[4F07] Hurricane Neddy
Hurricane Neddy Written by Steve Young
Directed by Bob Anderson
==============================================================================
Production code: 4F07 Original Airdate in U.S.: 29-Dec-96
Capsule revision A, 4-Mar-97 Original Airdate in Canada: 28-Dec-96
"TV Guide" Synopsis {ol}
After a hurricane destroys the Flanders' house, the citizenry
rebuilds it. But Ned publicly criticizes their workmanship, and the
guilt from his outburst sends him to a mental hospital.
Title sequence
Couch :- The couch is missing, replaced by a Vend-A-Couch panel.
Homer puts in a coin, then bangs the machine, only to get
the couch dropped on him.
Did you notice...
... the Del Monte logo on the creamed eels?
... Grandpa claims he was born in the nursing home?
... Apu's moustache sticking straight up when they pass the "electric
room?"
... in the asylum were Ms. Botzkowski, John Swartzwelder (no, not
David Crosby) and Jay Sherman (from "The Critic")?
... one of the signs being held up at the end said "Free John
Swartzwelder"?
Dale G. Abersold:
... this was the first episode written by Steve Young? (not the
quarterback, natch)
Stephan Bonneville:
... only Lisa has a platform outside her window?
... Swartzwelder's and Ms. Botz's cell doors are open and unattended?
... Ned has a manger scene up despite the fact it is not Christmas?
James R. Curry:
... Lisa actually needs to look up the signs of a Hurricane?
... Marge drives a car through the intense winds?
... the box of "X-MAS Lights" in the cellar?
... OFF have a couch in the cellar?
... in the house the townspeople build, the ground floor is
considerably better built than the upstairs floor?
Don Del Grande:
... in the "The Hurricane" takeoff of the opening, the left half of
the word "Hurricane" appears first, just as the left half of
"Simpsons" appears first in the opening (although that's because
the right half is behind a cloud)?
... during the hurricane, the shutters on the front of the house
don't move while the ones in back of the house do?
... Ned twitches his left eye twice - once after saying he's "fine"
following the spanking, and again at the end of the episode?
... Maggie is gesturing how to turn the Rubik's Cube along with the
others?
... the Leftorium is normally closed? (Maude says "we'll open up the
Leftorium")
... Ned's house must have been the most poorly-made one in the
neighborhood, since no other house in the vicinity appeared to be
even scratched?
... Lisa's barometer was marked "18-29-30-31"?
... the pressure dropped to below 28.5" below the hurricane hit?
... apparently, Kwik-E-Mart was the only store open?
... in close-up, you can't read "Butthole" on Todd's shirt, but in
the next scene, you can?
... Ned didn't have anything bad to say about Maggie? (If you don't
count "your family's out of control" to Marge, that is)
Jason Hancock:
... the can of wadded beef resembles a Campbell's Soup can?
... the prison warden (from 9F20) and Dean Peterson (from Springfield
University, 1F02) are at the execution?
... the church's TV has bent rabbit ears?
... the "I Love Southpaws" and "Left-Handers Rule" posters at the
Leftorium?
... the "Kiss Me, I'm Left Handed" T-shirts at the Leftorium?
... this is the first speaking role for Ned's mother? (His father
spoke in 1F18.)
Tony Hill:
... Apu's rooftop garden is gone?
... the Flanderses haven't rebuilt the bomb shelter?
... a spindle on the admissions desk?
... Ned wore glasses as a child?
... even Maggie wears a "Sane" sticker?
Joe Klemm:
... the D'oh when the couch lands on Homer?
... Flanders' room in the mental hospital is 107?
Haynes Lee:
... TV Guide says this episode is postponed from an earlier date?
(which pretty much speaks for the entire eighth season!)
... Hutz is the first one in the Kwik-E-Mart?
Ondre Lombard:
... Matt Groening leaves his name on this episode despite the
appearance of Jay Sherman?
... Lisa has a meteorology station set up for no particular reason?
[was I the only one to set up one as a kid too? --ed]
... OFF doesn't take Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II into the
cellar with them?
... Ned puts on his glasses even though the right lens fell out?
... Ned swears twice in this episode?
... Homer doesn't bring his "Not Insane" certificate to the hospital?
... we finally hear the real closing song?
Donald Martin:
... Ned Flanders' response to Homer asking him if he hated
fluorescent lights seems overdubbed?
[if so, anybody knows what the original line was? --ed]
David Ney:
... OFF now have a cellar with an outside entrance?
... when Ned is dragged off, he screams, but does not kick?
Nathan Patrin:
... one person steals a left-handed Statue of Liberty from the
Leftorium?
Benjamin J. Robinson:
... Ned's stream of "diddelys" right before he snaps includes the
words "shoddily" and "hostility"?
Jean-Philippe Savard:
... Calmwood Hospital doesn't bother to repair the fence Ned drove
through?
Liam J. Scanlan:
... this is the second hurricane that Springfieldians should know
about? (It starts with a B)
... Ned's beatnik mother looks like Maude?
Voice credits {ol}
- Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa, Krusty, Barney, patient)
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart, Ralph, Rod, Todd)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Apu, Kirk, Convict, Wiggum, Lenny, Moe, Dr. Foster,
Jay's Doctor)
- Harry Shearer (Kent, National Guard, Ned, Rev. Lovejoy, Dr.
Hibbert, Happiest Man in Springfield, Ned's Dad, Doctor)
- Special Guest Voice
- Jon Lovitz (Jay Sherman)
- Also Starring
- Pamela Hayden (Hospital Receptionist)
- Tress MacNeille (Mrs. Glick, Nurse)
- Maggie Roswell (Maude, Mrs. Foster, Ned's Mom)
Movie (and other) references
+ "How and Why", series of science books {jh}
- Lisa's "The How, Why, and Huh? Book of Weather"
+ Wizard of Oz, classic movie {hl}
- Hurricane carrying away bowling alley similar to tornado
carrying away Dorothy's house
+ Twister, 1996 blockbuster movie
- Homer is pulled back in the cellar by his family
+ "The Butthole Surfers"
- Todd wears a shirt of this band
+ The Bible / "God's Favorite", a play by Neil Simon {as}
- Ned is a very religious man who lost his home and place of work
and questions whether God is testing him. This mirrors Job and
Joe Benjamin respectively.
~ Home Improvement, TV series {hl}
- Buiding of a house, many goofs made
"Alice in Wonderland", Disney's adaptation of this Lewis Carrol
novel {jps} / "Willy Wanka and the Choclate Factory" {ac}
- a tiny door leading to a room
~ The Dream Team {ljs}
- patient drives other patients to the nuthouse.
- same patient has an attitude proplem.
- same patient has discipline problem
- same patient has to rely on spouse to help him.
+ One Who Flew over the Cuckoos Nest {hl}
- Nurse looks like Nurse Rachett
~ Return of the Pink Panther (or Pink Panther Strikes Back) {ddg}
- someone with a straitjacket using his feet as hands
+ "Swanson's Hungry Man Dinners"
- Swanson's Angry Man Dinners
+ "Dick Tracy", comic strip
- Ned is pretending to be both Dick Tracy, and Pruneface
"A Clockwork Orange", novel/movie by Stanley Lubrick {jk}
- Flanders undergoes a experimental treatment plan that is better
than it should have been
"Silence of the Lambs", movie {dga}
- a cannibalistic mental patient
+ "The Critic", TV cartoon
- Jay "It stinks!" Sherman appears
+ Martin Lawrence's "You So Crazy" {np}
- Homer drops this line to Ned at the end of the episode
Previous episode references
- "Silence of the Lambs" references {hl}
- [7F24] Hannibal Lecter is at New Bedlam
- [9F10] Burns is restrained like Hannibal Lecter at the trial
- [2F04] Bart is restrained like Hannibal Lecter in church
- [2F31] Hannibal Lecter auditions for Burns' movie
- [4F08] The psychiatrist says that one of the mental patients is a
cannibal
- How to throw your name in the cartoons you write: {sf}
- [8F17] SLH wanders through Swartzwelder County {jh}
- [9F16] "How to Get Rich Writing Cartoons" by John Swartzwelder
- [4F05] OFF goes to Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill
- [4F07] Someone holds a "Free John Swartzwelder" sign
- [MG20] Hidding in the basement as a way of avoiding disaster {ljs}
- [SC11] Ned acts suspiciously weird {jh}
- [7G01], [7F14] Miss Botzokowski, the Babysitter Bandit, appears {ol}
- [7F08], [3F11] Homer's golf clubs {mb}
- [7F23] Things are stolen from the Leftorium {dn}
- [7F24] Homer is stamped "insane" at a mental institution
- [7F24] The Flanderses suffer great misfortune
- [8F04], [2F07], [3F17] Rubik's Cubes are referenced {jh}
- [8F14] Everyone speaks loudly simultaneously at Marge, who responds
with "One at a time!" {ol}
- [8F14], [2F08] Marge (cf. Ned) has a nervous breakdown {ljs}
- [8F16] Homer's poor building skills are demonstrated {ljs}
- [8F16], [3F02], [4F01] A Flanders curses {mss}
- [9F01] Krusty, Apu and other members of community save one's house
{hl}
- [9F04] "I'm with Stupid!" {ljs}
- [9F18] People overcrowd the Kwik-E-Mart {ljs}
- [9F22] OFF's opening theme is spoofed
- [1F01] "filled with heady goodness" (cf "...and a cement mixer full
of hope and some cement") {mb}
- [1F05] Young Ned is shown {sf}
- [1F07] Someone drives through a fence/gate {mss}
- [1F09] Apu is on the roof of the Kwik-E-Mart with a shotgun
- [1F14] Ned's boat (cf. house) is the only one destroyed among others
{dn}
- [1F15] A Twister nears Springfield {dn}
- [1F18] Ned's beatnik parents are seen
- [2F05] There is a "killer storm" bearing down on Springfield {sf}
- [2F08] Marge developes psychological problems traceable to her father
{np}
- [2F11] A building on Flanders property winds up rubble
- [2F11] Ned offers to protect OFF from an upcoming catastrophe {jh}
- [2F31] Jay Sherman appears
- [2F02], [3F01] Hall of Records is shown {sf}
- [3F02] The ranting man may have been in the room between Ms.
Botzkowski and Swartzwelder {ddg}
- [3F09] A shirt is folded over, not revealing an entire word {dn}
- [3F09] Ned confronts and gets mad at Homer in a similar fashion and
voice tone as George Bush {ljs}
- [3F19] Del Monte is referenced {jh}
- [3F22] Someone other than Bart says "Don't Have a Cow, Man!" {ol}
- [4F03] Marge is mistaken for cactus (cf. Lisa for pineapple) {mss}
Freeze frame fun
People seen inside the Kwik-E-Mart: {jh}
Apu, Brandine, Chief Wiggum, Cletus, Comic Book Guy, Dr. Nick
Riviera, Edna Krabappel, Frink, Helen Lovejoy, Jasper, Jimbo,
Kearney, Kent Brockman, Kirk Van Houten, Krusty, Lenny, Lionel Hutz,
Lisa, Luanne Van Houten, Marge, Maude Flanders, Mayor Quimby, Moe,
Mrs. Glick, Ms. Hoover, Ralph Wiggum, Rev. Lovejoy, Sanjay, Seymour
Skinner, Smithers, Snake, Troy McClure.
Church Sign: {bjr}
First Church of
Springfield
GOD WELCOMES
HIS VICTIMS
People gathering outside Flanders' rebuilt house: {jh} {sb2}
Abe, Agnes Skinner (*), Apu (hat, glasses, construction pants),
Barney (brush -- with purple paint on it), Bart, Captain McAllister,
Carl, Chalmers, Chief Wiggum (hat, screwdriver, tool belt), Julious
(hat) and Sylvia (*) Hibbert, Eddie and Lou, Frink, Groundskeeper
Willy, Hans Moleman (*), Happiest man in Springfield, Helen Lovejoy,
Homer (hat, hammer, tool belt), Jasper, Kirk & Luanne Van Houten,
Krusty (hat, tool belt), Lenny (*), Lisa, Marge, Mr. and Mrs. (*)
Prince, Milhouse (*), Moe (hat, tool belt), Mrs. Glick, Mrs. Wiggum,
Ms. Hoover, Otto, Patty and Selma, Ruth Powers, Seymour Skinner
(pencil, hammer), Sideshow Mel.
(*) Only seen after the house collapses
Mental Hospital Sign:
C a l m w o o d [in cursive]
MENTAL HOSPITAL
Movie:
JUVENILE
AGGRESSION
STUDY
Sponsored By
SWANSON'S
[tray]
ANGRY MAN
DINNERS
People gathering outside the mental hospital: {jh}
Kirk, Luanne, and Milhouse Van Houten; Jimbo; Otto; Hans Moleman; Ms.
Hoover; Grampa; Richard; Apu; Maude, Rod, and Todd Flanders; Captain
McAllister; Chief Wiggum; Ms. Hoover; Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie
Simpson; Moe; Janey; Helen Lovejoy; Barney.
Signs when Flanders leaves Calmwood Hospital: {jb}
Welcome We [heart] WELCOME FLANDY
Back Flanders BACK is
DANDY
FREE
W E L C O M E B A C K WELCOME John
BACK Swartzweld[er]
- Overseas Animation: Akom {ddg}
Animation, continuity, and other goofs
+ Lisa has never had such a big window platform. {sb2}
* An anemometer (wind gauge) against the side of a house is pretty much
useless, since it can't measure winds coming from the "house side".
{ddg}
* Lisa's barometer is dropping far too fast to be working properly; had
the pressure dropped one inch in a second, the winds should have been
strong enough at that point to blow the entire town of Springfield
through the air and drop it on Shelbyville. {ddg}
+ In 4F01, there was a window on the side of the house; it's not there
now. {ddg}
* Hurricanes don't suddenly spring up out of nowhere; there should have
been plenty of warning that one was coming before Santa's Little
Helper was blown away. {ddg}
* Despite what Kent Brockman claims, half of all hurricanes are given
men's names now. (There was a time that all hurricanes had women's
names - the usual reason was "there's no such thing as a HIMicane".)
{ddg}
+ Why is the Kwik-E-Mart Springfield's only source of emergency
supplies? What about the MonstroMart? (or that store Marge goes to
in the unabridged opening we never see anymore). {ol}
+ Brandine's hair is white in this episode; it's usually red. {jh}
+ Why would Homer decline Ned's invitation now? In the past,
(especially 2F11) he jumped at the chance to take advantage of the
Flanders' better facilities. {sb2}
= The tape on Maggie's face disappears once Marge and Lisa arrive from
the store. {jh}
+ Since when did OFF go into the cellar when Grampa visits? (cf. 3F06,
others) {jh}
+ Why didn't OFF stay in their cellar when the comet was about to hit?
{dn}
* There's no way even a hurricane could tear the roof off of a concrete
prison. {np}
+ The Olmec Head is in the basement, not the cellar. {ol}
* The Rubik's Cube has two sides with white centers, which is
impossible as each side's center must always be a different color
from the other sides' centers. {ddg}
= For that matter, the individual pieces change colors while Marge is
turning them. {ddg}
* Why would people choose to loot the Leftorium over other more
practical stores? (What about the Monstro Mart?) {sb2}
* Having lived in a church for three years, I can tell you that
moonlight would not shine through stained glass. {sf}
= Ned's torn up clothes are restored back to normal in the Flanderses
next day spent at the rescue center. {ol}
= Dr. Foster pulled the second straitjacket and the projector from thin
air. {ol}
+ Flanders is referred to as "never being aggressive towards anyone in
his life", but in 1F14, Ned dreams of killing people with a sniper's
rifle. {np}
+ Homer did make Ned crack in [1F14] by whistling through his nose at
church. {hl}
+ If Dr. Foster is correct about Ned's "Diddilies" as a means of
suppressing rage, he must get angry at everything in life. For
instance, in 3F22 "Summer of 4 ft. 2," Ned literally writes down
"diddily" on a note taped onto the front door of the beach house.
{ol}
+ Dr. Foster asks Ned if there's someone who makes him angry, which
leads to Homer. Yet later, Ned denies deing angry towards anyone.
* If Dr. Foster was asleep at night when he rushes in to treat Ned
Flanders, why is the family awake at that time of night? {ol}
= I hope Homer has his "Not Insane" certificate on him, because he
loses his "SANE" badge. {bjr}
+ Ned's hating his parents is inconsistent with previous episodes,
where he's afraid to unplug the phone because his mother might call,
and has Grandma Flanders staying at his house. {sf}
* Why does Ned need a ride in Marge's car when he has his own car? (It
wasn't destroyed in the hurricane, otherwise, he couldn't have drove
himself to the Mental Hospital) {ol}
Reviews
Dale G. Abersold: A fun portrait of our favorite Christian optimist
(with remarkable continuity). Unlike some episodes, the in-jokes
were not obvious and tacked-on. The last act was a little slow, but
overall, a worthy effort. (A-)
Jared Betnar: I really enjoyed this episode. I found myself laughing
out loud quite a few times. "Ralph the Pumpkin" was great, along with
the comment Lisa makes that the Hall of Records "was mysteriously
blown away", and just about anything with Flanders' rebuilt house was
hilarious. And who wouldn't love "Evil Little Neddy"? And the writers
even managed to fight in an interesting story that mostly revolved
around a secondary character. But the ending was kind of
disappointing, I felt like there should have been more. (B+)
Stephane Bonneville: This episode was great! The hilarious return of
Ned's beatnik parents and flashbacks of little Ned were what made
this show great, but seeing the true idiocy of many of the
Springfieldians also had me laughing through most of this episode.
The only disappointment was the ending, which I felt fell a bit flat.
(A)
James R. Curry: Well, this season really is to date much better than
last years. It was good to see Jay Sherman re-appear breifly, I miss
"The Critic". Ned's background? Er, I'm not sure. He HAS expressed
anger before, and he doesn't just break into diddily-doodily speak
when he's upset. Oh well, the first half was great, and the second
half was quite good. (B)
Steve Frayne: This episode had a great setup in Ned losing everything,
but had a complete and total plot shift after he enters the mental
hospital. It's almost like they forgot that he lacked a house, and he
had no business. I wish those original problems had been solved.
Nevertheless, I'm betting the Flanders house is back in action next
week. This wasn't a tremendously funny episode, but it had a few
moments like "Hurricane Chow" and the "Load-bearing poster". Without
a doubt, the best part was when Homer was able to cure Flander's
psychological problem better than the professionals. First two acts
were great, but including the last one it gets a C-.
Don Del Grande: This one was a roller coaster: the hurricane (good),
Ned's reaction (not so good), the new house and Ned's ranting (good),
Ned and Homer in the asylum (not so good). Ned would probably say it
was "fine" - after winking his left eye. (B)
Jason Hancock: OK, this episode had its moments. But it had too many
things that just didn't make sense to me, like the bowling alley
ending up on top of a mountain and Ned being spanked for eight months
straight. I can't say I hated this one, but I didn't think it was
one of their best efforts either. (C)
Tony Hill: It's a waste of time to make an episode centering on a minor
character. This format necessitates too many Simpson-less scenes.
Also, the Ned-talk resulting from therapy is inconsistent with "Lisa
the Vegetarian" in which the clan talked like Ned. The slam at my
alma mater didn't help. (C-)
Joe Klemm: This is the best episode after two weeks of bombs. I loved
the hurricane jokes. Ralph as a pumpkin is another great scene
featuring him. Let the nuttiness continue. (A)
Ondre Lombard: Overall, a mediocre installment that had a few exciting
moments and good jokes. Ned's breakdown made for the only classic
moment in this story, and act 3 pretty much slammed into a wall of
mediocrity, saved only by Homer's "intercourse" line. Not too much
of Our Favorite Family, but of what we saw, no one was grossly out of
character (especially Marge and Lisa, who have been written really
badly this year). (B-)
David Ney: I really thought this was a good episdode. Again, not up to
4th, 5th, and 6th season standards, but that's what I've come to
expect. For an 8th season episode, it was very good. I loved some
of the gags, including the convict hitting th power lines, the flying
bowling alley, and Ned's secret destructive side of his childhood. I
was happy to see Ned's cool beatnick parents once again. (B+)
Nathan Patrin: Oh man. I waited two weeks for this? The prospect of Ned
Flanders going mental seemed way more laden with potential than what
we wound up with. The freaked-out rebuilt Flanders house was pretty
cool (toilet in the kitchen!), and the Jay Sherman cameo was
startling enough to be amusing, but... man, did that ever feel
hodgepodge. Ned Having a Major Crisis (see: When Flanders Failed)
rarely winds up that humorous, which is why Hurricane Neddy... well,
blew. (D+)
Werner Peeters: Everything before and during the storm was hilarious
(the crowd at the Kwik-E-Mart, Homer going out when their house is in
the centre of the tornado, etc.) The joke about the re-built house
lasted a bit too long, but when Flanders ended up in the mental
hospital we've had about the best of the episode. The third act, Ned
talking about his childhood, was so way-off that it kinda spoiled the
storyline; the "mental jump" from the house wreckage to Ned's unhappy
youth was too far-fetched. (C+)
Benjamin Jay Robinson: A fine premise, but the execution is only
two-thirds of the way there. In particular, the lack of change in
Ned's demeanor at the show's end makes the third act seem emotionally
flat. Also, the recent trend toward finding surprising things about
the secondary characters is carried too far here. Good sequences in
the third first two acts (like the house tour, and Ned's meltdown)
raise this to the B- level.
Andrius Schmid: Somewhat of a disappointment. On one hand, it was a
without a doubt a Ned Flanders showcase, and therefore wonderful.
However, I expected a God vs. Job parody and instead got an episode
who's first half seemed to be an exaggerated lead-in for a few
flash-back sequences. Except for a great ranting sequence by Ned,
this episode was flat. (B-)
Nelson Seggley: This episode was curiously unsatisfying. It had the
sophistication and cross-references that I love, but there was hardly
a thing I laughed at. Coming off three great episodes, I had hoped
this would be funny AND intelligent. It was interesting to watch
purely for character reasons. But so much dead laughing time was
deplorable. Several obvious gags fell flat. I wish the writers had
tried harder. (C)
Vishal Sharma: In all honesty, I have to say this is the second great
episode of Season 8, proving that the ol' Simpsons magic hasn't been
lost. The hurricane bit was bizarre, and a bit offbeat, but Ned
Flanders breaking down has been long over-due and this episode
handled it exceptionally well. Overall, a nicely animated, extremely
entertaining and quite touching Simpsons episode. One of the most
memorable moments of this episode has to be the Jon Lovitz cameo in
the mental hospital. That alone had me laughing all through the
following night and day... (A)
Marge Starbrod-Simpson: Not as good as last week's, but okay. The couch
gag was funny, and there were plenty of good jokes. However,
something was lacking in the storyline, and the ep went way too fast.
Act III could've been better. (B-)
Yours Truly: Some good lines here and there, but the episode was slowed
down by Ned's "misery", to which we were supposed to feel sad, and
his "behavior", which we were supposed to believe. Both fell flat to
me. Of course, mangling his character like this didn't help. To me,
it looked like an apology for all the stabs taken to religion. ("Look,
it had nothing to do with Christianity all along!") All in all, a
sour aftertaste. (C)
AVERAGE GRADE: B- (2.66)
NIELSEN RATING: 8.7 (ranked 18th out of 103) {ol}
Comments and other observations
When Hurricanes Attack
Benjamin Jay Robinson delivers some relevant observations on hurricanes:
Nowadays, thanks to sophisticated tracking methods, hurricane- prone
areas have at least one day's warning before a storm strike, and
often closer to three. These giant storms have been known to make
last-minute shifts in direction, but the chances of getting caught
unaware are very slim.
Hurricanes are named in alphabetical order. That is, "Amos" would
occur before "Stella". (By the way, they've been alternating boy and
girl names since 1979 or so.) A hurricane Barbara would most likely
occur early in the season. Ironically, the United States' real
hurricane season ended about a month before this episode aired.
The basement is not the best place to ride out a hurricane. Most
storm fatalities result from flooding, not high winds. Hiding in the
cellar, Our Favorite Family was actually in danger of drowning.
Flanders, on the other hand, offers some good advice -- bring loose
objects indoors, before the wind turns them into makeshift missiles.
A small tornado picked up Homer. This makes sense, actually, since
hurricanes spawn tornadoes. Flanders' localized damage looks like
the result of a tornado hit.
The "Where is Springfield" crowd might be interested to know that, in
the United States, hurricanes are most likely to make landfall on the
East Coast (especially between Florida and North Carolina). The Gulf
Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida again) is
also frequently hit. Also, there is a Springfield, Florida. It's in
the panhandle, near Pensacola, and may be vulnerable to a hurricane
passing through the Gulf of Mexico.
Aaron Varhola: "Lisa" is in the name lineup for Atlantic hurricanes for
1998. Lisa has not been used in the Atlantic; there was a weak
tropical cyclone named Lisa this past fall that hit the Phillipines
and China, I think.
Live forever... as a hurricane
Tom Restivo forwards us this Reuter article:
MIAMI, May 26 (Reuter) - Exhausted forecasters at the National
Hurricane Centre wondered whether they would use up their
alphabetized list of storm names in 1995, as 19 tropical storms and
hurricanes churned through the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
If they had run out of the list of 21 names -- the letters Q, U, X, Y
and Z are not used -- forecasters would have had to use for the first
time a backup plan of naming storms for the letters of the Greek
alphabet.
The season went further into the alphabet than any other, but it
slowed down from its nonstop pace in July, August and September.
Hurricane Tanya, which faded November 1 without making landfall,
would be the last of the season, leaving the names Van and Wendy the
only two unclaimed.
This year, forecasters hope they will not run that far into this
list: Arthur, Bertha, Cesar, Dolly, Edouard, Fran, Gustav, Hortense,
Isidore, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene,
Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.
Hurricanes in the West Indies have had informal names for several
hundred years, as many of the worst were named after the saint's day
on which the hurricane occurred. For example, Hurricane Santa Ana
struck Puerto Rico with exceptional violence July 26, 1985.
The United States adopted its first organised storm naming system in
1950, for three years naming storms after the phonetic alphabet --
Abel, Baker, Charlie, etc. In 1953, the U.S. Weather Service began
using women's names for storms.
Men's names were added to the list for the Atlantic, Caribbean and
Gulf of Mexico for the first time in 1979. Forecasters try to use
short, easily remembered names that reflect the culture of the places
hurricanes affect.
The U.S. National Weather Service's National Hurricane Centre assigns
a name to a storm when sustained winds reach tropical storm strength
of 39 mph (63 kph). The centre keeps six annual lists of names, used
in turn, but retires the name of the biggest storms to minimise
confusion later.
For example, there will never be another Hurricane Andrew.
Names for the lists are selected from library sources and agreed upon
by nations involved during international meetings of the World
Meteorological Organisation.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Tom's addendum:
Hurricanes for the Atlantic Basin are retired by the Region 4
Hurricane Committe of WMO.
Barbara would probably join Betsy (1965), Beulah (1967), and Bob
(1991) in the "retired" name set. However, in the "Where is
Springfield?" saga, Homer mentioned "back east", thus causing the
focus of Springfield's location to be near the Pacific.
Have they retired names for Pacific Hurricanes?
-> More background info can be found at <http://www.megatropic.com>
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse
James Fraleigh: In the opening act, Homer is being blown around in his
hammock in a manner very similar to the way the above bridge was
twisting before its collpase. The bridge was a suspension-style span
constructed across a river valley (in Washington State?) that
featured powerful and frequent wind gusts. These were not taken fully
into account by the engineers who designed the bridge, though. The
winds apparently caused the bridge to vibrate and eventually twist
along its long axis. The way Homer was going (head one way, feet the
other) was how the ENTIRE bridge was warping. Eventually the bridge
shredded itself and collapsed.
[nicknamed "Galloping Gertie", this 2800-feet-long bridge was the
longest and most expensive suspended bridge to ever collapse --ed]
The latest public show
Ondre Lombard: When the convict is about to be executed during the
thunderstorm, I noticed there were people witnessing the impending
execution. It reminded me of a show on Oprah that I never saw, but
asked people if victims of crime would want to see the criminal be
executed. Call it far-fetched, but this seemed like a slight
reference to this.
[Actually, Phil Donahue once wanted to broadcast an execution. Of
course, no judge would be as silly to grant him this right --ed]
Twist your head 180 degrees clockwise
Joe Klemm: Rubik's Cube is a popular game in the 80's. The object was
to make it so the cube will have six areas in which the nine cubes in
each area is the same color. The fad spun off some other projects
including a game in which you try to make a pattern a la Rubik's cube
and a cartoon made by Ruby-Spears.
But it goes with my Marilyn Manson jacket!
Nathan Patrin: The Butthole Surfers: Rod's second-hand shirt features
the name of the most whacked-out rock group to ever come from Texas.
Led by Gibby Haynes, the Butthole Surfers have been around more or
less since 1982 or so and have been on Alternative Tentacles and SST
records before being signed to the majors, having an album produced
by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones entitled "Independent Worm Saloon"
and having a huge college radio hit with the Beck-ish "Pepper" from
their "Electric Larryland" album. They sound a lot like what would
happen if Captain Beefheart and Jello Biafra started a bar band. Not
exactly Flanders material...
Benjamin Jay Robinson: Butthole Surfers were an alternative band back
when "alternative" was another term for "unheard of". As their name
suggests, they're light years away from being a Flanders-friendly
type of band.
That's diddily outrageous!
Some comments about Ned's "explained" behavior:
Sean Murdock: To further complicate the problems created by "Hurricane
Neddy", if you saw tonight's repeat ("Dead Putting Society"), you can
see a Ned Flanders who is entirely capable of expressing not only
anger ("You jackaninny!!") but other "lesser" emotions such as
pettiness ("look, SIMP-son...") and competitiveness ("Mercy is for
the weak, Todd!"). Although this isn't "typical Ned" behavior, it
seems logical that even a good, normal, non-scientifically-
programmed adult would react the way he did to Homer's goading. (If
you want to really nitpick, this ep also shows Ned engaging in a
bet -- this from a man who wouldn't buy insurance because he felt it
was a form of gambling.) Now, however, we are asked to believe that
Ned is merely a robitically "nice" person until he finally erupts --
kinda shaves away some of the dimension of the character, doesn't it?
I mean, it's like concentrating on nothing but Homer's stupidity, and
discarding the minor fact that underneath it all, he loves his
family. These characters are already two-dimensional; must they be
made one-dimensional??
Benjamin J. Robinson: Lately, there has been a controversial trend in
focusing on secondary characters, and digging surprising skeletons
out of their closets. In the past, I have not had a problem with
this, but after watching "Hurricane Neddy," I can understand the
others' objections. Ned Flanders isn't like Troy McClure or Kirk Van
Houten, whom we previously knew little about. He's popped up quite a
bit in Homer's life, and it doesn't seem fair to so radically
reinterpret his character. I can accept Ned's repressing a store of
anger, but to make him a walking time bomb is carrying things too
far.
Ondre Lombard: I am not all that pleased with these controversial
trends of giving pasts to secondary characters. Lately, this series
is a lot less like The Simpsons and more like "The Simpsons help us
learn something knew about a character you couldn't care less about."
Throughout most of the season, all of this has merely resulted in
either underuse of characters like Maggie and Bart, or poor
characterization on characters like Marge and Lisa. Marge for the
most part has been nothing but a nag and Lisa seems to be like some
type of boring nerd who is allergic to things we never saw her
allergic to. And all this just so we can deal with secondary
characters. IMO, I think the writers haven't a clue how to handle
the main characters we care about so they've decided to write stories
about the other characters who, even if they lapse out of character,
we won't be flabbergasted by the outcome.
I am scared to death that the 8th season will just turn into the
"Lets Change Characters" year, because that's just the direction
Hurricane Neddy sets the show in. Next thing you know we'll see
Comic Book Guy's past as a parttime Superhero busting Colombian drug
lords.
Those Immortal Threads
Where is Springfield?
Don Del Grande: It's somewhere where a hurricane can hit, which pretty
much rules out most of the western USA (except for the California
coast from Los Angeles south).
Gregg Ulrich: Having lived on both the East and West coast, I've never
seen Mallowmars (my favourite cookie BTW) on the West coast. I
always get my Mom to send me some ;-).
Loose Ends
Cultural winds
Don Del Grande: For people in Australia, a "hurricane" is what North
Americans call a typhoon/tropical cyclone. (For that matter,
pressure of 29 inches is about 737 mm of mercury.)
[or 98.2 kPa --ed]
Head over heels
Steve Frayne: Lisa could have been killed by being picked up by the
head. [How long till someone sues the show for this? --ed]
No gambling and no debts make Ned a dull boy
Steve Frayne: The Flanderses must own the home outright, because a
mortgagee would require homowners' insurance.
Aloha Oe
Steve Frayne: "Aloha Oe" is a traditional Hawaiian song. It was
supposedly written by Queen Liliokelani.
Boom-da-boom
Don Del Grande: Gene Krupa is probably best known as being the drummer
in the Benny Goodman Quartet. (Okay, who asked "Who's Benny
Goodman"?)
Quotes and Scene Summary {ol}
Homer's lazily taking a mid-afternoon nap in the hammock out on the
lawn. In his sleep, Homer puckers in an attempt to catch his lips onto
the straw inside his lemonade glass sitting on his chest. Winds begin
to pick up.
Conveniently, Lisa is reading a book about whether when she notices
the strong winds outside her window. Outside Lisa's window is an
anemometer, a barometer, a hygrometer and other assorted weather
devices. Lisa looks at what they forecast.
Lisa: Hmm. Pressure dropping, humidity rising over eighty percent,
increasing wind?
[consults "How, Why, and Huh? Book of Weather"]
Here we are -- chapter two: "So Your Pressure Is Dropping."
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Lisa gasps, learning that these are indications of a hurricane. She
goes to warn Homer, who is being violently rocked in his hammock as
the wind begins to increase.
Homer: Oh Lisa! There's no record of a hurricane ever hitting
Springfield.
Lisa: Yes, but the records only go back to 1978 when the Hall of
Records was mysteriously blown away.
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Santa's Little Helper struggles to move forward against the wind.
What is it, boy? Fire? Earthquake? Hippies?
-- Homer reveals mankind's greatest threats,
The wind overpowers SLH and blows him backwards into the air. Homer
finally realizes this is a hurricane, musing that "Somehow, the
animals are always the first to know."
The family watches news reports about the impending hurricane.
Kent: ...and the weather service has warned us to brace ourselves for
the onslaught of Hurricane Barbara. And if you think naming a
destructive storm after a woman is sexist, you obviously have
never seen the gals grabbing for items at a clearance sale.
Marge: [growls] That's true... but he shouldn't say it.
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Lisa suggests to pick up supplies. At the Kwik-E-Mart, Apu stands
atop the store before the crowd of people.
Apu: Stand behind the flaming garbage cans. We'll be letting you into
the store, seventy people at a time.
Kirk: Oh, let's just beat him up and take his stuff!
Apu: No no no, do not listen to that man. Remain calm. You will all
have a chance to be gouged.
[the crowd murmurs in approval]
-- Hurricanes make for excellent extortion opportunities,
"Hurricane Neddy"
Sanjay allows for dozens of panicked Springfieldians to enter the
store. Within seconds, they begin clearing the shelves of products.
Kearney looks around nervously while stealing an emergency supply of
squishees. Unfortunately, the mob has left Marge and Lisa with few
items left other than "Creamed Eels," "Corn Nog" and "Wadded Beef."
Lisa: Mom, let's just grab what we can and get out of here! This
storm is making people crazy.
[two old hands feel around Lisa's spikey hair]
Mrs. Glick: The last pineapple! And plenty ripe, too!
[picks up Lisa and puts her in a cart]
Lisa: But I'm not fruit! I'm a kid!
Mrs. Glick: That's what the pumpkin said.
Ralph: Hi, Lisa. We're going to be in a pie!
-- The legend of Hansel and Gretel lives on, "Hurricane Neddy"
Everyone from the Retirement Castle is being evacuated by the National
Guard except stubborn Grampa.
Evacuator: Sir, for your own safety, we do advise you to evacuate.
Grampa: I ain't leaving! I was born in this nursing home, and I'll
die in this nursing home.
Evacuator: Is there any chance of you changing your mind?
Grampa: Sure, let's go.
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Back at the Simpsons', Bart is securing Maggie's pacifier in her mouth
by wrapping her mouth up in black tape. Meanwhile, Homer is nailing
the backdoor onto the wall outside when Ned, in a raincoat, spots him.
Ned: Need some help there? You know, maybe you folks should come over
and punker in our bunker.
[Ned's house is covered with tints]
Oh, it'll be fun! We're gonna go through our old cancelled checks
and receipts and give ourselves an audit. Make sure we don't owe
anything extra.
-- Who needs the IRS when we have Ned Flanders?, "Hurricane Neddy"
Homer: Oh, I'm sure I'd be a third wheel.
Ned: Ho ho, no sir-ee, we'd be happy as heads to ha...
Homer: [sternly] I would make it my business to be a third wheel.
Ned: Okily dokily. Oooh, I better go take down the Manger scene. If
baby Jesus got loose, it could really do some damage.
-- Simple hazards for the Flanderses, "Hurricane Neddy"
Marge and Lisa have arrived home from the Kwik-E-Mart with groceries.
"Okay, it's the standard Grampa drill. Everybody into the cellar,"
decrees Homer. The family goes down the cellar.
We see an opening which is similar to "The Simpsons," except "The
Hurricane" is sung out, and those words appear on the screen with grey
clouds behind it. The letters in the words "The Hurricane" are blown
away by the wind.
The wind blows away a car parked next to an abandoned building. At
the state prison, a convict is about to die in the electric chair.
Just as the Warden is about to flip the switch, the hurricane blows
off the roof of the prison and the wind picks up the convict into the
air. "So long, suckers!" he taunts. The people watching the
execution let out a disappointed "Aww..." However, the convict's
escape is brief -- as his back hits telephone poll wires,
electrocuting him. The people cheer.
The hurricane isn't doing much to the Simpsons' house but causing the
window shutters to flap back and forth. Marge looks through the
cellar window worriedly.
Marge: Why don't we do something to take our minds off the storm?
[looks through a box]
Oooh, a Rubik's Cube! Let's all work it together.
Lisa: Okay, start with diagonal colors.
[Marge turns the cube]
Homer: Use your main finger on the yellow side and your other finger on
the orange side and turn it.
Marge: My main finger?
[the family begins to start all talking at the same time]
Bart: [simultaneously] Orange to orange!...
Lisa: [simultaneously] Now you have to turn it back, Mom...
Homer: [simultaneously] You gotta start backwards!
Bart: [simultaneously] Mom, Mom!
Lisa: [simultaneously] No, not so fast! No, ignore the red!
Bart: [simultaneously] No, no, no!
Homer: [simultaneously] Alternate corners!
Marge: One at a time!
Bart: Spin the middle side topwise. Topwise!
Marge: Now I remember why I put this down here in the first place!
-- Hurricanes bring loving family togetherness, "Hurricane Neddy"
The cellar light begins to fade on and off, as the electricity is
affected by the hurricane.
At the harmonica shop, the hurricane wind is causing all the
harmonicas to play (harmoniously, at that). At the harpsicord shop,
however, the hurricane succeeds only in making harpsicords shoot out
the windows.
The storm dies down, and Homer thinks it's okay to go out, but it
might only the eye of the storm, warns Lisa. Homer goes out anyway,
assured that the eerie calmness indicates that it's over. The
Bowl-a-rama floats by in the air.
Hmm. I don't remember a bowling alley being th...
-- The unspoken warning of disasters, "Hurricane Neddy"
Homer tries to dive back into the cellar, but a whirlpool of wind
pulls Homer higher into the air. Lisa tries to pull him down but
nearly drifts up with him. Bart and Marge try to get them back down
again, forming a chain which wobbles to the whirlpool. They finally
pull themselves free and fall back into the cellar. The whirlpool
disappears, and the storm's power is rekindled. Marge goes to a box
to pray.
Marge: Dear God, this is Marge Simpson. If you stop this hurricane and
save our family, we will be forever grateful -- and recommend you
to all our friends! So, if you could find it in your infinite
wisdom to...
Lisa: Wait! Listen, everybody.
[sunlight shines and birds chip]
Lisa: The hurricane's over.
Homer: He fell for it! Way to go, Marge!
-- Don't think God didn't hear that, Homer, "Hurricane Neddy"
The family gets out the cellar and see their house appear completely
intact. "It just goes to show you that everything will work out if
you have faith." remarks Marge.
Ironically, things aren't so bright for Ned, who, donning torned
clothes, walks atop the humungous pile of wood that once belonged to
his now destroyed house.
[End of Act One. Time: 5:51]
Lisa and Marge visit Ned's destroyed home.
Ned: Maude? Rod? Todd?
Todd: [upside down; lying on the rubble] I'm right here, Daddy.
Maude: Oh Neddy, it was terrifying. I thought I was headed for the
eternal bliss of paradise.
-- And this is a bad thing?, "Hurricane Neddy"
Todd: Oh my gosh! Look at Rod!
Rod: [stuck horizontally inside a tree] I have a headache.
[Ned pulls him out]
Ned: Well, sir, everyone's alive. Guess that's something to be
thankful for.
Homer: Now, that kind of attitude's not gonna get your house back.
-- Yes, only wallowing in self-pity can attain that, "Hurricane Neddy"
Marge: I'm sure your insurance will cover the house.
Maude: Uh, well, no. Neddy doesn't believe in insurance. He considers
it a form of gambling.
Ned: You know it's kind of funny. The only thing that survived the
storm were the family tombstones.
[said tombstones are named Ned, Maude, Rod and Todd]
They're all we have left.
Homer: Welp, call us if you need anything!
-- Like a house..., "Hurricane Neddy"
The Flanderses are the only ones staying at the church's rescue
center, where Rod and Todd sport their hand-out shirts.
Todd: We got new clothes from the donation bin!
[wearing a Butthole Surfers shirt] I'm a surfer!
[Rod wears a t-shirt with "I'm With Stupid" on it and a pointed
finger]
Rod: Look, Daddy, Todd is stupid and I'm with him.
[walks to Maude] And now Mommy's stupid! [chuckles]
-- T-shirts help us play!, "Hurricane Neddy"
Maude: Neddy, I know this has been a terrible day. But, by golly, first
thing tomorrow morning, we're going to open up the Leftorium, and
before you know it, we'll be back on our feet.
Kent: [on TV] Down here at Springfield Mall, a storm-[?] crowd
appeared to have turned its rage... on the Leftorium.
Surprisingly, people are grabbing things with both hands,
suggesting it's not just south-paws in this rampaging mob.
[Ned sighs]
Kent: [to looter] Try looking in the back.
-- Kent Brockman's ever-so-important little tidbits, "Hurricane Neddy"
Kent: Meantime, Springfield bowlers will be happy to hear that the
Bowl-a-rama is back in business at its new location teetering over
the Carter-Nixon tunnel.
[a strike is bowled in the Bowl-a-Rama]
-- At least Barney still has a job, "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned goes to Rev. Lovejoy.
Ned: Rev. Lovejoy, with all that's happened to us today, I kinda
feel like Job.
Lovejoy: Well, aren't you being a tad melodramatic, uh, Ned? Also, I
believe Job was right-handed.
Ned: But Reverend, I need to know, is God punishing me?
Lovejoy: Shooh, short answer: "Yes" with an "If," long answer: "No" --
with a "But." Uh, if you need additional solace, by the way,
I've got a copy of something or other by Art Linkletter in my
office.
-- Jesus' 13th disciple: Art Linkletter, "Hurricane Neddy"
At night, everyone is asleep on the rescue center cots, except Ned,
who gets out of bed and walks up to the podium in the church. He
turns to the good book for advice, but only manages to cut himself on
the edges.
Why me, Lord? Where have I gone wrong? I've always been nice to
people. I don't drink or dance or swear. I've even kept Kosher just to
be on the safe side. I've done everything the bible says, even the
stuff that contradicts the other stuff.
-- The sounds of Ned's shaken faith, "Hurricane Neddy"
The next morning at the rescue center, Marge opens the door with news.
Marge: Ned, Maude! You've got to go back to your house. Something
incredible has happened.
Ned: Oh what happened now? Did the rubble burn down?
-- Pessimism becomes you, Ned, "Hurricane Neddy"
Marge drives the family back to their neighborhood. Ned sees the
entire town standing in front of Ned's re-erected house. Everybody
cheers as the Flanderses get out of the car.
Homer: [in hard-hat and toolbelt] Hope you like it, neighbor. We didn't
have the best tools or all the know-how, but we did have a
wheel-barrel full of love!
Apu: And a cement-mixer full of hope and some cement.
-- Yeah, that'd do it, "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned: I don't know how I can possibly repay you! But if any of you ever
need a favor, just look for the happiest man in Springfield!
[pan over to a spunky man with a perpetual smile on his face in
suspenders and a red bowtie]
Guy: No no! Not me, friends. He's talking about himself. But thanks
for looking!
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned decides now to go into his house. He has a little trouble getting
through the door but manages to get in. The crowd cheers. Homer
takes Ned into his living room.
Ned: [gets sweater caught in a nail] Ooh, looks like a loose nail.
Homer: Yeah, one out of twenty five ain't bad! [hammers in a nail]
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Homer shows Ned his kitchen, which is "just as you remember it" --
except for one tiny modification: a toilet next to the refrigerator.
Ned: Was that, uh, was that toilet always next to the refrigerator?
Wiggum: Uh, Ned, you ever try lugging a toilet up a flight of stairs?
-- Toilets and Refrigerators, together at last, "Hurricane Neddy"
Rod and Todd's room were designed by Bart and Lisa, replete with a
carpet that doesn't completely cover the floor, a crack in a wall, a
slanted door frame and a "Krusty the Clown" poster.
Rod: [taking down poster] I don't like this clown!
Bart: Ah, I wouldn't take it down if I were you. It's a load-bearing
poster.
[a crack ripples through the upper wall and up to the ceiling]
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Homer, Apu and Ned walk alongside the uneven walls and five to six
sided doorways. Static makes Ned's hair stand up and his moustache
hair stick out. The static is coming from the room filled with
electricity.
Apu: This is the room with electricity. But it has too much
electricity. So, I don't know, you might want to wear a hat.
Ned: Uh-huh. [walks further down the hallway]
Floor feels a little gritty here.
Moe: Yeah we ran out of floorboards there, so we painted the dirt.
Pretty clever!
-- Fallback plans from the "Half-Assed Approach to House Erection,"
"Hurricane Neddy"
The hallway starts to become extremely narrow and small.
Ned: Oh, something is definitely wrong with this hallway.
[opens a 4-inch-tall door]
Barney: Come on in! It's your master bedroom!
[Ned shuts the dollhouse-sized door]
Ow! My nose!
Ned: Well, I've seen about enough.
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Outside, Homer concludes the tour: "So, Flanders, what do you think of
the house that love built?" He pats the front door, which falls
inside the house, causing the second story to cave in. Finally, the
top story collapses, and the house is back to where it started from.
"Aw shoot!" is his response, scratching his head to find out what went
wrong.
Ned walks away from the demolished "house" and begins to buff his
glasses. The right lens falls out, and Ned lets out a groan and puts
on his glasses.
Ned: Calm down, Neddly diddily diddily diddily, doodily. They did
their best shodaiddily iddily iddily diddily diddily. Gotta be
nice, hostidididildilidilly ah HELL diddily ding dong crap!
Can't you morons do anything RIGHT!?
[shocked gasps]
Marge: Ned! We meant well, and everyone here tried their best.
Ned: Well my family and I can't live in good intentions, Marge! Oh,
your family's out of control, but we can't blame you, because
you have gooooooooood intentions!
Bart: Hey! Back off, man!
Ned: Ooh okay, duuuuude! I wouldn't want you to have a cow, maaaan!
Here's a catch-phrase you better learn for your adult years:
"Hey, Buddy, got a quarter?"
[everyone gasps]
Bart: I am shocked and appalled.
Lisa: Mr. Flanders, with all due respect, Bart didn't do anything.
Ned: Do I hear the sound of butting in? It's gotta be little Lisa
Simpson! Springfield's answer to a question NO ONE ASKED!
[Wiggum laughs]
What do we have here? The long, flabby arm of the law! The
last case you got to the bottom of was a case of mallowmars!!
Krusty: [writing it down] Mallowmars, oh that's going in the act!
Ned: Oh, yeah. The clown, the only one of you buffoons who doesn't
make me laugh! [to Lenny] And as for you, I don't know you but
I'm sure you're a jerk!
Lenny: Hey, I've only been here a few minutes! What's going on?
Ned: [to Moe] You ugly, hate-filled man!
Moe: Hey, hey, I may be ugly and hate-filled, but I... um, what was
the third thing you said?
[everyone backs away as Ned marches after Homer lastly]
Ned: Homer, you are the worst human being I have ever met.
Homer: Hey, I got off pretty easy.
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
After concluding his nervous breakdown, Ned walks away in front of the
shocked crowd, gets into his car and drives away. Once far enough
from all this, he turns on the radio, calmly humming to Aloha Oe.
Reaching his destination, he signals right, and drives through the
gates of the Calmwood Mental Hospital.
[End of Act Two. Time: 13:42]
Ned: I just attacked all my friends and neighbors just for trying to
help me. I'd like to commit myself.
Nurse: Very well. Shall I show you to your room, or would you prefer to
be dragged off kicking and screaming?
Ned: Ooh, kicking and screaming, please.
Nurse: As you wish.
[two men in white grab hold of him and drag him away]
Ned: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
A nurse stops by a padded cell, and is shocked to see Ned's name on
the door. She quickly makes a phone call.
Dr. Foster: Yes, Dr. Foster here. ... Ned Flanders? You're sure?
... No, no, no, I'll come right over. And may God have
mercy on us all.
[hangs up]
Darling, there's an emergency at the hospital, uh, where
are my shoes?
Mrs. Foster: [sleepily] I think they're in the den.
Dr. Foster: The den? May God have mercy on us all.
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Dr. Foster visits Ned in his room.
Dr. Foster: Well, how are you feeling this evening?
Ned: Uh, actually, I'm a little chilly. Can I have another strait
jacket?
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned recognizes Dr. Foster, who treated him thirty years ago. However,
he does not remember the darkest moments of that era. Dr. Foster
turns out the light and sets up a projector. The Juvenile Aggression
Study (sponsored by Swanson's TV Dinners) depicts Ned as he really
was: a mischeivous, destructive troublemaker who insults his fellow
playmates in preschool and hassles them.
Little Ned: [barging in] Whee! I'm Dick Tracy! [hitting the other
kids] Bang! Take that Pruneface! Now I'm Pruneface, take
that Dick Tracy! Now I'm Prune Tracy, take that Dick...
Dr. Foster: Hey! Stop it at once!
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Dr. Foster narrates how Ned's beatnik parents met with Dr. Foster
about their son. At their meeting, Neddy was smashing up Foster's
diplomas.
Get down from that bookshelf, please. Most of those books haven't been
discredited yet!
-- Dr. Foster, "Hurricane Neddy"
Dr. Foster: Would you please tell your son to stop?
Ned's Dad: We can't do it, man! That's discipline! That's like
tellin' Gene Krupa not to go [starts banging on the desk]
"boom boom bam bam bam, boom boom bam bam bam, boom boom
boom bam ba ba ba ba, da boo boo tss!"
-- "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned's Dad: We don't believe in rules, like, we gave them up when we
started livin' like freaky beatniks!
Dr. Foster: You don't believe in rules, yet you want to control Ned's
anger.
Ned's Mom: Yeah. You gotta help us, Doc. We've tried nothin' and
we're all out of ideas.
-- Oh the pain and suffering from doing nothing, "Hurricane Neddy"
Dr. Foster decided to put Ned on the "University of Minnesota
Spankological Protocol", which is nothing less than straight spanking
for eight months in line. As time passes, Dr. Foster's attire changes
to suit the current occasion and season -- while still spanking Little
Ned. He changes into: a sweater (reading while spanking) during the
Autumn, a Santa Suit during the Winter, a sportsshirt and party hat
for Ned's birthday (Little Ned opens a birthday present), a summer
shirt and shorts during the Summer, and finally back into his coat.
At the end, the treatment worked too well, making Ned unable to
express anger by flooding it under waves of "nonsensical jabbering."
Dr. Foster decides to delve into the heart of the problem, requiring
someone who can upset Ned. Of course, Homer is called.
Homer: Yello? ... Yes? ... Mental hospital? ... Well I don't know
any Ned Flanders.
Marge: The man who lived next door until his house blew down?
Homer: Oh, him!
-- How soon we forget, "Hurricane Neddy"
The family, wearing "Sane" tags, visits Ned at the mental hospital.
You folks are free to roam the grounds. Uh, just remember, one of our
patients is a cannibal. Try to guess which one! I think you'll be
pleasantly surprised.
-- What do we win if we get eaten?, "Hurricane Neddy"
The family tours the mental hospital, waking by cells of Lucille
Botzcowski, a paranoiac patient, and a well-known face.
Jay Sherman: [to Doctor] It stinks! It stinks! It stinks!
Doctor: Yes, Mr. Sherman. Everything stinks.
-- One too many Pauly Shore movies for one man to take,
"Hurricane Neddy"
Dr. Foster leaves Ned in a booth by himself, the other reserved for
someone needed to be so irritating that Ned will not be able to
repress his anger. Homer is obnoxiously blowing a bubble of bubble gum
in Dr. Foster's face. "Homer, can you be that annoying?" The bubble
explodes and gum is all over Foster's face, proving he can be.
Dr. Foster, joined by another doctor, sit behind a two-way mirror,
observing Homer's interaction with Ned. The sliding partition reveals
Homer to Ned. Homer emotionlessly says what is written in his speech
cards.
Homer: Ned Flanders, I mock your value system. You also appear foolish
to the eyes of others.
Ned: Well howdy, Homer! [partition slides up] Ooh, thanks for
dropping by!
Foster: Hmm. He's not responding. [into microphone] Proceed to level 2
antagonism.
[slides down partition]
Homer: Past instances in which I professed to like you were fraudulent.
Ned: Oh, well, I'll just have to try harder. Heh heh. [partition
slides up] Ooh! Thanks for dropping by!
Foster: Ah, he's still repressing. [into microphone] Maximum hostility
factor.
[slide down partition]
Homer: I engaged in intercourse with your spouse or significant other.
Now that's psychiatry! Eh? Eh?
-- Freud would be proud, "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned thinks it's a joke, and Homer throws in the towel.
Homer: [directly towards mirror] Aw that's it, you just can't insult
this guy. You call him a moron and he just sits there, grinning
moronly.
Ned: [to mirror] Hi, neighbor!
Homer: You know what your problem is, Flanders? You're afraid to be
human.
Ned: Ho ho, now why would I be afraid of that?
Homer: Because humans are obnoxious, sometimes. Humans hate things.
Ned: Well, maybe a few of them do... back East.
Foster: I can't find what Homer's saying. Did you write that?
Doctor: Um, did you like it?
-- At least this is more effective, "Hurricane Neddy"
Homer: Come on, Flanders, there's gotta be something you hate. What
about mosquito bites?
Ned: Mmm mmm! Sure are fun to scratch! Mmm! Satisfying!
Homer: What about, uhhhhh, florescent lights?
Ned: Oooh, they hum like angels! You're never lonely if you've got a
florescent light!
-- Oh, I give up, "Hurricane Neddy"
Homer is about to give up, but Ned admits he doesn't like
everything.
Ned: I don't like the service at the post office. You know, it's all
"rush rush! get'cha in, get'cha out!" Then they've got those
machines in the lobby, they're even faster, no help there. You
might even say, I hate the post office.
That, and my parents. Lousy beatniks.
[sudden breakthrough sound] Hey! That felt good.
Foster: He just said he hates his parents! Do you know what that means?
Doctor: Um, what do you think?
Foster: It means he's cured.
Doctor: That's what I said.
-- The Nick Riviera method works again, "Hurricane Neddy"
Ned's released from the hospital in front of a cheering crowd.
Ned: Thanks, everyone! I'm all better now. No more storing up the
anger till I explode. If any of you does something I don't
like, yo-ou're gonna hear about it!
[crowd cheers]
Foster: Yes, that's very healthy, Ned.
Ned: [omnious] And if you really tick me off, I'm gonna run you down
with my car.
[clapping dies down dramatically and everyone looks worried]
Homer: Heh heh! Ned, you so craz-ay!
[Ned winks]
-- You're not just whistling Dixie, Homer, "Hurricane Neddy"
[End of Act Three. Time: 21:27]
Contributors
{ac} Adam Codega
{as} Andrius Schmid
{bjr} Benjamin J. Robinson
{ddg} Don Del Grande
{dga} Dale G. Abersold
{dn} David Ney
{jb} Jared Betnar
{jh} Jason Hancock
{jk} Joe Klemm
{jps} Jean-Philippe Savard
{hl} Haynes Lee
{ljs} Liam J. Scanlan
{mb} Michael Baer
{mss} Marge Starbrod-Simpson
{np} Nate Patrin
{ol} Ondre Lombard
{sb2} Stephan Bonneville
{sf} Steve Frayne
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
This episode capsule is Copyright 1997 Frederic Briere. It is not to be
redistributed in a public forum without consent from its author or current
maintainer (capsules@snpp.com). All quoted material, episode summaries and
cease and desist orders remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of
Twentieth Century Fox. The transcript itself is Copyright 1997 Ondre Lombard.
Not responsible for stolen cars.
This work is dedicated to Raymond Chen, James A. Cherry, Ricardo Lafaurie, and
all of those who made episode capsules what they are today.