"Viva Ned Flanders" is the tenth episode of the
tenth 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, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''. It first aired on the
Fox network
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
in the United States on January 10, 1999. In the episode,
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders Jr. is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Harry Shearer and first appearing in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." He is the good-natured, chee ...
, who is revealed to be 60 years old, feels that he has not lived his life to the fullest. He asks for help from his neighbor,
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' short "G ...
, who takes Ned to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
to show him "the right way to live". However, while there, the two become intoxicated and accidentally marry two cocktail waitresses.
The episode was written by
David M. Stern
David Michael Stern is an American television screenwriter. Among his first work in television was writing episodes of ''The Wonder Years'' in the late 1980s. He then proceeded to write several episodes of ''The Simpsons'' in the 1990s. In 2010, ...
and directed by
Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck is a Canadian animator, director, and actor. He has worked as an animator on ''The Simpsons'' and ''Family Guy''. As an actor, he appeared in the 1981 film ''Scanners'' and had a leading role in the 1981 film '' My Bloody Valentine' ...
. The revelation of Ned's age was heavily debated between the ''Simpsons'' staff, and the decision to make him 60 years old could have been inspired from a joke by ''Simpsons'' writer
Ron Hauge
Ron Hauge is an American television writer and executive producer.
Early in his career, Hauge was a contributor to '' National Lampoon''. In 1989 he created a graphic for ''Spy Magazine'' captioned "The World Championship," with wars between co ...
. A scene in the episode features the song "
Viva Las Vegas
''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry bet ...
" by
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, although the staff originally wanted a version of the song performed by
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
.
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
guest-starred as themselves in the episode, and the episode marked the first appearance of the cocktail waitresses Amber and Ginger, who were voiced by
Pamela Hayden
Pamela Hayden (born November 28, 1953) is an American actress and voice actress, known for providing various voices for the animated television show ''The Simpsons'', such as Milhouse Van Houten.
Biography
Hayden provides voices for characters ...
and
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
respectively.
The episode was nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for
in 1999, which it ultimately lost to ''
King of the Hill
''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...
''. Following the tenth season's release on DVD, the episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. Amber and Ginger have appeared in later episodes in the series, the first time being the
season 13 episode "
Brawl in the Family", which serves as a continuation of "Viva Ned Flanders".
Plot
Mr. Burns
Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, Monty, or C. Montgomery Burns, is a recurring character and the main antagonist of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced initially by ...
's Casino (''from the episode "
$pringfield #REDIRECT $pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
{{R from move ...
"'') is about to get demolished; however, confusion over whether demolitions are supposed to involve
implosions or explosions results in the casino being blasted into a huge dust cloud. The family goes to the car wash to get rid of the dust, and when Homer is there, he sees Ned Flanders get a
senior discount
Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.
They can occur anywhere in the distribution channel, modifying either the manufacturer's list price (determined by the manufacturer and often printed on the package) ...
. Homer thinks Ned is lying about his age and tries to expose him at church, but Ned proves he really is 60 years old. People are impressed that Ned looks so young for his age and remark that he must take exceptional care of himself, but when Ned says that he resists all major temptations and follows the three "c"s of success — clean living, chewing thoroughly, and "a daily dose of vitamin Church!" — they start to pity him for having never, in their view, truly lived at all. Ned reluctantly agrees with this and asks Homer to teach him the secret to his lust for life.
Homer takes a nervous Ned on a gambling trip to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. When they arrive, they see
Captain Lance Murdock (''from "
Bart the Daredevil
"Bart the Daredevil" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 6, 1990. In the episode, Bart decides he wants t ...
"'') doing one of his stunts, and Homer chooses to volunteer, and survives (''although Murdock is again badly injured''). After, Ned confesses to Homer his feelings of blood lust during the stunt. They wander into a casino called "
Nero's Palace" and begin to play
roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...
. Ned protests against games of chance because of
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
7, but Homer ignores him and takes the reference as a lucky number. They win, but immediately lose all they won. They then go to the casino's bar, and Ned gives into temptation and gets drunk on
white wine spritzers.
Homer and Ned
wake up the next morning in their hotel room married to two cocktail waitresses: Homer's new wife is named Amber, and Ned's new wife is Ginger; ironically these were also the two Nero's Palace waitresses who served them their drinks. Homer and Ned, realizing they were drunk and thus not of sound judgement to have such quick weddings while also being married, try to escape from the waitresses, going on a wild rampage through the casino until they are confronted by
casino security
Casino security refers to the measures that are taken at casinos to protect the establishment's money, property and patrons. The security protects the casino and its customers from violent crime, theft, and other inappropriate behavior.
Given the ...
,
Gunter and Ernst (''also from "$pringfield"''),
Drederick Tatum
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
, and
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
. Homer and Ned attempt to escape in a prize car, but got beaten up in the process and
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
d from Nevada, with Amber and Ginger quickly leaving them for Gunter and Ernst. Homer and Ned head back to their real wives in Springfield by
hitchhiking
Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free.
Nomads hav ...
, with Homer trying to relate to Ned an outlandish alibi involving
alien abduction
Alien abduction (also called abduction phenomenon, alien abduction syndrome, or UFO abduction) refers to the phenomenon of people reporting their experience of being kidnapped by extraterrestrial beings and subjected to physical and psychological ...
, only to be attacked by two hungry
vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
s on their way back.
Production and themes
![David M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/David_M._Stern_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
"Viva Ned Flanders" was written by writer
David M. Stern
David Michael Stern is an American television screenwriter. Among his first work in television was writing episodes of ''The Wonder Years'' in the late 1980s. He then proceeded to write several episodes of ''The Simpsons'' in the 1990s. In 2010, ...
and directed by director
Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck is a Canadian animator, director, and actor. He has worked as an animator on ''The Simpsons'' and ''Family Guy''. As an actor, he appeared in the 1981 film ''Scanners'' and had a leading role in the 1981 film '' My Bloody Valentine' ...
. It was first broadcast on the
Fox network
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
in the United States on January 10, 1999. It was recorded in July 1998.
The beginning of the episode shows
Mr. Burns' casino being demolished with explosion. In the DVD commentary for the episode, show runner Mike Scully stated that there was "a lot of talk" and news reports about implosions at the time.
Only directly after the implosion do the on-lookers realize the amount of dust that is unleashed. This is based on an observation by the writers, who noted that, when an implosion takes place, "everybody wants to be right next to them", not realizing that dust and asbestos will "fly in the air".
In the DVD audio commentary for the episode, director Affleck stated that the scene was very complicated to animate, and took about "four or five takes" to get right.
Scully thought that the explosion looked "fantastic".
The revelation of Ned's age was much discussed among the writers, and Scully stated that they argued over "how old they could get away with", since Ned had "lived such a pure life" and had "taken such good care of himself".
The writers kept pitching for him to be older and older, eventually debating whether his age would be 57 or 58.
They then decided on 60,
an idea that could have come from
Ron Hauge
Ron Hauge is an American television writer and executive producer.
Early in his career, Hauge was a contributor to '' National Lampoon''. In 1989 he created a graphic for ''Spy Magazine'' captioned "The World Championship," with wars between co ...
, one of the ''Simpsons'' writers. A few weeks before the discussions, after having found out that he was slightly older than the next oldest writer in the staff, Hauge had told one of the writers, in "the most serious reasonable" voice, that he was 60 years old.
At the time, Hauge was "around 40" years old.
The morning after having drunk extensively, Homer and Ned are seen sleeping, clothed, in a Jacuzzi. The staff discussed whether or not the two should wake up naked or clothed; series creator
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
, for example, wanted them to wake up naked, since it would "raise some questions".
During production, Affleck had drawn an alternate version of the scene, which would be based on his "extensive experience in the field of alcohol abuse" in his younger years.
The scene would be in Ned's point of view, and would show Homer's open mouth half submerged in the Jacuzzi. Affleck described the alternate scene as being "a little bit
Fellini
Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
-esque" and therefore did not fit with ''The Simpsons'' style.
Scully had also suggested that Ned would throw up on screen at the end of the scene, however the idea never came to fruition.
![Moody Blues](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Moody_Blues.jpg)
The song used during the chase scene in the casino is "
Viva Las Vegas
''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry bet ...
", performed by
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
. Although he admitted that he has "nothing against Elvis", Scully originally wanted to use a "hard to find" version of the song performed by
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
.
However, Scully could not clear the version in time, and therefore had to resort to using Elvis' version of the song. The episode features
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
as themselves. Scully commented that they were "very good actors" and "did a great job".
The episode also features the first appearance of Amber and Ginger, who were voiced by
Pamela Hayden
Pamela Hayden (born November 28, 1953) is an American actress and voice actress, known for providing various voices for the animated television show ''The Simpsons'', such as Milhouse Van Houten.
Biography
Hayden provides voices for characters ...
and
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
respectively. Real-life commentator
Don Rickles
Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's '' Enter La ...
and fictional character
Lance Murdock were both portrayed by series regular voice actor
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...
, who plays Homer among many others in the series.
Affleck described the plot of the episode to have a "grotesque" and "burlesque", yet "plausible" quality to it.
In a scene in the episode, Homer, not knowing of Ned's age, accuses Ned of defrauding a carwash salesman. Affleck commented that the scene has "a touch of
Music hall
Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
" in it, as it turns, from a scene in church, to a "courtroom scene".
He also noted that Ned's journey to Las Vegas can be compared to a Christian's travel to the temple of
Mammon
Mammon in the New Testament of the Bible is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth, and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain. The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both quote Jesus us ...
, a figure that in the Bible is characterized as the personification of wealth and greed.
The episode's title is a reference to the film ''
Viva Las Vegas
''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry bet ...
'' (1964).
The panic and smoke cloud generated from the implosion of Mr. Burns' casino is reminiscent of the 1997 disaster film ''
Dante's Peak
''Dante's Peak'' is a 1997 American disaster thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and Charles Hallahan. The film is set in the fictional town of Dante's Peak where the in ...
'', and the Simpson family's escape from the smoke cloud is a reference to a scene in the 1996 science fiction film ''
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
''.
Outside Rev. Lovejoy's church is a notice that today's sermon will be 'He Knows What You Did Last Summer', which is a reference to the title of the 1997 slasher film ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer
''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely based on ...
''. As Homer and Ned escape from Vegas, a snippet of the theme from the 1996 comic science fiction film ''
Mars Attacks!
''Mars Attacks!'' is a 1996 American science fiction comedy film directed by Tim Burton, who also co-produced it with Larry J. Franco. The screenplay by Jonathan Gems was based on the Topps trading card series of the same name. The film featu ...
'' can be heard.
The
Comic Book Guy
Jeff Albertson, commonly known as Comic Book Guy, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the second-season episode " Three Men and a Comic Book", wh ...
's license plate is NCC-1701, which is also the registration of the
USS Enterprise from the ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' media franchise.
[ He also has a bumper sticker which reads "my other car is the ''Millennium Falcon''" which was given to him by somebody who looked like the actor ]Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
; the ''Millennium Falcon
The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional starship in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed by Joe Johnston for the movie ''Star Wars'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in '' The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''The Empire Strikes Back ...
'' was the ship used by Ford's character Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
in the ''Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' film series. The line Homer gives after Ned signs the contract is a reference to the 1997 film The Game.
The song Homer and Ned listen to on the way to Las Vegas is “ Highway Star” by English rock band Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
. The two characters driving the other way from Las Vegas were based on Ralph Steadman
Ralph Idris Steadman (born 15 May 1936) is a British illustrator best known for his collaboration and friendship with the American writer Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman is renowned for his political and social caricatures, cartoons and picture b ...
's illustrations of Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo from the novel ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream'' is a 1971 novel in the gonzo journalism style by Hunter S. Thompson. The book is a ''roman à clef'', rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follo ...
'', written by Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005) was an American journalist and author who founded the gonzo journalism movement. He rose to prominence with the publication of '' Hell's Angels'' (1967), a book for which he s ...
. The reference was contributed by ''Simpsons'' writer George Meyer
George Meyer (born 1956) is an American producer and writer. Meyer is best known for his work on ''The Simpsons'', where he led the group script rewrite sessions. He has been publicly credited with "thoroughly shap ng... the comedic sensibilit ...
, who stated that, since Homer and Ned were driving to Las Vegas, "we he ''Simpsons'' writershad to do a Ralph Steadman tribute. In the wedding video, Homer is seen wearing an attire similar to the ones worn by the Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...
members.
Reception and legacy
In its original American broadcast on January 10, 1999, "Viva Ned Flanders" received an 11.6 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, translating to approximately 11.5 million viewers. The same year, the episode was nominated for an Emmy award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
in the category of animated programming less than one hour, but it ultimately lost to the ''King of the Hill
''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...
'' episode "And They Call It Bobby Love
"And They Call It Bobby Love" is the second episode in the third season of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated series ''King of the Hill'' and the 37th episode overall, which aired on Fox on September 22, 1998. The episode's plot follows pr ...
". On August 7, 2007, the episode was released as part of ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' DVD set.
Following its home video release, "Viva Ned Flanders" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Ian Jane of DVD Talk wrote that the episode is a "classic", and Jake McNeill of Digital Entertainment News found it to be one of the better episodes of the season. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide wrote that even though he found Ned being 60 years old "absurd", the episode "musters plenty of fine laughs". He especially liked Homer's escapades, as well as the scenes in Vegas. He concluded his review by writing that "now it’s Marge’s time to shine!" is one of his favorite lines of the series.
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', were also positive, commenting that the episode is "one of the fastest paced episodes ever", and "moves at breathless speed". They added that it is "enormous fun with more bizarre moments than you can shake a stick at", particularly praising a scene involving "a hysterical Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...
". Mac MacEntire of DVD Verdict wrote that the establishing shots in Vegas were the episode's highlights. Aaron Roxby of Collider thought negatively of the episode however, writing that, even though the episode has "some decent gags", it is overall "one of the weaker Flanders based episodes".
Similarities have been noted on multiple occasions between this episode and the 2009 film ''The Hangover
''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed ...
'', particularly in the inclusion of plot devices such as intoxicated, unexpected marriage and the protagonists meeting an iconic boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
, as well as featuring a massive suite at Caesar's Palace (or "Nero's Palace" in ''The Simpsons'').
Amber and Ginger would re-appear in later episodes of the series. They first returned in the season 13 episode " Brawl in the Family", in which they track down Homer and Ned. In the DVD commentary for said episode, current show runner Al Jean praised "Viva Ned Flanders", but stated that he thought the ending was "loose". He said, "Usually, like, if you leave a wife like, in Vegas, they track you down". "Brawl in the Family" was produced to "resolve" the ending to "Viva Ned Flanders".[Jean, Al. (2010). Commentary for "Brawl in the Family", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.] In the season 18 episode "Jazzy and the Pussycats
"Jazzy and the Pussycats" is the second episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 17, 2006. When Bart turns a quiet funeral in ...
", the Simpson family attend Amber's funeral, after it is revealed that she has died of a drug overdose while waiting in line to ride a rollercoaster.
References
External links
*
*
{{The Simpsons episodes, 10
1999 American television episodes
The Simpsons (season 10) episodes
Television episodes set in Las Vegas
fi:Simpsonit (10. tuotantokausi)#Ned Flandersin uusi elämä (Viva Ned Flanders)