After an eight-year absence, Apu recently reappeared on The Simpsons, only to be quickly written out of the show again. Currently in its 37th season, The Simpsons has been renewed by FOX for four more seasons. Plus, a second movie is in the works, suggesting many familiar faces – even those who haven’t been featured prominently lately – could return in future episodes and stories.
Known for bringing characters in and out for comedic effect, The Simpsons recently revisited a former fan favorite, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, in this year’s Treehouse of Horror episode. Along with Apu’s return came a long-awaited glimpse of the Kwik-E-Mart. However, in a humorous twist, the episode quickly reveals that Apu is, in fact, already deceased.
The Simpsons Brings Back and Kills Off Apu
The final segment of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror XXXVI, titled “Plastic World,” presents a future Springfield completely overwhelmed by plastic garbage. The few remaining residents struggle to find food and water, and Lisa and others eventually break through the surface to a lower level of the Earth. There, they discover a destroyed Kwik-E-Mart, buried under the debris, with the lifeless bodies of Apu and Jailbird inside. While the joke is brief, it marks one of the first times in almost ten years that the character of Apu has been directly referenced in the show.
Although Apu has occasionally appeared in brief scenes or as part of the crowd over the years, his last substantial on-screen role was in a 2017 episode titled “The Serfsons.” That was the last time his character spoke. After that, he only made quick, silent appearances in the background. The show’s recent acknowledgment of Apu seems less like a confirmation of his fate and more like a playful response to fan concerns that he had been written off completely. While the disappearance of the Kwik-E-Mart as a setting has been noticeable, the latest season does bring it back, and with a dramatic twist.
What Happened to Apu?
Over the past decade, the character of Apu has been featured less and less on The Simpsons due to criticism surrounding its portrayal of South Asian people and culture. This criticism was brought to the forefront by Hari Kondabolu’s documentary, The Problem with Apu. Hank Azaria, who previously voiced Apu, announced in 2020 that he would no longer play the character, but The Simpsons hasn’t announced any plans to recast the role or explain what the future holds for Apu.
Earlier this year, Matt Selman, the showrunner for The Simpsons, admitted he didn’t have any updates on what the future holds for the character Apu. He simply stated, “I don’t know.” Even without concrete plans for Apu, The Simpsons managed to make a joke of the situation by briefly killing him off in an episode featuring a large number of character deaths with minimal lasting impact.
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2025-10-22 18:48