A Milhouse Divided
Encyclopedia
"A Milhouse Divided" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons
eighth season
, first aired by the Fox network on December 1, 1996. Milhouse
's parents Kirk and Luann get a divorce, causing Homer to examine his own marriage. It was directed by Steven Dean Moore
and is the only episode for which Steve Tompkins
has the sole writing credit.
decides to throw a dinner party to escape from the doldrums at the Simpson house. She invites the Flanders, the Lovejoys, the Hibberts and the Van Houtens. All the other guests enjoy dinner except for the Van Houtens who nitpick at each other all night as Milhouse plays upstairs with Bart and the other kids. Kirk and Luann get more quarrelsome as the party progresses and finally, despite Marge trying to divert the party away from the fighting pair, the two get into a fight and Luann demands a divorce
.
Kirk moves out of the Van Houten house and despite his drab new surroundings manages to keep a cheery attitude toward it all until he is fired from his job at the cracker factory (the position had been given to him by his father-in-law). Meanwhile, Luann quickly readjusts to singles life and starts a new relationship with Chase, an American Gladiator
known as Pyro. Kirk also tries to have a new relationship with a sleazy radio station worker named Starla, but ends up getting his car stolen and his demo tape wrecked. While at Moe's, Kirk mentions that he never saw the divorce coming and regrets not being more sensitive to Luann's needs, and concludes that "one minute, your wife is cooking you your favorite meal; the next, you're thawing hot dogs in a gas station sink." Homer cheers Kirk up by telling him that his marriage to Marge is solid, but Homer begins to fear that his marriage may end in divorce after coming home and finding hot dogs thawing in the sink.
Homer enlists the aid of Lisa
to help him figure out how to save his marriage, but Lisa does nothing but tell Homer that he is lucky to have Marge. He recalls his wedding reception
(a continuation from the wedding chapel sequence in season three's "I Married Marge
"), which was nothing more than Homer and Marge eating a Carvel whale cake at a roadside truck stop. Homer tries to perform selfless gestures for Marge, such as making "soothing" ocean noises to lull her to sleep and cutting her hair, but they only serve to infuriate her.
Deciding at that point that Marge deserves a fresh start, Homer secretly files for a divorce. As Marge returns home later that night, Homer surprises her by hiding all their friends in the living room and declares that he wants to be remarried, this time with a perfect wedding. The two are remarried (though a later episode
reveals that the marriage in this episode was invalid). Inspired by Homer and Marge, Kirk decides to try to get back together with Luann by singing "Can I Borrow A Feeling", the song he recorded on a demo tape when he dated Starla. The attempt fails; Luann does not take Kirk back and Kirk is kicked out of the house by Luann's boyfriend, Chase.
has the sole writing credit, although he had been a part of the writing staff for several years. The writers wanted to do an episode that involved a couple getting divorced. They had wanted to break the sitcom convention that characters who look like they will divorce get back together and have two characters remain divorced even after the episode. The Van Houtens were chosen because the writers felt that they were the most developed couple next to Marge and Homer and the Lovejoys. The scene in the episode "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
" where Milhouse
is in a jet pretending to fire missiles at his parents is where they got the idea to have his parents' marriage be in trouble. Originally, the episode also focused on the divorce's effects on Milhouse and there was a subplot that involved Bart being jealous of Milhouse and wishing that Marge and Homer would also separate. Several scenes were written and animated for the episode, but ultimately they were cut because the script was very long. The third act of the episode shifts the focus from the Van Houtens to Homer and Marge because the writers felt that tertiary characters could not carry an audience's interest for an entire episode. Bill Oakley has said that he felt that the episode would have failed had they stuck with the Van Houtens for the third act and most of the other writers also feel that it was the right move. The idea for the dinner party came from Bill Oakley, who had wanted to have a party similar to the one in "The War of the Simpsons
".
For the second half of the episode, Luann was redesigned to look more youthful and was given a new outfit. A big name singer was originally sought to sing "Can I Borrow a Feeling?" over the end credits. The writers wanted Sheryl Crow
, but she declined and the concept was later dropped.
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it "More drama than comedy, and very honest in its dealings with the Van Houtens' divorce and its effects on Milhouse."
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
eighth season
The Simpsons (season 8)
The Simpsons eighth season originally aired between October 27, 1996 and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The show runners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
, first aired by the Fox network on December 1, 1996. Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
's parents Kirk and Luann get a divorce, causing Homer to examine his own marriage. It was directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
and is the only episode for which Steve Tompkins
Steve Tompkins
Steve Tompkins is an American television writer. He attended Harvard University and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon; he graduated in 1988. He has worked on such television shows such as The Critic, In Living Color, Entourage, Bernie Mac and The Knights of Prosperity...
has the sole writing credit.
Plot
MargeMarge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
decides to throw a dinner party to escape from the doldrums at the Simpson house. She invites the Flanders, the Lovejoys, the Hibberts and the Van Houtens. All the other guests enjoy dinner except for the Van Houtens who nitpick at each other all night as Milhouse plays upstairs with Bart and the other kids. Kirk and Luann get more quarrelsome as the party progresses and finally, despite Marge trying to divert the party away from the fighting pair, the two get into a fight and Luann demands a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
.
Kirk moves out of the Van Houten house and despite his drab new surroundings manages to keep a cheery attitude toward it all until he is fired from his job at the cracker factory (the position had been given to him by his father-in-law). Meanwhile, Luann quickly readjusts to singles life and starts a new relationship with Chase, an American Gladiator
American Gladiators
American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility.The concept was created by...
known as Pyro. Kirk also tries to have a new relationship with a sleazy radio station worker named Starla, but ends up getting his car stolen and his demo tape wrecked. While at Moe's, Kirk mentions that he never saw the divorce coming and regrets not being more sensitive to Luann's needs, and concludes that "one minute, your wife is cooking you your favorite meal; the next, you're thawing hot dogs in a gas station sink." Homer cheers Kirk up by telling him that his marriage to Marge is solid, but Homer begins to fear that his marriage may end in divorce after coming home and finding hot dogs thawing in the sink.
Homer enlists the aid of Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
to help him figure out how to save his marriage, but Lisa does nothing but tell Homer that he is lucky to have Marge. He recalls his wedding reception
Wedding reception
A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts...
(a continuation from the wedding chapel sequence in season three's "I Married Marge
I Married Marge
"I Married Marge" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 26, 1991. In the episode, Marge worries that she may yet again be pregnant and drives to Dr. Hibbert's office...
"), which was nothing more than Homer and Marge eating a Carvel whale cake at a roadside truck stop. Homer tries to perform selfless gestures for Marge, such as making "soothing" ocean noises to lull her to sleep and cutting her hair, but they only serve to infuriate her.
Deciding at that point that Marge deserves a fresh start, Homer secretly files for a divorce. As Marge returns home later that night, Homer surprises her by hiding all their friends in the living room and declares that he wants to be remarried, this time with a perfect wedding. The two are remarried (though a later episode
Wedding For Disaster
"Wedding for Disaster" is the fifteenth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 2009. In the episode, Marge and Homer's second marriage turns out to be invalid, so they decide to get married again...
reveals that the marriage in this episode was invalid). Inspired by Homer and Marge, Kirk decides to try to get back together with Luann by singing "Can I Borrow A Feeling", the song he recorded on a demo tape when he dated Starla. The attempt fails; Luann does not take Kirk back and Kirk is kicked out of the house by Luann's boyfriend, Chase.
Production
"A Milhouse Divided" is the only episode for which Steve TompkinsSteve Tompkins
Steve Tompkins is an American television writer. He attended Harvard University and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon; he graduated in 1988. He has worked on such television shows such as The Critic, In Living Color, Entourage, Bernie Mac and The Knights of Prosperity...
has the sole writing credit, although he had been a part of the writing staff for several years. The writers wanted to do an episode that involved a couple getting divorced. They had wanted to break the sitcom convention that characters who look like they will divorce get back together and have two characters remain divorced even after the episode. The Van Houtens were chosen because the writers felt that they were the most developed couple next to Marge and Homer and the Lovejoys. The scene in the episode "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 26, 1995. In the episode, Sideshow Bob becomes disturbed when he hears the other inmates laughing at the inane antics of Krusty the Clown's...
" where Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
is in a jet pretending to fire missiles at his parents is where they got the idea to have his parents' marriage be in trouble. Originally, the episode also focused on the divorce's effects on Milhouse and there was a subplot that involved Bart being jealous of Milhouse and wishing that Marge and Homer would also separate. Several scenes were written and animated for the episode, but ultimately they were cut because the script was very long. The third act of the episode shifts the focus from the Van Houtens to Homer and Marge because the writers felt that tertiary characters could not carry an audience's interest for an entire episode. Bill Oakley has said that he felt that the episode would have failed had they stuck with the Van Houtens for the third act and most of the other writers also feel that it was the right move. The idea for the dinner party came from Bill Oakley, who had wanted to have a party similar to the one in "The War of the Simpsons
The War of the Simpsons
"The War of the Simpsons" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets drunk at a party and embarrasses his wife Marge, so she decides to sign them up for a marriage counseling retreat...
".
For the second half of the episode, Luann was redesigned to look more youthful and was given a new outfit. A big name singer was originally sought to sing "Can I Borrow a Feeling?" over the end credits. The writers wanted Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, but she declined and the concept was later dropped.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "A Milhouse Divided" finished tied for 50th in the weekly ratings for the week of November 21 – December 1, 1996 with a Nielsen rating of 8.3 and was viewed in 8 million homes. It was the fourth highest rated show from the Fox Network that week.Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, called it "More drama than comedy, and very honest in its dealings with the Van Houtens' divorce and its effects on Milhouse."
External links
- "A Milhouse Divided" at The Simpsons.com