 "The A.V.Club" gave the episode a C, commenting "Fresh off a summer of Simpsonsmania, thanks to the phenomenally successful FXX marathon of every episode ever, "The Simpsons" returns for its 26th season with a nondescript, anti-climactic premiere whose overstuffed cameos and would-be big character death amount to little more than a disspiriting confirmation that its best days are, indeed, long gone.