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The shocking death in The Simpsons season 39 premiere gets a candid explanation from the show’s executive producers. The long-running animated series made headlines by killing off the beloved Marge Simpson, in a non-canon episode, earlier this year. It may have sent off another character, who is very familiar, though perhaps not by name.
The Simpsons’ season 39 premiere features a line in which Mr. Dewey Largo, Lisa’s music teacher, is seemingly confirmed to have died. The episode leaves enough room for doubt, mentioning that it’s possible that Largo might have just been summoned for jury duty instead.
In an interview with TVLine, co-executive producers Cesar Mazariegos and Jessica Conrad clarified that the long-running character is not actually dead. The duo responded with a straightforward “no” when asked whether Largo was actually dead. Conrad, who wrote the premiere episode, dismisses the idea that he’d be killed off-camera. Read their quotes below:
Conrad: “For something like this, I would welcome the riling up if you actually believe that would kill him off off-camera.”
Mazariegos: “When we killed off Larry the Barfly last year, that was a big discussion. ‘How do we do it? Should it be that guy, or should it be trucker hat guy?’ Anything that’s that big, where there’s a whole episode about it, we for sure think about it. But we usually don’t want to get rid of our characters. And it’s such a cartoony world. We know even if Moleman is in a car that explodes, it doesn’t mean he’s dead forever.”
What Mr. Dewey Largo Means For The Simpsons
Lisa becomes something of a style icon in The Simpsons season 39 premiere. This leads her to get an invitation to a secret fashion club, located where the music room used to be. This is when Lisa is told, to her surprise, that Mr. Largo has died. Or he’s simply been called for jury duty. The throwaway line is left without clarification.
Making his debut in the very first episode of The Simpsons, voiced by veteran cast member Harry Shearer, Largo has been a mainstay throughout The Simpsons. He most recently appeared in season 36. Although not a major figure, he is known for his frustration with students and even showed up as part of music class in the comedy’s extended opening sequence.
Despite his relatively minor presence, viewers do know a bit about Largo’s personal life. That includes the fact that he was seemingly in a relationship with Smithers, a much more major supporting character, and the executive producers are correct in mentioning that they could likely get a whole episode out of Largo’s demise if they decided to go in that direction.
Our Take On The Simpsons Killing Off Mr. Largo
Marge and Homer in The Simpsons
The throwaway line is just a bit of a gag to get across how little the students think of their teachers and perhaps this teacher, Mr. Largo, in particular. But in a premiere episode that was mostly about Lisa experiencing a change in her social status once again, the brief mention actually does elevate the status of a character that has mostly operated in the background of The Simpsons.
Release Date
December 17, 1989
Network
FOX
Showrunner
Al Jean
Directors
Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
Writers
J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O’Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)