5 to 9 much better than most of this season that [he] felt it deserved mention". Sepinwall praised Edelstein's acting and the episode's "day-in-the-life" format, citing "5 to 9" as proof that "there are still really strong elements to this series." Jonah Krakow of IGN rated "5 to 9" 9.2/10, signifying an "outstanding" episode. Kraków compared it positively to the earlier season six episode "Wilson", which similarly varied from the show's traditional format by depicting events from the perspective of House's friend James Wilson. He deemed the episode "amazing", calling it a "great showcase" for Edelstein and suggesting that a show centered on
How Many Licks? "a celebration of autonomous female sexuality" to a "vulgar, demeaning moment of black female objectification". Some critics compared "How Many Licks?" to Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj's 2014 single, "Anaconda". Alex Kristelis of "Bustle" noted that both songs focused on men's appreciation of the singer's body. A "Khaleej Times" writer called "Anaconda" a "blatant copy" of "How Many Licks?", with Minaj's song sharing "the lyrical blue print and theme" of Lil' Kim's. "Westword"'s Cory Lamz wrote that Minaj parodied "How Many Licks?" and its associated visuals in the music video for her 2011 single "Stupid Hoe". According to Michael Arceneaux, "How