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I want to die in my sleep peacefully like my grandfather, not screaming and in terror like his passengers.
— Saturday Night Live · Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
It sounds like a sweet wish for a peaceful ending. Then the last phrase swerves: his grandfather's passengers were terrified, so the death apparently happened while he was in charge of them. It's a dark joke built on that sudden turn.
Context reviewed