Ned and Edna's secret marriage is brought to light — and everyone in Springfield tries to throw a party for them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Krabappel tries to make Todd and Rod socially acceptable.
This episode contains examples of
- Art Shift: Ned has a nightmare animated in claymation.
- Blended Family Drama: As the title indicates, this episode deals with Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel adjusting to life as a married couple parenting Ned's two children. As a teacher herself, Edna doesn't think Rod and Todd's Christian school is up to par and withdraws them without asking Ned's permission, while Ned is concerned about their new environment at Springfield Elementary and about the fact that Edna permits activities outside of Flanders-typical Incredibly Lame Fun.
- Bolt of Divine Retribution: Homer gets hit by one of these after he starts opening Sleazy Sam's money changing branches across Springfield in character as Jesus.Homer: Welcome, money changers. You can trust Sleazy Sam for the best rates, or my name isn't Jesus H- [gets hit by lightning] Ow! Are you gonna do that every time I open one of these?!
- Brick Joke: During the intro, there's a billboard reading "Sleazy Sam's - Remember that Name". Sleazy Sam makes a small appearance at the end of the episode.
- Calling Parents by Their Name: Todd won't call Edna by her first name even when she invites him to as he still sees it as "disrespectful" to address adults in that manner. Cue Bart (audible to them from next door).Bart: Yo Homer! Mom says get your fat ass over to the Flanders'!
- Clothes-Eating Wager: After Ned Flanders gets married to Edna Krabappel, Bart reminds Homer that he vowed to eat his hat if Ned ever got remarried... and his "hat" at the moment is a crown of thorns for playing Jesus in a Passion Play. Fortunately, it's made of licorice.
- Continuity Nod: Homer's Twitter description is "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand," a line from Season 2's "Lisa's Substitute."
- Crippling Overspecialization: When Milhouse tries to get the role of a boy who points in a play, he fails because the direction he's asked to point isn't the same he trained for.
- Damned by Faint Praise: Homer gets the role of Jesus because one look at him and it's clear God will forsaken him.
- Epic Fail: Todd's tricycle has training wheels and he still manages to fall over.
- Gossipy Hens: Helen Lovejoy, Luann van Houten and Bernice Hibbert (Dr. Hibbert's wife, who is supposed to be like Claire Huxtable, since the Hibberts are pretty much the Cosbys), who go to Marge's reception party just to see it turn into a disaster.
- Happily Married: Ned and Edna at the end of the episode.
- He Really Can Act: Homer shows that he has some acting chops in the Passion play.
- Jesus Was Way Cool: Despite his usual disdain for Church and organized religion, Homer leaps at the opportunity to play the role of Jesus in the Passion Play when he hears the director espouse the Messiah's great deeds, namely how He turned water into wine, said simple things that many followed (like Homer does on Twitter), and had an all-night dinner. Even Lisa, who converted to Buddhism, urges Homer to take the role seriously because of how important Jesus is to many people.
- Shout-Out
- Ned's nightmare is styled like Davey and Goliath.
- Rod and Todd get temporary tattoos of a sassy young princess who speaks her mind and a duck with no pants.
