nick hogan of tv overmind gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5, writing "ultimately, "gotham" is off to an interesting start. the pivot to a different style has its merits, but the long term benefits will have be [sic] fleshed out. still, i enjoyed the episode immensely, and i'm glad that one of my favorite shows is back." sydney bucksbaum of "the hollywood reporter" wrote, "the potential for chaos and destruction is truly terrifying. thank goodness jim gordon isn't rolling over and letting penguin run the city. if anyone can find and catch crane, it's him. and it's interesting to note that this incarnation of the scarecrow is much closer to the comic book version, despite it being dr. jonathan crane's son and not the professor himself. gotham is no longer just dealing in proto-villains." dan seitz from "uproxx" wrote, "embracing the campiness that was always at the core of the show was something of a risk for gotham. but it's paid off, especially now that the show is full of vigilantes and frozen villains in the middle of nightclubs. as the show's realized it can be, well, goth ham, it's loosened up and started having fun."