There have been few in-show deaths on The Simpsons, compared to other series that have been on television for nearly 30 years (it’s not many), but probably more than you might think. Fat Tony, Mona Simpson, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, Snowball II, Snowball III, Snowball IV — they’ve all passed away in recent seasons. But none of their fatalities, not even Green Day’s in The Simpsons Movie, can compare to what happened to Frank Grimes. Poor Grimey, he just wanted to eat his lobster, and not live below one bowling alley and below another bowling alley; instead, he electrocuted himself to death.
But according to executive producer Al Jean, Homer’s enemy is returning in the show’s 600th episode… sort of. It’s actually a “Treehouse of Horror,” and only as a cameo as an apparition, but Grimes, Sideshow Bob, and two other unnamed characters (George H.W. Bush and all of Australia?) are “forming a sinister squadron of Simpsons enemies to try to kill the Simpsons,” Jean said. “If that doesn’t make people tune in, I don’t know what else we can say.”
Grimes died during season seven, but he’s been a constant presence on The Simpsons ever since. His gravestone has made numerous appearances and his illegitimate son (his dad happened to like hookers), Frank Grimes, Jr., even tried to kill Homer. Yes, this happened. Like father, like son, like ghost father.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
