 Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote favorably about "At Long Last Leave", describing it as a "keeper" and highlighting the "dazzling opening sequence". He concluded that The Simpsons "once again delivers the goods, proving itself to be a classic for our age and for the ages." Childs was less positive, writing that the episode is "nothing special" as "all of the elements seem drawn from earlier stories" and "only a few of the jokes rise to the lowered bar of latter-day Simpsons humor." He added, however, that "nothing in the episode goes outrageously wrong, either. There is little Family Guy-style stupidity and randomness, the satire is gently pointed inward, and the guest star, while splashy for his controversiality, does not hijack the plot — instead appearing for a single joke before vanishing." TIME critic James Poniewozik commented that "At Long Last Leave" was an "all right" episode, noting that certain gags felt "forced by the writers ’ room". Poniewozik, who thinks the quality of The Simpsons declined at the end of the 1990s, added however that "a few moments made me bark out loud and realize why I loved the show in the first place."
