I haven't watched The Saga of Carl Carlson yet because I didn't arrive home in time from dinner, but I'll briefly give my two cents about this episode.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The story had surprisingly consistent structure and all-around nice emotion. I especially enjoyed the dating website advertisement, as well as Homer's clumsy attempts to conceal his secret about the anniversary train. Not every joke hit the mark, but overall there was a decent focus on the story itself, with only a small handful of filler gags, none of them even truly horrendous.
I was unsure how the writers would integrate Seth MacFarlane into the show, but I actually think he did a great job. His character seemed down to earth and not an exaggerated caricature like so many other one-shot characters this season. Honestly, he had the best guest appearance of anyone in Season 24, without a doubt.
I'll have to see what I think about The Saga of Carl Carlson to make a true conclusion, but otherwise, this might be my favorite episode of the season, especially since Hardly Kirk-ing has lost a bit of its appeal for me since the two times I re-watched it.
7.5/10