keep_counting | Doctor Who 7x03 - A Town Called Mercy

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Doctor Who 7x03 - A Town Called Mercy

I have had a shitty, shitty weekend. That's neither interesting, nor relevant. And the site I used to watch this ep was unbelievably slow and kept stopping to buffer. I've also spent the entire weekend writing a statistics-report and I am still not done. It's due tomorrow evening. Screw everything. It's time for points.

(spoilers below)

THE GOOD:

- Western. My dad forced me to watch The Good, the Bad and the Ugly when I was little, and ever since then Westerns have had a soft spot in my heart. +5 simply for the premise (even if I am dissatisfied with how it was carried out)

- Amy's clothes are amazingly beautiful. +10

- 'I see Keep Out signs more as suggestions'. Me too Doctor, which is why no-one in my neighbourhood likes me. +5 ;)

- Matt Smith rocking the accent and definitely not rocking that toothpick. +10 for making me laugh soo much

- It's a horribly overdone cliché, but I have to give points for the undertaker. +5

- 'He shoots peoples hats??' How dare he. +5 for Smith's delivering of this line.

- 'Why would he wanna kill you? Unless he's met you...' This line made me laugh so hard, especially because of the matter-of-fact way it was said. +10, because most days, everyone really does want to kill the Doctor

- Toast-crumbs on the console: little signs of domestic like this make me very happy. +5

- 'I speak horse. He's called Susan, and he wants you to respect his decisions in life.' +20 for the transgender horse. What? Don't look at me like that. This episode needs more points. And more transgender people.

- I love polite self-destruction software. It's the best kind their is. +10

- 'You wouldn't' - 'I genuinly don't know'. I have to give Matt points for his acting in general this episode, even if there were so many things about this sequence that I very much did not like. His furious 'sit down... SIT DOWN!' gave me chills as well. +10

- Amy taking charge and rightfully pointing out: 'this is what happens when you travel alone for too long.' THANK-YOU FOR FINALLY ADRESSING THIS. +5 (not any more points, because its probably going to come up again when never)

- 'Marshall... ma'am... fella'. Aw, give Rory some more respect. Still, +5 for Arthur Darvill's look of exasperation. He's getting so good at those. I wonder why.

(points: 105)

THE BAD:

- The accents were weird. I mean, they were all over the place kinda? I'm not even going to pretend like I am any kind of authority on american accents, but I do watch a lot of shows, American as well as British, so I am alright in pinpointing certain dialects by this time. It might be just me though, and everything was perfectly normal? Anyway, it was enough to actually distract me, so -5

- The whole dramatic teleportation with the Cyborg was simply just super weird. Why not just stay right next to the city when all you do all the time is wait for Jex to come out so you can kill him? Where you off befriending a cactus or something? What does one do in a desert? I don't know, so I'm taking away -5.

- The whole conversation between Amy and Jex was just weird. He could tell she was a mother because she was kind, yet she looked sad? If my husband and best friend was in danger, I would look sad too, but it wouldn't stop me from trying to be kind to the person we were all trying to help. Yet I am not a mother. Sorry, but like, what? Also, Amy was a mother for like five minutes (okay, what was it, three weeks or months?) and yet that defines everything about her kindness? -5 because it was just such an odd jump in the conversation.

- The Cyborg failed to do much for me, tbh. The voice was grating, the make-up was weird and I failed to feel much sympathy for him at all. Also, he's now stuck with babysitting a town called Mercy. residence 81 people who are all extremely uninteresting and lax, for the rest of eternity. Ha, Cyborg. You're so goddamn lucky. -5

- Speaking of the towns-folk, when Isaac was shot, there was no reaction at all. I have to take away at least -10 for lazy extras. There was not a single shout, not a single tear or raised voice. Your sheriff and good friend just died - your population is now down to 80 - he died saving a man you're not sure you want to have here anymore - he died right in front of your eyes. REACTION PLEASE. I got nothing.

- Actually, -10 for Isaac dying. And then -10 for awkward angling of the camera doing the post-death scene.

- I have to take away -20 for the music. It kept distracting me. Normally, Who is SO GOOD with the soundtrack, but especially this episode, it just felt off every single damn time an important scene was coming up. What is happening? Is Murray and the music department smoking a lot of weed? I wouldn't blame them, to be honest. They are sitting with the scripts, yeah?

- (sorry for being so snarky, it's late and as I said, shitty couple of days. I can be nice, I really can! this episode is making it a bit hard though...)

- What happened with the sudden shift between Amy and Rory's opinions? Remember back in The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People, when Amy was much more unforgiving - without being ruthless - and Rory was all 'we have to help everyone, okay?'. It was completely role-reversal here! I felt like Rory's character was beaten with a stick. He doesn't even get to do anything much this episode, except getting shot at, and now he's all for letting a man die? What happened to the good, kind nurse? -10

- The Doctor holding a gun. I gave points for this above, because of the dialouge, but I have to take away -5 for him pulling the gun, especially when it was completely unnecessary. He'd thrown him over the line, the Gunslinger was coming for him. Control yourself, Doctor.

- I'm not going to take away point for this, but I want to comment on the overall 'morale' theme of this episode. Think about it. In the end, he isn't willing to risk Jex's life to save 80 others, yet he killed millions, billions of Time Lords, to save the rest of the universe: and you can't put lives up against each other like that, but when it comes down to it, is it only different because it was one man, right in front of him? The Time Lords, their faces must blur into one, but surely they weren't all evil. They can't all have been. So why won't he sacrifice just one man - who is clearly guilty - to save others, when he murdered so many before. This is so fascinating to me, because when is it murder and when is it heroic? Is what Jex and the others did really so bad? It helped stop the war, and the Gunslinger still has a conscience: he actively does almost everything he can to not harm innocents. He deems himself a monster, but is he really? I'm going to be up all night if I continue like this, but fascinating. However, the episode did not delve enough into this, not at all. I was annoyed. Not enough to take away points, but enough to not give any for raising an interesting subject.

- Why didn't the Doctor use his sonic when the towns-people came out and that young guy pulled his gun? It's not a wooden gun! I get that he wants to talk to them, but things could have gotten seriously out of hand... -5

- 'You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid.' Hello pot, this is kettle, have we met before? -10 because this line, more than anything, applies to the Doctor, and he is the one nearly shooting another man for this exact thing. I know it probably scares him because him and Jex are so alike, but that is not an excuse. Not at all.

- There weren't nearly enough Amy and Rory in this episode. This could have easily been a companion-free episode, with some frisky young woman in-town filling in for Amy and yelling at the Doctor, getting him back from the brink. My peeps are leaving soon, use them better! -10

Points for this episode: -5. You still got more points than the ballet-Daleks of AotD, so that's something!

Points for the season: 219. We're starting to go downhill people, though not as much as I had actually thought. I just think generally I couldn't bring myself to care that much about this episode. Luckily, next episode features Brian Williams yet again, so be still my heart, I think we can come out on top ;)

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Wait, the Doctor did an accent when he came into the saloon? I totally didn't notice that.

Undertaker - I never knew that used to be the name for that job. It seems a bit of a vague name. Oh hi, I'm a entrepreneur.

I would have liked the transgender horse more, if his (But if the horse gives itself a female name, wouldn't it also prefer to be refered to as 'she'?) chosen name had been Jacqueline. Just because that was the horse's name in Der Schuh des Manitu.

"Befriending a cactus" XD! Would make a fun fic. I'd totally read it.

Yeah, that thing about the kind eyes! Ha, judging by kind eyes, that would make Andrew Scott a parent. Sadly he isn't. Imagine his babies, OMG! ...Oops, did I go a little off topic? Well, I can go back on topic by mentioning again that in Sherlock 2x03 there's this piece of paper that shows Richard Brook's actor info and right below is the info about Andrew Brooke, who played the Gunslinger. Is it sad that this is my favorite thing about A Town Called Mercy?

+20 to you for giving me the mental image of Murray Gold & co. high on weed.

It's a very weird accent and he's busy nearly choking on a toothpick at the same time, so it is a bit distracting :D and lol, I think 'undertaker' is pretty much just an undertaker. I cannot imagine another name. Coffin-measurer? xD

I've never seen that one. Is it any good?

"Befriending a cactus" XD! Would make a fun fic. I'd totally read it.
Speaking of fic, I've started your SuperWho one, with the Weeping Angels. And by start, I mean I've written 300 words and am now currently stuck. But I'll get it done one day, I swear!

That is a very cool detail, actually :D I never knew that. And never apologize for going off topic - not when the other topic is Andrew Scott.

+20 to you for giving me the mental image of Murray Gold & co. high on weed.
Haha, glad you liked that :D it seemed the most reasonable explanation

Mortician or funeral director.

Yeah, Der Schuh des Manitu is good, but I guess you'd need to understand German to properly enjoy the movie. There are so many wordplays that it's bound to lose something in translation.

That SuperWho (Gotta love that this is a fandom combo that has its own name!) fic is the one for which I've promised you cake, right?

Oh. Right. Lol, I didn't even think of that :D

But I do understand a bit of German! I've had it for five years

Yes it is! :D

XD You should come over and we could watch the movie together - I have it on DVD. Watching movies/TV is the best way to improve language knowledge (I speak from experience). If there's something you don't understand, I can explain in English.

It's a plan for the next time I'm in your area ;D

- 'Why would he wanna kill you? Unless he's met you...' This line made me laugh so hard, especially because of the matter-of-fact way it was said. +10, because most days, everyone really does want to kill the Doctor

My favourite line in the whole episode. Just for how accurate it is! :D

And poor Rory, he's rather neglected in so many episodes.

It's annoying, because when the writers actually properly use him - and not just in regards to his (but this time just weird) relationship with Amy - he is used so well, but I feel like his character has been destroyed a lot. He's not even Companion, he's Secondary Companion and it is such a shame.

Oh, totally agree. Rory is a great character but we rarely get to see him as anything but Amy's tag-a-long.

Love your review. I would also -10 for Amy's gun going off accidentally, they don't DO that! I felt that the humour was excruciating rather than funny:( totally agree was out the extras, one of the biggest weaknesses full stop of the episode was a lack of emotion, 11 just doesn't have the same ability as 9 and 10 to get angry. Also the Amy as a mother thing..totally shoe horned in..

My DS's and I decided that the writer was told that retain elements has tone got in, and very clunkily built the episode around them..

To be fair, this was a gun from years back, probably with less safety-measures, plus the fact that Amy is unused to holding one: she could have accidentally pulled the trigger while angrily waving it around like she did. Not that I'm any expert on guns at all though (:

My DS's and I decided that the writer was told that retain elements has tone got in, and very clunkily built the episode around them..
They seem to do that a lot! And its annoying, because it distracts from what could have otherwise been a very neat episode all around.

well done for understanding what I wrote there! blooming iPad, will edit my first post.

Not a problem at all :)

I actually really enjoyed this episode. In this one the Doctor did seem to be mainly driven by guilt; my only gripe is that the Time War was never mentioned. In his defence though, the genocide of his people and the Daleks was the only way to save the rest of the universe (according to the Doctor anyway).

I do love me an angry Doctor, and Matt does it so brilliantly.

It was only last week that I was asking my husband why we've had omnisexual Jack, a lesbian couple (Madame Vastra and Jenny - who I'd love to see again), Jack and Alonso (briefly) but not transgender - so a horse called Susan was enough to make me squee.

I've never rated Karen Gillan much as an actress before, but her reaction to the Doctor's treatment of Jex boosted her in my estimation. Also, Rory standing up to Amy for a change = win!

I suppose The Gunslinger could have just stayed outside the town, but where's the fun in that? I liked the effect of him flickering in and out of visibility as he came closer :)

Every Wild Western town needs an undertaker and a funny name! :D

That funny thing with a whispered "Amelia Pond..." and then not being able to look at her because the sadness is in his eyes. Again. He's already seen how this is going to end, I'm sure.

I love seeing the Doctor's guilty side as well, but - and I never thought I would say this - I didn't feel like it was spelled out properly. It felt very much all-over the place. I did love that Amy said it was because he'd been traveling alone for so long: it really does make him dangerously unhinged at times...

Karen did do a fine job this episode: I don't think she's a horrible actress, but she's never really blown me away at all before, yet she has grown a lot by this point, and I think it's showing. I did like Rory standing up to Amy, I just didn't like the situation: imo, he's supposed to be the forgiving, caring one, the one who keeps Amy a bit back when she gets too 'wild' with the Doc, but it seems like he's the one that has grown the most dark by now. I will be sad to see them go, but in-show, I think it's probably best for their mental state of mind at this time!

I think you're right; I can't remember which episode it was now, but Rory has already faced down the Doctor and told him "You're turning me into you", or words to that effect (I suspect it was The Girl Who Waited - another favourite of mine).

I'll miss Rory a lot though :(

Yes - which is another reason why I think they have to go, for their own sakes. It's too personal by now, and the Doctor keeps pulling them down with them: it's going to end badly for all of them if there isn't some proper letting go soon :/

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

I think at that point the Doctor was actually talking about himself. The reason he was so angry was because he sees himself in Jex and he's angry that Jex seems to have found a mesure of peace, that continues to allude him.

I definitely think he was talking about himself as well, but the writing was soo clunked and all-over the place that his anger didn't feel quite justified to me about it all, exactly because of that. It is a very good line though, the whole conversation between them was quite brilliant :) I like your meta on how Jex seems to have found a measure of peace, while he's 'adrift'. It is an awesome parallel: Jex is grounded in one place, the Doctor is traveling. Who's happier and carry their burdens with most ease? I don't think its the Doctor.

I think it's also that, especially if the subtext to all of this is war and the Time War in particular, there's nobody left to decide how the Doctor's debt should be paid, and he knows exactly how fucked-up that is.

Exactly.

He carries all this guilt - because what ever Jex says he does have the nerve to do what needs to be done - but because he did he's all alone. With no one to absolve him.

Oh, that's a very good (and extremely scary) point.

That's what I thought too - I could see it in his eyes.

I only had one problem. the horse.
Because I never knew that the Doctor could talk to animals.

Or has he?

In "The Lodger" it was established he could speak Cat, and in "Closing Time" we learned he could speak Baby as well.

'Baby' doesn't totally count, but I'll allow it for sheer ghutzpah.

~~beatrice is an awesome name~~

I actually wish we could see more of this though. And is it his 'telepathy' that does it (he can 'sense' the animals moods) or is it like an actual language that he can understand (though apparantly not speak?). ... the things Who make you contemplate ;)

I'm not going to take away point for this, but I want to comment on the overall 'morale' theme of this episode. Think about it. In the end, he isn't willing to risk Jex's life to save 80 others, yet he killed millions, billions of Time Lords, to save the rest of the universe: and you can't put lives up against each other like that, but when it comes down to it, is it only different because it was one man, right in front of him?

I think this is why the Time War threatened to devour him, and why it's still gnawing at him even now. It's so antithetical to who he is, actively killing one person (or one species, or two species, or...) in cold blood to prevent many, many more from dying through his inaction later. He has always been about giving that choice the middle finger and finding the third option. RTD, in coming up with that backstory, put a fracture right at the heart of the New Who Doctor that can fuel a probably-infinite amount of drama: after doing something like that, by absolute necessity yes but still doing it, how the hell can he go back to being the Doctor without becoming a massive hypocrite?

(There is a lovely heart-shattering Time War fic that I can't seem to find at the moment, but it ends with the Doctor making his decision and with the line "And all the skies of all the worlds went dark." Which pretty much sums it up.)

(do alert me if you manage to find that fic, it sounds awesome (: )

He has always been about giving that choice the middle finger and finding the third option.
This exactly. It's about saying screw you to the normal system, when the normal system doesn't work, and then find a better solution. Only, of course, in real life you cannot always do that. And now the Doctor feels lonely, constantly, and its his own fault. He has to travel around and see all the wonders and surround himself with good people, or he forgets why he destroyed his own at all. Every step he takes is shadowed by this, and he is a massive hypocrite, yet he does a lot of good too. As described in Family of Blood, he is 'ice and fire and rage (...) and he's wonderful'.

The accents: I actually hated the young kid at the beginning. If he is Southern IRL he was really putting it on and it became grating. That said- in the West especially after the Civili War there was a lot of people from the South and from the cities and immigration so there was a melting pot to what became the "Western" way of speaking. Even now, it's almost Southern lite when you talk to folks.

'I speak horse. He's called Susan, and he wants you to respect his decisions in life.
I literally was laughing out loud at this- it was so funny and delivered so matter of fact. Also, props to Matt for his horse riding skills.

(your icon makes me unspeakably happy)

That accent did become very grating. I think maybe it also just clashed with the Britishness of our main characters, and that's what bugged me as well ;)

Matt looks surprisingly good on a horse!

Aaahh! I'm so behind! I still need to watch Power of Three, and I just watched this one yesterday!

But yeah, I agree with you on most parts. The horse named Susan made me so happy, and it's just another one of those things where being LGBT is just not a big deal in Who. But, it was named Susan. The name Susan has been used in Who before. Susan was the Doctor's granddaughter. And we get NO REACTION whatsoever from that. I don't know how no one, not the writers, the directors, the actors, remembered that the Doctor had a granddaughter named Susan, and maybe a 2 second reaction would have been nice.

I also saw the parallels between Jex and the Doctor, and I think Amy did, too, which is why she stopped the Doctor from giving Jex to the Gunslinger, maybe.

Despite the way it was mentioned, Amy's motherhood was finally mentioned, which is the main problem I had with Asylum. I agree with you that it was weirdly placed, but this show with 11 has always been weird about mothers; just look at the Christmas episode.

I just thought they didn't explain why Rory was going out with Isaac and getting shot at well enough. At first, I was confused, and when I understood it, I was still confused. Isn't Isaac also innocent?

I loved the Doctor's little dance on Jex's spaceship. It made me happy.

I agree that there wasn't enough Amy and Rory, and I don't know why. Rory barely had any lines. And half of Amy's lines were, "Doctor." The other half was the actual speech about the Doctor traveling alone.

You already know that I absolutely HATE that the Doctor actually held a gun. But I'm so relieved that he didn't shoot it.

It wasn't a bad episode, though. I enjoyed the one-liners and how Amy didn't know how to use a gun. It was fun, just not all it could have been.

Power of Three is very good! :)

Oooh... hmm, that is true, I didn't think of that. Then again, Susan is a pretty commen name - and most likely it was 'just' her human name. I think I can forgive this, because it was just a passing notion and the Doc was probably busy being proud of Susan the Horse :) but there could have been a nice: 'Knew a brilliant girl named Susan once...' or something. Aw, now I'm all bummed it wasn't mentioned!

Brr, don't even get me started on the Christmas-episode. I am a five-year old annoyed girl over the fact that one of my favorite lines is in that episode! (the Doctor's small monologue about how they should be happy now, because they're going to be sad later)

I'd forgotten all about the Doctor's dance! I love how whimsical he is :D

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Doctor Who 7x03 - A Town Called Mercy

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Frankly dear, you look more like a Beatrice.

Re: Frankly dear, you look more like a Beatrice.

Re: Frankly dear, you look more like a Beatrice.

Re: Frankly dear, you look more like a Beatrice.

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