Homer Loves Flanders

"Homer Loves Flanders" is the sixteenth episode of Season 5.
==Synopsis==
Homer loses out on winning tickets to an upcoming Springfield Atoms football game. What's worse, his goody-two-shoes neighbor, Ned Flanders, wins the last pair. After a failed attempt at bashing Flanders' skull in so he can take the tickets, Homer decides to spend the day with his neighbor at the game — and Homer realizes that Flanders is not such a bad guy after all...but all the time Homer spends with Ned puts a strain on both families.
==Full Story ==
Homer attempts to get tickets to the Pigskin Classic football game between the Shelbyville Sharks and the Springfield Atoms. Unfortunately, despite being second in line for the ticket booth, Homer is unable to get a ticket. The one man in front of him turns out to be a scalper and buys all 30,000 tickets available. Homer then tries to win tickets on the radio, only to have Ned Flanders win the tickets. Ned asks Homer to join him, which he does reluctantly. However, they have a great time, and after the game, Ned succeeds in getting a signed football for Homer.
Homer responds by being overly grateful, annoying Ned and his family to no end. Bart and Lisa become worried that Homer's change in attitude could mark the termination of the family's "wacky adventures." The Flanders family and the Simpsons go on a roadtrip to Lake Springfield, where antics by Homer cause problems (such as causing a food fight and destroying Ned's boat and car).
Ned soon realizes that he hates Homer, even having a nightmare where he scaled a clock tower and proceeded to snipe people on the ground hallucinating each one as Homer Simpson. In order to get away from Homer, Ned and his family try to escape in their car, while Homer chases them Terminator II style. Soon Ned is pulled over by Chief Wiggum for speeding. Wiggum suspects Ned of being on drugs, or "goofballs," and gives Ned a sobriety field test, which humiliates Ned when the church bus drives by. The Flanders reluctantly go to church on Sunday, where they are shunned. After a huge outburst by Ned and looks from parishioners confirming the stereotype that Ned is a crook, Homer shouts that everyone ought to be ashamed of themselves. Homer tells the congregation that he realizes he was too clingy with the Flanders family and that his personal habits can be tough to deal with sometimes, but Ned has been extremely patient with him. Homer exhorts the parishioners that the world would be a better place if they could learn some of Ned's virtues. The parishioners apologize for not getting the full story and misjudging Ned, who appreciates Homer sticking up for him, and the two walk out of church together.
Bart says that the infamous "reset button" did not occur, and Lisa expresses shock that her prediction failed. However, one week later, all is seemingly back to normal. While Homer is telling his family he just inherited some cursed land, Ned drops by, and Homer tells Ned to get lost, causing Bart and Lisa to sigh in relief. The Simpsons end up spending the night in a haunted house. While in the house, Homer scoffs, "See? I told you there's nothing to worry about. This place isn't --" but he gets cut off when the lights go out, which is followed by the family screaming while the episode finishes.
==Video==
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== Citations ==
de:Homie und Neddie
fr:Homer aime Flanders
pl:Homer Loves Flanders
pt:De Olho em Springfield (Episódio)
Category:Ned Flanders Episodes
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Episodes named after a character
Category:Todd and Rod Episodes
Category:Episodes named after Homer
Category:Episodes named after Ned
Category:Directed by Wes Archer
Category:Written by one-time writers
Category:Highly Rated Episodes
Category:Just Stamp The Ticket Man Episodes
Category:Maude Flanders Episodes
Category:Episodes with recycled animation