14 Alone Again, Natura-diddily

On a trip to the bird sanctuary, the Simpson family discovers that a new speedway racetrack has been built around the sanctuary and is opening that day much to Lisa's dismay. The family goes to the track and takes a seat at the very back of the spectator stand causing Lisa to be disappointed because she wanted to go hiking. They are surprised to see Ned Flanders and his family, who came not to see the race but to see the high levels of safety used by the drivers. Later, a squad of cheerleaders is giving out free T-shirts by firing them from air cannons into the crowd, and Homer rudely demands one. Irritated by his antics, Maude goes to buy some hot dogs. Homer draws a target on his chest with ketchup and gains the attention of the cheerleaders. They send a full salvo of T-shirts in his direction, but Homer bends down at the last second to pick up a bobby pin on the ground. Maude returns from the concession stand at that exact moment and is hit by the T-shirts and sent screaming over the edge of the bleachers, hitting the concrete parking lot below. As a crowd quickly gathers, Dr. Hibbert pronounces Maude dead.

Everyone offers their condolences to Ned, and Bart reluctantly spends time with Rod and Todd by playing a Christian video game with them. Even Homer decides to stop acting in a rude manner towards Ned, instead accompanying him back home after the funeral and giving him a goodnight kiss as a gesture of friendship. He also talks with Ned later that night when Ned is unable to sleep due to his loneliness and now having to raise his sons as a widower. Homer reveals to Ned that he parked in the ambulance zone, unintentionally preventing the ambulance from reaching Maude and thus eliminating any chance to rescue her. To help his neighbor get on with his life, Homer secretly makes a videotape of Ned to show to single girls across Springfield. This tape includes Ned taking a shower and a gross footage of Marge giving birth to Maggie that Homer failed to edit out from the final cut. Ned gets to date several women thanks to the tape, including Lindsey Naegle and Edna Krabappel. However, all of the dates are unsuccessful.

On Saturday night, Ned prays to God, but begins to lose faith and becomes angry with him when he feels he is not getting any response. The next morning, Ned is still angry and tells his sons that he will not be going to church, scaring them. Guilt-ridden, he later rushes to church (apologizing repeatedly to God the whole way). Upon entering, he sees a Christian rock band, Kovenant, performing. He is attracted to the singer, Rachel Jordan, who sings about not losing faith in God because he is always there for people. Inspired by the song, Ned later assists Rachel in loading some equipment onto her truck (to which Marge asked Homer to do too but he overreactingly refuses) and confides in her of his loss, with which she sympathizes. He and Rachel become acquainted, but she quickly has to leave for the next stop on the band's tour.