[vlunkr]

> He’s just kind of a normal-ish OK guy who’s not a compelling foil to Homer.

I’ve heard that the idea behind Flanders was to invert the “wacky neighbor” trope (think Kramer) that was prevalent in sitcoms at the time.

Being a normal and competent father is what makes him a foil to homer. I think both versions of the character are good.

[RC_ITR]

But he’s not that good of a father. Dead Putters Society Ned is a villain for doing the exact same thing to Tod as Homer does to Bart.

I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just a little off and somewhat muddy, because the character is still so undeveloped.