Reviewers from The Hollywood Reporter noted that while the episode features a "ballsy and silly" fight scene involving a yakuza sword and a metal baseball bat, it failed to show significant plot progression or character improvement from the pilot.
In this episode, Frank’s quest for revenge threatens to blow an FBI agent's undercover operation against the same group of killers. This structure emphasizes the show's recurring theme of Frank’s paternalistic, if morally gray, relationship with his community—positioning him as a classic, "old-school" lawman rather than a purely corrupt figure. [S1E4] Training Day
Critics at Salon.com argued that Bill Paxton's portrayal of Frank Roarke felt more like a "stubbly faced guy with an overemphasized cowboy swagger" than a truly engaging or complex anti-hero. Reviewers from The Hollywood Reporter noted that while
The writing was often criticized for relying on platitudes rather than convincing dialogue, making many characters feel like "cardboard cut-outs". Critics at Salon