Viva Ned Flanders

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Viva Ned Flanders


image_caption= Ned with his new wife, Ginger, and Homer with his new wife, Amber
episode_no = 213
prod_code = AABF06
airdate = January 10, 1999
show runner = Mike Scully
writer =
David M. Stern
director =
Neil Affleck
blackboard = "My mother is not dating Jerry Seinfeld"
couch_gag = The Simpsons sit on the couch as normal. A human hand (belonging to "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening) takes the picture and spins it, turning the paint work into a messy radial blur.
guest_star =
The Moody Blues as themselves
commentary = Matt Groening
Mike Scully
George Meyer
Ron Hauge
Julie Thacker
Neil Affleck
season = 10"Viva Ned Flanders" is the tenth episode of "The Simpsons"' tenth season, which originally aired on January 10, 1999. Homer takes Ned to Las Vegas to show him "the right way to live," but the pair become intoxicated and marry two cocktail waitresses, eventually being kicked out of the state after trying to run away from their new relationships.cite web|url=http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/1010.htm|title="Viva Ned Flanders"|accessdate=2008-02-13|publisher=The Simpsons.com]

Plot

Springfield is without a casino when Mr. Burns' Casino is demolished. However, a confusion over whether demolitions are supposed to involve implosions or explosions results in the Casino being blasted into a huge dust cloud, with Don Rickles flying through the air with the dust. The family goes to the car wash to get rid of the dust, and when Homer is there, he sees that Ned Flanders gets a senior discount. At church, Flanders admits to Homer that he is sixty years old. He says that he follows the three "c"s of success: clean living, chewing thoroughly, and "a daily dose of vitamin Church!" However, he also has never lived impulsively, and never really had any fun in life. The rest of the town stops admiring Ned for living so well, and begins to pity him for having never truly lived at all.

Ned reluctantly agrees with this and asks Homer to teach him the secret to his lust for life, leading Homer to take him on a gambling trip to Las Vegas. Homer is confident about going there, but Flanders is nervous. They see Captain Lance Murdoch (from "Bart the Daredevil") doing one of his stunts, and Homer chooses to volunteer, and survives. They wander into a casino "Nero's Palace" and begin to play roulette. Ned protests based on Deuteronomy 7 but Homer ignores the protest and takes the reference as a lucky number and they win. They then immediately lose it all having a Blackout (alcohol-related amnesia). They then go to the casino's bar and get drunk, waking up the next morning in their hotel room.

Later on, Homer and Ned realize that they have married two cocktail waitresses: Homer's new wife is named Amber, and Ned's new wife is Ginger. The waitresses say that they are married to them, and prove it through a video tape. Homer and Ned try to escape from the waitresses, and go on a wild rampage through the casino to the song Viva Las Vegas, until they are confronted by casino security, Gunter and Ernst (also from "$pringfield"), Drederick Tatum, and the Moody Blues. They manage to escape the casino, but are literally forced out of the state, and say that they are not welcome to Las Vegas again. Homer and Ned head back to their real wives in Springfield by hitchhiking. Meanwhile, two vultures fly by to attack Homer and Ned, and while they are screaming, Homer tells Ned to cover his own eyes.

Cultural references

* The episode begins with Mr. Burns' Casino (from the episode "$pringfield") being demolished. This is a reference to the many Las Vegas casino implosions that had occurred before the production of the episode.
* Ned Flanders says to Homer on the rooftop "this may seem a little insane in the ol' membrane", a reference to the Cypress Hill song Insane in the Brain.
* The song played in the background while Abe and Jasper are being car-jacked by the young women in the convertible is "Any Way You Want It" by Journey.
* The two guys in the car driving away from Vegas are parodies of Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego, sports reporter Raoul Duke, and his American Samoan lawyer Dr Gonzo from "", as is a fair amount of the show.
* When Ned panics in the casino he screeches "And then there's Maude! And then there's "Maude"!" This is a reference to the theme song from the 1972-1978 CBS sitcom "Maude".
* The song over the end credits is "Viva Las Vegas" sung by Elvis Presley in the 1964 film of the same name.
* A montage of casino signs is shown when Homer and Ned first enter Las Vegas. Several signs parody classic casinos in Las Vegas (e.g., 'Dupes' [Dunes] , 'Quicksands' [Sands Hotel and Casino] , 'Nero's Palace' [Caesars Palace] ). Newark, Newark (New York, New York) A sign identical to the sign of the Stardust Resort & Casino is also seen that reads: "Golddiggers Casino", the names have no connection.
* The song that Homer sings while riding in the car with Flanders to Vegas ("Nobody's gonna take my Ned, gonna teach him to have fun - ooh, he's a Flanders machine...") is a parody of the song "Highway Star" by Deep Purple.
* The group of characters that see Homer just before he runs from the group of angry men are based off of the four members from the band The Moody Blues.

Reception

The episode was nominated for an Emmy award in the category of animated programming less than one hour,cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117744103.html?categoryid=14&cs=1|title=Primetime Emmy noms - List 1|accessdate=2008-02-13|date=July 22, 1999|publisher=Primetime Emmy Award] but lost to "King of the Hill" episode "And They Call It Bobby Love."cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0778932.html|title=1998–1999 Emmy Awards|accessdate=2008-02-13|publisher="Information, please"] The authors of the book "I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide" Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood commented that the episode is "one of the fastest paced episodes ever, this moves at breathless speed and is enormous fun with more bizarre moments than you can shake a stick at (a hysterical Joan Rivers is our favourite)."cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season10/page9.shtml|title=Viva Ned Flanders|accessdate=2008-05-05|author=Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood|work=BBC]

References

External links

*snpp capsule|AABF06
*imdb episode|id=0701290|episode=Viva Ned Flanders