Clown in the Dumps

"Clown in the Dumps" is the first episode of Season 26. It aired alongside The Simpsons Guy.
==Synopsis==
After being insulted at a Comedy Central-style roast and having his father die before he can tell him whether or not he was ever funny, Krusty decides to, once again, leave show business (this time out of heartbreak). Meanwhile, Lisa worries that Homer's destructive antics may cost him his life (even though it hasn't so far and probably never will).
==Plot==
Krusty is roasted by fellow comedian Sarah Silverman. He feels offended, hurt, heartbroken by the jokes told about him, so he chooses to go to his father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, for comfort. When he asks him if he thinks he is hilarious, the rabbi just replies, "Eh," and unexpectedly passes away.
At Rabbi Krustofsky's funeral, Krusty talks about how hard it is to lose a father, which worries Lisa, as she observes Homer's lazy and unhealthy lifestyle. She begins to become obsessed with protecting him from harm.
Meanwhile, Krusty stresses out over the fact that his father did not find him funny, and apparently favored another rabbi's sense of humor over his. He retires from show business after watching a cruel Itchy & Scratchy cartoon he produced. Bart tries to cheer his hero up by showing him reruns of his show, but Krusty notices that his jokes are overly repetitive and sinks deeper into depression.
Krusty is visited by his father in a dream, who tells him to be more productive with his life. He tries to open an animal shelter (which was the former Krusty Burger slaughterhouse), but still feels he has unfulfilled his father's request. Bart then tells Krusty to follow him.
At the Simpson home, Lisa wraps Homer in bubble wrap as he sleeps. When he wakes up, Lisa tells him she just wanted to protect him, to which Homer replies that she can't always save him from harm, and that he could live a long life, or he could be hit by a bus and there would be nothing she could do about it. He then gets hit by the school bus driven by Otto, but is saved due to the bubble wrap Lisa put him in.
Bart takes Krusty to the synagogue featuring the rabbi Krusty's father liked over him. Krusty then notices that his jokes are identical to his and realizes that his dad liked his sense of humor all along and is happy once again. Bart then points out that he may have liked his jokes but hated his delivery of them, to which Krusty shouts that, "He liked my jokes!"
==Reception==
The A.V. Club gave the episode a C, commenting "Fresh off a summer of Simpsonsmania, thanks to the phenomenally successful FXX marathon of every episode ever, The Simpsons returns for its 26th season with a nondescript, anti-climactic premiere whose overstuffed cameos and would-be big character death amount to little more than a dispiriting confirmation that its best days are, indeed, long gone."
IGN rated the episode 5.8/10, concluding "Between an anticlimactic death and a redundant conflict, The Simpsons didn't start Season 26 off on the right foot."
==Citations==
fr:Le Cafard du clown
pl:Clown in the Dumps
pt:Lágrimas de um Palhaço
Category:Firsts
Category:Season premieres
Category:Krusty the Clown Episodes
Category:Death Episodes
Category:Episodes featuring guest stars
Category:Dramatic episodes
Category:Bart episodes
Category:Lisa episodes
Category:Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky Episodes
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Written by Joel H. Cohen
Category:Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Category:Episodes showran by Al Jean
Category:Sideshow Bob episodes
Category:Poorly-received episodes
Category:Episodes with mixed reviews
Category:Sad episodes
Category:Mystery-themed episodes