The Simpsons has killed off a beloved character after almost 34 years on the show.
The iconic animated series, which follows a satirical portrayal of the middle-class American lifestyle, first aired in 1987 as a cartoon short on the Tracy Ullman Show, a variety program on the Fox Broadcasting Company
The show then expanded to half-hour episodes on December 17, 1989, and began regularly gracing our TV screens from January 1990 onward.
The long-standing sitcom is currently in the midst of its 35th season and has also been renewed for season 36, taking it past the 800-episode mark, and into early 2025.
Check out this clip of The Simpsons seemingly predicting that Elon Musk would buy X (formerly Twitter).The Simpsons has birthed many iconic characters such as Larry the Barfly - whose full name was Larry Dalrymple.
He occasionally donned a dark red jacket and sat at Moe’s Tavern, drinking a beer and looking a bit downcast. He rarely said anything but popped up sporadically while Homer was drinking with Barney, Lenny, and Carl.
Last weekend, viewers were left in shock during the 'Cremains the Day' episode as the character – who was first voiced by Harry Shearer in the 1989 episode Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire - dropped dead at the bar.
Following the 42-year-old's untimely death, Homer, Moe, Carl, and Lenny were all seen at his funeral to pay their respects.
However, Homer started to question if they were "terrible people" after realizing they knew almost nothing about their late friend despite spending so much time with him, per Digital Spy.
Fans took to their social media to react to the sudden moment with sadness, with many expressing fondness for the beloved character.
"Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow," one upset user wrote. "I need a minute."
Another said: "I can’t believe they killed off Larry Dalrymple on The Simpsons last night," while a third commented: "I’m shocked to find out the passing of my long-time friend and hero Larry from The Simpsons has passed."
A fourth shared: "One thing about the latest Simpsons episode is that all jokes aside, Larry The Barfly’s life is really f***ing sad and tragic."
Meanwhile, others confessed that they were unaware of Larry’s name before this episode, with one person writing: “I’m over 30 and younger than 40..been watching The Simpsons all my life and just discovered the name of the guy that sits in the bar is named Larry.”
"I don't believe the Larry character from the Simpsons has ever had a speaking role," they clarified in a follow-up post.
After the episode aired, Simpsons writer Matt Selman paid tribute to the team behind the emotional episode.
"'Cremains of the Day' — @TheSimpsons episode 765, brilliantly written by John Frink, stunningly co-run by @mrtimlong & daringly directed by Gabriel DeFrancesco," he penned.
I don't think I've felt grief like this since Maude Flanders was pelted off the Springfield Speedway by a t-shirt cannon.
.jpg_vOvPo8?tr=h-184)
.jpg_PwXmKg?tr=h-184)
