ah ler - J ex ▁be ▁the ▁villa in ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁G uns ling er . ▁She ▁found ▁the ▁Doctor ▁holding ▁J ex ▁at ▁gun point ▁as ▁" comple t ely ▁un character istic ", ▁but ▁interpreted ▁it ▁as ▁for esh adow ing ▁Amy ▁and ▁R ory ' s ▁departure . ▁Like wise , ▁Charlie ▁Jane ▁Anders ▁from ▁io 9 ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁Doctor ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁let ▁J ex ▁die ▁was ▁" out ▁of ▁character ". ▁She ▁critic ised ▁the ▁G uns ling er ▁for ▁neither ▁simply ▁using ▁its ▁pres umably ▁advanced ▁target ing ▁systems ▁to ▁kill ▁J ex ▁or ▁making ▁the ▁town spe ople ▁leave ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁human ▁shield s . ▁Additionally , ▁according ▁to ▁her , ▁the ▁episode ▁in ▁general ▁" f elt ▁[...] ▁like ▁a ▁Deep ▁Space ▁N ine ▁episode ▁trans pl anted ▁to ▁the ▁Wild ▁West ". ▁ ▁S FX ▁rev iewer ▁Ian ▁Ber rim an ▁gave ▁" A ▁Town ▁Cal led ▁Mer cy " ▁three ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁out ▁of ▁five ▁stars . ▁He ▁commented ▁that ▁the ▁eth ical ▁debate ▁made ▁it ▁" a ▁surprising ly ▁m ature ▁story ", ▁but ▁otherwise ▁the ▁Western ▁trop es ▁made ▁it ▁" occ asion ally ▁feel ▁a ▁little ▁over - famil iar ". ▁He ▁also ▁felt ▁it ▁was ▁missing ▁" another ▁tw ist ▁or ▁two ", ▁as ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁episode ▁was ▁dedicated ▁to ▁fig uring ▁out ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁J ex ▁rather ▁than ▁discover ing ▁more ▁about ▁him . ▁Ber rim an