▁It ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁highest - r ated ▁show ▁on ▁the ▁Fox ▁network , ▁following ▁The ▁X - Files ▁and ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁Hill . ▁ ▁The ▁episode ▁received ▁several ▁positive ▁reviews , ▁being ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Her ald ▁Sun ' s ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁twenty ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁episodes . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁named ▁the ▁fifth ▁best ▁episode ▁in ▁the ▁show ' s ▁history ▁in ▁an ▁article ▁by ▁The ▁Florida ▁Times - Union . ▁The ▁Pitts burgh ▁Post - G az ette ▁also ▁pra ised ▁the ▁episode , ▁calling ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁" the ▁only ▁sit com ▁in ▁memory ▁to ▁treat ▁gun ▁control ▁with ▁any ▁fair ness ". ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁the ▁episode ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁by ▁several ▁out lets . ▁Although ▁the ▁fict ional ized ▁N RA ▁str esses ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁responsible ▁gun ▁ownership , ▁the ▁staff ▁non theless ▁received ▁several ▁compla ints ▁from ▁the ▁real ▁National ▁R if le ▁Association ▁about ▁the ▁port ray al ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁in ▁the ▁episode . ▁Ian ▁Jones ▁and ▁Steve ▁Williams ▁critic ized ▁the ▁episode , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁mess y , ▁unf oc used ▁l am po oning ▁of ▁gun ▁culture ". ▁Warren ▁Mart yn ▁and ▁Ad rian ▁Wood , ▁the ▁authors ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁I ▁Can ' t ▁Bel ieve ▁It ' s ▁a ▁B igger ▁and ▁Better ▁Updated ▁Un o fficial ▁Sim ps ons ▁Guide , ▁found ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁polit ically ▁un ambigu ous ▁episodes ▁ever