 Since airing , the episode has received positive reviews from television critics . The authors of the book I Can 't Believe It 's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide , Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood , thought it was a " confident finale " to the fifth season , which " had seen the series become progressively more surreal and self @-@ aware . " DVD Movie Guide 's Colin Jacobson wrote that he thought the episode ended the season with a " high note " , and that Homer ’ s insensitive gossiping about his relationship " presents lots of good bits . It completes this excellent year well . " Jacobson 's favorite line of the episode was " This is a place of learning , not a house of hearing about things ! " , which Homer tells his class after they demand him to reveal more secrets about him and Marge . Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a grade of A − , and commented that episodes focusing on the relationship between Homer and Marge can " never fail " , and there are " numerous opportunities for some classic Homer @-@ isms " in the episode . Bill Gibron of DVD Talk gave the episode a score of 4 out of 5 . One @-@ time Simpsons writer and comedian Ricky Gervais named " Secrets of a Successful Marriage " his fifth favorite episode of the show , and commented that Homer 's line to Marge , " I know now what I can offer you that no one else can . Complete and utter dependence , " is " so sweet , because he 's right ! " It was placed at number seven on MSNBC 's top ten The Simpsons episodes list . They felt the episode embodied Homer 's qualities of being " stupid , good @-@ natured and mildly pathetic , [ ... ] from his conversations with his brain [ ... ] to his final proclamation that the one thing he can give Marge that no one else can is ' complete and utter dependence ' . " 
