Flanders explodes. This episode has been famous for revealing that ol happy calm sensible goody two shoes Ned Flanders has really been bottling up his suppressed rage and he finally explodes at all the main Springfield characters when their attempt to rebuild his house failed. That has been the big theme of this episode anyway. Even though people say that Flanders had never before let one tiny amount of emotion out until his big outburst in this episode, he has in my recollection let out emotions prevoiusly. I recall several previous episodes where Ned got upset or agitated, not as much as he did here, but he hasn't completely bottled everything up before either. Examples of that include Flanders lashing out at the crooked free cable salesman in "Lisa verses the eighth amendment". Flanders got a little huffy back towards Homer (even though Homer started it) when they were arguing in the front yard about their sons before the put-put golf tournament in "Dead putting society", the classic and hilarious episode that ended with Homer and Ned mowing their lawns wearing dresses. And what about Flanders blowing up at Homer in church ("breathe through your damn mouth! Can't you see this guy isn't a hero!? He's very very annoying!!") after he was arrested for "being hopped up on goofballs" and everyone was praising Homer for his soup kitchen charity? That was the one where Ned and Homer were temporarily friends. Ned hadn't always repressed everything 100%.
However, there have actually been many jokes throughout the series before now about Ned's ultra meekness. A couple of them included Ned at an AA meeting talking about his blackberry schnapps and calmly but slightly firmly telling Maude that "Ann Landers is a boring old biddy". Ned recalls that at the meeting crying "I was more animal than man!". Also in the episode when Todd said "I don't want any damn vegetables" Then Ned tells him calmly but slightly firmly "no bible stories for you tonight young man". Maude asks Ned "weren't you a little rough on him?", Ned replies "well you knew I had a temper when you married me". Those jokes that showed Ned being so meek but him saying he was being temperamental had been a long running joke on the show.
Also, why didn't God save Ned here? There had been a few times in earlier shows where God helped Ned, such as in "Homer the heretic" where Homer's house was on fire and a piece of the fire spread over to Ned's roof. Homer then says "Hey, Flanders is a regular Charly church, why didn't God save his house?" Just then, a ray of light springs over the corner of Ned's house like a light from God and immediately distinguishes the fire on Ned's roof, but does nothing for Homer's house fire. Homer: "d'oh!" Another example at the bowling alley where Homer's bowling team and Ned's team is competing. Flanders looks like he is about to get a gutter ball, then he looks up and says "Dear God, it's me, Neddy", then that ray of light from God reaches down to Ned's bowling ball and moves the ball back to the middle of the lane giving Ned a strike. Homer: "d'oh!" So if God helped Ned those times, why didn't he help him in this episode when he really needed him?
As for other parts of this episode, I like how during the hurricane when it calmed down for a moment, Homer went outside and looked up and said "funny, I don't remember a bowling alley being up ther-whooaaa!" when seeing Barny's bowlarama flying through the sky before running back inside realizing that it was only the eye of the hurricane that passed by. I also liked the "Twister" movie reference with the simpsons holding hands trying to keep from flying out of the storm cellar doors. Then after Ned's outburst and him committing himself to a mental ward; first the "being carried away screaming" joke, Ms. Botz the baby sitter bandet from "One enchanted evening" being in the ward, then the Swanson Angry man dinners joke, then the revelation when Ned meets up with his childhood doctor about how his diddly doodly style talk got started with his "spanka-therepy" program as a child. And this was the second appearance of Ned's 1960s style beatnik dad and his "ahhh mann" talk with the old time jazz base violin playing.
