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The Ned-Liest Catch

"The Ned-Liest Catch" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated sitcom , originally broadcast on Fox on May 22, 2011. In the episode, written by Jeff Westbrook and directed by Chuck Sheetz, Bart Simpson's misbehavior culminates in his teacher, , slapping him, leading to her immediate suspension and detention in the Teacher Holding Facility. Bart attempts a jailbreak to free her, but it is who ultimately bails her out, sparking an unexpected romantic connection between the pious widower and the jaded educator. As their relationship blossoms—earning the fan-coined nickname "Nedna"—Ned becomes increasingly troubled upon learning of Edna's extensive history of romantic liaisons with various Springfield men, including Homer Simpson, Principal Seymour Skinner, Comic Book Guy, and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, the latter of whom guest-stars as himself. The episode concludes with a cliffhanger, leaving the fate of their relationship to a public fan vote. Voiced by series regulars Harry Shearer as Ned and the late Marcia Wallace as Edna, the storyline explores themes of unlikely romance, jealousy, and personal baggage with the show's signature blend of humor and heart. The episode garnered mixed-to-positive , praised for advancing the Ned-Edna dynamic and delivering character-driven laughs, though some reviewers critiqued its predictable pacing and reliance on familiar tropes.

Overview

Episode Background

"The Ned-Liest Catch" served as the 22nd and final episode of the 22nd season of , originally airing on May 22, 2011, on the . The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz and written by Jeff Westbrook, bearing the production code NABF15. This installment marked a notable innovation for the series by introducing its first major interactive , in which the outcome of the romantic relationship between and was determined by viewer votes submitted through TheSimpsons.com. Fans were prompted to choose between supporting the couple or ending the relationship, with the results influencing subsequent episodes. The episode also featured one of the last major appearances of , voiced by , prior to the character's retirement following Wallace's death in 2013. This interactive element aligned with Season 22's broader experimentation in engaging audiences beyond traditional broadcasting.

Credits and Personnel

The episode was overseen by longtime showrunner Al Jean, who provided executive oversight as the series' primary executive producer during its twenty-second season. The script was penned by Jeff Westbrook, a co-executive producer on the show, whose writing adapted romantic elements to the series' signature satirical style. Direction was led by Chuck Sheetz, with Mike B. Anderson serving as supervising director, ensuring cohesive visual storytelling across the episode's comedic sequences. Production was handled by 20th Century Fox Television in association with , with standard animation contributions from , including detailed character animations for key interpersonal moments. Post-production efforts focused on integrating the episode's innovative , which allowed viewers to vote online for the resolution of the central relationship, marking a rare interactive element in the series' broadcast history. The score was composed by , emphasizing emotional underscoring for character-driven scenes, consistent with his long tenure on the series. Editing was managed by the core team at , refining timing for the episode's blend of humor and sentimentality.

Production

Development Process

"The Ned-Liest Catch" was written by Jeff Westbrook and directed by Chuck Sheetz. The episode concludes with a on the future of the relationship between and , prompting fans to vote on whether the couple should stay together. This interactive element was promoted by , allowing viewers to participate via the network's website following the episode's airing.

Casting and Guest Appearances

The principal voice cast for "The Ned-Liest Catch" consisted of the series' longstanding ensemble performers. voiced along with additional characters such as Abraham Simpson and , while provided the voice for . portrayed , and voiced , marking one of her final roles in the series before her death in 2013. Wallace's performance as Edna brought notable depth to the character's portrayal, especially considering her ongoing battle with , which she had been fighting since and which impacted her health during the later seasons of the show. The episode's voice direction emphasized the interplay between Shearer and Wallace to convey the evolving dynamic between their characters. In a guest role, drummer voiced himself in a short connected to a music-themed sequence, adding a real-world element to the narrative. This inclusion drew from the production team's interest in incorporating musicians for episodic flair.

Narrative

Plot Summary

The episode begins with disrupting a girls' rally at Elementary by retracting the bleachers, causing chaos and prompting his teacher, , to slap him in frustration. This incident leads to Krabappel's by the teachers' union, and she is confined to the Teacher Holding Facility—a secure room where she must remain with full pay pending a hearing 57 years in the future. Feeling remorseful for causing her predicament, Bart helps Krabappel escape by providing a ladder to climb out the window of the facility. During the escape, the ladder collapses, and she nearly falls, but , who happens to be walking by, catches her and saves her life just in time. Grateful for his heroism, Krabappel agrees to go on a date with the widowed Flanders, marking the start of their unexpected romance. As their relationship develops, Ned and Edna share intimate moments, including a dinner where Ned opens up about his late wife, Maude. However, tensions arise when Ned learns from various residents at Moe's Tavern—such as and —that Edna has had romantic and sexual histories with numerous men in town, including nearly every eligible bachelor. This revelation triggers a brief crisis for Ned, who questions whether he can reconcile his devout values with Edna's colorful past; encourages him to pursue the relationship despite it. Homer Simpson, observing the pairing uncomfortably, attempts to intervene by sharing stories of his own marital ups and downs with Ned, ultimately encouraging him to pursue the relationship. The episode builds to a cliffhanger as Ned and Edna's future hangs in the balance, with the storyline concluding by prompting viewers to vote online at TheSimpsons.com on whether the couple should stay together, with the outcome to be revealed in the following season's premiere.

Themes and Character Focus

The episode "The Ned-Liest Catch" explores the unlikely romance between , the devout and wholesomely optimistic neighbor, and , the jaded and cynical elementary school teacher, underscoring themes of and second chances in relationships. This pairing juxtaposes Ned's pious, family-oriented worldview with Edna's world-weary shaped by years of professional frustrations and romantic disappointments, suggesting that personal growth can emerge from improbable connections. Character arcs in the episode highlight Ned's development as he grapples with and doubt upon learning of Edna's extensive romantic history, ultimately choosing and acceptance, which marks a maturation beyond his rigid moral framework. Edna reveals vulnerability beneath her tough teacher exterior, allowing glimpses of emotional depth that humanize her beyond her habitual and against adversity. serves primarily as a chaotic catalyst, instigating events through his pranks without undergoing significant personal redemption, emphasizing his role in disrupting adult dynamics rather than evolving himself. Satirical elements permeate the narrative, with the episode's title playing on The Deadliest Catch, while poking fun at small-town gossip via Springfield's intrusive community reactions to the budding romance. Religious undertones arise in Ned's moral dilemmas, as his devout principles clash with Edna's secular past, framing their union as an "unholy" yet redemptive match that challenges his faith-based expectations. The portrayal of Edna's emotional layers provides subtle of her character's future series exit, accentuating her bittersweet and depth in what would become her final appearance, following the real-life passing of voice actress . This depth adds a layer of poignancy to her arc, aligning with the show's recurring motif of characters confronting unrelenting personal hardships.

Reception

Viewership Statistics

"The Ned-Liest Catch" premiered in the United States on on May 22, 2011, drawing 5.3 million viewers and earning a 2.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, per Nielsen measurements. This performance placed it slightly below Season 22's average of 7.06 million viewers and a 3.2 rating in the , a dip often linked to heightened competition during the May sweeps finale period. Internationally, the episode aired on the UK's Sky1 on November 6, 2011. The episode's interactive feature, which allowed viewers to decide the future of Ned and Edna's relationship via the official website, sparked immediate online engagement and increased traffic to simpsons.com in the days following the broadcast.

Critical Reviews

The episode received mixed reviews from critics, who praised elements of humor and character dynamics while critiquing the storyline's contrivances and reliance on gimmicks. assigned it a grade of C, commending the early sequences involving Bart's pranks and the satirical take on educational , but faulting the central romantic plot for dragging the narrative into uninspired territory and the interactive element for feeling derivative. TV Fanatic rated it 3.8 out of 5, highlighting the strong chemistry between Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel—dubbed "Nedna"—along with enjoyable ensemble interactions and Homer's bonding moments with Ned that underscored their rivalry. On the critical side, several outlets pointed to forced romantic developments and uneven pacing as weaknesses. Blogcritics described the teachers' union subplot as unrealistically exaggerated and the viewer-voting cliffhanger as a "hokey" distraction that undermined an otherwise heartfelt story. Marooners' Rock called the plot "unbelievable and boring," criticizing out-of-character behavior for Ned and a lack of punch suitable for a season finale. Overall, professional critiques reflected a of middling quality, with an average score hovering around 7 out of 10 based on aggregated user ratings from over 1,500 votes on , though professional outlets varied more widely in their assessments.

Legacy

Interactive Elements

"The Ned-Liest Catch" introduced a pioneering interactive fan-vote , allowing viewers to influence the storyline of future episodes through direct participation. The episode concluded on a cliffhanger depicting uncertainty in and Edna Krabappel's budding romance, prompting and Marge to break the by urging audiences to visit TheSimpsons.com to vote on whether the couple should stay together. Fans accessed the voting platform immediately following the episode's May 22, 2011, broadcast, selecting between "Pro Nedna" to support the relationship or "No Nedna" to oppose it, with the poll running through the summer until . This setup marked an innovative use of online interactivity for an , enabling real-time audience input to shape serialized narrative elements without requiring mid-production revisions to the finale's core . To boost engagement, integrated promotional tie-ins with emerging platforms, offering downloadable wallpapers, videos, badges, and profile icons themed around the "Nedna" debate, which heightened fan involvement and represented an early fusion of digital promotion with traditional television. The vote results, announced during the Season 23 premiere "The Falcon and the D'ohman" on September 25, 2011, showed a clear majority favoring "Pro Nedna," directly guiding the development of the sequel episode "Ned 'n Edna's Blend Agenda," where the characters proceeded as a couple.

Tributes and Aftermath

Following Marcia Wallace's death on October 25, 2013, from complications related to , Fox broadcast a re-airing of "The Ned-Liest Catch" on November 3, 2013, as a to the actress who voiced . This special airing preceded the premiere of the new episode "Four Regrettings and a Funeral," which dedicated its opening chalkboard gag and to Wallace with the message "In loving memory of Marcia Wallace." The re-airing highlighted Wallace's performance in the episode, where her character central to the romantic arc with . In response to Wallace's passing, showrunner announced that would be permanently retired rather than recast, marking the end of the character's appearances after over two decades on the series. The character's arc from "The Ned-Liest Catch," which concluded with a viewer vote favoring her to , was resolved in the subsequent episode "Ned 'n Edna's Blend Agenda" (Season 23, Episode 21), where the couple reveals a secret and navigates challenges before Edna's off-screen was implied in later storylines. This retirement effectively wrote Edna out following the interactive episode's romantic resolution. A further tribute occurred in the 2021 episode "" (Season 32, Episode 12), where discovers Edna's diary, and archived audio recordings of Marcia Wallace's voice were used to bring the character back for emotional closure, highlighting her impact on the series. Reruns of "The Ned-Liest Catch" after the 2011 vote incorporated updated closing credits, featuring informing viewers that voting had ended and revealing the outcome, ensuring the episode reflected the canonical decision without altering the core narrative. In syndication, special airings post-2013 occasionally emphasized Wallace's contributions, such as through on-screen dedications or contextual notes during Edna-focused scenes. The retirement of Edna Krabappel influenced the series' approach to teacher characters, initially shifting from a single long-term figure to rotating substitutes like Mrs. Berrera, before establishing a permanent replacement, Ms. Peyton voiced by Kerry Washington, starting in Season 33 in 2022. For Ned Flanders' romantic subplots, the character's storyline evolved to explore new relationships, such as remarriages and dates with other women, avoiding direct continuations of the Edna arc while maintaining his widower dynamics.

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