"A Town Called Mercy"

After 46 years, Doctor Who finally returns to the Western genre in another fine offering from the pen of Toby Whithouse. This is a tricky genre to pull off and the temptation is to resort to pastiche, but although it initially seems to be heading that way (The Doctor's order at the bar, the undertaker measuring the Doctor) it soon becomes evident that much more is going on here. The finest Westerns use the setting to explore themes of morality where law and order is fragile, of the extreme personalities drawn to frontier outposts, of people running from their past, running to their future and, frequently, both. Notably, westerns usually feature a mysterious stranger, of whom there is more than one...

One thing that the story gets right very early is making sense of the Western in a historical context. This is the Old West in the years following the American Civil War, where America is 'a land of second chances' and strangers with murky pasts can make a new start. Into the frontier town of Mercy comes Kahler Jex who is, by all appearances, a kindly doctor with a weird tattoo. However, he is actually an alien, coping with the after-effects of a war of his own, for he brings in his wake a cyborg gunslinger who is keen to pass judgement. It is made obvious from the start that the Gunslinger's motives are not dishonourable and Jex's crimes might be too horrible to forgive- hints of a more recent war with even fewer shades of grey. Into this is brought a more familiar alien Doctor, who, more than ever, has to figure out exactly what is the right thing to do.

The characterisation is intriguingly shaded and the performances have to be first rate. Adrian Scarborough is fully up to making Jex work- we can fully believe in him as the man who saved Mercy from a cholera outbreak and as a man who conducted horrific experiments is a war. Ben Browder, a sci-fi icon in his own right, brings a sense of decency and authority to the role of Marshal Isaac. As the Gunslinger, Andrew Brooke is imposing, but keeps a sense of pathos. The Doctor's role is more complex than usual- there is danger and, perhaps, real evil, but no one enemy for the Doctor to defeat. The Doctor is motivated to do some pretty extreme acts himself- in a town called Mercy, it seems he is running low of that particular commodity and it is his companions who must remind him of who he is. Matt Smith is electrifying and Gillan and Darvill manage to work brilliantly with him. As has been made clear before, the Doctor needs his companions to help him see the details of the Big Picture. Despite a bit of narrative wobbliness (repetitive scenes of people running around pretending to be Jex) Whithouse manages all this, whilst still maintaining his wit, with some sparkling bits of dialogue and some very funny lines- it takes a special sort of writer to include a horse that has finally come to terms with its confused gender issues!

Saul Metzstein helms a very assured production, helped by the use of iconic locations in the Almerian deserts, so beloved of the likes of Sergio Leone, meaning that the viewer is never less than convinced of the setting. The costumes and special effects are first rate, managing to integrate seamlessly with the setting. Metzstein gets the best out of the supporting cast and masters the tracking shots, low angles and canny editing that are typical of Westerns.

There was a film called Cowboys & Aliens recently that threw a colossal budget at attempting a western/sci-fi hybrid. On a fraction of the budget and in a fraction of the time, "A Town Called Mercy" manages to accomplish this fusion with far greater effect and remaining true to the tenets of Doctor Who. The Doctor saves the day by helping someone be a better person, and the monster, revealed to be a victim, becomes the champion of Mercy. Again, Doctor Who manages to make an outstanding Western episode that is completely different from the previous one. This is a real keeper, which will reward many repeat viewings and here's hoping we don't have to wait another 46 years for the Doctor's next trip to the Wild West!

NEXT: "The Power of Three"