 During the party, Van Buren receives a phone call from her doctor and reacts positively, implying that she received good news about her illness.In its original American broadcast, "Rubber Room" was viewed by an estimated 7.60 million households with a 1.9 rating/5% share in the 18-49 demographic.Mike Hale of "The New York Times" called it "the best finale of all", saying, "There was the show that ended with its cast in the buffet line for heaven, and the show that ended with its homicidal hero on his way to retirement at the beach.