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"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily"
The Simpsons episode
	Promotional artwork for "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily".
Episode no.	240
Prod. code	BABF10
Orig. airdate	February 13, 2000
Show runner(s)	Mike Scully
Written by	Ian Maxtone-Graham
Directed by	Jim Reardon
Chalkboard	"My suspension was not 'mutual'."
Couch gag	The Simpsons come in on bumper cars. Homer is then pinned to the wall and slammed repeatedly.
Guest star(s)	Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan
DVD; commentary	Mike Scully; George Meyer; Ian Maxtone-Graham; Matt Selman; Jim Reardon; Mark Kirkland
Season 11
	September 26, 1999 – May 21, 2000
	"Beyond Blunderdome"; "Brother's Little Helper"; "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"; "Treehouse of Horror X"; "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)"; "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder"; "Eight Misbehavin'"; "Take My Wife, Sleaze"; "Grift of the Magi"; "Little Big Mom"; "Faith Off"; "The Mansion Family"; "Saddlesore Galactica"; "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily"; "Missionary: Impossible"; "Pygmoelian"; "Bart to the Future"; "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses"; "Kill the Alligator and Run"; "Last Tap Dance in Springfield"; "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge"; "Behind the Laughter";
	List of all The Simpsons episodes
Seasons
	1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12; 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21

"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons' eleventh season, and marks the final regular appearance of Maude Flanders.

[edit] Plot

Maude Flanders, seconds before her death.

On a trip to the bird sanctuary, the family sees that a new speedway has been built surrounding it and is opening that day. The family goes to the racetrack and are surprised to meet the Flanders family, who came not to see the race but for the high levels of safety used. Not long after arriving, a squad of cheerleaders is giving out free T-shirts by firing them from air cannons into the crowd, and Homer rudely demands one. Irritated by his antics, Maude goes to buy some hot dogs. Homer draws a target on his chest with ketchup and gains the attention of the promotional cheerleaders. The cheerleaders send a full salvo of t-shirts in Homer's direction, but Homer bends down at the last second to pick up a bobby pin. Maude returns from the concession stand at that exact moment and is hit with the t-shirts, causing her to fall over the bleacher's edge and hit the concrete below. A crowd forms outside the stadium and Dr. Hibbert pronounces Maude Flanders dead.

During Maude's funeral Reverend Lovejoy eulogises Maude as a "...supporting player in our lives," who "...didn't grab our attention with memorable catchphrases, or comical accents. But, whether you noticed her or not, Maude was always there...and we thought she always would be." The service ends with the squad of cheerleaders giving a 21 t-shirt gun salute (where Homer finally gets his t-shirt). A flash back of the graves of Bleeding Gums Murphy, Dr. Marvin Monroe, Beatrice Simmons and Frank Grimes (now saying Frank "Grimey" Grimes") can be seen.

Everyone shows their condolences for Ned's loss, including Moe (who outrages Ned by making suggestive comments about her). Bart reluctantly spends time with Rod and Todd by playing a Christian video game with them. Even Homer decides to stop acting like a jerk to Ned, instead accompanying him back home and affectionately kissing him goodnight. Homer also talking with Ned later that night when Ned is unable to sleep due to his loneliness and now having to raise his sons as a widower. To help his neighbor, Homer secretly makes a videotape of Ned Flanders to show to the interesting single girls across Springfield (including a tape of Ned taking a shower and footage of Marge giving birth to Maggie, which Homer couldn't edit from the final cut). This helping Ned, but his dates are unsuccessful.

On Saturday night, Ned prays to God, but begins to lose faith and becomes angry with God when he feels no response. The next morning, Ned Flanders is still angry and tells his kids that they will not be going to church, scaring them away. Guilt-ridden, he later rushes to church (apologizing out loud to God the whole way), and upon entering, sees a Christian rock band, Kovenant, perform. He is attracted (both physically and spiritually) to the singer, Rachel Jordan, who sings about not losing faith in God because He is always there for people. Inspired by the song, Ned later assists Rachel in loading some equipment onto her truck and confides in her of his loss, with which she sympathizes. He and Rachel become acquainted and it is suggested that they both have developed a fondness for one another by the time she leaves.

[edit] Cultural references

The title of the episode is a reference to the song "Alone Again, Naturally". This title is also used as the basis for the season 20 episode, "No Loan Again, Naturally".

[edit] Controversy

Lowe's Motor Speedway president Jerry Gappens expressed his concern over the episode as it appeared to parody an actual incident during the aborted Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Visionaire 500k event on May 1, 1999 where flying tires in a Lap 62 crash killed three spectators, forcing the track to abandon the race before the halfway point (104 of 208 laps). WCCB, the Fox affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, home to Lowe's Motor Speedway, refused to show the promotional advertising for this episode.^[1]