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"Hurricane Neddy" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 29, 1996 It was written by
Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buc ...
, directed by Bob Anderson, and features a cameo by Jon Lovitz as Jay Sherman from ''
The Critic ''The Critic'' was an American primetime adult animated sitcom revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as writers a ...
''.Hurricane Neddy
''BBC.co.uk''. Retrieved on March 27, 2007.
In the episode, a violent hurricane strikes Springfield. By pure chance, the only house destroyed belongs to Ned Flanders. As a result, Ned begins to lose his faith in
God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
and the townspeople around him, leading to a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
.


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. Ned's house is
uninsured Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...
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 like
Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that cont ...
, despite his strict adherence to his faith. The next day,
Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret. Notable Marges include: People * Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist * Marge Anderson (1932–2013), Ojibwe ...
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. Finally the lens in Ned's glasses breaks and his rage boils over after he is unable to calm himself down, furiously berating all the townspeople's flaws and failures after years of politeness, including his neighbor, Homer (who believes that he has got off "pretty easy"). Worried he is losing his mind and feeling terrible for his outburst, Ned voluntarily commits himself to a
mental hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
. He is visited by his childhood psychiatrist, Dr. Foster, who recalls Ned's childhood as an out-of-control brat raised by
beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the 1950s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. History In 1948, Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation", generalizing from his social circle to characterize the underg ...
parents. 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 until the losses he suffered from the storm made him erupt in repressed 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. Foster declares Ned cured and releases him from the asylum. Outside the hospital, Ned is greeted by the townsfolk of Springfield, including the rest of the Simpsons and his family. 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 with Homer remarking that Ned is crazy.


Production

Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buc ...
, 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 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 The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and the Los Angeles Race Riots, were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, in April and May 1992. Unrest began in So ...
.
Todd Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...
is wearing a
Butthole Surfers Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has bee ...
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 word ''Hurricane'' appears onscreen, accompanied by the same chorus that sings the show's name.
Jay Sherman This is a list of characters in the animated television series ''The Critic''. Overview The Sherman family Jay Sherman ;Voiced by Jon Lovitz "New York's third most popular early-morning cable-TV film critic", 37-year-old Jay Prescott Sherman ...
from ''
The Critic ''The Critic'' was an American primetime adult animated sitcom revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as writers a ...
'', who had previously appeared in " A Star Is Burns", can be seen in the mental hospital repeatedly saying his
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
, "It stinks"; Ms. Botz from " Some Enchanted Evening" appears as a patient in a nearby room, pacing in a threatening manner. 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 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...
''.


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 ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
''. 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 circumcised by religion." Journalist
Ben Rayner Ben Rayner is a music critic and writer for the ''Toronto Star'' since 1998. His commentary on artists is extensively cited across the industry. Indie88 considers him "of the most respected industry professionals around." In 2012, he served on t ...
speculated that some fans, whom he called "
nerd A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly tech ...
s", would want an explanation of "how Barney fit through that tiny door to the 'master bedroom' in the rebuilt Flanders family home."Ben Rayner, "Offering up the goods on Springfield's finest; The Simpsons have breached the boundaries of animation. Today a director details how they do it, writes Ben Rayner", '' Toronto Star'', October 30, 2005, pg. C.06.


References


External links

* * {{Good article 1996 American television episodes The Critic The Simpsons (season 8) episodes Television episodes about hurricanes Television episodes set in psychiatric hospitals