Tim Long, executive producer of ‘The Simpsons’, addressed the death of one of animation’s longest-lived characters — and which left fans shocked on social media. The fatality happens in the recently released 15th episode of the 35th season.
SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT CONTINUE READING THE TEXT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHICH CHARACTER DIED IN ‘THE SIMPSONS’.
In an interview with the North American website TMZ, Tim Long spoke about the death of Larry, one of the most loyal customers of the traditional Moe’s Bar. He was often seen sitting alongside other important characters, such as Homer Simpson himself and his friends Barney, Lenny, Carl and Sam.
Larry rarely had any lines in the episodes, but visually he was always a participative figure in the environment. The chapter that portrays death also brought more details about the character’s personal life.
According to Tim, the creative team intended to reach the public hard, especially older animation fans.
Larry appeared for the first time in 1989 and was normally present at Moe’s Bar; Every now and then, he would have a line. For the executive producer, it doesn’t matter if the character barely participated in the story — the whole commotion comes from the fact that deaths are very rare in animation, which makes this situation something grand anyway.
Tim Long still guarantees that he is sorry for the fans who were upset with the creative team’s decision, but points out a positive side of this for ‘The Simpsons’: it shows how much the animation is still loved by fans, who felt the loss of Larry almost as much as Homer in the episode. For the producers, it’s good to know that the audience cares in this way — even after 35 seasons.
Well, he takes the opportunity to consider that — despite the general commotion — it’s not like they killed Moe or Barney, secondary and very important characters in the story. In other words, the test of the public’s heart shouldn’t go that far, and the health of the most beloved characters will probably be guaranteed for eternity.
