▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁episode ▁earned ▁a ▁N iel sen ▁rating ▁of ▁ 9 . 3 , ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 6 ▁share , ▁meaning ▁that ▁roughly ▁ 9 . 3 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁television - equ ipped ▁households , ▁and ▁ 1 6 ▁percent ▁of ▁households ▁watching ▁television , ▁were ▁tun ed ▁in ▁to ▁the ▁episode . ▁The ▁episode ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 4 . 6 2 ▁million ▁view ers . ▁The ▁episode ▁later ▁a ired ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁on ▁January ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁on ▁BBC ▁One . ▁ ▁The ▁episode ▁received ▁mostly ▁mixed ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics . ▁Em ily ▁Van Der W er ff ▁of ▁The ▁A . V . ▁Club ▁gave ▁the ▁episode ▁a ▁B + . ▁She ▁pra ised ▁the ▁story t elling , ▁posit ively ▁comment ing ▁on ▁how ▁it ▁revol ved ▁around ▁Sk inner ▁and ▁his ▁past ▁life . ▁In ▁addition ▁she ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁episode ▁possessed ▁some ▁" good ▁sc ares ". ▁However , ▁she ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁" central ▁par an ormal ▁mystery ▁of ▁the ▁episode ▁is ▁handled ▁in ▁a ▁fashion ▁that ▁feels ▁a ▁bit ▁mud d led ". ▁John ▁Ke eg an ▁from ▁Crit ical ▁M yth ▁gave ▁the ▁episode ▁a ▁moder ately ▁negative ▁review ▁and ▁awarded ▁it ▁a ▁ 4 ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 0 . ▁He ▁wrote , ▁" Over all , ▁this ▁episode ▁fails ▁to ▁capital ize ▁on ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁del ving ▁into ▁the ▁world