There was really nothing for them to discuss in an intermission Chapter, so we're getting right into A Town Called Mercy.
TW: Thank you.
The next morning, after breakfast the group returned to the viewing. They took their seats, curious as to what today's viewings would bring as the next recording started.
"When I was a child, my favorite story was about a man who lived forever, but his eyes were heavy with the weight of all he'd seen," a woman's voice says as the night sky is seen. "A man who fell from the stars." The scene then shows a robot on a unicycle get shot.
"Blimey," Mickey said, almost jumping at the abrupt change in the scene.
"So clearly this has something to do with The Doctor," Martha noted.
"Who else could they be talking about?" Donna pointed out, not seeing the smile that threatened to cross Jane's face.
But Jack did. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was about.
The shooter looks at the robot, the word 'terminate' appearing on a screen before they fire again. The robot falls down, revealing a man on the ground behind it. The shooter walks up to the man, 'terminate' appearing on a screen again. The shooter tells the man to make peace with his gods and the man reminds him they were his once. "Not anymore." Seeing a piece of the robot near him, the man picks it up and tries to strike the shooter with it but the shooter shoots him in the chest before he has a chance. The man falls back to the ground, wounded as the shooter walks over. The shooter's face is seen as the man asks if he's the last one. The shooter says there's one more. "The doctor," the shooter says before firing.
"Brilliant, another psychopath after the Spaceman," Donna grumbled worriedly.
"Not exactly," Jane said and they all looked at her confused. "It'll make sense later."
"Really getting tired of you saying that," Mickey grumbled annoyed and Jane just shrugged.
"Well it seems like he's a robot. So either way, The Doctor is going to get involved," Jack noted.
The scene changes to day. On a desert road, The Doctor is standing outside a town. A sign hangs outside it, introducing the town as Mercy with 81 residents. Behind him, Amy and Rory take notice of a barrier made out of stones and wood. The Doctor scans it, telling Amy it is ordinary stones and wood.
"Not a very effective way to keep someone out," Mickey noted.
"Why would someone put a line of stone outside the town?" Wilf wondered.
"As a warning," Jack said and they looked at him in bewilderment. "They stay inside, they're safe. But the moment they step over the line, they're fair game."
"So whoever made the line is holding them hostage in the town," Martha realized and Jack nodded.
"Probably that shooter we saw at the beginning of the recording," Jack mused.
"But why?" Wilf wondered and no one had an answer.
The Doctor enters the town as the shooter watches in the distance. Rory points out the keep out signs but The Doctor says he sees them as suggestions rather than orders. Amused, Amy and Rory follow him.
"Oh Spaceman," Donna said fondly as they all shared a laugh.
"Typical Boss," Mickey said with a snicker.
As the trio walk into town, no one greets them but people eye them wearily from their homes. A street lamp sparks. The Doctor scans it as Rory points out it's just a street lamp. But The Doctor says it shouldn't have electricity for another decade. Rory says it's merely a few years out, which The Doctor says is what Rory said when he left his phone charger in Henry VIII's en suite.
"Well that sounds like a story," Jack said interested.
"Better one is what happened when they went back for it," Jane said, giggling as the past viewers looked at her oddly. "Next recording."
"So this recording takes place during the next one?" Martha asked curiously.
"Sort of. You'll see later," Jane promised.
"Am I the only one wondering how this town has electricity for street lamps a decade too early?" Donna wondered.
"No. Something isn't right here," Jack agreed, wondering what was going on. "And it's not just the town line or the electricity. This entire thing feels off."
"No bloody kidding," Mickey muttered as the past viewers wondered what was going on.
The Doctor is giddy at the situation, ignoring Amy's attempts to talk to him as he walks forward. They enter a saloon, where everyone turns to stare at them and the music stops. The Doctor orders a drink. "What you doing here son?" the barmaid asks, causing The Doctor to laugh. Upon being asked who he, The Doctor introduces himself. The patrons stand up and a man walks over to The Doctor, taking his measuring. The Doctor assures the man he doesn't need a new suit but the man is the undertaker.
"Well that's ominous," Mickey muttered as a sense of unease filled the room.
A young boy asks if The Doctor is the alien. Although taken aback by the question, The Doctor admits he is. To Amy and Rory's horror, the patrons then pick up the surprised Doctor and forcibly escort him out of the saloon.
"Oi!" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers looked at the screen in disbelief.
"I've seen xenophobia before but this is ridiculous," Martha said stunned.
"So have I, and this isn't it," Jack said, narrowing his eyes as the other past viewers looked at him confused. "This is fear. Notice how everyone reacted to The Doctor once he introduced himself and how they knew to ask if he was an alien? This has something to do with whoever is holding the town hostage."
"He's looking for The Doctor, probably put out a warning to the town," Martha realized.
"But how did he know Boss was coming here?" Mickey wondered.
"Not so sure he did," Jack said, glancing at Jane before turning back to the screen. "But let's see how this plays out."
Amy and Rory rush out, protesting but they're restrained as the group carries The Doctor over to the town line. The Doctor tries to keep Amy and Rory calm before he's thrown over the line. As The Doctor gets up, the group point guns at him and The Doctor raises his hands in surrender.
"Isn't that a bit excessive?" Wilf asked.
"Welcome to the Old West. This is pretty typical," Jack explained.
"Let me guess, you've been there?" Martha asked dryly.
"Once or twice. Not pleasant experiences," Jack admitted with a grimace.
In the distance, the shooter appears in a flash and the man who first addressed The Doctor fearfully says he's coming. One of the men holding a gun tells the preacher to say something. The man says a prayer as the shooter approaches. As the shooter grows closer, The Doctor tries to make a break for the town only to be met with various guns.
"Would someone do something already!?" Donna exclaimed as they all watched worriedly.
"Don't worry, Dad'll be fine," Jane assured them.
"Doesn't stop us for worrying," Martha muttered.
A shoot is fired into the air and the group looks back to see a man has walked up behind them. The man tells The Doctor to come back into the town, moving his jacket aside to reveal a marshal's badge. The Doctor quickly does so, looking back as the shooter vanishes.
"Oh thank God," Martha said as they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Asked and answered it seems," Jack noted as he glanced at Donna.
"Not a moment too bloody soon," Donna grumbled.
One of the group tells the sheriff, Isaac that The Doctor is an alien doctor. Isaac says that's no reason to hand him to his death but the man argues that The Doctor 'could be him'. "You know it aint," Isaac says.
"So it's not The Doctor then," Martha mused.
"Whoever that robot thing is looking for, the people in town obviously know who it is," Jack mused.
"Which explains why he's holding the town hostage. He's trying to leverage them into handing this doctor over," Wilf realized.
"It's like one of those American Western movies," Donna muttered.
"And they were just gonna hand Boss over to save themselves," Mickey said angrily.
"Fear can drive people to do some terrible things," Jack noted, remembering Angelo killing him and then turning him over to all those people who had killed him over and over again.
Isaac then walks away, nodding to Amy on the way. The Doctor brushes himself off, glaring at the group before walking off with Amy and Rory. They follow Isaac to the Sheriff Station, where Isaac explains the shooter, who they call the Gunslinger, showed up three weeks ago and has been keeping the town prisoner ever since. They merely woke up one day to the border around their town and now nothing in or out can get passed it. Soon, the town will starve to death.
"So that's why the town is so desperate to make the Gunslinger go away," Martha realized, their frenzied fear now making more sense.
"Still, I doubt that the Gunslinger will be appeased unless he gets who he came for," Jack noted.
Rory points out the Gunslinger let them in but Isaac notes they aren't carrying supplies. The Doctor asks what happens if someone crosses the line and Isaac tosses him a hat with a bullet hole in it. The Doctor becomes horrified when Isaac says the Gunslinger was aiming for the hat but Amy points out it was likely a warning shot. Amy asks what the Gunslinger wants and Isaac says the Gunslinger has demanded 'the alien doctor'. Thinking he means The Doctor, Amy and Rory ask why the Gunslinger wants him and knew he's be there, as they were supposed to go to Mexico for the Day of the Dead Festival. The Doctor notices an electric lantern flickering.
"Another case of the TARDIS bringing The Doctor where he needed to be then," Martha mused.
"Seems that way," Jack said, narrowing his eyes.
The Doctor blames Rory for getting toast crumbs on the console before demanding he meet 'him'. Since Isaac knows The Doctor isn't who the Gunslinger is after, Isaac already knows who the alien doctor is. Remembering the changed sign outside the town, The Doctor realizes the alien doctor is the one who supplied the electricity and is in here to protect himself from the town. Isaac tries to deny it when a man in a cell throws off a blanket, saying the time for subterfuge has passed. The man walks up to the cell door, introducing himself as Kahler-Jex and the doctor the Gunslinger is looking for.
"A Kahler. That makes sense," Jack mused as the other past viewers looked over at him.
"What's a Kahler?" Wilf asked curiously.
"They're considered the Leonardo Da Vinci of the universe, some of the greatest inventors known in the galaxy. Although I have no idea what one is doing on Earth," Jack mused, feeling like he was missing something.
"Wait for it," Jane said with a grimace, knowing Jack of all people would not react well to the truth.
Later, The Doctor shakes Jex's hand once he's out of the cell, explaining to Amy and Rory the Kahler are one of the most ingenious races in the universe. Amy gently pries The Doctor away, asking Jex how he got here. They all sit down, Jex explaining his ship had crashed just outside of town and Isaac's crew had found him, saving his life. The Doctor notes Jex stayed as the town doctor and Jex explains he was a surgeon on his world so it seemed logical. Isaac then explains how Jex had saved the town from an outbreak of Cholera and points out the electrics, Isaac explaining he was able to give heat and lighting to the town using what was left of his ship as a generator.
"Well I guess that explains the street lamps," Martha mused.
"Maybe," Jack muttered, not able to shake the feeling that something was off here.
"What's with the face Immortal Man?" Donna asked as they saw Jack's face.
"Not sure. Just can't shake the feeling that Jex isn't telling them everything. Why is the Gunslinger going after a surgeon? Doesn't add up," Jack pointed out.
The Doctor asks why the Gunslinger wants Jex but is met with resistance from Isaac, who firmly tells him America is a land of second chances. Isaac notes not everyone in town feels as he does and he and Jex argue briefly, Jex assuring him the people in town are merely scared. But that is what concerns Isaac, as the war ended only five years ago and Isaac fears if they hand Jex over, chaos will follow.
"I think you're right Jack. And I think Isaac knows more than he's letting on," Martha noted.
"But he also seems hell bent on protecting Jex. Someone is going to end up dead," Jack said uneasily.
"Brilliant," Donna groaned as they all watched uneasily.
The Doctor inquires if Jex tried to repair his ship but Jex says it was too badly damaged. The Doctor says they need to evacuate, offering to get everyone out through the TARDIS. Amy is surprised The Doctor doesn't have any crazy schemes but he says he's matured, as he's 1,200 now.
"Yeah right Boss," Mickey said as he barked out a laugh.
"The day he doesn't have a plan is the day the universe ends," Donna said with a smile.
"He's got something up his sleeve; he just doesn't want to tip off Jex or Isaac. What are you up to Doctor?" Jack wondered as they watched the screen with interest.
Amy is skeptical, thinking The Doctor would be more curious but he dismisses it as a crazy cowboy assassin. Isaac points out he still has to get passed the Gunslinger and The Doctor puts on a Stetson, saying he'll do so with some sleight of hand. Amy and Rory exchange a look as The Doctor walks out.
"Him and his hats," Martha said with a smile.
"First the Fez, now the Stetson. What's next?" Donna asked with a laugh.
"Not sure I want to find out," Jack said as they all watched the screen amused.
Later, Rory and Isaac are running through the desert, Isaac wearing Jex's clothes. The Gunslinger watches them from a hilltop. He takes aim but, determining the risk to Rory is too great, decides not to take the shot.
"It didn't want to hurt Rory," Wilf said in surprise.
"It's holding the town hostage, but hasn't killed anyone yet," Jack mused.
"So a killer with a conscience?" Mickey asked in disbelief.
"Or someone with an axe to grind. Like I said, Jex isn't being entirely honest. There's a reason the Gunslinger is after him," Jack noted as he narrowed his eyes. "I just hope The Doctor isn't spending all his time protecting the real threat."
In town, The Doctor walks up to the preacher, asking if he can borrow his horse. As The Doctor gets on the horse, the preacher introduces his horse as Joshua. The horse snorts and The Doctor translates that his name is Susan and he wants the preacher to respect his life choices. The preacher looks at him in disbelief as The Doctor rides off.
"Huh?" Mickey asked as the past viewers looked at the screen in disbelief.
"I think Dad is just messing with him. Makes more sense than a horse having gender dysphoria," Jane shrugged.
"Really does," Martha muttered.
Rory and Isaac are continuing to run when the Gunslinger fires, hitting the space between Rory and Isaac and separating them. Isaac quickly grabs Rory's arm and forcibly leads him on.
"That was too bloody close," Donna muttered as the past viewers watched tense.
"Doctor, whatever you're doing, do it fast," Martha pleaded softly.
In town, Amy asks Jex if he wants them to take him home when this is over but he declines, saying he's given all that was good in him to the Kahler and can start over in Mercy. Jex says he's only ever wanted to end suffering.
Jack narrowed his eyes as he stared at the screen, his suspicions growing about Jex. He was clearly not all that he presented himself as, but what was his connection to the Gunslinger? Either way, Jack had a bad feeling about Jex.
Amy gives him a jacket and Jex asks if she's a mother. Jex explains he can see the kindness and sadness in her eyes, along with a ferocity. Amy notes it wasn't straightforward and Jex says it rarely is. Amy asks if Jex is a father and he says in a way.
"How can he be a father in a way?" Donna wondered.
"Not sure. But the more he talks, the less I trust him," Jack said darkly.
"You and me both. There's just something off about this bloke," Mickey agreed uneasily.
"Whatever it is, let's just hope he's not a threat," Martha said, although experience told her that was unlikely.
Rory and Isaac take cover behind a large rock, Isaac noting now they wait for The Doctor to come pick them up. Rory points out he was there when they agreed to it and Isaac says that was more for his benefit than Rory's. The Doctor is riding Susan through the desert before stopping, saying he wants to check something out. The Doctor gets off Susan and begins examining the ground when he hears the sound of electricity. The Doctor finds a long cable as back in town, Jex sees a lantern flicker. The Doctor gets back on Susan and they follow the cable when it begins to spark. The Doctor finds an object covered by a tarp and pulls it off, revealing a ship. Susan snorts and The Doctor agrees, not seeing the damage.
"So Jex's story about a crash was a lie then," Wilf noted.
"He didn't come there by accident. He was running from the Gunslinger," Jack realized.
"But why is it after him?" Donna wondered, still not understanding.
"You'll see in a few minutes," Jane said with a grimace.
The Gunslinger walks over to the edge of a cliff overlooking the rock Rory and Isaac are hiding behind. They hid behind the rock as the Gunslinger attempts to locate them. Failing, he performs a thermal scan and finds two heat signatures. Locking on, The Gunslinger prepares to fire.
"Fuck fuck fuck!" Mickey swore as they all watched tense.
"Doctor, whatever you're plan is do it now," Donna pleaded softly as they all worried for Rory.
The Doctor is examining the ship, jumping on it before pulling out his screwdriver. Scanning it, The Doctor holds his ears as alarms blare. The sound reaches the Gunslinger, who recognizes it as a Kahler alarm. He depowers his gun before going in search of the alarm.
"Oh thank God," Martha said as they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Never have I been more grateful for a happy accident," Mickey said with a slight chuckle.
"Doubt that was what The Doctor had planned, but I guess beggars can't be choosers," Jack said with a slight smile.
In town, Amy and Jex walk out as they hear the sound, Jex recognizing the alarm from his ship. Amy suggests The Doctor is trying to get it working again but Jex is distressed The Doctor is ignoring the plan. "Welcome to my world," Amy says.
"Doubt that's why Jex is worried," Mickey noted.
"There's something about the ship that Jex doesn't want it to be found," Jack agreed.
"The Spaceman is good at uncovering things people don't want dug up. Whatever it is, he can find it," Donna said confidently.
Jex walks back into the sheriff station as The Doctor jumps into the ship. An automated voice says he has ten seconds to enter the pass code or the ship will self-destruct.
"Whatever secrets he's keeping, Jex is going to some pretty extreme lengths to keep them," Martha noted.
"In my experience, people who go to such extremes to hide their secrets have no good tales to tell," Jack said grimly, becoming more and more convinced that Jex was a threat.
The Doctor uses his screwdriver and is able to override the self-destruct, noting it's an awful lot of security for such a craft. The Doctor tries to access files on the Gunslinger but the computer doesn't have such a file. The Doctor then requests the personal files on Jex. It does, Jex's voice directing The Doctor to the names of deceased subjects. The Doctor looks at the files, growing more horrified as screaming is heard.
"What the bloody Hell?" Mickey breathed as the past viewers looked at the screen with the same growing horror as The Doctor.
"I think it's fair to say Jex wasn't your typical surgeon," Jack said darkly, feeling he was proven right.
"No, no he wasn't," Jane said with a grimace.
"What the bloody Hell is he?" Donna whispered.
In town, Amy walks back into the sheriff station only for Jex to point a gun at her. Jex says The Doctor should have followed the plan.
"I hate being right," Jack muttered as they all tensed.
"Oi! She's trying to help you and you pull a gun on her you git?!" Donna snapped angrily.
"He feels the walls closing in on him, so he's trying to escape," Jack noted. "Something tells me Jex hasn't been absolutely truthful to Isaac about what the Gunslinger wants."
"Which is why he's so desperate to escape, he's afraid of how Isaac will react," Martha realized.
"Either way, looks like the truth is about to come out," Mickey noted.
The Doctor exits the ship only for the Gunslinger to point his gun at him. The Doctor quickly jumps back into the ship, pleading for the Gunslinger not to shoot. The Doctor says he know who the Gunslinger is and who Jex is. The Gunslinger depowers his gun as The Doctor asks why he hasn't gone into town and killed Jex. The Gunslinger says people will get in the way.
"He wants to kill Jex, but not the people," Wilf noted in surprise.
"Like you said Mickey, a killer with a conscience," Jane noted as Mickey blinked in surprise.
"Well I'll be," Mickey muttered.
"Even Mickey Mouse has to be right at least once," Jack noted, smiling slightly as Mickey glared at him.
The Doctor says this is not the way to get justice, offering to put Jex on trial but the Gunslinger points his gun at him again. "When he starts killing your people, you can use your justice."
"He did human – or in this case Kahler – experimentation. The Gunslinger must be one of Jex's old experiments and has come looking for revenge," Jack noted as the realization hit them all.
"I guess it makes sense. His issue is with Jex, not the town, which is why he tried to let them hand Jex over voluntarily," Martha mused.
"Unfortunately, when people want revenge, they tend to lose sight of right and wrong," Jane noted and Jack winced.
"You don't need to tell me something I already know," Jack said lowly as he thought of Grey.
Jex is gathering supplies, saying while Isaac may not care about his past, he fears things have been uncovered that even Isaac may not forgive. Jex says he needs to make a hasty retreat; taking Amy because he thinks he won't get shot if she's with him, as the Gunslinger seems to take innocent lives only if necessary.
"So basically Amy might die, but it's a sacrifice you're willing to make," Mickey said as they all felt anger and disgust for Jex.
"When cornered, people show you who they really are. And Jex shows that he's really only out for himself," Donna said angrily, the part of her that was still The Doctor seeing this clearly.
"He helped the town to make himself feel better about what he'd done, not for the sake of helping others," Jack agreed.
"Still doesn't answer why he did it in the first place," Martha noted, hoping they would get some answers soon.
Jex tries to head out the door only to find a gun pointed at his back. Isaac and Rory have returned.
"Going somewhere?" Donna said vindictively.
"Doesn't look like it. And I don't think he's going to be able to explain his way out of this one," Jack noted, wondering what Jex would do now.
The Gunslinger depowers his gun, telling The Doctor he will kill the next person to step over the line and to make sure its Jex. The Gunslinger then walks off and The Doctor looks over his shoulder.
"Well there goes him not wanting to kill anyone," Martha said as the past viewers watched uneasily.
"Vengeance has consumed him. Let's just hope his need for revenge doesn't cause him to take it out on the town," Jack said although he didn't have much hope.
In town, Jex is trying to claim he was only trying to protect them when The Doctor walks in; saying everything Jex has said is lies. The Doctor walks up to Jex, saying he's a murderer. Jex protests he's a scientist but The Doctor shouts for him to sit down. Jex complies and The Doctor demands Jex tell them what he is. Jex declares that he's a war hero. Isaac demands someone tell him what's going on. The Doctor explains the Gunslinger is a cyborg, a weapon. Jex built it when he and his team took volunteers, telling them they'd been selected for special training. In reality, they experimented on them, fused their bodies with weapons and programed them to kill. Isaac demands to know why Jex would do this and Jex explains they'd been at war, one which had already decimated half the planet. "Our task was to bring peace. And we did."
"The ends justified the means, do they?" Donna asked coldly.
"They do at the time. Then you look back at what you've done and wonder if it was all worth it," Jack muttered softly, thinking of Steven once more.
"Jack, you're not like him," Martha said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and Jack smiled tightly.
"Aren't I? I killed my own grandson, told myself it was for the greater good, that it was necessary. But in the end, I'm not sure any of it was worth it," Jack said with a heavy sigh. "And maybe one day, I'll find Alice waiting for me as my own Gunslinger."
It was silent for a long moment, none of them sure what to say to that. Nothing they could say would make Jack feel better or change what happened. So they merely continued watching the recording.
Jex explains the army he built destroyed the enemy in less than a week, refusing to repent for what he sees as saving millions of lives. The Doctor demands to know how many died on the operating table before that. "War is another world. You cannot apply the politics of peace to what I did, to what any of us did," Jex snaps.
"Victory at the cost of morality is no real victory. It's the same kind of logic that the Americans applied when they bombed Japan," Donna argued.
"Sometimes, good people are forced to make horrible decisions. Sometimes it's necessary, but that doesn't mean you can get away with what you did," Jane said softly.
"We all have to pay for our sins in the end. All of us," Jack said darkly.
The Doctor storms away as Rory asks why Jex is here. Jex explains one of the cyborgs had his circuitry damaged in battle. While the others were decommissioned, it went offline and began hunting the team that created it until only two were left. They fled until their ships crashed here.
"They ran until they couldn't run anymore, then tried to find a new life," Mickey mused.
"And now he's putting everyone in danger. If he really wanted to help these people, he'd have walked across that line by now," Jack said darkly.
"I agree, but the question is what will they do now?" Martha noted as they all watched curiously.
Rory looks back at The Doctor but, seeing The Doctor is deep in thought, Rory turns to Amy and Isaac, asking what they should do with Jex. Rory argues that Jex is a war criminal but Isaac points out all the good he's done for Mercy. Amy agrees with Rory but says they need to find another solution. Rory argues that it's Jex or the town.
"Rory's right, but I don't think Isaac is going to let that happen," Jack noted.
"He's determined to not allow chaos into the town. And he's got a point. Handing Isaac over to the Gunslinger might save them, but they'll be dealing with demons they can't fight afterwards," Martha pointed out.
"Something like this is never simple," Wilf said with a heavy sigh. "Jex is a monster and perhaps he deserves to die. But the people don't need to become murderers. Not for him."
"How will you handle this Spaceman?" Donna wondered as they all watched uneasily.
Amy says they don't execute people, looking to The Doctor to back her up. But The Doctor is too distracted. Jex notes he and The Doctor are similar, yet The Doctor lacks the will to do what needs to be done. "Thank the gods my people weren't relying on you to save them."
"You don't know anything about him. Don't ever compare yourself to him," Donna hissed in disgust.
"He should not have said that," Mickey noted as they all watched uneasily, knowing how The Doctor was likely to react.
Enraged, The Doctor forces Jex out of the station, ignoring Amy and Isaac's protests. The trio follows him when Rory attempts to block Amy's path. She asks if Rory is willing to let The Doctor do this and Rory says he is.
"I thought of all people Rory would be the one trying to convince The Doctor not to do this," Donna said taken aback.
"Even Rory's kindness has its limits. Rory saw a lot of bloodshed in the centuries he waited for Amy, what Jex did probably reminds him of it. And Jex using Amy as a hostage probably didn't help," Jane shrugged.
"I'm more worried about what The Doctor might do," Martha muttered as they watched uneasily.
As The Doctor forces Jex towards the town line, the townspeople follow him. The Doctor throws Jex over the line before grabbing a gun, aiming it at Jex when he tries to reenter the town. Jex doesn't believe The Doctor would pull the trigger and The Doctor says he doesn't know.
"Doctor, what are you doing? This isn't like you," Martha said aghast as the past viewers stared at the screen in shock.
"Yes it is," Mickey said and they looked at him in bewilderment. "It's exactly like him...when I first met him."
"In his Ninth Regeneration, after the Time War, when he was filled with all the rage and pain of wiping out his entire race," Jack realized and Mickey nodded.
"He's been alone so long that's what he's become again," Mickey said as they all watched worried.
"Spaceman, don't do something you'll regret," Donna pleaded.
Isaac tries to caution The Doctor when The Doctor turns his gun on Isaac. A shot rings out and everyone turns to see Amy holding a gun. She tells The Doctor to let Jex back in. The Doctor says Amy wouldn't shoot him and Amy says maybe she's changed, as he's been 'taking stupid lessons' since they saw each other last. Amy accidently fires off the gun twice and Isaac tells anyone not an American to drop the gun. The Doctor argues that they can end this and save everyone right now. Amy wonders when killing became an option and The Doctor argues his enemies keep coming back. "Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today. No. Today I honor the victims first. His, The Master's, the Daleks', all the people who died because of my mercy!" The Doctor snaps.
"Yes, exactly like his Ninth Regeneration," Jack agreed as he narrowed his eyes. "Same anger, same willingness to deal out punishment."
"This is what Dad is like when he travels alone for too long," Jane said with a sigh as they all watched the screen wearily. "You see now why he prefers to travel with a companion."
"Spaceman," Donna said worriedly.
Amy notes this is what happens when The Doctor travels alone for too long. "Well listen to me Doctor, we can't be like him. We have to be better than him," Amy says. After a moment of staring at Amy, The Doctor gives in, saying they'll find another way. But as The Doctor moves towards Jex, the Gunslinger appears a few feet away.
"Oh bloody typical," Donna groaned.
"Amy manages to talk some sense into The Doctor just before the Gunslinger shows up. Just his luck," Jack noted as they all watched uneasily.
"How will you get out of this Boss?" Mickey muttered.
The Gunslinger teleports behind Jex, aiming his gun at him. Jex turns around to face him as The Gunslinger tells Jex to make peace with his gods. Jex identifies the Gunslinger as Kahler-Tech and pleads with him to let Jex live, saying he's helping people now.
"That doesn't erase everything you've done," Wilf said with a heavy sigh.
"He thinks that will convince the Gunslinger to spare him. But considering everything Jex did to him, Jex could save the whole universe and the Gunslinger would still try to kill him," Jack noted as they watched tense, wondering what would happen now.
The Gunslinger is unmoved and prepares to fire. At the last second, Isaac pushes Jex out of the way and is shot.
"NO!" Donna exclaimed as they all watched in horror.
"Isaac," Wilf said softly.
Isaac goes down to the ground and The Doctor quickly rushes over. As The Doctor tries to assure him that he'll be alright, Isaac asks The Doctor to stay to look after everyone. "Protect Jex. Protect my town. You're both good men. You just forget it sometimes," Isaac says before he dies.
"Exactly like I said, someone was going to die in this situation. All to protect someone who honestly doesn't deserve it," Jack said with a heavy sigh.
"Poor Isaac," Martha said with a heavy sigh.
"More worried about the town. Isaac seemed like the only person who was keeping the town from tearing itself apart. Without him…" Mickey trailed off.
"I guess we're about to see that chaos Isaac was worried about," Donna said as they all eyed the screen uneasily.
Seeing Isaac has handed him his badge, The Doctor puts it on his jacket. Standing up, The Doctor orders Jex taken to a cell and says they'll have to answer to him if anything happens to Jex. The Doctor then walks up to the Gunslinger, saying this has gone on long enough. The Gunslinger agrees, saying the townspeople have until noon tomorrow to give him Jex or he will kill them all. The Gunslinger teleports away as Amy realizes in horror The Doctor is the marshal. "Yeah. And you're the deputy," The Doctor says.
"Well this cannot get any worse," Mickey declared.
"The Gunslinger seems to have abandoned his 'no killing civilians' policy and Isaac is dead. I'm honestly not sure how much worse it can get," Jack said grimly.
"And The Doctor's the marshal, about to face off with the Gunslinger. It really is like one of those American Westerns," Martha muttered.
"Let's hope not. Because I doubt the Spaceman will be any good at a shootout," Donna said uneasily.
That night, The Doctor, Amy and Rory sit in the Sheriff's station when someone knocks on the door. The preacher walks inside, telling The Doctor to come outside and put on Isaac's gun and thigh holster. The Doctor does and they walk outside to see a group of the townspeople waiting outside.
"And here comes the panic," Jack said grimly as the sense of unease filled the room once more. "When people are scared, they lash out at what they see as putting them in danger."
"Which in this case is The Doctor and Jex," Martha noted and Jack nodded.
"Let's hope The Doctor can manage to keep everyone calm then," Wilf said lowly, not sure if he was talking to them or himself.
One of them tells The Doctor to leave the keys and take a walk. The Doctor refuses, remembering Isaac's last words. But the townspeople are terrified for their families, wanting to hand Jex over. The Doctor refuses again and the boy who first approached The Doctor pulls a gun on him. The Doctor asks him how old he is and the boy says 19. Realizing he's too young to have fought in the war, The Doctor points out this is what happened with Jex and that violence will only breed more violence. "And I don't think you want to do this. I don't think you want to become that man," The Doctor says. The boy argues that there are kids in the town and The Doctor promises to save them if he'll let him. The boy asks if Jex is worth the risk. "Don't know. But you are," The Doctor says. After a moment, the boy lowers his gun.
"Nice one Doctor," Jack said as they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"They're calm, for now. But The Doctor can't keep this up and they'll only get more scared the closer they get to the Gunslinger's deadline," Donna noted uneasily.
"Well then I guess it's time for Boss to come up with one of his 'so crazy they work' plans," Mickey muttered.
The mob disperses and The Doctor says he'd take a Dalek over frightened people any day. The Doctor heads back into the station and is greeted by the undertaker. The undertaker claims to have faith in The Doctor but still takes The Doctor's measurements.
"So much for faith," Donna grumbled as they all watched tense.
The Doctor sends him home and from his cell, Jex notes The Doctor could turn a blind eye to the mob. But The Doctor says if he did that, Isaac's death would be just another casualty in Jex's war. The Doctor demands if Jex wants him to hand him to the Gunslinger and Jex says he hears the screams of all his victims when he closes his eyes. "It would be so much simpler if I was just one thing, wouldn't it? The mad scientist who made that killing machine or the physician, who's dedicated his life to serving this town. The fact that I'm both bewilders you," Jex accuses.
"The ego on this one, eh? Thinks he has Boss all figured out," Mickey said not sure whether to be annoyed or amused at the thought.
"Men like him always do. If I had to guess, what makes The Doctor so angry is that he sees himself in Jex," Jack mused and four pairs of eyes looked at him in disbelief.
"The Spaceman is nothing like him?!" Donna snapped angrily.
"Isn't he? A scientist who committed terrible sins in order to end a terrible war and now seeks redemption by helping people. Sound familiar?" Jack asked and none of the other past viewers had a rebuttal.
"Jack's right, there are a lot of similarities between Dad and Jex. Only difference is that Jex believes his actions were righteous whereas Dad knows what he did, while necessary, was wrong," Jane noted.
"Which is why he seems to hate Jex so much. He sees what he could have become," Martha realized as they stared at the screen, viewing the interactions between The Doctor and Jex with new eyes.
The Doctor says he knows exactly what Jex is and accuses Jex of choosing this as his punishment. "But justice doesn't work like that! You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid!" The Doctor snarls. The Doctor turns away and Jex tells him his people believed in the afterlife you have to carry the souls of everyone you've wronged up a mountain. "Imagine the weight I will have to lift." The Doctor stares at him as Jex lists all the people he has wrong, asking if he understands why Jex fears death.
"We all have to pay for what we've done in the end," Jack said lowly, thinking of Steven once again. "And The Doctor is right; we don't get to decide how our debts are paid."
The room was silent, no one knowing how to really respond as they realized Jack wasn't talking about Jex but rather himself. No one really knew what to say to that.
Jex knows The Doctor wants to hand him over but won't. Jex says they all carry a prison with them, his being his past and The Doctor's his morality. But The Doctor seems to have gotten an idea.
"And now's the time when he gets one of his mad ideas, isn't it?" Martha realized as Jane smiled slightly.
"Why ask questions you already know the answer to?"
The next day, as the time nears noon, The Doctor is standing in the center of town. The preacher and a group of townspeople pray in the church as Amy stands guard over Jex. Everyone stops as they hear the Gunslinger teleport in. He appears over the town line. As the clock strikes 12, the Gunslinger steps over the line.
"And here we go," Mickey muttered as they all watched tense.
The Doctor waits calmly as the Gunslinger approaches him, stopping several feet away. For a long moment, the two stare at each other, The Doctor's hand hovering over his gun. As the Gunslinger moves to fire, The Doctor pulls out his screwdriver and activates it. A sonic wave pierces the air, glass shattering and the Gunslinger crying out in pain. The Gunslinger's aim is off and his shot misses The Doctor.
"Brilliant diversionary tactic Doctor, but I'm sure that's not your plan," Jack noted.
"Nothing is ever that simple with The Doctor," Martha agreed as the past viewers wondered what he was up to.
The Doctor runs and the Gunslinger fires again, missing The Doctor. At the station, Amy unlocks Jex's cell and lets him out. In town, Rory is standing with the boy who led the mob, both having ink on their face identical to Jex's tattoo. At Rory's signal, the boy runs off. The boy passes the Gunslinger, who ID's the tattoo. However, multiple townspeople run out, all having makings on their face identical to Jex's tattoo, confusing the Gunslinger.
"Carry our prisons with us, of course!" Jack exclaimed as they all realized The Doctor's plan.
"They Doctor had the people in town draw Jex's tattoo on their face so the Gunslinger would have a harder time identifying him and Jex can get away in the confusion. That's brilliant," Donna said with a smile.
"Only if they can keep the Gunslinger from killing Jex before he gets away," Mickey muttered as they continued to watch, still uneasily.
The people in the church pause as they hear the Gunslinger pass by. A young girl accidently knocks over some books and the Gunslinger pauses. The Gunslinger shoots the door to the church open.
"Fuck," Mickey swore as they all watched uneasily.
"Don't do it, please," Wilf pleaded softly as tension filled the room, each of them wondering what the Gunslinger would do now.
Hearing the screams of the people, The Doctor and Jex, who had been trying to escape the town, pause. The Doctor runs out and sees Jex, telling him to go as he can't save them while he's here. Jex flees as The Doctor heads towards the scream.
"You're only putting everyone in danger. You should never have come there," Jack said grimly. "A town like Mercy with electricity, you probably led the Gunslinger right to them."
"Maybe, but what's done is done. Only thing that matters now is protecting the people," Jane argued and Jack couldn't argue as they all continued to watch.
The Gunslinger scans the terrified townspeople and, not finding Jex, he heads out of the church. Jex reaches his ship as the Gunslinger sees The Doctor, who now spots the same tattoo as Jex. Scanning him, the Gunslinger realizes it's the Doctor. As Jex overrides the self-destruct of his ship, the Gunslinger deactivates his automatic targeting. Using thermal imaging to locate The Doctor, the Gunslinger walks up and points his gun at him, demanding to know where Jex is. The Doctor says Jex is gone, telling him any second he will see the vapor trail from his ship. As The Doctor tries to reason with the Gunslinger, Jex uses his ship's broadcasting system to call out to the Gunslinger.
"You bloody idiot!" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers stared at the screen in disbelief.
"All that trouble to make sure he got away and he just calls out to the Gunslinger?" Mickey asked in disbelief.
"What's he playing at here?" Jack wondered, knowing Jex was smarter than that and Jane grimaced.
"You'll see in a minute," Jane said lowly, her tone speaking volumes.
To The Doctor's disbelief, Jex gives the Gunslinger his location before asking where on Kahler he's from. The Gunslinger says he's from Gabrian, which Jex is familiar with. Jex asks if the Gunslinger will go back there and the Gunslinger points out he's a monster now. "So am I," Jex notes. The Doctor pleads with Jex to go as the Gunslinger promises to find Jex even if he has to tear the universe apart. Jex agrees but refuses to allow another race to be caught in the crossfire, reactivating the self-destruct sequence.
"Is he gonna…" Mickey trailed off as the past viewers realized Jex's plan.
"Yes," Jane nodded. "Like you said Jack, he put them all in danger by going there; his attempts to help probably drew the Gunslinger to Mercy. He wasn't going to allow any more people to die because of him, not after Isaac."
"Oi," Donna whispered as they all eyed the screen in disbelief.
Jex declares he's ending the war, even for the Gunslinger. Jex tells The Doctor he must now face the souls he's wronged, closing his eyes before the ship explodes.
No one said a word as they merely stared at the screen. While Jex had not been a good man and had ultimately put the people of Mercy in danger, he had died to protect them from his past. No one really knew what to say or think about that.
The Doctor and the Gunslinger see the ship explode and stare at it for a moment. The Gunslinger lowers his head, noting Jex had honor at the end. "Maybe more than me." The Doctor offers to take the Gunslinger back to his world but the Gunslingers says he will self-destruct in the desert. "I'm a creature of war, I have no role to play during peace," the Gunslinger says as he begins to walk off. "Except maybe to protect it," The Doctor says. The Gunslinger stops, considering.
"Huh?" Mickey asked as the past viewers taken aback by this.
"Have to admit, really wasn't expecting that," Jack admitted.
"I guess it makes sense, he can't go home and the town does need someone looking out for it," Martha mused.
"And there's nothing more honorable than protecting people. Perhaps you are not a monster after all," Wilf said with a slight smile.
Later, The Doctor, Amy and Rory head out of the saloon, The Doctor rambling about where they should go next. But Amy says they should leave it for later, as their friends will begin to notice that they're aging faster than them. The Doctor agrees readily and Amy and Rory head into the TARDIS. The Doctor then wishes farewell to the boy who led the mob, the two playfully enacting a shootout before The Doctor enters the TARDIS.
Some light chuckles broke out across the room at The Doctor's antics.
"Oh Spaceman," Donna laughed.
"By the time the Gunslinger arrived, the people of Mercy were used to the strange and impossible," the woman's voice from the beginning says as the TARDIS begins to dematerialize. "Where he came from didn't matter. As a man once said, America is a land of second chances." The girl from the church is shown walking through the desert. "Do I believe the story? I don't know. My great grandmother must have been a little girl when he arrived." The girl is then shown looking at the Gunslinger as he looks out over Mercy. "But next time you're in Mercy, ask someone why they don't have a Marshall or a Sheriff or policeman there. 'We've got our own arrangement', they'll say. Then they'll smile like they got a secret. Like they got their own special angel watching out for 'em, their very own angel who fell from the stars." The Gunslinger is then shown, now wearing the marshal badge before the screen goes black.
"So she was never talking about The Doctor then," Wilf mused.
"Doesn't look like it," Martha noted, wondering what happen next in these recordings.
A decent episode with a great story that poses questions of morality but is ultimately hurt by the sidelining of Amy and Rory.