Cremains of the Day (The Simpsons)

Last updated

"Cremains of the Day"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 35
Episode 15
Directed byGabriel DeFrancesco
Written by John Frink
Production code35ABF09
Original air dateApril 21, 2024 (2024-04-21)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Night of the Living Wage"		Next →
"The Tell-Tale Pants"
The Simpsons season 35
List of episodes

"Cremains of the Day" is the fifteenth episode of the thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 765th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 21, 2024. The episode was directed by Gabriel DeFrancesco and written by John Frink.

Contents

In this episode, Homer and his friends try to honor another friend after he dies. The episode received positive reviews.

Plot

Homer, Lenny, and Carl are watching football at Moe's Tavern. Another regular, Larry, is also at the bar. They encourage Moe to gamble on a game, but he loses. Angered, he tells them to leave, but they see that Larry has died. They attend Larry's funeral where Larry's mother encourages them to talk about him. They make up a story and realize that they know nothing about him, which makes them feel guilty. Afterwards, Larry's mother shows them his drawing of all of them in front of a waterfall. Lenny suggests they take Larry's ashes to the waterfall.

On the way, the group rests at a motel where they debate what the afterlife is like and what Larry is doing there. The next day, Homer accidentally knocks over the urn containing Larry's ashes. Homer and Moe discover sapphires with his ashes, and Moe thinks that Larry was smuggling them inside his body. Moe tells Homer to keep it a secret. Back on the road, Lenny decides to speed up, which knocks Larry's urn out of their truck. His ashes and the sapphires spill out. Lenny and Carl discover Homer and Moe's secret, and Moe lies and blames Homer for trying to keep it from them. As they argue, a sheriff arrests them for smuggling jewels and takes the urn.

The group continues to argue in the trunk of the sheriff's truck. The sheriff calls his real boss Fat Tony to report that he has the sapphires where his real name is revealed to be Mickey No-Lose-Ends. Tony tells Mickey to let the group go as they don't know what the sapphires are for. While noting that he's got to pay more attention to the nicknames of his gangsters, Fat Tony sends a gangster named Bruno Wife-Banger to pick up Connie D'Amico at the airport as he quotes "Hey, with pleasure". Mickey decides to kill them to leave no witnesses. Hearing this, the group apologizes to each other. Homer finds a flare gun in the trunk. When Mickey opens the trunk, Homer shoots and misses. The recoil sends the truck over a cliff. Lenny, Carl, and Moe jump from the trunk onto a ledge, but Homer and the truck continue down the cliff. A falling branch knocks out Mickey which causes Larry's urn to roll down the cliff. The urn ends up lodged between the truck's tire and wheel well, stopping the truck so Homer can escape. The group arrives at the waterfall, but it looks nothing like the drawing.

They take Larry's urn back to Moe's Tavern where it is placed under a moving picture of a waterfall. They wonder about the fate of the sapphires, and it is revealed that Moe swallowed them.

Production

The character of Larry had appeared since the first episode of the series and was voiced by Harry Shearer who voices the other characters Mr. Burns and Waylon Smithers even though he only had two lines of dialogue over the course of the series. [1] [2] Executive producer Tim Long said that the producers wanted Larry's death to emotionally impact viewers despite being a background character. [3] After the episode aired, Long apologized and remarked that the reaction of the fans proves that people are still invested in the series. [4]

Reception

Viewing figures

The episode earned a 0.25 rating with 0.97 million viewers, which was the most-watched show on Fox that night. [5]

Critical response

John Schwarz of Bubbleblabber gave the episode an 8.5 out of 10. He liked jokes and sight gags, and he also enjoyed the scene of the characters theorizing about life after death. However, he thought the voices of Lenny and Carl did not sound normal. [6]

Mike Celestino of Laughing Place thought it was notable that the show killed a minor character. He also liked seeing the group from Moe's in another setting. [7]

Awards and nominations

Series regular Hank Azaria was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for his performance as Moe Szyslak in this episode. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moe Szyslak</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Moammar "Moe" Szyslak is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Moe is the proprietor and bartender of Moe's Tavern, a Springfield bar frequented by Homer Simpson, Barney Gumble, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson, Sam, Larry, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmoelian</span> 16th episode of the 11th season of The Simpsons

"Pygmoelian" is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000. In the episode, after getting his face censored out on the Duff Beer calendar for not being photogenic, Moe Szyslak gets plastic surgery and becomes the star of a popular soap opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer the Moe</span> 3rd episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Homer the Moe" is the third episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 18, 2001. In the episode, Moe, following the advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar. The bar's new image attracts several customers, but leaves Moe's four regular customers, Homer, Lenny, Carl, and Barney, feeling alienated, which in turn prompts Homer to open his private bar, disguising it as a hunting club to avoid liquor license restrictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homerazzi</span> 16th episode of the 18th season of The Simpsons

"Homerazzi" is the sixteenth episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 25, 2007. It was written by J. Stewart Burns, directed by Matthew Nastuk, and guest starred J.K. Simmons as the tabloid editor, Betty White as herself, and Jon Lovitz as Enrico Irritazio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Once Upon a Time in Springfield</span> 10th episode of the 21st season of The Simpsons

"Once Upon a Time in Springfield" is the tenth episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 2010. It was promoted as the 450th episode of the series, but is actually the 451st, and aired alongside The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!. The episode is dedicated to posthumous guest star Eartha Kitt, who died December 25, 2008, over one year before the episode first aired.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 26 Season of television series

The twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons premiered on Fox in the United States on September 28, 2014, and concluded on May 17, 2015. The season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The season was ordered by Fox in October 2013. The primary showrunner for the season was Al Jean. In May 2015, the series was renewed for a twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Saga of Carl</span> 21st episode of the 24th season of The Simpsons

"The Saga of Carl" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 529th episode overall. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz and written by Eric Kaplan. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 2013, in conjunction with the season finale, "Dangers on a Train."

"Labor Pains" is the fifth episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 535th episode of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 17, 2013. It was written by Mitch Glazer and Don Payne and directed by Matthew Faughnan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXV</span> 4th episode of the 26th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXV" is the fourth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, the 25th episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials, and the 556th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19, 2014.

"My Fare Lady" is the fourteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 566th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino and written by Marc Wilmore. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 15, 2015.

"The Princess Guide" is the fifteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 567th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Brian Kelley. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 1, 2015.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 28 Season of television series

The twenty-eighth season of the animated television series The Simpsons began airing on Fox in the United States on September 25, 2016 and ended on May 21, 2017. On May 4, 2015, Fox announced that The Simpsons had been renewed for season 28. The season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. This season was the second of two seasons ordered by Fox in May 2015. The primary showrunner for the season was Al Jean. In November 2016, the series was renewed for a twenty-ninth and thirtieth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXX</span> 4th episode of the 31st season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXX" is the fourth episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 666th episode overall as well as the thirtieth Treehouse of Horror episode. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 20, 2019. The episode was written by J. Stewart Burns, and was directed by Timothy Bailey.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 32 Season of television series

The thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons premiered on Fox on September 27, 2020, and ended on May 23, 2021. On February 6, 2019, the season was ordered along with the previous season. It was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television. This season contained twenty-two episodes. It includes the series' 700th episode "Manger Things". In March 2021, the series was renewed for a thirty-third and thirty-fourth season.

"The Last Barfighter" is the 22nd and final episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 706th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 23, 2021. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Dan Vebber.

<i>Plusaversary</i> 2021 American film

The Simpsons in Plusaversary, or simply Plusaversary, is an American animated short film based on the television series The Simpsons produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television Animation, debuting on streaming service Disney+'s 2nd anniversary in 2021. It is the fifth short film in The Simpsons franchise, and the third promotional short produced for Disney+. The short was directed by David Silverman and released on November 12, 2021 – Disney+ Day. In the short film, there is a Disney+ party at Moe's Tavern and everyone is invited except Homer.

"A Made Maggie" is the tenth episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 716th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 19, 2021. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Elisabeth Kiernan Averick.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 35 Season of television series

The thirty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons aired on Fox from October 1, 2023 to May 19, 2024. This was the first of two seasons ordered by Fox. It was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television Animation. The primary showrunner for the season was Matt Selman.

"Fan-ily Feud" is the eighteenth episode of the thirty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 746th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 23, 2023. The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Broti Gupta.

References

  1. ↑ Chilton, Louis (April 25, 2024). "The Simpsons fans shocked as series kills off character after 35 years". The Independent . Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  2. ↑ Dinsdale, Ryan (April 25, 2024). "Original The Simpsons Character Killed Off After 35 Years". IGN . Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  3. ↑ Edwards, Chris (April 25, 2024). "'The Simpsons' producer apologises for killing off popular character". NME . Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  4. ↑ Swift, Andy (April 25, 2024). "Simpsons Producer Stands By Decision to Kill Off [Spoiler] After 35 Seasons". TVLine . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  5. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (April 23, 2024). "Sunday Ratings: NBA Playoffs Give TNT Key Prime Time Demos Victory by Large Margin". Programming Insider. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  6. ↑ Schwarz, John (April 22, 2024). "Review: The Simpsons "Cremains Of The Day"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ Celestino, Mike (April 21, 2024). "TV Recap / Review: Homer and Friends Take a Road Trip After a Barfly Dies in "The Simpsons" – "Cremains of the Day"". Laughing Place. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Rice, Lynette; Hipes, Patrick (July 17, 2024). "Emmy Nominations 2024: The Complete List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 17, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.