In the episode “The Simpsons” “again alone, Natura-Diddly” (February 13, 2000), the Simpsons discover a new outdoor car racing track in their favorite natural reserve and decide to stay and watch a race or two. Indeed, many recognizable characters are there, including Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) And his wife Maude (Marcia Mitzman Gaven), who sits in the rear row. Between the races, the cheerlers take the track and use a t-shirt cannon to make free clothes in the stands. Tragically, one of the wandering t-shirts strikes Maude in the chest, throwing it over the rear balustrade of the stadium. She dives at her death, landing in the parking lot below.
The rest of the episode follows Ned’s mourning process when he cries the loss of his wife. Ned, perhaps shocking, even finds his faith in God shaken on tragedy; Usually Ned is ultra-Christian.
Maude Flanders is one of the few characters that “the Simpsons” in fact, permanently killed. The other was the jazz musician “bleeding Gums” Murphy, who only returned to flashbacks, or, sometimes, as a ghost. Dr. Marvin Monroe also diedAnd his tombstone was even seen in “Sone Again, Natura-Diddly”, but the character mysteriously returned from years later. “I was very sick,” was all he had to offer.
Maude, however, was a character important enough to change the thrust of that of the more notable “Simpsons” of characters. Ned Flanders, previously married to a family, has now had to face a widower. The character of joy was now imbued with an element of tragedy.
It turns out, however, that the writers killed Maude Flanders for reasons beyond simple narration opportunities or the alteration of NED’s character. It seems that the actress who played Maude, Maggie Roswell, asked for an increase. When she didn’t understand it, Roswell left. In response, the writers “Simpsons” simply offered the character. The dispute was reported by CBR.
