Place your bets on The Simpsons: A tipster's guide to who's going to be killed off
As The Simpsons has been renewed for a 26th season, here's an unofficial forecast of which character will die this season or next, a plot that executive produce Al Jean has recently alluded to in reports
Lenny Leonard – 30 to 1: Good old Lenny, a cool dullard much loved by everyone especially his best pal Carl, with whom he may or may not be sleeping with. Lenny is also Homer’s sort of second-best friend (after Barney) and is routinely part of the big guy’s wacky adventures. When Homer captained a submarine, Lenny was manning the bridge. Lenny has no family to mourn him but it’s hard to imagine The Simpsons without him. Not Lenny. Not Lenny!
Mr. Burns – 30 to 1: As Springfield’s oldest and wealthiest citizen, and already kind of cadaverous, Burns seems the obvious candidate to get knocked off but his evil qualities still make him a longshot. The old coot still factors prominently in storylines and sometimes pops into the Simpsons’ adventures for no particular reason at all. Think of it this way: With Burns dead, who would become the most reviled man in Springfield? And whatever would become of his lickspittle Smithers?
Bumblebee Man – 25 to 1: Maybe Bumblebee Man knew what he was talking about when he said, “Ay! Dios no me ama!” (“God doesn’t love me!”). The oddball Latino TV entertainer has remained unchanged in 25 seasons and no reason to believe anyone would really raise a fuss over his passing. Strangely, there’s never been any explanation why Springfield would have a Latino TV channel in the first place.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon – 25 to 1: As Springfield’s beloved convenience clerk, he’s sure got the right job for an easy killing. By rough count, he’s been shot by the resident hoodlum Snake at least four times! Working against his demise is the fact he’s also the father to sextuplets. It’s unlikely Simpsons creator Matt Groening would sanction Apu’s death and leave his wife Manjula a widow with six screaming kids.
Comic Book Guy – 20 to 1: Could he be more in the crosshairs for extinction? CMB is a big bulky nerd who already had one heart attack and isn’t likely to survive an encore. He’s become a sporadic character on The Simpsons in recent seasons and really, where else can they take him? CMB has already slept with Agnes Skinner, what’s left?
Agnes Skinner – 15 to 1: And then there’s shrill Agnes. If Anthony Perkins’ calcified dead mother in Psycho could walk and talk, she would be this woman. Harsh-tongued and bitter beyond reason, Agnes is a control freak who has pretty much ruined the life of her son Seymour–and he’s not even her real son! Plus, one episode showed her as a wing-walker in the roaring twenties, which puts her at roughly the century mark. She may be the only person in Springfield older than Mr. Burns.
Sideshow Bob – 15 to 1: Well, nobody can say Sideshow Bob didn’t have it coming. He framed Krusty the Clown and has tried to kill Bart on multiple occasions (seven times, apparently). He’s spent most of his adult life in prison. Perhaps worst of all, he’s an insufferable snob. Also: Sideshow Bob, as voiced by Kelsey Grammer, is a fairly well-known guest player on The Simpsons, so knocking him off would certainly get people talking about the season 26 launch.
Krusty the Clown – 15 to 1: After several decades in show business, and a hardcore lifestyle, Krusty could be taking his final curtain call. Beyond the string of heart attacks, Krusty is a strong candidate for erasure simply because he’s a primary Simpsons character, and the show’s creators likely wouldn’t have pre-announced a death if it was, say, Sideshow Mel getting the tap. Also, longtime Simpsons producer Al Jean provided a hint by saying the character getting killed off was voiced by an Emmy-winner. Krusty’s voice is done by Dan Castellaneta, who has four Emmys on his mantle.
Abe Simpson – 10 to 1: He’s not getting any younger, that’s for sure, and Abe has surely packed a lot of living into his lifetime. No question he’s part of The Simpsons family compact, but eventually his number has to come up. In the end, Abe may simply be deemed expendable. The cranky old coot would certainly be missed by viewers, but seriously, how long would any of the Simpsons family would really miss him? Homer’s mourning period would end as soon as they brought out the sandwiches at the funeral reception.
Jacqueline Bouvier – 5 to 1 She’s Marge’s mom and has only appeared in a handful of episodes since the show’s beginning. Her age (she actually dated Montgomery Burns back in the day!) puts her at risk for going to room temperature. Bye-bye, Mrs. Bouvier.