Hurricane Neddy/References

Cultural references

 * It's a Wonderful Life – as in the episode "When Flanders Failed", Homer leads the town to aid Flanders in his darkest hour, though on this occasion the results are far worse.
 * The Critic – Jay Sherman makes a cameo appearance in the mental hospital scenes. The Simpsons writers joked that this is what really happened to the character after the series was cancelled. Critic fans, however, don't consider this appearance part of the series' canon.
 * ' and ' – Ned's "Prune Tracy" remark is a pun on the comic strip detective. It's also an allusion to an off-color joke: Given the progression, the next name would be Dick Face, had Dr. Foster not stopped him.
 *  – The plot of the episode is very similar to that of the Book of Job in the Bible.
 *  – Several scenes at Calmwood Mental Hospital are taken from the 1975 movie.
 * The nurse delivering medications at Calmwood looks like.
 *  – The Juvenile Aggression Study film is sponsored by Swanson Angry Man Dinners, a play on Swanson Hungry Man Dinners.
 *  - Dr. Foster is shocked to receive news that Ned Flanders has gone mad, stating: "May god have mercy on us all!", referencing Dr. Loomis' reaction to Michael Myers' escape in the first Halloween film. This is clarified on the DVD commentary.
 * When the Simpsons take shelter in the basement, Marge finds a Rubik's Cube which she had put there long ago and suggests they solve it to pass the time. (The solving session, however, quickly degenerates into an argument.)
 * Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – The small door in the rebuilt Flanders house is a reference to the small door in the Wonka Factory. This is also clarified on the DVD commentary.
 * A sign also reads "Flandy is Dandy" in the crowd scene at the end, outside the mental hospital, which may be a reference to the saying from the film, "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker."
 *  – Barney's Bowl-A-Rama getting carried by the hurricane is a reference to Dorothy's house getting carried by the tornado.

Trivia

 * In the crowd scene at the end, outside the mental hospital, one of the signs reads "Free John Swartzwelder." John Swartzwelder is a long-time writer on the Simpsons.
 * Swartzwelder himself is seen in one of the mental institution cells; he quickly closes the door as he sees the Simpson family approaching.
 * A man with a ponytail and a white shirt appears to be a caricature of Bob Anderson, who is seen in the crowd during Ned's tirade at the townspeople of Springfield.
 * Lucille Botzcowski (also known as Botz, the Babysitter Bandit) from the Season 1 finale "Some Enchanted Evening" makes a cameo appearance, pacing around in her cell.
 * Jay Sherman from "A Star Is Burns" and series , makes a cameo appearance in a cell, telling his doctor, "It stinks! It stinks! It stinks!" The doctor responds, to humor him, "That's right, Mr. Sherman. Everything stinks."
 * The Critic had recently been cancelled, and this was the writers' explanation as to why (The Critic creators Al Jean and Mike Reiss were the show runners when Oakley and Weinstein were hired to The Simpsons staff).
 * Dr. Foster is later seen in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge", this time sporting a toupee.
 * The Calmwood Mental Hospital is later seen again in "Don't Fear the Roofer".
 * Todd is wearing a shirt when the Flanders family is in the relief center ("Look, Dad! I'm a surfer!"). The censors, however, only allowed "Buttho Surfers" to be shown.
 * During Ned's string of -didily's, he actually says a proper English word: Hostility.
 * A deleted scene shows Ned lashing at Milhouse after he passes by him.
 * Among the people at the criminal's execution:
 * Aileen
 * Della
 * Bobby Peterson
 * Among the people outside the rebuilt Flanders house:
 * Mr. Glasscock
 * Richie Sakai
 * Mrs. Spencer
 * Springfield Mystery Spot cashier
 * The Larry Davis Experience guitar player

Continuity

 * The Simpsons also have trouble with a Rubik's Cube in the comic story Maggie's Crib 12.
 * The episode, "Changing of the Guardian", from Season 24, contents references to this episode.
 * The episode, "The Boys of Bummer", from Season 18, had a similar scene where Ned lashes out at Rod while removing the word "I Hate Bart Simpson" on his fence, which references to how he lashed out at all the Springfield residents, including Homer after they crudely rebuild his house.

Goofs

 * When Ned is sitting with Maude at church as his family takes refuge in it for their destroyed house, Ned does not wear a right shoe but it appears when Rod and Todd meet up with their parents.
 * When Dr. Foster greets Ned in his cell, he refers to the time the two spent together "Thirty years ago," and the episode flashes back to clips of Ned when he was about 10 years old. This contradicts Ned's age as established in "Viva Ned Flanders".
 * The Simpsons' basement has previously been shown as being accessible from indoors via a flight of stairs, but when they take shelter from the hurricane they are seen having to go outside and then through a storm door to get to the basement.
 * The Flanders' house usually appears on the left of the Simpson's home, but when Marge says there is no damage at all, we go to the house's right, where we see Ned Flanders' destroyed home.
 * Ned mentions that he doesn't drink, dance or swear, but in "The Joy of Sect", he is dispensing beer in his rumpus room.