"Hurricane Neddy" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 29, 1996. It was written by Steve Young, directed by Bob Anderson and features a cameo by Jon Lovitz as Jay Sherman from The Critic. In the episode, a violent hurricane strikes Springfield. By pure chance, the only building destroyed is the Flanders home. As a result, Ned begins to lose his faith in God and the townspeople around him, especially Homer, leading him to a nervous breakdown.
Contents
Plot
As Hurricane Barbara approaches Springfield, panicked citizens ransack the Kwik-E-Mart. After the storm, the Simpsons leave their basement to find their home unscathed, however their next-door neighbor, Ned Flanders, emerges from a heap of rubble to find his house destroyed, forcing the Flanders family to take shelter in the church basement after becoming homeless. Ned's house is uninsured, as he regards insurance as a form of gambling. Ned is further discouraged after learning that his business, The Leftorium, was looted after the storm. Distraught, Ned asks Rev. Lovejoy if God is punishing him despite his strict adherence to his faith, like Job.
Marge surprises the Flanders family with a new home, which the residents of Springfield have built, though shoddily. When Homer leans on the front door, the house immediately collapses. Ned's rage finally boils over, and he furiously insults all the townspeople after years of forced politeness.
Worried by his outburst, Ned voluntarily commits himself to Calmwood Mental Hospital. He is visited by his childhood psychiatrist Dr. Foster, who recalls Ned's childhood as an out-of-control brat raised by beatnik parents. Because Ned's parents refused to apply discipline (as they fear that doing so would bring a conflict of interest for their lifestyle), Ned's treatment, the University of Minnesota Spankalogical Protocol, involved eight months of continuous spanking by Foster. The treatment worked too well and left Ned unable to express anger except in the form of his trademark nonsensical jabbering until the losses he suffered from the storm made him erupt in violent rage.
Foster realizes that his earlier approach was flawed and enlists Homer to help Ned express his emotions. Foster thinks Homer is perfect for this treatment because of his and Ned's mutual dislike. After several scripted insults fail to rile Ned's anger, Homer disparages his apparent like of everything, to which Ned admits he hates two things: the post office and his parents (due to their lack of discipline). Hearing Ned declaring his hatred for his parents, Foster happily declares Ned cured and releases him from the asylum.
Outside the hospital, Ned is greeted by the townsfolk of Springfield. Ned promises to tell people when they offend him instead of stifling his anger, to Foster's approval, and cheerily adds he will run them down with his car if they anger him. Homer playfully remarks that Ned is crazy, and Ned winks.
Production
Steve Young, a writer for the Late Show with David Letterman, was brought in as a freelance writer to write the episode. The writers wanted to explore what made Ned Flanders tick and examine what made him act the way he does. The original idea came from George Meyer, who had also wanted an episode about Flanders' faith being tested. One of the key story points came from his friend Jack Handey, a writer for Saturday Night Live, who wanted to do a sketch about a down-on-his-luck shoemaker who is visited by elves who help him, but make very bad shoes. Likewise, it inspired the idea that the neighbors would rebuild Flanders' house, but do a bad job and provoke an outburst.
A caricature of John Swartzwelder can be seen shutting the door of a room in Calmwood Mental Hospital. Later in the episode, during the scene where the townsfolk are welcoming Ned back, someone can be seen holding a sign that says "Free John Swartzwelder". During the sequence where Flanders yells at the town, a man with a ponytail and wearing a white shirt who is a caricature of Bob Anderson can be seen.
Cultural references
The scene at the beginning of the episode, in which the people of Springfield mob the Kwik-E-Mart, is based on the events of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Todd is wearing a Butthole Surfers T-shirt; however, the censors only allowed the letters Buttho Surfers to appear onscreen, partially obscuring the band's offensive name. The opening sequence is parodied during the storm when the words The Hurricane appears onscreen, accompanied by the same chorus that sings the show's name. Jay Sherman from The Critic, who had previously appeared in "A Star Is Burns", can be seen in the mental hospital repeatedly saying his catchphrase, "It stinks"; Ms. Botz from "Some Enchanted Evening" appears as a patient in a nearby room, pacing threateningly. A small door at the end of the hallway in Flanders' rebuilt house echoes the improbably small hallway in the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Several scenes from the hospital were taken from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Hurricane Neddy" finished 18th in ratings for the week of December 23–29, 1996, with a Nielsen rating of 8.7, equivalent to approximately 8.4 million viewing households. It was the second-highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files.
Marge's line, "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", was cited by journalist Mark Pinsky as an example of how "Simpson family members are both defined and circumscribed by religion." Journalist Ben Rayner speculated that some fans, whom he called "nerds", would want an explanation of "how Barney fit through that tiny door to the 'master bedroom' in the rebuilt Flanders family home." Rowan Kaiser writes that "The Simpsons eighth season has a lot of ideas for itself, and how it could continue to work as a great comedy. They almost all work, which is remarkable, and 'Hurricane Neddy' is one of the best examples of the season’s strengths."