When you think of The Simpsons, the first association is almost always linked to satire, surreal humor and that unique ability to describe American society through the lens of caricature. Yet, over the course of its thirty-seven seasons, the series has demonstrated several times that it is able to face even death with a surprising emotional depth, managing to hit the viewer just when he lets his guard down.
Maude Flanders
Maude Flandersvoiced by Maggie Roswell, has been the perfect counterpart to Ned for years, sharing his kindness, unshakable faith and an almost disarming serenity, and her death comes in a sudden and absurd way during a car race, caccidentally hit by a shirt shot from the stands, event that makes her fall into the void under the incredulous eyes of her husband. Precisely the absurdity of the dynamic makes the moment even more disturbing, because it abruptly breaks the balance of one of the “purest” families in Springfield. Ned’s grief, suddenly left alone with two young children, marks one of the rare moments in which the series abandons the joke to make room for a real and tangible void.
Frank Grimes
Frank Grimesplayed by Hank Azaria, is one of the most tragic characters to ever appear in the series. Introduced as the embodiment of the common but intelligent man, crushed by a life of sacrifices never rewardedGrimes becomes obsessed with the apparent impunity with which Homer walks through existence without consequences. His death, caused by an electric shock during a nervous breakdown, is as grotesque as it is profoundly bitter. Even crueler is the funeral, unintentionally transformed into a gag with Homer falling asleep and asking to change the channel.
Bleeding Gums Murphy
The disappearance of Bleeding Gums Murphy is striking for its discretion in one of the most emotional episodes of the Simpsons series. Jazz musician and Lisa’s first true mentor, he represented an artistic and human point of reference for her. His death occurs off-screen, without detailed explanations, but this narrative choice amplifies the emotional impact. Lisa deals with the loss of someone for the first time whom he deeply admired, and the viewer experiences the pain through his eyes. The final moment, with Murphy symbolically appearing in the clouds to play with her one last time, is one of the most delicate and melancholy of the entire series.
Mona Simpson
Mona Simpson, Homer’s mother, is a complex character, marked by absence and the guilt of having abandoned her son Homer,in fact after abandoning his family to escape the FBIreturns to her son’s life several times, without ever managing to completely heal the emotional fracture between them. His death, which occurred in his sleep immediately after a harsh confrontation with Homer, is devastating precisely because of what remains unresolved. Homer realizes too late that he has wasted his last chance to reconcile, turning grief into regret.
Edna Krabappel
The death of Edna Krabappel is perhaps the most painful because it is directly linked to reality. After the death of her historic voice actress, Marcia Wallace, the authors decide to retire the character with a tribute episode that arrives only years later. The final montage, which celebrates the teacher’s most iconic moments, reveals how important she was even to those students who seemed to despise her. The fact that Ned Flanders becomes a widower again adds another layer of melancholy.
They are Christmas Holidays It is one of today’s best sellers.
Related News :