Mike Duffy of the "Detroit Free Press" included the episode on his list of "12 season finales you won't want to miss", citing "great writing, a merrily dark sense of humor and Bell's self-assured smart-girl charm" as the main reasons to watch. Screenwriter and director Kevin Smith praised the "seat-of-your-pants" season finale, writing that it managed to "thread the needle with the Lilly Kane murder so well, it never feels marginalized or played out over 22 episodes". Smith compared the year-long murder mystery to that of "Twin Peaks", stating that "unlike "Peaks", when the murderer is revealed and the storyline wrapped up in the final , it doesn't feel like the show's outlived its relevance; thanks to the crisp writing, the deft fleshing-out of the "Mars" universe and the endearing cast, you’re left wanting Veronica's story to continue."