IGN's Robert Canning gave the episode a perfect score of 10 out of 10 and named it the best Sideshow Bob episode of "The Simpsons". He added that there are "many, many reasons for its perfection, but what stands out most for me was how savage and single-minded Bob is in the episode. He wants to kill Bart and he makes no secret of it, save for lying to the parole board. Episodes since have made Bob far too wishy-washy. This was Bob in his prime—his vengeful, glorious, hilarious prime." Canning also placed it at #1 on the list of the Top 10 Sideshow Bob episodes. Nathan Rabin of "The A.V. Club" noted that the episode "turns limitations into strengths by spinning the need to fill out time into some of the series' sharpest, funniest and weirdest gags. The Rake Effect might be its greatest gift to comedy but its virtues go far beyond that. Sideshow Bob episodes consistently rank among the show's best and this represents the gold standard all subsequent Sideshow Bob episodes aspire to." "Empire" called Bob's mishaps while strapped under the Simpsons' car the eighth-best film parody in the show, and called the rake scene "the best bit of slapstick in "Simpson" history." The parody of "Cape Fear" was named the 33rd greatest film reference in the history of the show by "Total Film"'s Nathan Ditum. The Norwegian newspaper "Nettavisen" listed Sideshow Bob's "Die Bart, die" tattoo from the episode as the fifth-best tattoo in film and television history. Entertainment.ie named it among the 10 greatest "Simpsons" episodes of all time. Screen Rant called it the best episode of the fifth season and the third greatest episode of "The Simpsons". In 2019, "Time" ranked the episode ninth in its list of 10 best "Simpsons" episodes picked by "Simpsons" experts.