 The A.V. Club 's Zack Handlen gave the episode an " A − " , finding that it " lacks the wild momentum of " Owls " " . However , Handlen felt that , mostly as a result of its characters and the performances given , the episode served as a satisfying conclusion to the story arc . Handlen particularly highlighted O 'Quinn 's performance , reflecting positively on his increased importance in the series and noting that " portrayal of an acolyte struggling with the demands and doubts of his faith does as much for Millennium as Henriksen 's work " . Bill Gibron , writing for DVD Talk , rated " Roosters " 5 out of 5 , calling both it and " Owls " a " dense , deceptive set of shows " which focus on the personal and ideological conflicts between their characters . Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson , in their book Wanting to Believe : A Critical Guide to The X @-@ Files , Millennium & The Lone Gunmen , rated the episode one @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half stars out of five , calling it " dull and flabby " . Shearman felt that the plot failed to capitalise on what had been set up by " Owls " , offering more exposition than resolution . However , he highlighted the work of Thomas J. Wright , finding that those scenes which allowed for more action were directed well . 
