Why The Simpsons Season 35 Killed Off A Character Who Has Been Around Since Season 1

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 35, episode 15.

Summary Larry's death in The Simpsons Season 35 impacted viewers emotionally.

The show rarely kills off characters permanently, keeping most figures alive.

Larry was a background character in the early seasons, appearing in many episodes.

While The Simpsons still has a massive cast, the show’s lineup got a little bit smaller in season 35 as the series bid adieu to one character that had been around since season 1. The Simpsons has been on the air for 35 years and, in that time, the series has introduced thousands of characters to viewers. While The Simpsons season 36 might change this, the series shows no sign of slowing down when it comes to expanding its sprawling fictional universe. The Simpsons season 35 has introduced over a dozen new characters in its first fourteen episodes alone.

Since the Simpsons never age, it is pretty easy for the show to keep almost all of these figures alive. Indeed, in over 760 episodes, The Simpsons has killed off only a handful of characters permanently in canon. Although the show's annual Treehouse of Horror outings are veritable bloodbaths, these Halloween specials are grisly precisely because they aren't part of the show’s canon. Despite how dark The Simpsons season 35 gets at times, the show is still slow to take any names off its roster for good. However, season 35, episode 15, “Cremains of the Day,” did just that.

Larry The Barfly's Death In The Simpsons Season 35 Explained

Larry Dies While Sitting In Moe’s In Episode 15

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The Simpsons killed off Larry Dalrymple in “Cremains of the Day,” with the quiet barfly slumping over at Moe’s while the rest of the gang were distracted by a football game. After Moe lost a bet, he turned to face Larry. The bartender, Homer, Carl, and Lenny were horrified to realize that the character had been dead in his chair for some time. The group then attend Larry’s funeral, where they were disturbed to discover that he considered them his best friends even though none of the gang knew him all that well outside of Moe’s Tavern.

Most of the episode’s story focused less on the specifics of Larry’s character and more on how his death affected Homer and his friends. The Simpsons season 35 death proved Homer’s worst character trait is still his persistent thoughtlessness, as he confessed that he never bothered to learn more about Larry despite spending years in his company. Lenny and Carl argued over differing interpretations of the afterlife to soothe themselves in Larry's absence. Moe, meanwhile, was distracted by the discovery that Larry was smuggling valuable gemstones when he died, and they remained untarnished, sitting inside his urn, after his cremation.

Which Episodes Of The Simpsons Larry Appeared In Before His Death

Larry Was A Mainstay In Early Seasons And The Golden Age Of The Simpsons

Larry appeared in a string of episodes early in the history of The Simpsons and was a background character in countless outings. He had his first speaking role in season 2, episode 10, “Bart Gets Hit by a Car,” when he wolf-whistled at Marge after she entered Moe’s Tavern. He was later heard again in season 7, episode 2, “Radioactive Man,” where he commiserated with Moe about the bartender’s short-lived time starring in the Lil’ Rascals. Larry played a minor role in The Simpsons but was present in many episodes, including a couple of classic outings.

Episode Number Episode Title Original Air Date 23 "Bart Gets Hit By A Car" January 10, 1991 75 "Duffless" February 18, 1993 130 "Radioactive Man" September 24, 1995 162 "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)" January 5, 1997 463 "The Bob Next Door" May 16, 2010 498 "Moe Goes From Rags to Riches" January 29, 2012 765 "Cremains of the Day" April 21, 2024

In season 8, episode 9, “El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer),” Larry called Homer a colleague while Homer was on a trippy vision quest. Although Larry’s fellow barfly Barney has a bigger role in The Simpsons, Larry did crop up in one of Barney’s most memorable episodes. In season 4, episode 16, “Duffless", Barney caused Homer to get a DUI when he encouraged Lou and Eddie to breathalyze him. Homer gave up drinking for thirty days, improving his marriage in the process. When he returned to Moe’s Tavern, Larry was present as usual.

What The Simpsons' Producer Has Said About Larry's Death

The Show’s Creators Killed Off Larry To Impact Viewers Emotionally

Since The Simpsons rarely kills off characters, any canon death is a pretty big deal.

Larry was also seen in a prison cell in season 21, episode 22, “The Bob Next Door,” which may have foreshadowed his secret criminal activities in “Cremains of the Day.” While this wild twist did add some action to the outing, it also undercuts the emotional impact of Larry’s unexpected death. Some of the greatest episodes of The Simpsons deal with serious themes, and producer Tim Long told TMZ that the episode was intended to “Hit the audience hard” despite Larry’s minimal role in the series. Since The Simpsons rarely kills off characters, any canon death is a pretty big deal.

There is no denying that Long’s goal was achieved since Larry’s death is undeniably impactful. Although the episode’s closing act takes a turn for the absurd due to the gem smuggling plot, the early scenes dealing with the fallout of Larry’s death are surprisingly moving. The show doesn't shy away from the idea that Homer, Lenny, Carl, and Moe failed to find common ground with the barfly they whiled away hours of their lives beside, and the silliness of the subsequent action set pieces not robbing this idea of its bittersweet power proves The Simpsons season 35’s writing is strong.

Other Characters Who Have Been Killed Off On The Simpsons (& Stayed Dead)

The Simpsons Kills Off Very Few Characters Despite Its 760-Episode Run

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The Simpsons has killed off a few characters before but, usually, these are characters who died in the same episode as their first appearance. Their deaths are typically central to the storyline of the episode, as seen in season 8, episode 23, “Homer’s Enemy.” This infamous episode saw Homer's eponymous enemy Frank Grimes accidentally die by electrocution while imitating Homer's tomfoolery. Similarly, season 10, episode 17, “Maximum Homerdrive,” saw a trucker named Red Barclay die to give Homer and Bart an excuse to deliver his cargo and experience some father-son bonding during their lengthy road trip.

The only characters who died after earlier appearances were Maude Flanders, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Edna Krabappel, and Mona Simpson. Mona and Bleeding Gums Murphy were killed off to provide Homer and Lisa with two of their most poignant character arcs ever, while Edna Krabappel was killed due to her real-life actor's untimely death. Maude Flanders was killed off due to a disagreement between the network and her voice actor although, ironically, the actor was rehired only a year later. Despite this, the character remained dead. Outside of these isolated instances, The Simpsons has seldom killed off any of its characters permanently.

Episode Number Episode Title Air Date 1 "Homer's Crossing" October 1 2 "A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream" October 8 3 "McMansion and Wife" October 22 4 "Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story" October 29 5 "Treehouse of Horror XXXIV" November 5 6 "Iron Marge" November 12 7 "It's A Blunderful Life" November 19 8 "Ae Bonny Romance" December 3 9 "Murder, She Boat" December 17 10 "Do The Wrong Thing" December 24 11 "Frinkenstein's Monster" February 18 12 "Lisa Gets An F1" February 25 13 "Clan of the Cave Mom" March 24 14 "Night of the Living Wage" April 7 15 "Cremains of the Day" April 21