. 4 2 ▁million , ▁also ▁be ating ▁" As yl um ▁of ▁the ▁D ale ks " ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁highest ▁r ated ▁of ▁the ▁series . ▁It ▁also ▁received ▁an ▁App reci ation ▁Index ▁of ▁ 8 5 , ▁considered ▁" ex cell ent ". ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁" A ▁Town ▁Cal led ▁Mer cy " ▁received ▁generally ▁positive ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics . ▁I GN ' s ▁Matt ▁Ris ely ▁r ated ▁the ▁episode ▁ 8 . 5 ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 0 , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁weight y , ▁progress ive , ▁sum pt uous ▁and ▁entertain ing ▁advent ure ". ▁He ▁pra ised ▁Wh ith ouse ▁and ▁Met z stein ▁for ▁setting ▁the ▁right ▁m ood ▁and ▁found ▁the ▁highlight ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Doctor ' s ▁moral ▁uncertainty . ▁Dan ▁Martin ▁of ▁The ▁Guardian ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁complex ▁mor ality ▁d ile m ma ▁f izz ing ▁with ▁sharp ▁dialog ue ". ▁He ▁wrote ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁Kar en ▁Gill an ▁who ▁" emer ged ▁as ▁the ▁real ▁star ▁of ▁the ▁episode ", ▁cit ing ▁Amy ' s ▁conversation ▁with ▁the ▁Doctor ▁about ▁how ▁trav elling ▁alone ▁had ▁affected ▁him . ▁The ▁A . V . ▁Club ▁rev iewer ▁Keith ▁Ph ipp s ▁gave ▁the ▁episode ▁a ▁B + , ▁enjo ying ▁that ▁it ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁discuss ing ▁the ▁mor ality ▁issue . ▁ ▁The ▁Te legraph ▁Full er ▁awarded ▁" A ▁Town ▁Cal led ▁Mer cy " ▁four ▁out ▁of ▁five