According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.36 million household viewers and gained a 0.7/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
The episode received acclaim from critics, who praised Melissa Fumero's acting, Stephanie Beatriz's directing and its handling of the subject matter, as well as the highly comedic B-Story highlighting Andre Braugher.
Holt (Andre Braugher) assigns Jake (Andy Samberg) to investigate the case of a businessman, Seth Haggerty (Jonathan Chase), who suffered a broken penis.
Jake finds this hilarious but his smile vanishes when Holt finishes the story: Haggerty suffered his weiner-snap injury during an alleged sexual assault attempt.
Amy (Melissa Fumero) volunteers to work with Jake on the case as she's weeks ahead on her paperwork and is granted a temporary assignment to the Detective Squad.
To Amy's surprise, Rosa says Keri should take the deal, because she feels her life will be negatively affected by pressing charges, even if she wins the case.
Amy reveals to Jake that the case is personal for her as her mentor in the police academy once tried to kiss her after he helped her become a detective, feeling she "owed him"—which resulted in her immediate transfer to the 99th precinct.
Haggerty is charged with sexual assault but Keri quits the company, feeling she does not have any chance of advancing in the field but firmly stating she has no regrets about pursuing justice.
"[2] According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.36 million household viewers and gained a 0.7/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
"[6] Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "On the whole, 'He Said, She Said' does an impressive job of incorporating a sensitive discussion into the show's usual mission of getting laughs.
"[8] Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave it a "B+" rating and wrote, "It is, I believe, Brooklyn Nine-Nine doing what it does best: subtly discussing social issues through a multifaceted and complex lens while taking you on a comedy joyride.
"[9] Marissa Martinelli of Slate gave it a "B+" rating and wrote, "'He Said, She Said' handles misconduct with both humor and sensitivity, from the corporate culture closing ranks around one of its own to the case’s outcome, which is optimistic without being overly sunny.
If the writers really want to stress just how widespread stories like Amy's and Keri's are, they might consider revisiting the topic in Season 7, because sexism, harassment, and assault are everyday occurrences that can't be comprehensively addressed in a single episode, even one as thoughtful as 'He Said, She Said.'