@goty:
Anyway, Maude's cause of death was ridiculous, but the episode after that was actually pretty decent and respectful.
Not really. It seemed more like a hollow publicity stunt, especially compared to "Old Money" and "'Round Springfield" which were far more thoughtful portrayals of the death of loved ones while adding some good comedy and humor to the mix. Pretty sad when episodes dealing with the death of characters that only appeared a few times (or less) have more emotional impact.
I didn't have a problem with how she died or even that Homer was somehow responsible, but Homer's involvement is all setup that goes nowhere except to indirectly show how much of a dick Homer was in that none of the weight of being indirectly responsible affects him, and that he really shows no sympathy for what happens. Oh sure, there's some forced attempt to have him show empathy, like saying "no more being a jerk" and shedding a tear before the funeral, but its another throwaway moment that feels alien 5 minutes later. He even tells Flanders to his face that he parked in an ambulance zone and prevented any attempt at resuscitation for no reason other than a desperate attempt at a joke by the writers and how stupidly insincere and selfish Homer is. Seems like they were trying to channel "Homer's Enemy" into this one but Homer just ends up kinda creepy throughout, including Homer filming Ned Flanders nude while he's taking a shower for a dating video.
There's also the funeral that had the "good taste" to be entertained by the same stadium girls firing the same t-shirt guns that killed Maude into the audience that say “Let ‘Er R.I.P.” Lovejoy really has nothing of emotional weight to add and just uses her death to say she was a character without a catchphrase and to lampshade how much the writers were attempting to shake up the status quo by mentioning the breakup of Milhouse's parents and Apu's octuplets for no other logical reason. And of course Homer gets his t-shirt in the middle of the funeral with a big smile on his face ("Finally!"), as if that's all he really cared about. This kind of stuff might have been funny if an unlikeable or unknown character was in mourning, but this is Ned here, and he deserved better.
