When Flanders Failed
The Simpsons, season 3, episode 3. First aired October 3, 1991. 129 moments of about ten seconds each: open one for its frame, what happens and what's said.
← Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington Bart the Murderer → The whole episode as text
About the episode
Homer splits a wishbone with Ned Flanders at a barbecue and secretly wishes that the Leftorium, Ned's new shop for left-handers, will fail. As the business sinks and Ned loses his house, Homer's gloating turns to guilt, and he rallies Springfield's lefties to rescue it. Meanwhile, Bart skips his karate lessons for the arcade, leaving him helpless when bullies seize Lisa's saxophone.
- Written by
- Jon Vitti
- Directed by
- Jim Reardon
- Chalkboard gag
Nobody likes sunburn slappers
- Couch gag
- Egyptian Dance
- Production code
- 7F23
The synopsis is our own. Credits and guest stars from Wikipedia and the Simpsons wiki.
Every moment
-
No regular characters appear in this opening title sequence
“The Simpsons”
0:00–0:10 -
Bart is first seen inside a classroom through a purple-framed window of a yellow school building on a sunny…
0:10–0:20 -
Bart Simpson rides a green skateboard through the blue sky above an orange building, then Homer holds…
0:20–0:32 -
Marge covers her face with her hands beside a teal railing, then peeks over it smiling with Maggie, who has…
“Oh,”
0:32–0:44 -
Homer drives a pink car with his eyes shut, then jerks a hand to his face in wide-eyed alarm while gripping…
0:44–0:55 -
Marge drives an orange car along a winding country road past a purple tree, and in a close-up Maggie grips…
“my God.”
0:55–1:07 -
Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa and Maggie begin in an empty room with a red bed and a white cup, then hurry left…
1:07–1:19 -
Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders stand in a backyard of grass beside a yellow wooden fence and a brown house
“Hey, Homer, you silly goose, the weed whacker's just for the edges.”
1:19–1:33 -
Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders stand on a lawn beside a sidewalk and a wooden fence in front of a brick house
“I'm almost done. You are a picture and a half.”
1:33–1:43 -
Homer grins with his eyes closed beside a fence in the first frame, while a figure in a green go-kart…
“Nummy nummy num. I'll be there.”
1:43–1:55 -
Marge stands beside the kitchen counter while Maggie sits in her high chair sucking on a bottle
“Why didn't he just say so? He's trying to be friendly.”
1:55–2:04 -
Marge Simpson stands in the kitchen holding a pink mug while Maggie sits in a high chair sucking on a bottle…
“He's a jerk. End of story. Well,”
2:04–2:14 -
Marge Simpson stands at the left of a kitchen counter while Homer sits beside her with arms folded…
“Oh, Homer. Don't get me wrong.”
2:14–2:25 -
Ned Flanders stands at a backyard barbecue beside a grey-haired man in a purple shirt holding a drink…
“Fi-fi-fo-fum. I smell the potatoes au gratin of Marge Simpson.”
2:25–2:32 -
Ned Flanders stands at a backyard grill while Marge Simpson holds a red pot with an oven mitt, and Bart…
“Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm. Hi, Ned.”
2:32–2:42 -
Troy McClure and a bespectacled man with short dark hair, both in orange blazers with numbered badges, sit…
“We now return you to exciting 15th round action at the Canadian Football League draft.”
2:42–2:49 -
Homer lies on the brown living room couch with a blue pillow behind his head, eating from his hands…
“And so the Saskatchewan Rough Riders who scored only four rouges all last season, Jack...”
2:49–2:59 -
Homer Simpson lies sprawled across a brown couch with a blue pillow under his head, wearing a white shirt…
“and cry there, I don't. We shouldn't ever go to the Flanders.”
2:59–3:08 -
Homer's yellow hand flips patties with a spatula on a smoky grill in front of a brown house with a yellow…
“What is it, boy?”
3:08–3:17 -
Homer Simpson first stands in a room with wavy wisps drifting toward his nose as he sniffs, eyes bulging…
“What is it, boy?”
3:17–3:29 -
Bart Simpson eats bread and then a sandwich at a backyard picnic table beside a roast turkey, a plate…
“Oh. Hey, everyone, I'm back.”
3:29–3:43 -
Homer and Ned Flanders appear in a grassy backyard beside a purple tree, with Ned raising a metal spatula…
“Homer.”
3:43–3:54 -
Homer Simpson peeks out from behind a large purple tree trunk against a green hedge and blue sky
“Okay, now you're it. Hey, no tag backs! Yay, cheater.”
3:54–4:03 -
Ned Flanders stands at the head of a crowded table of seated guests, including Marge with her tall blue…
“Friends, we love you all.”
4:03–4:13 -
Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie sit with a crowd of relatives and neighbors at a long backyard table…
“But enough joking. That was a joke? Shh!”
4:13–4:26 -
A woman with voluminous orange hair and blue earrings sits at a dinner table beside a man with dark swept…
“What are you gonna do, Ned? Well, sir, like one out of every nine Americans,”
4:26–4:37 -
Ned Flanders sits at a dinner table set with a roast turkey, a purple bowl of mashed potatoes, white cups…
“Lord help you if you want to drive a standard transmission.”
4:37–4:49 -
Ned Flanders and Homer appear first at a crowded dining table where a turkey sits on a platter and guests…
“Gotta call it the Leftorium. Ooh!”
4:49–5:01 -
Ned Flanders and Homer in a white shirt stand talking beside a purple tree in a grassy park
“Oh, well, I know it's a little risky and it's gonna be a lot of hard work,”
5:01–5:12 -
Ned Flanders stands on the left beside Homer in his white shirt, while a woman with curly auburn hair…
“Oh, no, the Springfield Mall. Oh, here, you two, make a wish.”
5:12–5:20 -
Homer stands outdoors against a blue sky and green hedge, first gazing upward with a wide-eyed look…
“Hmm, let's see.”
5:20–5:29 -
Ned Flanders and a woman with a big auburn hairdo in a pink vest stand under a tree on a grassy lawn…
“Come on, Homer. I got an ambition to do some wishing.”
5:29–5:38 -
Homer Simpson stands in the foreground on a lawn beside a tree, first daydreaming with eyes closed…
“Eh,”
5:38–5:47 -
Homer Simpson, Ned Flanders in his green sweater and moustache, and a woman with curly orange hair in a pink…
“Yes! Oh, yes! Read it and weep in your face!”
5:47–6:00 -
Homer stands in a backyard before a wooden fence and a pink house, grinning with brown crumbs on his teeth…
“Ooh, that would be a shame.”
6:00–6:12 -
Homer Simpson laughs and eats a donut against a bright blue sky with white clouds, crumbs flying…
6:12–6:22 -
Bart sits on a brown couch in a dim living room, holding a white object and kicking one leg out as he watches…
6:22–6:34 -
Itchy types at a typewriter under the title card for Itchy & Scratchy in "O Solo Meow", while Scratchy sits…
6:34–6:43 -
Marge stands by a lamp in the living room holding a plate and towel, glancing toward a heavyset man…
“Bart, how many hours a day do you watch TV?”
6:43–6:55 -
Marge Simpson stands in a pink room beside a light switch and a window with yellow curtains, while Bart…
“Bart, how many hours a day do you watch TV?”
6:55–7:01 -
Marge stands by the TV stand in the living room while Bart sits on the brown couch in his orange shirt…
“Don't you think you should get a little fresh air and maybe some exercise?”
7:01–7:10 -
Marge in her green dress and red beads, with a tall blue beehive, stands in the pink living room with Homer…
“It's a boy's best friend. That's the problem.”
7:10–7:22 -
A thin, yellow-skinned young man with spiky black hair, a white karate gi and a black belt, identifying…
“Hello.”
7:22–7:36 -
A man with round blue-tinted glasses and brown hair, a woman with curly brown hair and a red collar, a Black…
“Doctors. Hi-ya! Homemakers.”
7:36–7:43 -
Marge Simpson with her tall blue beehive, Bart in his orange shirt, and Homer in his white shirt sit together…
“High karate at low, low prices.”
7:43–7:57 -
Homer, Marge, and Bart are first seen in the living room, with Homer gesturing toward a television…
“See, Mart, you knocked TV and then it helped you out.”
7:57–8:10 -
Homer stands outside the pink storefront of The Leftorium and holds a small yellow 'CHARGE IN' sign
“Well, if it isn't a leftorium.”
8:10–8:23 -
Ned Flanders stands at a counter in a pink-walled shop lined with shelves of boxed goods and a SALE sign…
“How much do I owe you? Now, you put that money away.”
8:23–8:35 -
Homer stands at a store counter facing Ned Flanders, who has a moustache, glasses and a green sweater…
“So, Flanders, have you sold anything? Uh, not yet,”
8:35–8:46 -
Homer kneels at the left edge of a dojo beside Bart, who wears a white gi and has spiky hair…
“And this is our map, The Art of War by Sun Tzu.”
8:46–8:52 -
Akira lectures a class of children seated on the floor holding orange books in a dojo with large windows…
“We learn karate so that we need never use it.”
8:52–9:06 -
Bart Simpson spreads his arms and talks at a dojo beside an orange-haired boy with glasses, while a thin…
“When do we break blocks of ice with our heads?”
9:06–9:18 -
Bart plays the Touch of Death arcade cabinet in a busy arcade, with a man and a boy at a Nurse sign…
“Come on, touch your death, touch your death, touch your death.”
9:18–9:29 -
Homer, the bald heavy man in a white shirt, Marge with her tall blue beehive, Bart in an orange shirt…
“I'm telling you, Flanders' store was deserted.”
9:29–9:41 -
Homer Simpson first stands glaring with clenched teeth against a pink and purple striped wall, then throws…
“Dad, do you know what schadenfreude is? No, I do not know what schadenfreude is.”
9:41–9:52 -
Homer sits at a table with Bart and Lisa, the girl with star-shaped spiky hair and a pearl necklace, all…
“Oh, come on, Lisa. I'm just glad to see him fall flat on his butt.”
9:52–10:04 -
Lisa Simpson sits at the dinner table in a pink room beside Bart, who has spiky hair and an orange shirt…
“What's the opposite of that shameful joy thing of yours?”
10:04–10:13 -
Homer and Bart sit at a kitchen table with a plate of food between them, with Homer's fork and knife in hand
“Uh... I learned the touch of death. Ooh, the touch of death.”
10:13–10:22 -
Lisa cringes with her hands on her cheeks and then screams with her eyes squeezed shut, while Marge grimaces…
“Soon you will be at peace. Hey, quit it, Bart.”
10:22–10:34 -
Bart Simpson sits on a magenta couch in an electronics store lined with TVs and stereos, then an older…
“Uh-oh. Gotta get back to karate class.”
10:34–10:45 -
Bart rides an escalator marked by a red arrow past a storefront labeled Vendetta's, then runs past a man…
“All right, coming through. Out of my way.”
10:45–10:59 -
Homer stands outside The Leftorium beside a woman in a purple beanie, black skull shirt, and long brown hair…
“Would you swipe? I love lefty shot glass.”
10:59–11:10 -
Homer and Ned Flanders stand at the counter of The Leftorium, a pink shop with a red convertible on a display…
“Hey, Flanders, one of your busy hours.”
11:10–11:21 -
Ned Flanders stands behind a pink-walled shop counter beside a man with a long nose and brown hair in a light…
“Hey, I hear you validate parking tickets without purchase.”
11:21–11:31 -
Homer, Barney and Moe are at the bar in Moe's tavern, with a close-up of a beer mug whose foam forms…
“Hey, Homer, how's your neighbor's store doing?”
11:31–11:40 -
Homer and Moe stand behind a bar in Moe's Tavern
“He'd have a great job if he didn't own the place.”
11:40–11:48 -
Homer stands with his eyes closed and points while a thought-bubble shows The Leftorium storefront, its OUT…
“What does he sell? Uh, well, actually, Mo, uh...”
11:48–12:00 -
Bart Simpson lies stretched out on a brown couch against a pink wall while his sister Lisa stands…
“Okay, okay.”
12:00–12:13 -
Homer Simpson stands at a Dunkin-o-Mat vending machine in a hallway beside an EXIT sign, jabbing…
“Come on, candy bar. Hey, we know you.”
12:13–12:23 -
Homer Simpson in his white shirt and Smithers appear at a brown office door marked 'Owner C.M. Burns'
“No more apples in the vending machine, please.”
12:23–12:32 -
Mr. Burns sits in a red armchair with a white cat, Snowball II, on his lap while Smithers stands beside him…
“Oh, look, Smithies. Another member of our nuclear family with some helpful suggestions.”
12:32–12:43 -
Mr. Burns sits in a red upholstered chair in a dark suit and orange tie, holding a white cat with a red collar
“Simpson, eh? Mm-hmm. I'm Monty Burns.”
12:43–12:55 -
Mr. Burns stands in his lavish study with a red-and-purple décor, first smiling with a sheet of paper…
“Got me, sir.”
12:55–13:08 -
Mr. Burns sits behind a desk in a dark suit and orange tie, gesturing with a hand and speaking to Homer…
“There'll be plenty of apples for you.”
13:08–13:20 -
Mr. Burns sits in a tall red chair in his office, struggling with a hand-held can opener on a tin of cat food…
“She'll make everything all right, I promise.”
13:20–13:30 -
Homer raises a finger and speaks, then stares in alarm at a thought-bubble-style scene of Ned Flanders…
“My kingdom for a left-handed can opener!”
13:30–13:41 -
Ned Flanders holds out a black handheld recorder to a heavy, orange-haired man in a red sweater and blue…
“Are you sure you're not interested?”
13:41–13:49 -
Ned Flanders stands in the foreground of a cluttered living room, first gesturing with a raised finger…
“You don't have to pay all at once.”
13:49–14:01 -
Homer Simpson first stands outside in front of a wooden fence, looking angry and shouting with his mouth…
“See anything you like? Oh, I get it. It's not good enough for you,”
14:01–14:12 -
Ned Flanders and Homer stand outdoors near a purple house and a dark hedge
“She's a butane butte. I'll give you 20 bucks for it.”
14:12–14:22 -
Homer Simpson stands outside in a suburban yard, holding a folded banknote in one hand and gesturing…
“Sorry, no cash for Nettie.”
14:22–14:32 -
Homer stands outside a fence beside Ned Flanders, who has a moustache, glasses and a green sweater…
“No, I don't want it. What? I changed my mind.”
14:32–14:43 -
Homer cooks at a smoking grill while Bart lies on a purple couch and then sits up in the backyard with Homer…
“Hey, Bartley-Bootley, care for a steak-a-rooney?”
14:43–14:52 -
Homer stands beside Marge, whose tall blue beehive towers over him and who wears an orange bead necklace
“Homer, this is the Flanders' entire living room set.”
14:52–15:03 -
Lisa Simpson stands at a pink hutch in the living room and reaches out to it while Bart lies sprawled…
“I'm sure you did nothing to discourage this, you scavenger of human misery.”
15:03–15:13 -
Homer and a thin, long-nosed man with brown hair in a navy suit, holding a notepad and pencil, stand…
“for entertainment and exercise.”
15:13–15:25 -
Homer Simpson gestures wildly and protests in a pink hallway beneath a framed portrait of Marge, then stands…
“Oh, I know I need to pay them, but there's just so many.”
15:25–15:38 -
Homer Simpson stands in a doorway facing a man in a navy suit with neat brown hair and a pencil, who holds…
“We don't make mistakes.”
15:38–15:49 -
Homer and Bart stand outside the Springfield Martial Arts studio, with punching bags visible…
“Yeah. See you on Thursday. Don't!”
15:49–16:02 -
Homer stares wide-eyed with his mouth open in front of a blue-awned storefront with red clothes on display…
“Oh.”
16:02–16:15 -
A saxophone player in a brown coat and black pants, with reddish-brown hair, plays on a sunny outdoor court…
“Hey!”
16:15–16:25 -
Lisa reaches up on a fenced outdoor court while a woman with reddish-brown hair in a brown top raises a large…
“Okay, we're sorry.”
16:25–16:39 -
Bart Simpson stands on a grassy playground beside a chain-link fence while Lisa Simpson stands next to him
“Lee, something wrong?”
16:39–16:50 -
Homer holds a gold saxophone beside an unnamed figure with dark hair under a cap, a black skull-print…
“Uh-oh. Oh, we're real scared!”
16:50–16:59 -
Bart starts out covering his face with his hand in frame one, then Lisa appears beside him shouting angrily…
“Yeah, just keep laughing. It only makes it madder.”
16:59–17:10 -
Homer stands at left holding a golden saxophone-like instrument while shouting, as a tall figure in a purple…
“We want to see the touch of death!”
17:10–17:15 -
Bart first stands nervously at a playground with his hands clasped near his chin and his teeth gritted…
“It's funny how two wrongs sometimes make a right.”
17:15–17:26 -
Homer and Ned Flanders, in a red jacket over a green sweater, meet on a night street beside a green station…
“Homer!”
17:26–17:37 -
Ned Flanders stands outside a blue house at night and looks worried, then glances aside
“Well, there's no house to put it in, Homer.”
17:37–17:48 -
Ned Flanders stands beside a teal car at night and gestures with both hands while talking to Homer, who wears…
“You're gonna live in your car? Oh, no. It's just a little camp out tonight.”
17:48–17:54 -
Homer stands on the left inside a red bus, looking up at Ned Flanders, who leans in through the window…
“Hey, what do you think, kids? The big city!”
17:54–18:01 -
Homer in a green jacket and a moustached man with glasses lean out of a red bus window, the moustached man…
“You're head of the car till I get back. Okay, Dad.”
18:01–18:09 -
Homer and a moustached man with glasses, brown hair and a red sweater walk together along a purple sidewalk…
“Brush off the clouds and cheer up.”
18:09–18:22 -
Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson stand side by side outdoors at night under a starry sky, in front of a blue…
“Homer, I'm ruined. I know.”
18:22–18:36 -
Ned Flanders stands on a suburban street at night under a starry sky, talking with Homer, the bald man…
“You know, ever since that barbecue, nothing's gone, right?”
18:36–18:48 -
Homer dabs his eyes with a white handkerchief monogrammed NF in front of a purple house at night
“No, it's not. Yes, it is. No, you tried to warn me about gambling, my family's future.”
18:48–19:02 -
Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders stand outside at night under a starry sky beside a wooden fence and a lavender…
“Listen, Flannery, do you still have that store?”
19:02–19:12 -
Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders stand face to face at night in a backyard lined with a wooden fence…
“Landers, you open that store tomorrow. Oh!”
19:12–19:19 -
Homer Simpson and Marge Simpson stand in the orange-cabineted kitchen
“Hello, Jerry. Homer Simpson. Remember last month when I paid back that loan?”
19:19–19:29 -
Moe holds a purple telephone to his ear behind the bar while wiping a wet patch with his hand, as two…
“A left-handed corkscrew?”
19:29–19:40 -
Marge stands beside a purple sofa holding a small green object while a dark-haired man in a green shirt…
“Homer Simpson's on the phone. Tell him I went out.”
19:40–19:53 -
Mr. Burns stands at a bookshelf-lined office beside a blue shredder, reading a paper in his hand, then leans…
“Hold it, Smithers.”
19:53–20:04 -
Ned Flanders rides an escalator in a mall, first looking ahead and then turning to gesture with both hands…
“Hurry, Nettie, hurry.”
20:04–20:15 -
Homer Simpson stands in the foreground with his arms spread wide, then grins and waves while a dark-haired…
“It's all here and it's all backwards.”
20:15–20:26 -
Mr. Burns stands at right in a dark suit, holding a purple tin of cat food with a metal can opener clamped…
“Wow, the worm has turned, is it not, my tin-plated friend?”
20:26–20:33 -
Mr. Burns stands at the left of the frame with his finger to his chin, holding a purple disc-shaped case…
“Feel the wrath of the left hand burns.”
20:33–20:40 -
A heavy man with brown hair in a white "Kiss Me I'm Left Handed" shirt is kissed on each cheek by two…
“Wow, what an icebreaker.”
20:40–20:52 -
Mr. Burns and his thin assistant Smithers stand near a sales counter where a moustached man in a red sweater…
“The boys at the diners club will think I've gone quite mad.”
20:52–21:04 -
Ned Flanders in a red sweater shakes hands with Homer in a white shirt across a counter, while a woman…
“Yes, sir. Huzzah for the shopkeep! Huzzah!”
21:04–21:16 -
A curly-haired girl with a guitar, a moustached man in a reddish jacket, and a woman in black stand in a pink…
“Everybody!”
21:16–21:27 -
Homer sings in a crowded bar alongside Marge with her tall blue beehive, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and Ned Flanders…
“And spread sunshine all over the place”
21:27–21:37 -
Marge with her tall blue beehive, Homer, Maggie with a pacifier and blue bow, Bart, Lisa, Ned Flanders…
21:37–21:47 -
A black title card sequence of Simpsons opening credits against a plain black background
21:47–21:57 -
No Simpsons characters appear in this moment; the scene is a black screen with a series of yellow credit…
“Thank you.”
21:57–22:07 -
A black closing credits sequence with no people on screen
22:07–22:17 -
A black closing credits roll over the end of an episode
22:17–22:27 -
No Simpsons characters appear in this moment; it is a black closing credits roll in yellow capital letters…
22:27–22:36 -
A sequence of black title cards from the end of a Simpsons episode credits roll
22:36–22:46 -
Silhouetted audience members sit in rows of seats in a dark theater facing a blank screen
“We'll be right back.”
22:46–22:58
Who's in it
Bart Simpson, Homer Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Marge Simpson, Maggie Simpson, Moe Szyslak, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Barney Gumble, Chief Wiggum, Krusty the Clown, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Mrs. Krabappel, Dr. Hibbert, Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, Otto Mann, Jasper Beardsley, Patty Bouvier, Selma Bouvier, Santa's Little Helper, Lou, Richard, Jimbo Jones, Eddie, Todd Flanders, Maude Flanders, Rod Flanders, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, Helen Lovejoy, Sam, Becky Shorter, Dolph Starbeam, Itchy, Buck-toothed boy, Scratchy, Dr. Nick, Gareth Prince, Lionel Hutz, Buck-toothed girl, Herman Hermann, Gloria Prince, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Princess Kashmir, Just Stamp the Ticket Man, Springfield bears, Marvin Monroe, Akira Kurosawa, George Washington, Irving Zitsofsky, Karl, Great Son, Joshua and Amber's Mom, Master Sushi Chef, Old Dad, Richie Sakai, Emily Winthrop, Cowboy Bob, Great Dad, Lombardo, Mr. Williams, Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Wife, Great Mom, Chuck Ellis
Everyone who appears in it, from the Simpsons wiki. Every character