 The episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics . Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a score of 9 @.@ 5 out of 10 , a series high alongside " Chuck Versus the Colonel " , Season 3 's " Chuck Versus the Beard " and " Chuck Versus the Subway " , Season 4 's " Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger " , and Season 5 's " Chuck Versus the Kept Man " and " Chuck Versus the Goodbye " . Goldman described the episode as an " especially strong installment , which delivered on a lot of fronts . " Goldman praised the scene depicting Sarah and Mauser 's confrontation , writing , " The entire ambience of the scene was terrific – a rainy night at a Christmas tree lot , with Chuck secretly watching as Sarah shot the unarmed , surrendering Mauser in cold blood - to the tune of ' Silent Night ' , no less . Of course she did this because she loves Chuck and wants to protect him , but all Chuck knows is that he just saw Sarah in a very scary light , and it 's a great new dynamic to their relationship . " HitFix writer Alan Sepinwall wrote , " Chuck vs. Santa Claus " was moving along amusingly enough when it still seemed like Ned Rhyerson was just a hapless criminal with the bad luck to crash into a store built above a top @-@ secret government intelligence facility , but the surprising left turn it took when Chuck flashed on Lt. Mauser took things to another level . " Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A- , writing " Santa Claus certainly delivered ( character ) goodies to everyone tonight . Morgan gets to be a hero , even if no one notices , taking down Ned with a fake snow machine . Jeff calls his mother – in prison – then finds the time to break up a mistletoe makeout session . Lester sneaks a smooch from Anna , and isn 't even remotely fazed when it causes her to run for the hills . And Big Mike 's embrace of cousin Big Al is a keeper . " 
