Susan (A Town Called Mercy): Difference between revisions

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{{first pic|Eleven and Susan A Town Called Mercy.jpg|Susan, about to depart [[Mercy, Nevada|Mercy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')}}
{{first pic|Eleven and Susan A Town Called Mercy.jpg|Susan, about to depart [[Mercy, Nevada|Mercy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')}}
'''Susan''', known to the [[Preacher (A Town Called Mercy)|Preacher]] as '''Joshua''', was the Preacher's [[horse]] in [[Mercy, Nevada|Mercy]], [[Nevada]] in [[1870]]. According to the [[Eleventh Doctor]], "he" preferred the name "Susan" and wanted the Preacher to respect his life choices. The Doctor rode Susan to find [[Kahler-Jex]]' ship. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')
'''Susan''', known to the [[Preacher (A Town Called Mercy)|Preacher]] as '''Joshua''', was the Preacher's [[horse]] in [[Mercy, Nevada|Mercy]], [[Nevada]] in [[1870]]. According to the [[Eleventh Doctor]], the horse preferred the name "Susan" and wanted the Preacher to "respect his life choices". The Doctor rode Susan to find [[Kahler-Jex]]' ship. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')


== Personality ==
== Personality ==
Susan was a mild mannered horse but he tended to swear. Only the [[Eleventh Doctor]] knew this, however. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')
Susan was a mild mannered horse but tended to swear. Only the [[Eleventh Doctor]] knew this, however. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'')


== Behind the scenes ==
== Behind the scenes ==
Male pronouns are used in this article because those are the pronouns used by the Doctor. In the real world, trans women, who were assigned male at birth, tend to use she/her pronouns, in line with their gender identity. It would, unfortunately, be [[real world creep]] for this article to assume that a horse from the 19th century would have preferred female pronouns.
Though the horse's "life choices" are left vague and open to multiple interpretations, many fans have interpreted his line as meaning Susan is [[transgender]], and identifies as female. Many see this, in part because of the Doctor's use of he/him pronouns, as [[transphobia|transphobic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://liz011.tumblr.com/post/31670138060/a-town-called-mercy|title=A Town Called Mercy|author=liz011|date of source=16 September 2012|website name=Tumblr|accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415022221/http://stfu-moffat.tumblr.com/post/31725359415/a-town-called-mercy-susan|title=A Town Called Mercy: Susan?|author=STFU Moffat|date of source=17 September 2012|website name=Tumblr|accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://purplespacecats.tumblr.com/post/32526431018/i-agree-w-you-about-whithouse-but-i-think-its|title=Wait, why do you dislike Toby Whithouse? I mean,...|author=STFU Moffat haters (''via Queer as in F*ck You'')|date of source=15 September 2012|website name=Tumblr|accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/little-boxes-will-make-you-angry-doctor-who-and-transphobia-71391.htm|title=Little Boxes Will Make You Angry: Doctor Who and Transphobia|author="Michelle Kerry"|date of source=27 January 2015|website name=Doctor Who TV|accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/2twmxf/doctor_who_tv_says_doctor_who_can_be_transphobic/|title=Doctor Who TV Says Doctor Who can be "Transphobic"|date of source=2015|website name=reddit : gallifrey|accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref> In the real world, trans women tend to use she/her pronouns, in line with their gender identity, and referring to a woman as "he" would indeed be {{w|misgendering}}.
 
[[Toby Whithouse]], who wrote ''[[A Town Called Mercy (TV story)|A Town Called Mercy]]'', also made a passing reference to a trans person in another of his scripts, ''[[Greeks Bearing Gifts (TV story)|Greeks Bearing Gifts]]''. [[Jack Harkness]] speaks of his friend who disappeared for a while: "he comes back, and we've got to start calling him [[Vanessa (Greeks Bearing Gifts)|Vanessa]]." Whithouse uses masculine pronouns in both scripts for presumably trans female characters.
 
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{NameSort}}
{{NameSort}}
[[Category:19th century individuals]]
[[Category:19th century individuals]]
[[Category:Horses]]
[[Category:Individual horses]]
[[Category:Non-cisgender individuals]]
[[Category:Mercy residents]]

Latest revision as of 18:54, 27 December 2021

Susan, about to depart Mercy. (TV: A Town Called Mercy)

Susan, known to the Preacher as Joshua, was the Preacher's horse in Mercy, Nevada in 1870. According to the Eleventh Doctor, the horse preferred the name "Susan" and wanted the Preacher to "respect his life choices". The Doctor rode Susan to find Kahler-Jex' ship. (TV: A Town Called Mercy)

Personality[[edit] | [edit source]]

Susan was a mild mannered horse but tended to swear. Only the Eleventh Doctor knew this, however. (TV: A Town Called Mercy)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Though the horse's "life choices" are left vague and open to multiple interpretations, many fans have interpreted his line as meaning Susan is transgender, and identifies as female. Many see this, in part because of the Doctor's use of he/him pronouns, as transphobic.[1][2][3] [4][5] In the real world, trans women tend to use she/her pronouns, in line with their gender identity, and referring to a woman as "he" would indeed be misgendering.

Toby Whithouse, who wrote A Town Called Mercy, also made a passing reference to a trans person in another of his scripts, Greeks Bearing Gifts. Jack Harkness speaks of his friend who disappeared for a while: "he comes back, and we've got to start calling him Vanessa." Whithouse uses masculine pronouns in both scripts for presumably trans female characters.

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. liz011 (16 September 2012). A Town Called Mercy. Tumblr. Retrieved on 9 December 2015.
  2. STFU Moffat (17 September 2012). A Town Called Mercy: Susan?. Tumblr. Retrieved on 9 December 2015.
  3. STFU Moffat haters (via Queer as in F*ck You) (15 September 2012). Wait, why do you dislike Toby Whithouse? I mean,.... Tumblr. Retrieved on 9 December 2015.
  4. "Michelle Kerry" (27 January 2015). Little Boxes Will Make You Angry: Doctor Who and Transphobia. Doctor Who TV. Retrieved on 9 December 2015.
  5. Doctor Who TV Says Doctor Who can be "Transphobic". reddit : gallifrey (2015). Retrieved on 9 December 2015.