The Simpsons pulls a Game of Thrones and 'kills' one of its best characters, leaving fans clutching their red pearls

Over the show's 35-year-long run, The Simpsons has not been afraid to kill off a few side characters here and there to keep things interesting. But the show has always protected its main five characters, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. That is, until now, as in the most recent episode, we see Marge Simpson meet her end. Well, kind of.

The Simpsons season 36 finale, titled 'Estranger Things', follows Marge worrying that her children Bart and Lisa won’t be close as they grow up due to their squabbling nature. The episode then jumps forward 35 years into the future, with Lisa thriving and successful, whereas her brother is running an unlicensed retirement home.

However, the most interesting part about the flashforward is Marge’s absence. The worst is confirmed when older Bart and Lisa discuss their 'late mother' as they find a letter written from her to be opened when she 'passes on', urging the siblings to stay close to one another. Homer, on the other hand, is alive and living in a care home in Florida alongside Skinner and other Springfield residents.

The episode ends with Marge and The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr sitting on a cloud in heaven, looking down on Bart and Lisa. Although this was a brief flash forward, meaning that Marge should be back in the present time in the upcoming 37th season, this is the first time Marge’s actual death has been confirmed in the show.

Nevertheless, fans are still shocked over the thought that one day, way into the future, there could be a version of The Simpsons without Marge. “Right, so how is The Simpsons meant to continue without Marge?,” said one fan on Twitter, and another echoed, “What’s this I’m hearing they killed Marge Simpson off?”

Despite The Simpsons being renewed for at least four more years, it is unclear whether we’ll ever see Marge actually die. This isn't the first time a Simpsons character has died and changed he trajectory of the show forever. In one of the best Simpsons episodes, titled 'Alone Again, Natura-Diddily', Ned Flanders' wife, Maude Flanders, falls to her death after being knocked off a grandstand by t-shirt cannons at the Springfield Speedway. Maude’s death opened up Flanders' character, allowing him to date and even remarry.

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