Who Did 'The Simpsons' Kill Off in Season 26 Premiere?
Spoilers AHEAD! - and how the show paid tribute to Joan Rivers.
— -- SPOILER ALERT!!
"The Simpsons" season 26 kicked off Sunday night and Krusty the Clown didn't die, as rumored.
Instead, sadly, his father met his demise.
Rabbi Hyman Krustofski was mourned by his son Krusty in the premiere. The character had been voiced by the iconic Jackie Mason, 83.
"We thought it would just be great to give Krusty's dad a real sendoff," 'Simpsons' producer Al Jean told USA Today. "Jackie is such a great actor, and it's such a treasure to have had his voice on the show."
In his final words before his death, the rabbi comments on his son's comic ability by simply saying, "Eh ...," according to USA Today.
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"We're looking for stories relatable to life and I was thinking it would be a good story if Krusty's dad died and the last thing he said to his son was, 'I think you're, eh ...,' " Jean said of the episode.
At the end of the episode, Krusty imagines his father up in heaven doing a musical number with the likes of Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. Rivers was a late addition to the piece. She had voiced a "Simpsons" character in the past -- Krusty's agent.