Fans of The Simpsons were in for a shock this weekend when the long-running series killed off a supporting character.
The supporting figure made their debut on the show in December of 1989 — almost 35 years ago — in the series premiere episode, the Christmas-themed Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire.
In the latest episode — featuring the punny title Cremains Of The Day — viewers learned that Larry the Barfly had died.
Larry had been a member of the intoxicated ensemble frequenting Moe’s Tavern, and he was voiced by Spinal Tap star Harry Shearer, who is known for bringing to life a bevy of characters, including Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, his assistant Smithers, Principal Skinner and the Reverend Lovejoy, among many others.
The show, which came under fire from overly sensitive viewers last year over scenes in which Homer comically strangles his son Bart, often featured Larry alongside the much more prominent Barney Gumble, the comical drunk whose slurred delivery often steals scenes set in the bar.
Although Larry had been around for decades, he never took a prominent role in any episode, and almost nothing was known about the character’s backstory.
That changed with Sunday’s episode, as he was posthumously revealed to be named Lawrence Dalrymple.
In Cremains Of The Day, Homer and his other drinking buddies explored Larry’s surprising history while realizing that they barely knew him.
Simpsons fans reacted on social media with a mixture of surprise and mock shock at the news of the minor character’s death.
‘Not Larry!’ joked one fan who also posted a gif of Marge and the children looking looking stunned.
Read the full story in the Daily Mail.
