According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.77 million household viewers and gained a 1.1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
The director, Verner Vollstedt (Stellan Skarsgård), does not help Vince by being satisfied with the first takes, although he promises that he will make sure it does not overshadow his character's arc.
Ari (Jeremy Piven) meets with Andrew Klein (Gary Cole), an old friend who now works as a TV agent.
During a dinner to celebrate the beginning of filming, Patric steals the last piece of pie in front of Turtle (Jerry Ferrara).
"[5] Alan Sepinwall wrote, "I suppose "Pie" was a slight improvement over recent episodes, in that showing Vince at work, in a circumstance where he's no longer top dog has potential to be interesting, and in that they're introducing the wonderful Gary Cole to the cast.
"[6] Trish Wethman of TV Guide wrote, "Well, it didn't take very long for the good vibrations to come to a screeching halt.
As filming for "Smoke Jumpers" commenced, Vince was introduced to a variety of new and difficult personalities that he will apparently need to contend with during his comeback project.
"[7] Rob Hunter of Film School Rejects wrote, "I'm still reeling from Ari's decision to pass on the studio job, so I was hoping for an outstanding episode this week to help me begin the laborious process of rebuilding my relationship with the show.