a
minimum and that was definitely a decision for the better, especially in the
later stages of the episode. Mainly because of the moral choice the Doctor has
to make and the dark secret which comes into play as a driving force behind
many characters. There are certainly fun moments, such as the Doctor revealing
he can speak horse to an astounded man, but it never becomes overwhelming prevalent.
So villain of the episode doesn’t end up acting like a fool after murdering
several people like David Bradley’s robots from last time.
Perhaps what helped this is the presence of Ben Browder as a
guest star. Being best known for his roles in Stargate SG-1 and Farscape,
Browder is no stranger to having to balance seriousness and humour in a sci-fi
series. While he’s not given many chances to make jokes the few he does never
feel out of place or at odds with the emotions of each scene. It also helps
that he pulls off a very convincing cowboy and despite playing what is mostly a
side character he never feels superfluous to the plot.
Adding to this are the other guest stars who are equally
talented if not more so. Veteran actor Adrian Scarborough plays a man haunted
by his inner demons and trying to outrun his past. Despite a playing sort of
character this series has seen time and time again in recent years his
performance makes him feel very human. Similar kudos goes to the actor playing
the Gunslinger, Andrew Brooke, who manages to convey a surprising level of
emotion through some extremely heavy makeup and a scarce amount of lines. While
he doesn’t turn the “villain” into a memorable character he manages to elevate
him above being completely forgettable and gives some suggestion of depth.
If there is one flaw to criticise its that there’s a point
involving Amy and Rory which seems to be tacked on. In only a couple of
episodes they will be leaving the series and this is highlighted briefly when a
character manages to enrage and disgust the Doctor to the point where he draws
a gun on them. The action results in Amy asking if this is what happens if he
travels alone for too long. While it is laudable that they tried to maintain
this emphasis upon their departure and what the Doctor is like without
companions, it just sticks out like a sore thumb.
Remaining on the subject of the Doctor snapping, one part of
the script I did like is how it made connections to his actions in the Time War
without explicitly saying so. The series seems to be trying to move away from
that part of the Doctor’s life and it’s good they were able to still utilise it
without namedropping the event.
Honestly, this is one of the best generic episodes I’ve seen
in a long time. It feels epic, is of a very high quality of writing, acting and
themes and despite having nothing to with any overarching plot it’s great
enough to watch to recommend to just about any fan of the series. This is not one to be missed.
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Doctor Who and all related characters and media are owned by the BBC.
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Doctor Who and all related characters and media are owned by the BBC.
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