Richard Keller of TV Squad thought that the episode was another good episode of The Simpsons that feature Bart and Lisa together and says that "episodes that center around Bart and Lisa tend to be more interesting...because those characters have more dimensions, and their diverse personalities and passions [show that] there is more to explore about them." Robert Canning of IGN enjoyed the episode in a special way and was surprised by some plot elements, giving the episode a 7.5 out of 10. Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons", said that this episode was his favorite of the series in a 2008 interview and said that the scene with Homer in the slaughterhouse was the part he liked best.