▁a ired ▁during ▁the ▁week ▁ending ▁May ▁ 5 . ▁" Release " ▁earned ▁a ▁N iel sen ▁household ▁rating ▁of ▁ 5 . 1 , ▁meaning ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁ 5 . 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁estimated ▁households . ▁ ▁Re views ▁" Release " ▁received ▁positive ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics . ▁Jess ica ▁Morgan ▁from ▁Television ▁Without ▁P ity ▁gave ▁the ▁episode ▁an ▁A – ▁grade . ▁In ▁a ▁season ▁review , ▁Mich elle ▁K ung ▁from ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly ▁called ▁the ▁episode ▁" worth y ", ▁but ▁noted ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁over shadow ed ▁by ▁the ▁show ' s ▁" l ud ic r ous ▁consp i racy ▁plots ". ▁Jeff rey ▁Robinson ▁from ▁DVD ▁T alk ▁concluded ▁that ▁" Release " ▁was ▁a ▁" good ▁episode " ▁because ▁it ▁" present ed ▁conclus ions ▁to ▁[ one ▁of ▁the ] ▁long ▁running ▁stories ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁[ in ▁that ▁it ] ▁featured ▁the ▁conclusion ▁to ▁John ▁Dog get t ' s ▁personal ▁trial , ▁his ▁quest ▁for ▁closure ▁with ▁his ▁son ' s ▁murder ." ▁Robert ▁She ar man ▁and ▁Lars ▁Pear son , ▁in ▁their ▁book ▁W ant ing ▁to ▁Bel ieve : ▁A ▁Crit ical ▁Guide ▁to ▁The ▁X - Files , ▁Mill en ni um ▁& ▁The ▁L one ▁Gun men , ▁gave ▁the ▁episode ▁a ▁g low ing ▁review ▁and ▁r ated ▁it ▁five ▁stars ▁out ▁of ▁five . ▁The ▁two ▁argued ▁that , ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁" min imal ▁emphas