Wendy Mitchell of Entertainment Weekly deemed the episode "welcome light relief", while Shawna Malcom of the Los Angeles Times called it "perhaps Glees sharpest episode yet", describing it as "chock-full of standout scenes".
While reviewing the Family Guy Volume 4 DVD, Nancy Basile of About.com called the episode "sharp".
She is ready to make some real changes in her life and also say strange things like "Did you see how Maddie iced me?" She was always dripping in that "Queen of Country" wisdom, but Miss James is particularly sharp in this episode.
They layer and juxtapose a more sharply differentiated potpourri of grid-based networks, enlarged calligraphic episodes, sharp and round-shouldered shapes -- all conveyed in contrasting paint thicknesses and techniques and a palette of bright monochromes, interlaced primaries and black.
The quick release of the sailors was in sharp contrast to an episode almost nine years ago, involving Britain, that turned into a major international standoff.
Jason's ex-wife Kelly, living fat off her divorce settlement, is trailed by cameras throughout the premiere episode — another sharp reminder of who got there first, and that fiction is the lie that tells the truth.
He was sharp with Will this episode in a manner that suggests he has plenty to lose if Will's investigations end badly, but I do still wonder about the double-bluff.
Carlos Delgado of iF magazine said "Dances with Smurfs" became "a little strange" starting with Cartman's Smurf story, but he called the episode "smart, sharp, and poignant".
Tweeting around TV follows a fairly predictable pattern: first, anticipatory Tweets appear 15-30 minutes before the show airs on the East Coast; then, the Tweets surge during the episode (with sharp spikes in response to surprises and reveals); finally, there's another 15-30 minutes of post-show buzz and reaction.
But the three others turned out consistently sharp, funny, subversive, elegant episodes, to midget ratings; they surely would have been cancelled if NBC had had anything to substitute for them.
