▁long ▁to ▁mean ▁that ▁" when ▁we ▁lo osen ▁our ▁t ies ▁to ▁other ▁human ▁be ings , ▁we ▁can ▁begin ▁to ▁treat ▁matters ▁of ▁mer cy ▁and ▁justice , ▁and ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁other ▁persons , ▁differently , ▁imp erson ally ". ▁Mc Gr ath ▁also ▁noted ▁a ▁" take - home ▁religious ▁message " ▁in ▁the ▁scene ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁where ▁the ▁town ▁g athers ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁while ▁the ▁G uns ling er ▁and ▁the ▁Doctor ▁face ▁off ; ▁he ▁felt ▁that ▁it ▁emphas ised ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁valu ing ▁human ▁life . ▁ ▁G av in ▁Full er ▁of ▁The ▁Daily ▁Te legraph ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁Western ▁concept ▁was ▁" effect ively ▁window - d ress ing ▁for ▁T oby ▁Wh ith ouse ' s ▁powerful ▁mor ality ▁tale , ▁where ▁not ▁everything ▁was ▁quite ▁as ▁it ▁seemed ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁explore ▁issues ▁of ▁mor ality , ▁eth ics , ▁conscience ▁and ▁justice ". ▁The ▁A . V . ▁Club ▁rev iewer ▁Keith ▁Ph ipp s ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁" ne ver - ending ▁struggle ▁between ▁order ▁and ▁cha os " ▁was ▁common ▁in ▁Western s , ▁and ▁the ▁episode ▁represented ▁this ▁with ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁" what ▁should ▁win ▁out : ▁Law less ▁reven ge ▁or ▁civil ized ▁justice ? ". ▁Ian ▁Ber rim an ▁of ▁S FX ▁interpreted ▁the ▁border ▁around ▁Mer cy ▁as ▁a ▁met ap hor ▁for ▁the ▁Doctor ▁nearly ▁" cross ing ▁[ the ] ▁line " ▁and ▁"[ bre aking ] ▁his