the episode received favorable reviews from critics, earning a 67% approval rating based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 6.6/10, on review aggregator rotten tomatoes. alex stedman from "variety" complimented the episode, saying, "ryan murphy and co. have said from the beginning that if any "american horror story" season resembles "hotel", it's season one, "murder house". but episode six made that connection much more literal by bringing the countess straight to the place that's going to seem very familiar to fans." writing for "the a.v. club", emily l. stephens said that the episode "manages something genuinely surprising: it propels the story forward with nimble efficiency, ties together several of the season's flopping loose ends, circles back into the show's history, and creates some tension along the way even as it acknowledges the ceaseless tedium created by its no-stakes cycle of death and resurrection." the acting in the episode was also received favorably by michele calia from "the wall street journal". "den of geek" ron hogan praised director loni peristere, and the scene about elizabeth's baby and its portrayal, as well as comparing the filming with that of "the evil dead". he also noted that the episode was "heavy on terrifying elements, from the monster baby stalking the hotel to the concerted efforts to turn lowe into a complete mental case, orchestrated by his wife alex." lacy baugher from "the baltimore sun" was impressed by o'hare's acting in the episode, saying, "once again, [he] completely stole the show, but the most important thing that happened – as far as longtime fans are concerned – has to be that opening sequence, and all the interesting inter-series connections it brought up."