Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.40/10, based on 13 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "There's no reason to pity This Fool, which resoundingly succeeds as an unsentimental comedy about community and family… and what a pain in the neck they can be." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 76 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Sean L. McCarthy of Decider stated, "This is a winning portrait of two guys in South Central L.A. with opposing life philosophies who find they each have something to learn from the other. You like winners, don't you? Then come along for the ride, since Maggie already has taken the car." Yael Tygiel of Collider included the show in their "Best Shows on Hulu Right Now" list, writing, "While heavily leaning into Latino culture and inspired directly by Estrada's personal life, This Fool is an uplifting series with scenes and experiences relatable for many immigrant families, regardless of origin. Exploring themes of family, codependency, and class, This Fool is an unexpectedly cinematic comedy allowing stars like Laura Patalano and even recurring actors like Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus) to present their truths."
Inkoo Kang of The New Yorker included This Fool in their "Best TV Shows of 2022" list. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone included "Y Tu Julio También" in their "25 Best TV Episodes of 2022" list, writing, "Like a lot of first-year comedies, This Fool — starring comedian Chris Estrada as Julio, who works at a nonprofit helping former gang members go straight — had its ups and downs as it figured out exactly what was funny about its premise and its characters. But when it hit, it really hit, like this installment about Julio's pathological hatred of his own birthday. We see the day largely from his perspective, where every attempt to celebrate another trip around the sun feels to him like he's trapped in a horror movie. A simple idea, very amusingly presented."
