Alone Again, Natura-Diddily

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Alone Again, Natura-Diddily


image_caption= Promotional artwork for "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily".
episode_no = 240
prod_code = BABF10
airdate = February 13, 2000
show runner = Mike Scully
writer = Ian Maxtone-Graham
director = Jim Reardon
blackboard = "My suspension was not 'mutual'."
couch_gag = The Simpsons come in on bumper cars. Homer is then pinned to the wall and slammed repeatedly.
guest_star = Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan
season = 11

"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of "The Simpsons"' eleventh season. The episode aired on February 13, 2000. This is the last episode in which Maude Flanders appears, as she is killed in this episode, though she did come back as a ghost in "Treehouse of Horror XIII", as well as an angel in the Season 17 episode "Bart Has Two Mommies".

Plot

On a trip to the bird sanctuary, the family sees that a new speedway has been built and is opening that day. The family goes to the racetrack and are surprised to meet the Flanders family, who came not to see the race but for the high levels of safety used. Not long after arriving, a squad of cheerleaders is giving out free t-shirts by firing them from air cannons into the crowd, and Homer demands one. Homer takes off his t-shirt, and waves it around, shouting. Behind him were Ned and Maude Flanders; irritated by his antics, Maude goes to buy some hot dogs (Ned reminds her "No foot longs" as she leaves; these turn out to be his last words to her). Homer draws a target on his chest and gains the attention of the promotional cheerleaders. The cheerleaders send a full salvo of t-shirts in Homer's direction, but Homer bends down at the last second to pick up a bobby pin. The t-shirts hit Maude instead, who is returning from the hot dog stand. They knock her over the top of the bleachers, causing her to land in the speedway parking lot. Dr. Hibbert is fortunately there, but Maude is pronounced dead.

Reverend Lovejoy eulogized her as follows: "In many ways, Maude Flanders was a supporting player in our lives. She didn't grab our attention with memorable catchphrases, or comical accents. But, whether you noticed her or not, Maude was always there ... and we thought she always would be."

Everyone shows their condolences for Ned's loss, including Moe who outrages Ned by imprudently calling Maude hot. Even Homer decides to stop acting like a jerk to Ned, instead accompanying Ned back home that night, affectionately kissing him goodnight, and talking with Ned later that night when Ned cannot find sleep due to his loneliness. However, Ned has to deal with being a widower and a single parent. Upon seeing how sad Rodd and Todd are, Marge asks Bart to spend some time with them. In doing so they play a video game called Billy Graham's Bible Blaster where the objective is to shoot Bibles at Heathens in order to convert them to Christianity. While Bart is distracted, Todd shouts "Look out Bart! A gentle Baha'i!" (This being the first of two references made about the Baha'i Faith in the Simpsons. The second reference is made in She of Little Faith). Later, Homer secretly makes a videotape of Ned Flanders to show to the interesting single girls across Springfield (including a tape of Ned taking a shower and a scene of Marge in labor which Homer could not edit out), helping him, but the dates are unsuccessful. On Saturday night, Ned prays to God, but begins to lose faith and becomes angry with God when he feels no response. The next morning, on Sunday, Ned Flanders is still angry and tells his kids that they will not be going to church, scaring them away. Guilt-ridden, he later rushes to church (apologizing out loud to God the whole way), and upon entering, sees a Christian rock band, Kovenant, perform. He is attracted (both physically and spiritually) to the singer, Rachel Jordan, who sings about not losing faith in God because he is always there for people. Inspired by the song, Ned later assists Rachel in loading some equipment onto her truck and confides in her of his loss, with which she sympathizes. He and Rachel become acquainted and it is suggested that they both have developed a fondness for one another by the time she leaves. Rachel sings over the end credits.

Meta-References

*Lisa complains about people carving their names on trees, asking why "...jerks want us to see their stupid names?" Just as she walks away, the writing credit for Ian Maxtone-Graham appears in huge letters.
*During the funeral for Maude, Reverend Lovejoy mentions how Maude was "a supporting character" and didn't have a "silly accent or memorable catchphrase", which sums up her role on the show. Lovejoy then mentions how her death has left a permanent mark on the show, like Apu getting married and having octuplets and Kirk and Luanne van Houten getting divorced.
*While Homer videotapes Flanders, Bart asks Homer if he still has a job, to which Homer says no. This is a reference to viewer complaints on how recent Simpsons episodes don't show Homer working at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant (and often taking a job that only last one episode, as seen in Trash of the Titans, Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner, and Mayored to the Mob). It should be of note that this trend of Homer working uncommon jobs en lieu of his normal job at the nuclear plant has been seen in later episodes, such as Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge (vigilante), Diatribe of a Mad Housewife (ambulance driver), There's Something About Marrying (minister), Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair) (ice cream truck driver), Homer of Seville (opera singer), and Midnight Towboy (tow truck driver).

Criticism

Lowe's Motor Speedway president Jerry Gappens expressed his concern over the episode as it appeared to parody an actual incident during the aborted Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Visionaire 500k event on May 1, 1999 where flying tires in a Lap 62 crash killed three spectators, forcing the track to abandon the race before the halfway point (104 of 208 laps). WCCB, the Fox affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, home to Lowe's Motor Speedway, refused to show the promotional advertising for this episode. [http://www.snpp.com/episodes/BABF10]

Many viewers criticized the episode at the time for killing off a popular and beloved character, Maude Flanders (who was previously thought to be murdered in season 6) and having Homer not feel the slightest bit of remorse for unintentionally causing her death. Groening later revealed that Maggie Roswell, the actress who voiced Maude, moved away from the studios to Colorado, making it difficult to continue the character's role in the show. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCbuwLJ-t6E&mode=related&search=]

Cultural references

*The title of the episode is in reference to the Gilbert O'Sullivan hit, "Alone Again (Naturally)" (1972).
*Words Ned spells out while playing Scrabble by himself: Solitary, Alone, Forever, Horny, and Flanswered.
*The video game "Billy Graham's Bible Blaster," played by Bart with Rod and Todd, is a spoof of the unlicensed NES Christian video game, "Bible Adventures".
*The background music during Ned Flander's dating tape is "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred.
*When Ned thinks that Maude will be dating in heaven, Homer says "how could she not" and "there are lots of eligible bachelors" and lists: John Wayne, Tupac Shakur and Sherlock Holmes.
*Maude's name can be seen on sign in the last level of "The Simpsons Game".
*The squirrels fighting with the wrench and crowbar fight in a similar fashion to the famous battle between Checkov and Kirk on Star Trek in the episode The Gamesters of Triskelion.

References

External links

*snpp capsule|BABF10
*imdb episode|id=0701052|episode=Alone Again, Natura-Diddily