Dog in Chinese mythology resemblance to the real animal, which, however, plays a big part in Chinese folklore."(Eberhard, 2003: 164) The reasons for referencing "guardian lions" as "dogs" in Western cultures may be obscure, however the phenomenon is well known. Despite any fantastic myths from China about dogs, real dogs have been familiar throughout China since prehistorical times (unlike certain exotic animals, such as lions or other creatures, whose real attributes may often only have been known indirectly). Dogs also feature in various historical and legendary accounts or stories, found in the extensive literary records of China, although in some cases the lines between
A Town Called Mercy episode was dedicated to figuring out what to do with Jex rather than discovering more about him. Berriman also had two "nitpicks" that arose with the plot; the Gunslinger could just walk into the town and take Jex away, or the Doctor could take Jex away in the TARDIS. Dave Golder of the magazine labelled "A Town Called Mercy" as a "disappointing" science fiction Western episode, writing, "There are some great things about this episode ... But in a show that usually has a lot of fun reinventing TV tropes, too much of "A Town Called Mercy" feels a bit