The Simpsons Kills Off Surprise Character After 35 Years

The Simpsons has killed off a surprising character with the newest episode of Season 35, and with it also reminded fans of a character they might have forgotten about in the background! The Simpsons is no stranger to death both as a result of the real actors passing away (and thus having their characters retired from the series), but also as a result of shaking things up for the sake of a story. The Simpsons has done the latter with the newest episode of the long running animated series by removing a character that has an impact on Homer and his buddies, but not too big on the series at large. 

The Simpsons Season 35 Episode 15, "Cremains of the Day," sparks its episode with the surprising death of Larry, one of the barflies that had been seen drinking alongside Homer, Carl, and Lenny at Moe's since the very first broadcast episode of the series, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." While the character has really only spoken two lines through the 35 seasons, his death ends up bringing Homer and his buddies closer together as they seek out a way to honor Larry's memory of them as his friends. 

The Simpsons: Larry's Death Explained

"Cremains of the Day" begins with Homer, Carl, and Lenny having a conversation with Moe at the bar like usual, and when Moe loses a bet on a football game he tries to kick everyone out in anger. But Larry doesn't move. He stays stiff, and even started making squishing noises when Moe tried to poke him in the eye to wake him up. It's clear that he's died, but a cause of death is not revealed. 

At his funeral (with only Larry's mother attending), it's explained that Larry's full name is Lawrence Dalrymple, and he saw Homer and the others as his best friends (that he dubbed the "Moe's Bros"). But as the episode demonstrated (and as fans know too well), Homer and the others didn't really see it the same way as a montage reveals many of the times Larry sadly continued to drink alone while Homer and the others were hanging out together on their adventures seen in the series. 

When Marge guilts all of them about the fact they never noticed Larry was so sad, they decide to spread his ashes at Serenity Falls, a place that Larry imagined he and his bros would visit one day. Through the travel Homer and his friends actually grow closer to one another (and dealing with the death that had a bigger impact on them than expected), and it's revealed that Larry was involved in a jewel smuggling scheme. Fun reveals all around. 

If you wanted to check out The Simpsons Season 35, you can watch the episodes now on Hulu and the previous 34 seasons with Disney+.