The episode that really was the death of the Golden Age for The Simpsons as much as it was a beloved character. In "Alone Again Natura-Diddily," we saw the first on screen passing of a main stay character in the series when Ned Flanders wife Maude fell off a stadium platform. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Instead of giving us a heart-melting moment between characters who deserved a worthy goodbye, we got a blink and youll miss it shock tactic that has plagued the show ever since. While the episode itself is filled with laugh out loud moments and some classic scenes, it was the right type of show to hit us in the heart that so many iconic moments throughout the series have. Maudes death should have impacted the entire show for a while; instead it was left as a humorous jibe at the Flanders' expense for seasons to come.
As a pretty nerdy guy, I've loved film and television since I was a wee lad. Growing up in Ireland, The Den was the show to watch with it playing Batman The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and everything in between. I have an MA in Radio and Television Production and have written for various sites, hope you enjoy my articles/lists for What Culture!
