A Milhouse Divided 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 the episode would have failed had they stuck with the Van Houtens for the third act and most of the other writers also felt that it was the right move. The idea for the dinner party came from 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
A Milhouse Divided A Milhouse Divided "A Milhouse Divided" is the sixth episode of "The Simpsons"<nowiki>'</nowiki> eighth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 1, 1996. In the episode, 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 sole writing credit. Marge throws a dinner party at the Simpson house. She invites the Flanders, the Lovejoys, the Hibberts, and the Van Houtens. All the guests are enjoying dinner except for the Van Houtens,