The episode mainly centers around Steve, who is taken away by Krampus, a monster who disciplines bad children, when he starts acting bratty during Christmas time.

It featured guest appearances from Daran Norris, Charles Bradley, and Danny Glover, as well as other recurring actors and actresses for the series.

The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, with most praise going towards Charles Bradley's singing performance as Krampus.

The episode starts in the manner of a storybook, with the narrator stating that children are at their worst at Christmastime, because they have all realized that they'll still get whatever they want regardless of how they behave.

Stan finds the strudel pot in his basement with Jack's other belongings and, desperate to get Steve under control, opens it.

With no better option, Roger uses the water polo players to take Stan to the North Pole; Santa agrees to help, only if they help him kill Krampus.

Back at the castle, the group of household objects explain that Krampus is not bad, just serving his role in punishing misbehaving children.

Santa then tries to kill Stan, but just as he fires his candy-cane-striped revolver, Jack crashes through a window on skis and takes the bullet in his chest.

The episode was originally scheduled to air on December 16, 2012, but was replaced by a repeat of "Wheels & the Legman and the Case of Grandpa's Key" out of sensitivity for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

[7] The living household items inside of Krampus' house and Jack Smith's transformation scene both parody Beauty and the Beast.

During Steve's opening musical number, him and a few back-up dancers dress in a similar fashion to the dance team Jabbawockeez.

The episode was the least watched show on Animation Domination that night, losing to Bob's Burgers, Family Guy and The Simpsons with 8.30 million.

But Stan's interactions with his father and Santa, and mostly Steve growing into the Belle role and Krampus as a soulful, James Brown-esque Beast (sung by Charles Bradley) was the best part of this Christmas special.