Editor's note This story contains spoilers about Sunday's episode of The Simpsons.
(CNN) How do you keep things fresh in your 26th season If you're The Simpsons you roll out a jaw dropping couch gag AND kill off a Springfield resident while you're at it.
Simpsons fans were warned of a character's impending demise and online speculation had focused on Krusty the Clown. That turned out to be a bit of misdirection however as the doomed Springfielder in question was none other than Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky man of God and father to Krusty Bart's favorite entertainer. There is significant comedic upside to saying a sad shalom to Rabbi Krustofsky including a Jewish funeral complete with a choral reinterpretation of the Itchy Scratchy theme.
With a boatload of Emmys and a Peabody on their very large and very proverbial mantle The Simpsons is an institution with nothing left to prove. And for TV's longest running animated sitcom this summer has been a something of a victory lap complete with FXX's August Every Simpsons Ever marathon a mural unveiled (also in August) in the namesake hometown of Springfield Oregon and September's star studded celebration of The Simpsons at The Hollywood Bowl.
Instead of dropping the mic and resting on its collective laurels they kicked off season 26 with a staggering Don Hertzfeldt directed intro sequence and then went on to prove that in a world where shows can flame out after just a few episodes The Simpsons which premiered in 1989 still has plenty of jokes left in their comedic arsenal.
Back to Krusty the title of this episode is after all Clown In The Dumps. Krusty takes umbrage after the insult humor in his Comedy Cable Channel Roast featuring Jeff Ross and Sarah Silverman cuts a little too close to the bone. Dispirited our clown protagonist throws in the towel apologizes to the comedic troupe in his trousers and abruptly retires.
Krusty nee Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky does some soul searching and decides to seek solace at Temple Beth Springfield where his father presides as rabbi. However before Krusty can get the fatherly advice he needs Rabbi K kicks the bucket.
With his attempt to reconcile with his perpetually disapproving father foiled in the here and now Krusty has a near death experience (Krusty much like Homer Simpson has a history of cardiac events). This affords him and the audience a visit to Jewish Heaven ( where even Portnoy has no complaints ). His Father tells him to go back and help people. Back from the beyond Krusty becomes an animal advocate a nod to Simpsons co creator and producer Sam Simon.
That moment when you realize Homer Simpson really is Krusty The Clown.
Cutty ( LilCutty) September 29 2014In the episode's B storyline a concerned Lisa futilely attempts to get Homer (he of the aforementioned cardiac problems) to live a healthier lifestyle. She even monitors his raging case of sleep apnea via a Daddycam and insulates him from danger by encasing him in bubble wrap. Many of our favorites make an appearance Sideshow Mel and Sideshow Bob visit Krusty's to show their respects and maybe even sit shiva. Otto the bus driver a perpetual menace to Springfield's roads makes his cameo when his school bus hits bubble wrapped Homer.
Speaking of Springfield Fox's other animated stalwart family The Griffins find themselves there in Family Guy's season 13 premiere. After a few jokes about the families respective cartoon hues TV's densest Dads meet and begin an argument over the provenance of Duff and Pawtucket Patriot Ale.
What ensues is a mega meta riff on rip offs and inspiration (acknowledging Family Guy's debt to their cartoon forefathers) and culminating in an epic showdown at the Nuclear Plant. We also get a joke at the expense of their Fox animated brethren Bob's Burgers. And Bart and Stewie collaborate on a prank call gone very wrong (thanks to Stewie) to Moe's Tavern.
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