S01.E06: The Big Announcement

[Guest]

Airs December 10, 2019

Quote

Kim takes Moriah on her first college tour. Micah nearly jeopardizes his career as a model before it even begins. Ethan and Olivia plan an outing for the family with some surprises in store including news from Moriah that leaves Kim and Barry shocked.

[Armchair Critic]

I hate to side with the parents but I would be ticked if Olivia bought a ticket to Minnesota for my minor child without talking to me about it first.

[b2H]

Any goodwill that was built between the parents and Olivia was single-handedly and exclusively destroyed by Olivia.  Ethan supported his wife, but that didn’t help matters at all.

[Witchz]

I think it was disrespectful for Ethan to drink in front of his parents and young siblings.  I get the moms fear of alcohol as she grew up with an alcoholic mother. As a person who lost my mom this last year to alcoholism -I dont blame her and Ethan knows about this but wanted to put it in her face. Not cool also didnt Olivia say they live in parents house? Do they pay rent? Do they have jobs? Other than trying to undermine his parents while acting innocent? 

[charmed1]

Wow, Mother Plath wasn’t lying when she said she was partying in college lol. But to deny her children access to the outside world because she was a mess isn’t fair. College didn’t make her drink and do drugs and drive intoxicated. Those were choices she made. And instead of completing her degree, she chose to marry and drop a million kids. I think the real reason she doesn’t want Moriah to go to school is that she sees herself in Moriah. Moriah said she wanted to go to college for the parties. That’s a waste of money. I would allow her to attend community colIege and based on her performance, let her transfer to a four year institution.

I also thought it was sweet of one of the little girls to speak up for Lydia during the confrontation between Lydia and Moriah in the kitchen. I don’t know her name, so I’ll just call her Glasses. 

I have no interest in the scripted modeling storyline with the middle boy. I had to laugh when they were showing all the throwback pictures. They all look just like January Jones in her younger years. If you’ve never seen her Instagram pictures she posts on Throwback Thursdays, you don’t know what you’re missing lol.

Edited December 11, 2019 by charmed1

[camom]

I'm usually on Olivia's side, but she really should have let the parents know the dinner was a surprise party for Mariah.  It's like she wanted to make sure that the only gifts were from her and Ethan.  And giving her a -- a minor -- a trip without consulting her parents was just wrong.  A one-way ticket?  Ethan saying they're not trying to usurp his parents authority, but that's exactly what they are doing.  

Ethan drinking beer in front of his family was disrespectful.  Why do that when they're supposed to be trying to mend fences?  He could have skipped it for one dinner.  I also wondered who paid for the dinner. Probably TLC, but since Ethan and Olivia set it up, in the real world they should have paid for it.

What's with not celebrating Christmas, Easter, etc?  Sounds like Jehovah's Witnesses, except they don't celebrate birthdays either.  They claim to be Christians, and Christmas and Easter are the two biggest celebrations in the Christian year.  

I felt sorry for Mariah on the college tour.  She was aware of just how sheltered and unprepared she was.  I didn't know there were schools that don't require SATs.  How would they admit someone like Mariah, who had no academic records, no outside activities, etc.? I hope she is able to find her center in Minnesota.

[ethalfrida]

Some people do not see Christmas as a religious holiday especially since it is pagan. Easter, though, has its roots from the Crucifixtion but even so there is paganism involved.

Kim is annoying. There are things she isn’t teaching in her homeschooling that she should. It seems that her program to shut her kids off from the real world added to her own lack of academics is not producing much promise. 

[jabinlbc]

I think the whole college thing with Moriah is a non-issue.  What four-year college would accept her?  Does she even have grades?  I agree she should try a community college first, but even that might be a struggle for her with her educational background...

[Sew Sumi]

Most community colleges have remedial classes, although in the case of the school that employs me, those classes are becoming more scarce due to budget cuts.

I don't think that's the college experience Moriah seems to want, though. She wants all of the fun with none of the effort.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Sew Sumi

[Morgalisa]

Home schooled kids graduate at a higher rate than non-homeschooled kids and have a little higher GPA according to some studies. My neighbors son being one of them. Of course we are not talking about the School of the Dining Room Table, ala the Duggars or Kim's school.  

Little Miss Olivia tries to come across so sweet and innocent while usurping the parents authority in raising their kids. And if Moriah was my kid she would probably have her flight cancelled for not asking for permission.  She's 16! They smother their kids a lot but Moriah seems to do whatever she damn well pleases. She needs to wash off some of the make up and have a seat.

[Kiss my mutt]

I wonder if Olivia’s parents are subsidizing their lifestyle. I don’t see how an underbooked photographer and junior grease monkey can afford all their trips, dinners out, etc 

[b2H]

4 minutes ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I wonder if Olivia’s parents are subsidizing their lifestyle. I don’t see how an underbooked photographer and junior grease monkey can afford all their trips, dinners out, etc 

Most likely it is TLC so they have something interesting to film.

[morgan459]

Possible spoiler for the whole Olivia buys Moriah a plane ticket dustup...

Spoiler

So per Olivia's response on this Instagram post, to see Olivia's comment, expand the replies to user juliannakate, Barry (and presumably Kim) knew that Olivia was buying the tickets before the dinner happened.

My thoughts when watching the episode was that there was no way that Barry and Kim would have been able to stay that calm at dinner (or in their talking heads for that matter) if they were actually being blindsided. If nothing else, Moriah was going to be staying with Barry's parents and I can't imagine that they would agree to that without running it past Barry and Kim first unless there are even darker dynamics at play in the family than we know about. 

I suspect that the extended visit to Minnesota was something that Moriah had talked about with her parents before and Barry and Kim said that it was a possibility, but refused to pay for it or drive her there (probably hoping that Moriah would lose interest). If Barry and Kim were surprised, I'd guess it was because they weren't expecting Moriah to go around them and get the money from Olivia and Ethan. 

[Onecattoo]

It’s all over social media that the parents knew all about the concert ticket and plane ticket, and Olivia actually got permission from Barry on camera....but TLC didn’t show it.   It’s a scripted show, Olivia isn’t evil or usurping the parents.  She’s a calm voice of support and comfort to Moriah, who is trying to figure out who she is in the midst of her parents crazy beliefs, which she knows she doesn’t agree with.  

[b2H]

11 hours ago, Onecattoo said:

It’s all over social media that the parents knew all about the concert ticket and plane ticket, and Olivia actually got permission from Barry on camera....but TLC didn’t show it.   It’s a scripted show, Olivia isn’t evil or usurping the parents.  She’s a calm voice of support and comfort to Moriah, who is trying to figure out who she is in the midst of her parents crazy beliefs, which she knows she doesn’t agree with.  

Then TLC is guilty of perpetuating fraud.  What else is new?

[materialgirl101]

19 hours ago, morgan459 said:

Possible spoiler for the whole Olivia buys Moriah a plane ticket dustup...

  Reveal spoiler

So per Olivia's response on this Instagram post, to see Olivia's comment, expand the replies to user juliannakate, Barry (and presumably Kim) knew that Olivia was buying the tickets before the dinner happened.

My thoughts when watching the episode was that there was no way that Barry and Kim would have been able to stay that calm at dinner (or in their talking heads for that matter) if they were actually being blindsided. If nothing else, Moriah was going to be staying with Barry's parents and I can't imagine that they would agree to that without running it past Barry and Kim first unless there are even darker dynamics at play in the family than we know about. 

I suspect that the extended visit to Minnesota was something that Moriah had talked about with her parents before and Barry and Kim said that it was a possibility, but refused to pay for it or drive her there (probably hoping that Moriah would lose interest). If Barry and Kim were surprised, I'd guess it was because they weren't expecting Moriah to go around them and get the money from Olivia and Ethan. 

Maybe there is a rift between mom and dad Plath and their parents? I assume they are "worldly" and would be considered a bad influence.... Would they let the kids off of the homestead to see the grandparents? Or would the grandparents have to come to the homestead??

[Jeanne222]

So I finally watched all the episodes and enjoyed it! 

Olivia over steps boundaries then smirks.  I could not believe how rude she was to the mom when she brought the younger brother to the house so he could 'play' with his brother.

I hope brother and his wife do move and Moriah finds happiness in Minnesota!

The parents are very loving but flexable.  Wait til Moriah wants to move back home!

[Sew Sumi]

Moriah

Spoiler

has returned from Minnesota. No word on what she's doing now.

[Loves2Dance]

On 12/10/2019 at 11:24 PM, Witchz said:

I think it was disrespectful for Ethan to drink in front of his parents and young siblings.  I get the moms fear of alcohol as she grew up with an alcoholic mother. As a person who lost my mom this last year to alcoholism -I dont blame her and Ethan knows about this but wanted to put it in her face. Not cool also didnt Olivia say they live in parents house? Do they pay rent? Do they have jobs? Other than trying to undermine his parents while acting innocent? 

Olivia and Ethan have their own house. They both work for a living. 

1 hour ago, Sew Sumi said:

Moriah

  Hide contents

has returned from Minnesota. No word on what she's doing now.

Sounds like a plot for the show and to guarantee Season 2. 

[winsomeone]

If Ethan's grandmother was an alcoholic, and his mother abused alcohol in her younger years, it seems like this young man needs to avoid it altogether? If Kim just needs one class or internship to get her college degree, why in the world hasn't she completed it after all of these years? Why is Moriah doing college tours when she is just 16? Wait another year to do that at least? It said she is the second oldest daughter..where is the oldest one, and why is she never mentioned at all? Has she been shunned?

[charmed1]

1 hour ago, winsomeone said:

It said she is the second oldest daughter..where is the oldest one, and why is she never mentioned at all? Has she been shunned?

They mentioned her in the first episode. Her name is Hosanna and she’s married. She’s not shunned; she’s a full-on drinker of the kool-aid.

[EastCoast4Life]

Unpopular opinion, but I didn't have a problem with Ethan ordering a beer with his dinner. He's over 21, married and an adult. He should be able to order an alcoholic beverage if he wants. It's one beer, not a round of tequila shots. The way Kim was clutching her pearls, you would've thought he was fall down drunk. 

[the-grey-lady]

Is there anyone on Earth more beige than the Plath parents? Seriously, these two are where fun goes to die.

[Armchair Critic]

The TLC show description says

Quote

The nine flaxen-haired children in the Plath family have never had a soda, don't know who Spiderman or Tom Brady is and have never watched TV, living remotely in rural Georgia with their "follow their own rules" parents Kim and Barry Plath.

Now I see on the media thread that Moriah was in a short film and the parents were the ones who pushed for the television show. Moriah has a phone and they have a home computer so this family seems to be a lot more worldly than they are trying to portray them.

[Sew Sumi]

Only Kim and Lydia have the computer password. I bet that thing is locked down big time. I do wonder how the kids are being educated if they only have the one laptop. Even the Duggars use an online program.

[HaaCHOO]

On 12/13/2019 at 10:06 AM, EastCoast4Life said:

The way Kim was clutching her pearls, you would've thought he was fall down drunk. 

Because Kim's mother was a drunk and Kim was "out of control" during her college years, she apparently has no faith that ANYONE would ever live a calm/ordinary life, have fun, have a drink or two, and have even one tiny opinion different from hers.  She runs a KimNazi regime!  MamaLIPS will drive every one of her children away ... eventually the one who does all the cooking, housework, etc.  WTF DOES KIM do with her time?

[winsomeone]

Alcoholism does run in families.

[ethalfrida]

Did they skip a week because I cannot find a new episode...

[Sew Sumi]

No, this episode was it.

[EastCoast4Life]

On 12/21/2019 at 5:56 PM, Sew Sumi said:

No, this episode was it.

Literally the most boring lack luster finale in the history of television. Nothing happened in this series, NOTHING!

[gingerella]

On 12/21/2019 at 11:03 AM, ethalfrida said:

Did they skip a week because I cannot find a new episode...

No, they skipped a week because they couldn’t find another episode amongst this dreck!

[Dakisela]

On 12/14/2019 at 2:22 AM, Armchair Critic said:

The TLC show description says

Now I see on the media thread that Moriah was in a short film and the parents were the ones who pushed for the television show. Moriah has a phone and they have a home computer so this family seems to be a lot more worldly than they are trying to portray them.

And didn't Micah say that he posted a couple pictures on his social media when he was at the agent's office?  It's really hard to keep track of how they're straddling the Aw Shucks vs. Modern behavior patterns. 

[Mothra]

On 12/10/2019 at 11:06 PM, b2H said:

Any goodwill that was built between the parents and Olivia was single-handedly and exclusively destroyed by Olivia.  Ethan supported his wife, but that didn’t help matters at all.

I hope Ethan at least objected, privately, to Olivia about that ticket.  I don't think you have to live in a patriarchal situation for the brother's opinion to outweigh the in-law's opinion about where the minor sister ought to live.  This is all on Ethan, imo; I think he must be so enamored of the (pardon me) poon tang that he won't object to anything Olivia wants, even when he must know it's wrong.  He absolutely should not have permitted this, even at the risk of having to sleep on the couch. 

BTW this is a further example of the bullshit that is the Plath "father is the head of the family" motto.  Those parents are floppy pieces of floppiness--they don't rule anything.  What they do is withhold from their children things that are under their power to withhold--like video games and Coke--which, as soon as the kids have access to a car, suddenly become available.  All that "Garsh I don't even know who Celine Dion is" crap is just a hook.  False advertising.

Early footage of them at the beach with Duggaresque clothing--"we must be fully dressed at the beach"--instantly is overtaken by not just bathing suits, but tiny little bikinis.  Modest clothing equals the shortest jean cutoffs--my mother would never have let me out in public in such short jeans (and do those girls get Brazilian waxes, one wonders?).  Kim's overwhelming concern for her children's safety means no protective helmets for skateboarding.  And the beat goes on.

Father Plath may be the creepiest man I've ever seen on TV.  I think he would sit and watch through an unshaded window while a preteen girl disrobed rather than go and tell her she needs to pull the curtains.

[Onecattoo]

On 11/7/2020 at 8:06 AM, Mothra said:

Ethan at least objected, privately, to Olivia about that ticket.  I don't think you have to live in a patriarchal situation for the brother's opinion to outweigh the in-law's opinion about where the minor sister ought to live.  This is all on Ethan, imo; I think he must be so enamored of the (pardon me) poon tang that he won't object to anything Olivia wants, even when he must know it's wrong.  He absolutely should not have permitted this, even at the risk of having to sleep on the couch. 

The parents gave permission for the ticket before it was purchased, they and the grandparents knew she was coming...don’t be gullible. Olivia, Micah, and Moriah all have active social media accounts where they’ve shared all the details of what’s actually happened.  The truth is even worse than what’s shown in the show. 

[Mothra]

3 hours ago, Onecattoo said:

The parents gave permission for the ticket before it was purchased, they and the grandparents knew she was coming...don’t be gullible. Olivia, Micah, and Moriah all have active social media accounts where they’ve shared all the details of what’s actually happened.  The truth is even worse than what’s shown in the show. 

Yeah, I had not yet read the posts with this information.  What a bullshit show this is.  It's so blatantly fake that it's a litmus test of how shameless TLC will allow itself to be.  Which is pretty fucking.  Crap, crap, all is crap, thus saieth the preacher, and so I saieth, too.

[retired watcher]

Boy Olivia looks just like the oldest daughter in Christley Knows Best.

[Back Atcha]

Because the Mother-in-Charge-of-All confessed that she was somewhat a slut when she was in college, she assumes all other young women are or will be.  She wasn't fazed at all when her son and daughter (who now live away from home) "suggested" that they know nothing, they were not prepared for the world, they don't have diplomas OR GEDs...and 18-19 is too old to begin to learn about sex (and NOT at home).  

Additionally, she is not presenting a true picture of the married son who "never wants to communicate with her again."

I do like this show and wish The Powers That Be would let it progress organically.  No scripts, fakery, or storylines needed.

On 11/8/2020 at 9:52 AM, Onecattoo said:

Olivia, Micah, and Moriah all have active social media accounts where they’ve shared all the details of what’s actually happened.  

Because they don't live with Big Mama Kim.