'Worst episode ever!': Simpsons fans are less than impressed with character death in season premiere that was hyped up for almost a year
- Executive producer Al Jean revealed last year a lead character will die
- Fans have been analyzing cryptic clues by show's writers for months
- 26th season premiered tonight, fans taken to social media enraged
It has been almost a year of anxious speculation.
But when the moment came for a 'major character' on The Simpsons to be killed off, viewers were less than impressed.
It was Krusty The Clown's father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky.
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Not so dramatic? Fans blasted the long-awaited death of a 'major' character on The Simpsons tonight
Goodbye: Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, Krusty The Clown's father, was axed in the season 26 premiere
And if social media is anything to go by, the character voiced by Emmy winner Jackie Mason will not be missed.
One Facebook user raged: 'Krusty's dad... Lame worst episode ever! Lol'
Another said: 'I was more upset when Frank Grimes died. And he was only on one episode.'
And one simply remarked: 'That death was not a main character.'
Creators have spent 11 months giving tantalizingly cryptic interviews regarding the victim that would be axed in much-hyped episode.
In April, executive producer Al Jean told reporters the actor who plays the character has won an Emmy award for his Simpsons work - but that applies to numerous actors, including all six members of the main cast: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer.
Last week he refused to confirm or deny any of the suggested victims, saying: 'Some people have guessed it correctly, and some are really, really off.'
When a reporter asked him if religion plays a part in the death, he simply replied 'yes'.
Jean admits that he decided to make the episode a mysterious secret on a whim while speaking to journalists last fall.
And he also revealed it is 'likely' Rabbi Krustofsky will return to the show in Krusty's dreams.
He told Entertainment Weekly: 'I thought it would be a little sneaky to say that the character had won an Emmy and the next thing I knew it was a huge, worldwide story.
Defense: Executive producer Al Jean said the rabbi is beloved but he did say the episode was over-hyped
'So from that point on, we tried to tease it as best as possible but as you can see, there’s really about three clues you can give. It’s pretty obvious.'
Jean even claims the episode title, Clown In The Dumps was made deliberately easy in order to play down the hype.
He said: 'Then there were people going, “You’re killing Krusty???” And I was like, “What? In the dumps doesn’t mean you’re dead. It means you’re sad.”
'I thought it was so obvious. I would be nuts to kill Krusty. Everybody loves that character.'
Rebuffing fans' disappointment, he said, 'I never said it’s an iconic character. I never used those words,' adding: 'He is beloved. Jackie Mason is wonderful.
'If you look back at the clues we gave, everything adds up, so I would find that satisfying. I wouldn’t feel like I was misled.'
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