I really liked this episode too. It might be the one I have watched the most, because I obsessively printed out the printed script we have of it, and then I marked up every change between that version of the script and the final result.
One of the early changes is they moved Lois from listing people who we never heard of before or since who she got presents for to getting presents for "the Archbishop" and "the mayor", so at least they are people we recognize, even if it was the first mention to the archbishop since the almost wedding.
I really liked Lois snapping out of the situation and remembering that they were in the loop. I also really liked Clark figuring out how to avoid the bank robbery and the guy going to jail at all. It was the only time we really saw behind the criminals and that they were not all bad. Well, maybe when we first met Jack, and maybe a little with Winslow Schott and Miss Duffy, but not often.
The biggest question in my mind was always was it realistic to portray Lois as the negative on Christmas type after he previous Christmas experience? In some ways the Christmas episodes, at least this one and "Season Greedings" seem to have Lois start both with the same attitude.
However, I guess Lois is not so much negative about Christmas as overwhelmed by having to make a huge dinner. She is not anti-Christmas, just letting the preparations overwhelm the message.
Still her crack about the Christmas tree being the cause of the fire seemed overly negative. Her worry about all the people for dinner made sense. Her statement about how they would not get the house ready without "super cheating" seemed odd though. I thought back during the murder arc she had totally become ok with super cheating.
One interesting thing is that Mxyzptlk's plan backfires, and the world becomes a better place because of his meddling. At least for the guy who robbed the bank in the first go-around.
