Alone Again, Natura-Diddily

Season 11, Episode 14, Aired
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Episode Summary

After Maude's surprising accidental death, Homer feels compelled to help a saddened, grieving Ned move forward and get back into the dating scene.
8.0
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
144 votes
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Cast & Crew

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  • Julie Kavner

    Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier

  •

    Harry Shearer

    Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, and others

  •

    Dan Castellaneta

    Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, and others

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

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  • Ned is naked!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By kennyraider, Jan 24, 2012 Report Abuse
    Maude is dead and Homer is helping Ned by making a dating tape filming him naked and stuff! The best part is a cut of Marge giving birth to Maggie! Hilarious!

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    0 0

  • Lisa takes the family on a hike and then go to see a car race.homer then sees girls firing free t-shirts.The girls fire about 6 of them at him but he bends down an the t-shirts hit Maude Flanders in the back row.She falls off the stands and diesmoreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By geekyguy65, Feb 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    There is one main question i want to ask about this episode: why Maude? i mean,she didn't do anything but why kill her?i think i agree with mostly everybody that this is when the simpsons went really down hill and started to make up random plots.The episode started out well but near the end it sort of became quite random.The episode was mainly about Maude dieing and nothng else they needed something besides that like the kids running away or something.i guess maude wasn't a big part in the show but it was sort of sad in flanders position don't you think?moreless

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  • Not Sad

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By futuramarama, Feb 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    Maude dies {in part due to Homer being dumb and a jerk}. A lot of people say the episode was sad a as a whole, but I strongly disagree. It was just... not sad. It had a slow pacing of jokes, but not sad entirely. Or at all. There were maybe one or two moments where it was sad, but nothing sad enough to make me raise my grade or cry or anything. I'm not expecting to cry, but when an episode deals with death, I expect more emotion rather then laughs. I just think it would be better to have more emotion. Then people wouldn't complain about lack of jokes because the episode wouldn't need jokes. One of season 11's worstsmoreless

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  • Rod and Todd play a video game

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Derbyginge245, Aug 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    An episode that seems to promise emotion delivers but there's still room for improvement.

    The episode begins with the Simpsons going on a hiking trip and what at first sounded like bees turns out to be a race-course. Naturally, the Simpsons are given free tickets by a driver. The Flanders are sat behind them at the top of the stand where they are 'out of range of the crashes' although Ned still enjoys the safety gear.

    However, when Homer promotes a barrage of T-Shirts to be fired at him by drawing a target on his disgusting belly with ketchup, Maud, gets hit and is sent toppling over the stand and falls to her death. This moment is great from a dramatic point of view as you get the juxtaposition of the humour of Maud getting hit and the sadness of seeing her die in a matter of seconds.

    What I would have liked to see is Ned's immediate reaction to the death in the following days but instead we fast-forward to a funeral where we see Ned's silent despair (until Moe comes along).

    Homer tries to help but he only makes Ned realise that he's not ready to move on and date although the crazy dog woman was a hilarious scene in the episode. And when Ned refuses to go to Church because God he feels God has let him down, he almost immediately realises his mistake and rushes to Church to hear a Christian Rock band where he finds a friend in lead singer Rachel Jordan. Although Ned says hes not yet ready for dating, the pair agree to meet in future and there is hope in Ned's life for happiness.

    I really liked this episode because it is the first one from the Scully era to really evoke any emotion out of me. However, it still didn't make much of an impact. Is that because Maud was a character that the audience didn't really care about? Then again, who really cared about Bleeding Gum's Murphy yet his death was very emotional.

    This episode had some laughs and moments where you really felt for Ned but all in all, it didn't have enough impact on me to a make it a classic.

    B+moreless

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  • Maude Flanders dies, and its up to Homer to make Ned feel better.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Hornets3, Aug 03, 2009 Report Abuse
    One thing about this episode is that if they have to kill off a character they mid as well do it professionally, and they did. This was the best possible way to approach this plot. It was a very funny yet sad episode. However, the ending when Ned met Rachel allowed the writers to use her as a recurring or even permenant character, and as we know she will be a reoccurring character(Im goin to Praiseland). Some of the best gags in this episode was the swan boat being parked in the driveway, and Homer's dating video for Ned. Give this episode a watch because surely this will be an episode that's never forgotten. B+moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Names appearing on tombstones during Maude's burial: -Bleedin' Gums Murphy, with a winged sax pictured on his grave and a lily on his tomb. -Dr. Marvin Monroe, with a couch on it. -Beatrice Simmons -Frank "Grimey" Grimes Edit
    • Ned's ATM pin number is 5316. Edit
    • Before Homer shows Flanders the dating tape that he put together, Homer says, "The audio needs some tweaking and there was some footage of Maggie being born that I couldn't get rid of." For this quote to make sense, I would have made Homer say, "...there was some footage of Lisa being born...", because Homer did not have a camcorder for Bart's birth in "I Married Marge", and he was not videotaping Maggie's birth in "And Maggie Makes Three". Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • When Lisa says, "Why do jerks want everyone to see their stupid names?" after seeing the carvings on the tree, the credit "WRITTEN BY IAN-MAXTONE-GRAHAM" appear in very big letters. Edit
    • Blackboard Joke: My suspension was not mutual.
      Couch Gag: They are in bumper cars, as they enter. There is no couch, Marge w/Maggie bump Homer, and then Bart hits him, and Lisa hits him. Homer yells "D'oh!" as he hits the back wall. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Rachel Jordan (singing): In a motel room in Delacroix, I was drinking like a Dartmouth boy, And thinking about the wrong turns that I took, I woke up on the puke-green floor, And opened up a dresser drawer, Looking for a bottle but instead I found a book! A book about a man, A book about the dude who lives above, A book about a man, Who drives a pick-up full of sweet sweet love! So if you think he doesn't care, Or maybe that he isn't there, It's not too late to see how wrong you are. So if your soul has gone astray, Just let God be your Triple A, He'll tow you to salvation, And he'll overhaul your heart! Edit
    • Ned: Homer, this really isn't necessary! Homer: Those feelings are normal Ned. That's part of the process…watch the sprinkler! Ned: Hey! That's my sprinkler! Homer: It's natural to feel that way. But the sprinkler is gone, it's time to let go. Ned: I just bought that! Homer: I know, I know, it's never easy! Edit
    • Moe: Look Ned, I know we ain't hung out much, what with your insane fear of drinking and me being banned from the church and all but eh, that Maude, she was really something. Ned: Oh, wasn't she. Thank you Moe, I really appreciate that. Moe: I really mean it though, If it was you that died, I would have been on her so fast! Ned: What are you saying!? Moe: What, nothing, she was hot, what you can't take a compliment? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • The background music played during Ned's dating video is "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. Edit
    • :
      Laramie Cup is a spoof of the Winston Cup, like a good Simpson cigarette reference should ... be like, that is. Edit
    • The four sponsors of racing cars (AC DeeCee and Quakker State) or of Maude Flanders' funeral (SPT and Budwrench) are plays of automotive products (AC Delco, Quaker State and SPT motor oils and Goodwrench). Budwrench is also a play on Budweiser beer. AC DeeCee may also be a play on AC/DC. Edit

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