In the season 36 finale of The Simpsons, titled ‘Estranger Things’, viewers were stunned by a dramatic flash-forward that appeared to confirm the death of Marge Simpson.
Set 35 years in the future, the episode shows a grown-up Bart and Lisa navigating life without their mother, while Marge is seen watching over them from the afterlife.
Despite the uproar, creators have clarified that Marge’s apparent death is not permanent.
The episode’s events are part of a speculative future and not a final goodbye, so we can see her on our screens for a little longer!
For now, fans can breathe – Marge isn’t going anywhere just yet, but here are some characters who are most definitely not coming back.
Maude Flanders
Maude was killed in season 11’s ‘Alone Again, Natura-Diddily’ when she fell from the bleachers after being hit by a barrage of T-shirts from a cannon.
Many fans were shocked and saddened by the loss, especially since Maude was a long-time character.
Critics viewed her death as sudden and driven by behind-the-scenes casting issues.
Many fans label Maude’s death as the ‘worst’.
@Irondhosea took to X to say, ‘You can’t kill Marge. Hell, I’m still not over Maude dying.’
‘The worst death was probably Maude’s. There were good moments, but it was a bad call to turn her death into a punchline.’ @fingerdrawings on X added.
Rabbi Hyman Krustofski (Krusty’s Dad)
Rabbi Hyman Krustofski died of natural causes in season 26’s Clown in the Dumps episode, during a heart-to-heart with Krusty.
Many viewers were not shocked by this on-screen death as his character was visibly getting on.
Some viewers were even disappointed after heavy promotion of the episode promised a major death.
While it was emotional for Krusty the clown losing his father, many felt the execution lacked impact.
Dr Nick Riviera
Dr Nick Riviera was famous for his questionable medicine practise.
However he was presumed killed in The Simpsons Movie when the dome crashes through Springfield, crushing him.
He shouts his infamous last line, ‘Bye, everybody!’
His death was played for laughs, and though not officially confirmed in the series, fans noted the absence of such a beloved comic relief character.
Not all fans felt the sadness of Dr Nick’s death with @theletus on Reddit saying, ‘He was never popular.’
Mona Simpson (Homer’s Mum)
Main character, Homer Simpson’s mother died off-screen in Season 19’s Mona Leaves-a of natural causes episode.
Her final episode was touching and gave closure to her complex relationship with Homer.
Many fans found it one of the show’s more heartfelt moments.
Since her emotional exit, Mona has appeared in certain episodes through dreams and flashbacks.
Some viewers see how these cameos are heartwarming, however @ileaad took to Reddit to share their thoughts: ‘What was the point of killing Mona if they keep bringing her back -either through flashbacks, dreams, or visits to the afterlife. It just seems unnecessary now. Have they ever explained this?’
Bleeding Gums Murphy
Bleeding Gums Murphy sadly passed away in the hospital in Season six after a brief illness.
Fans deemed this episode as a deeply emotional one to watch.
The jazz funeral and Lisa’s tribute made it one of the most poignant early character deaths in the show.
‘Bleeding Gums’s death was the best one. It’s tough to balance the zaniness and seriousness. This episode was the only one to do it well, in my opinion.’ @fingerpaintings on X said.
Edna Krabappel
If you know The Simpsons, you know Bart’s school teacher – Edna Krabappel.
Edna’s character was written out of the show due to the heartbreaking loss of her voice actor, Marcia Wallace.
Her death was implied in season 25 after a quiet chalkboard tribute was shown in her honour.
Viewers were devasted by the news that Marcia had passed away, as many were fans of the trope between her character and Bart.
@bobdieker on Reddit said, ‘It’s too bad. Simpsons can never really have a proper ending now. I always imagined some final scene between her and Bart.’
Fat Tony
Fat Tony was one of the characters often shown in Moe’s bar.
He is shown to have a heart attack in Season 22 – where he is pronounced dead.
He is replaced by his cousin, Fit Tony – who later becomes the new Fat Tony.
Long-time fans found the character switch humorous but many wondered if it was necessary to the story line.
‘Tony died and got replaced by his cousin but then he just became identical to his cousin in the same episode so none of that really mattered.’ @whipplefingers said on X.
‘It was so stupid that they had his brother replace him and then acted like it never happened.’ @viper_visionary added on Reddit.
Larry the Barfly (Larry Dalrymple)
Larry the Barfly, another local from Moe’s pub, was not given a formal on-screen death, but was confirmed as deceased in Season 25 with a silent tribute.
There was not much light shed on what actually happened, just that he would no longer appear on screen.
Being a background character, his death didn’t cause much of an uproar amongst viewers – with some not even realising he had gone.
Despite the mild response, there were some fans who felt emotional at the news of Larry’s passing
‘How the Simpsons got me feeling for a character who’s had like three lines across the entire series? Nevermind the crocodile thing, this was the saddest character death for me this week’ @mrduby said on X
Frank Grimes
Frank Grimes famously died in ‘Homer’s Enemy’ , season 8 – many viewers recognise his death as one of the most memorable.
Grimes was very straight-laced and worked alongside Homer – his incompetence at work drove him mad, especially how it often got rewarded.
In an attempt to impersonate Homer, Frank accidentally electrocuted himself by mocking Homer’s reckless behaviour and grabbing high-voltage wires.
His famous last words were: ‘I don’t need safety gloves, because I’m Homer Sim…..ZAP’
Fans had mixed views over ‘Grimey’s’ death, with @diamondpickhand taking to Reddit to say: ‘Grimes was a class traitor and got what he deserved. His real enemy was Burns, not Homer.’
Snowball II
After the death of The Simpson’s white family cat, who was run over and only appears in flashbacks, they decided to buy Snowball II.
Snowball II unfortunately also suffered a similar death after being run over by Dr Hibbert’s car at the end of season 15.
It is hilarious how many cats the family have had since their beloved Snowball II and Lisa names each cat Snowball to add to the comedy.
His death was emotional for fans as it was clear how attached Lisa was to him, as she still mentions him in seasons past the tragic event.
@another_bug on X said, ‘Most underrated character. Needs more screen time, less dying.’
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