Alone Again, Natura-Diddily
"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American television series The Simpsons, and marks the final regular appearance of the character Maude Flanders. The episode aired on Fox on February 13, 2000. In the episode, she is killed in an accident while watching an auto race, devastating Ned Flanders and prompting Homer to find a new woman for his grieving friend. After a series of unsuccessful dates, Ned begins to question his faith in God. However, his faith is restored after hearing the female lead singer of a Christian rock band, played by guest star Shawn Colvin, sing in church. The episode's title is a parody of the song title "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily"
Season 11
Episode 14
BABF10
February 13, 2000
"My suspension was not 'mutual'"
The Simpsons come in on bumper cars. Homer is then pinned to the wall and slammed repeatedly.
The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Jim Reardon. Maude was voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven after regular voice actor Maggie Roswell had left the show over a pay dispute, and the producers decided to kill off the character to open up for new storylines. The episode was viewed in 10.8 million households during its original broadcast, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.
A commercial for "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" that aired before the episode was broadcast was criticized by many viewers because it showed that the episode was parodying a 1999 incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina that left three spectators dead. Then-Fox affiliate WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina refused to show the commercial, but after viewing the episode they came to the conclusion that it was not making fun of the incident.
Reviews of "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" from television critics have been mixed.
Plot[edit]
The Simpson family are hiking in the countryside, which Lisa says is "paradise"; but she is dismayed when they discover that a bird sanctuary is encircled by an oval racing track. However, given free tickets, they stay to watch the races. Their next-door neighbor, Ned Flanders and his family are there: he says he appreciates the drivers' excellent safety measures. Later, a squad of cheerleaders fires free T-shirts from air cannons into the crowd, and a shirtless Homer urges them to send him one. The cheerleaders send a full salvo of T-shirts to him, but he bends down to pick up a bobby pin and the shirts knock Maude, Ned's wife, over the back of the bleachers and she falls to her death, devastating Ned.
Homer goes home with Ned after the funeral and tries to console him, but realizes his actions had a role in Maude's death - admitting that he had parked in the ambulance zone, thus preventing any possible resuscitation. Guilt-ridden, Homer secretly makes a videotape of Ned to show to single women in the hopes of helping Ned move on. Despite the amateur editing, which even includes footage of Maggie's birth that Homer could not tape over, Ned meets several women, including Lindsey Naegle and Edna Krabappel, but the meetings are unsuccessful.
On a Saturday night, Ned prays, and is angry not to receive any response. The next morning, his sons are horrified when Ned indignantly refuses to attend church. He soon regrets this, and heads to the church to find a Christian rock band, Kovenant, performing a song about God's support through trying times; his belief in God revitalized, Ned bonds with the singer, Rachel Jordan, and she promises to meet up with him when she returns from her band's tour.