Simpsons kills off fan-fave character
Longtime fans of The Simpsons were left in shock after the sitcom killed off one of its most famous characters this week — Larry the Barfly. According to the New York Post, the balding Larry has had a spot at Moe's Tavern since the Season 1 episode Homer's Odyssey, which aired back in January 1990.
Larry rarely had any dialogue, but was often seen in the background. In the Season 2 episode Bart Gets Hit by a Car, the beer drinker gave Marge Simpson a once-over and shouted, “Who's the chick?”
Following his demise Sunday night, Homer, Moe and bar regulars Lenny and Carl hit the road to scatter his ashes, but realize that they barely knew the man who thought of them as his “best friends.” When Larry's mother asks them to share some “fond memories” of her son, the group tells a made-up story about a time they all went fishing together.
On social media, people at home lamented Larry's “really f---ing sad and tragic” life and urged fellow watchers to “raise your glasses to Larry the Barfly.”
“He died unloved in a bar,” one viewer wrote on X, with another adding, “If there's a character that embodies Eleanor Rigby, it's Larry the Barfly.”
But several other fans blamed Larry's lifestyle for his death. “I cannot believe people are griping about Larry the Barfly being killed off! C'mon people, Larry did nothing to curb his alcoholism so he died. Get real. Actually, if you are like Larry: get sober!” one person wrote.
On Reddit, news of Larry's passing was the subject of debate as it generated hundreds of comments.
“In many ways Larry was a supporting player in our lives,” one fan observed. “He didn't grab our attention with memorable catch phrases or comical accents. But, whether you noticed him or not, Larry was always there ... and we thought he always would be.”
Still, others claimed that they had hardly any recollection of the character. “Honestly, I didn't know that barfly's name was Larry...” one person wrote.