Furthering on in our rotation of movie styled episodes, we find the Doctor back in a Stetson in a nearly overly cliche Western themed episode.
“A Town Called Mercy” is a completely stereotypical Western film of an episode. It includes a wounded traveller taking refuge from his demons in a quiet town. It includes a merciless bounty hunter looking for the traveller. It includes an outside party falling into the middle of the conflict having to take up the reigns of the fallen noble sherif. Finally, it includes a typical high-noon showdown between our hero and the not so adversarial antagonist.
In the end though, we are left with another blockbuster styled episode without a lot of the meat that makes a movie experience what it is. The episode didn’t feel as rushed as the first two of the series, but there was still a sense of missing exposition. With the final climax of self sacrifice and newfound nobility, the episode itself doesn’t seem to lead anywhere along the way and feels generally empty. There’s a missing charm and cohesiveness with these episodes that makes me long for the series of the past.
Other Observations
- Ben Browder (Farscape , Stargate SG-1) plays the ill fated town marshal Issac.
- Did Issac have some type of agreement with the Gunslinger to not enter the circle?
- How much time passes between the Doctor’s trips with the Ponds? It seems like there’s enough time for him to start having a grave outlook on life.
