I’ve Watched Every The Simpsons Episode and What They Did to Flanders Is a Nightmare

There's no denying that The Simpsons is one of the most iconic animated series of all time. The show premiered in 1989 and has since proven time and time again that its quirky characters, bizarre yet extremely thoughtful plots, and never-ending life lessons are the best thing on television.

Of course, the stories in the show are mostly for adults, but sometimes there are episodes that are relatable for kids. For example, the ones told from Bart's or Lisa's perspective. Being in my late twenties, I can say for sure that I can relate to the stories of both parents and children, because it doesn't matter who is telling the story, but what happens in it.

The show is currently in its 35th season, and frankly, I feel sad about how the writers are treating the one character who loved every other person on the show with all his heart. Of course, I am talking about none other than Ned Flanders.

From the earliest episodes of The Simpsons, we see Ned from different perspectives: to Homer, he is "stupid Flanders" who still manages to come to the rescue whenever the Neighborino family needs him; to Lovejoys, he is the guy who believes in God more than a worshiper; to the rest of the townspeople, he is the lovable, kind guy who never says no to anyone.

As time goes on, we still get to see the dark side of Flanders, but overall there's no denying that he's a nice guy. But the storylines he is put through are just too much. First the writers kill off his only love, Maude, in a bizarre way and make it all Homer's fault.

A widower, he suffers a lot from being alone, but we still manage to see him go through it with the help of (surprisingly) the Simpsons, and just when we thought he was back in his happy place in life, married to another great love of his life, Edna Krabaappel, the most devastating thing happens to her as well...

The writers kill off Edna's character, but in such a way that we don't even notice it right away. The reason for that was actually the fact that the actress who voiced her died, and the writers decided to honor her by not showing Edna's death or even the funeral on screen.

But even though I understand the reasons, I can't help but feel sorry for Flanders. Twice widowed, he is also not quite welcome in society because he is different from the usual folks of Spriengfield. Even though he has lived through a nightmare. He has remained kind and loving, and that hasn't been appreciated at all.

All we get is a bunch of episodes where Homer actually acknowledges his friendship with Flanders for a brief moment and then goes back to mocking him for the rest of his life.

But what makes me even sadder is that Flanders hasn't had a single worthy storyline focused on him in the last few seasons, so maybe it's time for the writers to create one to honor his years on the show.