While he complimented Bomer and Garson's rapport and Garson's scenes at the Burke home, he stated that Burton's character "continues to feel just off." He went on to say that the episode is "once again an example of ... just how good they've gotten at making "White Collar" tick." Hilary Rothing of CraveOnline wrote that she enjoyed the performances of Bridges and Skerritt and that the Burkes' storyline was "fun" but "still schmaltzy." She also praised the episode's use of Burton's character. Rothing later complimented both the episodic case and Bridges's story arc; she ultimately gave the episode a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Charles of TV Fanatic called the episode "intriguing" and praised many aspects of "Pulling Strings", including Bridges and Burton's reintroductions and the use of Elizabeth's parents; Charles rated the episode 4.8 out of 5. Reviewer Gregg Wright gave the episode an 8 out of 10, elaborating that while the episode "could have easily been an average or sub-par procedural," it became above-average when all of the elements were combined. He also complimented Carroll's appearance and Bridges's performance as a strong antagonist. Brittany Frederick of Starpulse.com gave the episode a more mediocre review, calling it "lackluster" and mentioning that she has "never felt Hilarie Burton's chemistry with Matt Bomer." She did, however, praise the heightened roles of Thomason and Atkins and the introduction of Elizabeth's parents.