A longtime 'Simpsons' character was killed off. Fans aren't taking it very well

Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY
Updated

Simpsons fans are in mourning over the loss of a long-time regular at Moe’s Tavern.

The choice to kill off  Larry “The Barfly” hit fans hard, even though he only ever appeared in the series as a background character, drinking beer at the bar. He also didn’t talk much, according to the Simpsons Wiki fandom page.

It wasn’t a huge surprise to fans, with Matt Selman, executive producer and showrunner for The Simpsons asking them on April 18 to guess who would be killed off a couple days ahead of the newest episode.

Homer publicly disparages a pop singer and faces the ire of her vindictive and highly organized fan army in the "Fan-ily Feud" episode of The Simpsons.
Homer publicly disparages a pop singer and faces the ire of her vindictive and highly organized fan army in the "Fan-ily Feud" episode of The Simpsons.

“Someone will die in this Sunday's all-new episode of @TheSimpsons!  Who will breathe their last?” Selman wrote on X.

Even though the overwhelming majority guessed Larry “The Barfly,” fans couldn’t help but express their disappointment and surprise in the comments following the episode.

Any 'Simpsons' death is a 'huge' deal, no matter the character

Tim Long, a co-executive producer of the show, told TMZ that Larry "The Barfly's" death was supposed to elicit a strong response from diehard fans, saying that it "speaks to how beloved the show still is."

Especially since fans seemed to take it as hard as "as Homer and the gang did during the episode."

It doesn't really matter how small Larry's role was because characters on "The Simpsons" don't die often. So, its a pretty big deal when they do, TMZ reported.

"'Flintstones' fans wouldn't have flinched if the show killed off the reviled character, The Great Gazoo ... so, it's nice to know fans care about all the characters who make Springfield what it is," Long said.

Larry joins a handful of other memorable characters who have been killed off over the course of the show's 35 seasons, including Bleeding Gums Murphy, Maude Flanders, Edna Krabappel and the original Snowball, according to a FOX affiliate.

Diehard Simpsons fans react online, dedicate posts to the Larry ‘The Barfly’

Not much is known about Larry "The Barfly" despite all of the love he seems to be getting online. He dropped dead while drinking a beer, in the very same place a majority of have seen him: Moe's Tavern.

It's not until "Cremains of the Day" episode that fans learn a little more about Larry, who would often talk about his "best friends" at Moe’s Tavern, according to reporting by Digital Spy.

Homer, Moe, Carl and Lenny attend the funeral to pay their respects following the barfly's "untimely death," Digital Spy reported. Homer realized that they knew almost nothing about Larry despite drinking beers alongside them.

They concocted a fake fishing story after Larry's mother asked the friends to share "fond memories" of her son. The episode ends with them spreading Larry's ashes at one of his favorite places, according to Digital Spy.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diehard 'Simpsons' fans react to death of series regular

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