“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,” Long explained, in an exclusive statement via Variety. “To paraphrase Shakespeare, nothing became Larry’s life like the way he left it: drunk, lonely, and with a butt full of sapphires.”

According to Variety, in the episode, the character of Moe finds Larry dead in the tavern. Specifically, the episode’s logline explains the situation better, by stating that, “when someone in Homer’s life passes away, he and guys from Moe’s go on a roadtrip to scatter the ashes… but will their friendship die as well?” The character of Larry has always been a background character in the animated series since its first episode released in 1989, and it was voiced by Harry Shearer, who voices 21 different characters in the series, according to IMDB. (Saturday Night Live, This Is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind).

“To me, it’s sort of fitting that some fans are taking Larry’s demise as hard as Homer and his friends do,” Long shared, via Variety. “It’s just a measure of how much the show still means to people. I mean, nobody would have been upset if the Flintstones had killed off the Great Gazoo. If anything, they would have been thrilled.”

“The episode is about a lot of things, but mostly it’s about the fear of death. Simpsons characters have always had unusually rich emotional lives, and this episode is really about their anxiety over ‘what comes next’ (and I don’t mean ‘Krapopolis’),” the producer continued, via Variety. “What I think is bittersweet about this episode is that it took Larry’s death to make Homer and his friends appreciate him — and each other.

Long concluded the statement, via Variety, by sharing that, “again, we’re sorry if anyone is upset about Larry’s demise — we certainly didn’t kill the character off lightly. But I also have to point out that Larry was never really one of the show’s breakout stars. I don’t remember any kids wearing a ‘Larry’ t-shirt, or doing a ‘Larry the drunk lonely barfly’ dance. It would have been cool if they had.”

The Simpsons is available to stream on Fox for free, and on Hulu/Disney+ with a subscription.