The Simpsons
word of advice : This article contains pamperer for The Simpsons season 36 ’s special “ O C’Mon All Ye close . "
Although it has been 24 years since the sequence originally aired , The Simpsonsseason 36 ’s Christmas special managed to repair one of the show ’s big mistake ever with its Flanders storyline . The Simpsonsrarely kills off characters , as the show usually only does so when there is a behind - the - scenery justification for this . One ofThe Simpsonsseason 36 ’s big changes to the show ’s position quo is its increasingly high body count but , even then , the show has only killed off two pocket-size part in its first 11 sequence . This still represents a huge variety from its common approach .
The animated sitcom , The Simpsons , has become a bona fide tonic cultivation icon in its nearly 40 years on the air , and now it has been renew again .
In the show ’s 770 episode , The Simpsonshas permanently killed off small more than a XII quality . This seems astounding , but sincethe Simpsons never age , frequently killing off characters scarper the hazard of altering the show ’s unchanging status quo too radically . One exception to this regulation was the right away infamous end of Maude Flanders in season 11 , episode 14 , “ Alone Again , Natura - Diddily . ” Ned Flanders ’ married woman was killed when a isolated thymine - shirt from a t - shirt cannon ping her off the bleachers at an auto wash . This was a reaction to actor Maggie Roswell ’s salary negations with the internet breaking down .
The Simpsons Season 36’s Christmas Special Finally Justifies Maude’s Death
Ned’s Crisis Of Faith Is Rooted In The Deaths of His Wives
Ironically , Roswell was rehired only a year by and by and has since repeatedly reprised the persona of Maude Flanders inThe Simpsons ’ Treehouse of Horror segments , as well as some episodes ready in parallel timelines or alternate reality . However , Maude ’s death itself has never been retconned . This is more or less surprising , asthe death of Maude Flanders never felt justified in narrative terms . The death of Ned ’s wife could theoretically have made the perpetually cheery spiritual zealot a more complicated fibre , but this never bump . Luckily , time of year 36 ’s “ O C’Mon All Ye close ” fixes this with Ned ’s best storey in eld .
Ned leaves Maude love bank note every day over a decade after her death , illustrating previously unseen profoundness of sorrow .
When Homer is hypnotized by British mentalist Derren Brown , he becomes positive that he is Santa Claus . Eventually , Brown snap Homer out of his delusion , but Ned ’s faith in God has been irrevocably shook by the idea that an fanciful authority image could so easily be debunked . Ned stops think in God and becomes heartsick . In one devastating scene , he bring out to Marge that he still texts his second wife , the late Edna Krabbapel , on her honest-to-god phone number day by day . Ned also leave Maude lovemaking notes every day over a decade after her demise , illustrate antecedently unseen depth of sorrow .
The Simpsons’ Maude Flanders Death Never Made Sense
Actor Maggie Roswell’s Exit Shaped The Dark Story
The destruction of Maude Flanders was an infamously weird , unpleasant plot that was clearly designed to overleap the character , rather than to organically grow Ned ’s role arc . The Simpsonsseason 36 ’s Christmas specialsalvaged this storyline 24 years later with a plot that feel emotionally resonant and truly focused on Ned ’s intimate world . Everything from the morbidly queer nature of Maude ’s death by t - shirt shank to the episode swiftly sending Ned on some doomed date essay that “ Alone Again , Natura - Diddily ” was n’t take up the widower ’s grief seriously . Even his later kinship with Edna Krabappel skin to fix this issue .
Ned ’s tragic love life has been the subject of some offhand jokes , but few focussed storylines .
In time of year 22 , installment 22 , “ The Ned - Liest Catch , ” Ned began dating Bart ’s teacher after saving her from fall off a run . After this episode beam , viewers could vote on a real - life poll to settle whether Ned and Edna should remain a couple or break off up . ThisSimpsonsWorldpoll keep the duo together , and they marry in time of year 23 , installment 1 , “ Ned ' n ' Edna ’s Blend Agenda , ” but the fictitious character of Ms. Krabappel was obliterate off when her real - life actor Marcia Wallace pass away in 2013 . Since then , Ned ’s tragic sexual love life has been the subject of some offhand jokes , but few focussed storylines .
The Simpsons’ Season 36’s “O C’mon All Ye Faithful” Fixes Ned’s Biggest Problem
Ned Flanders Famously Epitomized The Term “Flanderization”
For all ofThe Simpsonsseason 36 ’s full-grown changes , it took the series years to contend with the emotional impact Maude and Edna ’s deaths had on Ned . The main reason for this is an issue thatTVTropesusers dub “ Flanderization ” which made the plot line a sturdy one to harness . A phenomenon when one part of a character ’s personality ( such as Ned ’s religiosity ) becomes their define trait , “ Flanderization ” is often blamed for situation comedy characters becoming increasingly unrelatable and unrealistic . There is a reason Flanders became a poster child for the trope , and his increasingly cartoony theatrical role hurt the character ’s personal journey .
Writing Ned as little more than a close - tending spiritual drumbeater play out him of his human beings and made Maude and Edna ’s dying harder for the series . Ned ’s exaggerated persona did n’t lend itself to existent human emotion , as his years as a cockamamy fundamentalist and a cartoonishly peppy do - gooder made Flanders find less literal . WhileThe Simpsonsseason 36 ’s distressing revelationsabout Marge ’s family were moving , a alike revelation about Ned would n’t have the same impact , since he is a fundamentally absurd public figure of merriment . as luck would have it , “ O C’m on All Ye Faithful ” managed to change this when Ned lost his faith .
The Simpsons Season 36’s Ned Story Makes Maude’s Death Necessary
Ned’s Tragic Loss of Faith Is Genuinely Moving Due To His Losses
The Simpsonsseason 36 did what Maude ’s death should have done for Ned 24 years ago , making an increasingly one - dimensional role find real through believable hardship . Lisa ’s attempt to share her Buddhistic faith with Ned were really sweet , and Marge lending an ear as he described his one - sided kinship with his two former wives was quietly annihilative . Considering how often Ned ’s role inThe Simpsonsis deoxidise to him rant catchphrases or whop a Bible , take in him texting quotidian thoughts to Edna ’s inactive phone identification number was a well - follow , tragic character point that would n’t be out of position in a drama serial publication .
The unexpected unwrap that Ned was saved by an ox ’s duet like in Lisa ’s parable was a ghost of life story - affirming sweetness .
Similarly , project Ned find his faith after lose his belief in God was unexpectedly moving . The Simpsonsseason 36 ’s client starshave been used as more than just attention - grabbing windowpane dressing and the divine revelation that Derren Brown somehow manipulate the events of Ned ’s intact January 6 was comically silly . However , the unexpected reveal that Ned was saved by an wild ox ’s duad like in Lisa ’s parable was a touch of life - affirming sweetness that made Ned ’s total ordeal feel fated . Although the show took a while to get around to it , The Simpsonsfinally found meaning in the sorrow of Ned Flanders .
New episodes ofThe Simpsonsair Sundays at 8 autopsy on Fox .
source : SimpsonsWorld
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