Reception
In its original broadcast in the United States, "Ten Sessions" was watched by 10.62 million viewers according to the Nielsen ratings. It attracted 1 million more viewers than the previous episode, and 2.4 million more than the show's average before the writer's strike. The episode achieved a 4.5/12 rating in the key 18–49 demographic among adults, and was the fourth highest-rated show of the evening; it subsequently achieved the show's highest rating ever in the 18–49 demographic.
The appearance of Britney Spears was critically acclaimed by most critics. Linda Stasi of the New York Post asserted that Spears looked "slim trim and gorgeous" and that "her acting was nothing short of adorably believable". Stasi concluded that Spears' cameo was the highlight of "Ten Sessions". David Hinckley of New York Daily News echoed similar sentiments, avouching that she "proved she can act every bit as well as she can sing". Michelle Zoromski of IGN argued however that while Spears' appearance was a "nice change of pace from her latest public appearances", it was nonetheless a "bit clunky and not as seamless as other guest roles have been on the show". Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club was also less enthusiastic about the singer's performance. Bowman opined: "The Big Britney Episode, as it will henceforth be known, wasn't really much to get all huffy over. You can say this for the team: They tend to minimize the annoyance factor of their special guest stars. Britney was a sideshow, and she got her couple of laughs, but she didn't hog the screen time."
Similarly, "Ten Sessions" as a whole was well received by television critics. Bowman gave the episode a 'B' grade, and was more critical of "Ten Sessions". She expressed: "the timing wasn't spot-on all the way through 'Ten Sessions'. The episode was slow starting, and as with many of the series' 'Ted is a master of romance' attempts, the two-minute date seemed as likely to be annoying-quirky as endearing-quirky, if you were the one being wooed. I wanted to like it more than I did. Maybe it almost works because Elliot on Scrubs would have really liked it, ditzy romantic that she is. But no — it's just an ounce heavy on the trying-too-hard scale." In contrast, Zoromski gave the episode an 8.9 out of ten, signifying a "great" rating. He thought that the episode was superior to the previous episode, adding that the show returned to full form.
Read more about this topic: Ten Sessions
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