The Simpsons aired its 26th season premiere last night, and after nearly a year of anticipation around which character would be killed off, the result was decidedly non-climactic. While many speculated that Krusty would be the one to go during last night’s episode “Clown in the Dumps,†it was – and here comes the big spoiler – Krusty’s father Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, voiced by Jackie Mason, who died and went to “Jewish Heaven.†Last year Al Jean hinted that the character’s voice actor won an Emmy for the role, which Mason did in 1992.
Speaking to THR, showrunner Al Jean reflected on what he called an “over-hyped†lead-up to the death reveal, which he says was more about making “an emotional episode about someone losing their dad†than hyping up a recurring character death: “It was something that we did not plan in any way as a possible event. I had suggested that we do an episode where Krusty’s father passes away and the last word he says to Krusty is, ‘eh.’ I thought it would be funny and sad to deal with that being the last thing your father says to you.†Jean also said it’s been funny to watch “the way that people took something that was not intended to be a brainteaser and completely tied themselves into a knot and then wouldn’t believe it when someone told them the truth.â€