Writer Fred McNamara considers the story "lacklustre and frustrating" as well as "somewhat pedestrian" compared to the first episode and "Big Ben Strikes Again", noting that "Winged Assassin" is the second episode in a row to feature a world leader at risk of assassination. He also describes the subplot involving Captain Grey as "dull" and unimaginatively written, and expresses disappointment that Spectrum's examination of Scarlet's new ex-Mysteron nature is confined to a few scenes at the start of the episode: "It's as if the writers suddenly remember there's the rest of the episode to crack on with [...] it's exasperating how the questions seem to have been given an answer that's just within our reach, only to be snatched away in an instant." However, he praises the "gripping" ending, believing that the Mysterons' success in eliminating the Director General lends a "darkly vibrant flavour" to the episode as well as a sense of "alarming immediacy" to the threat the aliens pose: "... at just two episodes in, we're presented with the Mysterons' first victory against Spectrum."