The Nightmare After Krustmas is a terrific Simpsons episode with a very well developed plot and plenty of great, funny moments. It's a very layered Christmas episode, with a lot more depth than some of the previous ones in the last few years. We see Krusty trying to prove his daughters' worth to her, while Reverend Lovejoy loses his religious spirituality. The episode gets significantly more interesting when the two plots come together, and it makes both stories stronger for it.
The only issue I would have is that the episode lacked heart. The Christmas specials usually have some tear inducing moments where we see a close family bond, but there is really nothing like that here, it is a little motionless.
The sequences with Maggie were also very effective. As Maggie is given an elf doll, her fear of it lets her imagination get the better of her. The sequences are very animated short- esque, likely inspired by The Longest Daycare, I hope to see more of Maggie's misadventures.
A multi-layered twenty minutes that are well thought out. Well written and very fun, The Nightmare After Krustmas is a stellar Simpsons episode.
Krusty and his daughter spend an eventful Christmas with the Simpsons, meanwhile, after losing passion with his work, Reverend Lovejoy tries to add to his congregation.