 The episode received generally mixed @-@ to @-@ positive reviews . Ryan McGee of <unk> wrote that " this episode wasn 't a <unk> by any measure , but after the run of early episodes , this is the first that really didn 't hold its own when compared to the others " , adding that " The moth imagery / metaphor just beats you down by episode 's end , making you long for the more subtle writing the show has produced up until this point . " The TV Critic gave the episode a 68 / 100 , writing that it falls between being " obvious and cheesy " and " beautifully paced and structured " . Myles <unk> of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B , and shared his opinion that it is " one of the more intensely metaphorical — and thus <unk> — episodes of the series . The eponymous metaphor — delivered by Locke — is one of the series ’ most blatant , and the moth ’ s consistent reappearance in the episode calls a lot of attention to the construction of the narrative . " 
