TV show deaths are often the hardest moments in a story, and there’s no easy way to deal with the loss of your favorite character.
We’ve all been shocked by a sudden death on screen, and it’s not something for the weak-hearted.
There was Dean… a few times in Supernatural, Enzo, Stefan, Bonnie (a few times), and Jeremy (a few times as well) in The Vampire Diaries.
Then there’s most of the cast in The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones.
Shows always know how to hit you in the feels, but this time, they went all out.
Fans of The Simpsons haven’t had to face many tough moments like this, but there was one death that hit everyone hard because it was so unexpected.
You’re probably still hurting over this death, and it’s okay to grieve the loss of a key character.
Everyone remembers the beloved drunk character and regular at Moe’s Tavern, Larry the Barfly, also known as Larry Dalrymple.
His love for drinking Duff beer like it was water with the gang was unforgettable, but in episode 765, the show’s creators decided to end the character’s run, even though he was loved by fans.
For 35 years, people watched Larry, and his life ended too soon.
In the episode “Cremains the Day,” Larry suddenly dies at the bar.
Afterward, there’s a touching moment at Larry’s funeral where Homer, Moe, Lenny, and Carl realize they knew almost nothing about their longtime friend.
Fans were devastated by this twist in the show’s storyline and quickly took to X to share their thoughts on his death.
One user wrote a day before the episode aired: “Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute.”
Another said: “Really enjoyed last night’s Simpsons episode. But I couldn’t stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry’s best friend, Sam.”
A third said: “Holy s**t Larry from The Simpsons died, rest in peace my drunken king.”
This led to co-executive producer Tim Long telling TMZ that he was “sorry” for upsetting fans and that his death was meant to have a big emotional impact.
But why Larry, of all people?
Long explained that he wanted to “hit the audience hard” with Larry’s death because, despite his small role on The Simpsons, he was a beloved character.
He shared with Variety in an email: “I’m sorry if some fans are upset, but we really wanted to use Larry’s death as a way to show that even the most peripheral people in our lives have dignity and worth and that we really shouldn’t take anyone for granted.”
The scenes that follow his death, show the Tavern crew reflecting on their friendship with Larry, how they treated him, and how they could have such a long relationship without knowing much about him.
It was meant to be a moment of self-reflection for the characters, and it had that effect.
In his email, Long added: “To paraphrase Shakespeare, nothing became Larry’s life like the way he left it: drunk, lonely, and with a butt full of sapphires.”
