20th Century Fox TelevisionMaude is a lot worse than Helen. Helens thing might be annoying, but at least she has a thing (and she also thinks about the children). Maude had nothing. She was one of the blandest and least interesting characters on the show. She was never angry, never happy, never sad, never anything. She was just there. Her role on the show is perfectly summarized by Reverend Lovejoys in-show eulogy after her death: She didnt grab our attention with memorable catchphrases or comical accents but, whether you noticed her or not, Maude was always there. And thats the point. As Neds wife, she had plenty of opportunities to turn into an interesting character, someone who we might actually want to see. Instead, Neds love life has been a lot more intriguing and comical since her death.