‘The Simpsons’ Brought Back Long Deceased Character for Touching Goodbye in Latest Episode

The Simpsons brought back Edna Krabappel in Sunday night’s episode, “Dairy Queen,” to give the character and the late Marcia Wallace a proper send-off. Wallace voiced Bart Simpson‘s teacher beginning in 1990 until her unexpected death in October 2013. The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean used lines Wallace previously recorded for the show in a touching epilogue scene, with the permission of Wallace’s estate.

In “Dairy Queen,” Bart finds Mrs. Krabappel’s diary, in which she noted how much she believed in Bart, and the discovery inspires him. Wallace’s voice was heard as Bart read the diary. The two lines were previously used on the show, reports Variety, and Wallace’s estate was compensated for their use. Wallace was also credited with a guest appearance.

This was the first time Mrs. Krabappel has appeared on the show since Wallace’s last episode, 2014’s “The Man Who Grew Too Much.” Jean decided the character would die on the show as well, making Ned Flanders a widower for the second time. Wallace died on Oct. 25, 2013, from pneumonia and sepsis, and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985. Jean told Variety Sunday he did not know Wallace was ill until just before her death. It was “very surprising,” and it bugged him that they never really got the chance to give Wallace and Mrs. Krabappel a “proper goodbye.”

Wallace “was so beloved by everybody that worked on The Simpsons, that we just sort of wanted to give her one last moment on the show in her memory. It’s just that, it’s nothing more, but, we thought she was the best,” Jean told Variety. It was decided that the cause of death for Mrs. Kabappel would never be revealed, although they have shown more details about her life.

Before The Simpsons, Wallace was best known for playing receptionist Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show. She was also a regular celebrity contestant on game shows and made guest appearances on Taxi, Full House, ALF, The Brady Bunch, Murphy Brown, and Murder, She Wrote. In 1992, she won an Emmy for voicing Mrs. Krabappel.

Jean said it felt like a natural move to bring Flanders and Mrs. Krabappel together since opposites really do attract in real life. “It was not the intention to make Flanders such a tragic character,” Jean explained. “However, since that’s the case, I think it’s kind of deepened his character unintentionally — where he’s somebody who’s had his faith really tested, who has been a really good person, and some very difficult things have happened to him. So within the limits of fiction, we’ve been trying to explore that with his character on the show.”

Incredibly, The Simpsons is reaching its 700th episode in March. Albert Brooks is also coming back in the Feb. 28 episode, “Yokel Hero.” The show airs on FOX Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.