Entertainment Weekly writer Hilary Busis wished the episode "had done more to move the show's master plot forward, especially since watching it meant missing the first hour of the Golden Globes." Busis also wished that Caulfield had received more screen time, calling her performance "superbly creepy." IGN columnist Amy Ratcliffe rated the episode 6.5/10, explaining that the tone was "over-the-top" and Emma's actions to hide the children, rather than report them, "out of character." Ratcliffe added on a more positive note that the Hansel and Gretel storyline was a "safe choice, but they made it work." Cassandra Scrimgeour of The Huffington Post found "Parrilla's emotional reaction to the children's rejection [to be] so effective that despite her evil ways, I actually felt sorry for her." Scrimgeour concluded that "the most intriguing thing to happen" in the episode was the arrival of the Stranger.
