The Simpsons: 11 Best Episodes From Season 11

Once again along the lines of “Eight Misbehavin’,” this episode sees a side character go through a major life change, as Maude Flanders, the matriarch of the Flanders family for the entirety of the show up until that point, passes away.

Now, The Simpsons have covered heavy topics such as death with grace and care in the past... this is not one of those times. In true Season 9-12 fashion, Maude dies by getting hit in the chest with a t-shirt from a t-shirt gun and falls off the bleachers of a race track. It’s as dumb as it sounds.

Still, what makes this episode good is that it’s one that shows a more human side to Ned Flanders. Too often, the writers just use Ned as a strawman to make fun of religious fundamentalism. In fact, that’s where Flanderization comes from: the concept of a once subtle or minor detail about a character eventually becoming their all-encompassing quality.

It’s a breath of fresh air when Ned’s able to break the chains of parody and is allowed to be a person, and we get genuine pathos as he struggles with life after his wife’s passing. He even goes through a brief crisis of faith, which is ultimately resolved by a singer named Rachel Jordan (voiced by American musician Shawn Colvin):

The Simpsons have better episodes with heavy topics and pathos, but if you’re someone who likes to see a more human side to Ned Flanders, this is definitely a must-watch.