The Simpsons: 10 Fates Worse Than Death

4. Ned Flanders Becomes A Repeat Widower

The Simpsons Ned Flanders
20th Television

Ned Flanders has never, ever found luck in love. His first beloved wife Maude fell to her death in Alone Again, Natura-Diddily after a barrage of T-shirts (ordered by Homer) was fired at her.

He would go on to marry Edna Krabappel, who would also be killed by Homer (accidentally).

In the episode Flanders' Ladder, Bart gains the ability to experience possible futures. Maude Flanders' ghost bids him to help the other ghosts that he is now able to see as well. Through him, she gets her revenge on Homer for causing her death. However, it is far from just Maude and Edna's deaths that Ned has to deal with if the experience is to be believed.

The closing montage of the episode sees him married to Marge. At age 84, she dies after taking a sip of her tea. Ned, distraught, adds her portrait to his wall of dead wives.

Living on after losing one partner is hard enough but living on after losing dozens of them edges closer to a cruel and unusual punishment. What on Earth did Ned do to deserve a fate like this?

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"