S02.E04: Open to Falling in Love

[Guest]

Airs December 1, 2020

Quote

Ethan and Olivia realize that in order to save their marriage and sanity, they need to move farther away from Kim and Barry; Moriah's relationship with Max is in jeopardy; Micah faces financial stress after he wrecks his car on the eve of a hot date.

 

[gingerella]

These parents are soooooo far beyond inappropriate it’s just fucking sad. These poor kids. Saying you want to see your daughter teaching a yoga class is completely different than barging into her class unannounced and then trying to distract her and disturb the entire yoga class. I mean, what the actual fuck?!? That father should not be allowed to procreate because he is a moron. 

[BellasMom]

1 hour ago, gingerella said:

These parents are soooooo far beyond inappropriate it’s just fucking sad. These poor kids. Saying you want to see your daughter teaching a yoga class is completely different than barging into her class unannounced and then trying to distract her and disturb the entire yoga class. I mean, what the actual fuck?!? That father should not be allowed to procreate because he is a moron. 

Agree. She’s a professional at work. You don’t barge into someone’s work unannounced and be disruptive! 

[mom2two]

the father might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I believe he really cares for his kids and has taken what has happened to his oldest to heart.   He did seem proud of Moriah.   If it was up to him, I think they could mend fences with Ethan, but its Kim that is the queen bee and rules the roost and has caused all the issues.

Honestly since this is "TV" I dont believe that Max and Moriah were actually Boyfriend/Girlfriend, but likely were already in friend zone anyway.  The line is pretty thin, but if you look at his social media, he is a typical college kid.  They need plot lines for this show and he , similar to Helena are part of them.   

If you look at the scene from next week with Olivia and Ethan, it seems out of place timeline. It also seems like she is wearing the same outfit from another day (Yes I know people wear the same things multiple times, but if I was on TV I would likely be conscience of this),  so they are showing things out of order. Also, would love to know when they looked at that house in Thomaston.   Even the realtors were not wearing masks.  Yes, its not prevalent in S. Ga, but still.

[bichonblitz]

This family is so strange. Stranger than the Duggars and that's saying alot. If mama Plath is such a health nut why is she so overweight? What is she eating? 

I hope Ethan and Olivia make it. I doubt it, though. They were so young and didn't really take the time to know each other before the marriage. 

Moria- I hope she finds what she's looking for. She has a sensitive soul and has a good work ethic. I wish she would move to a bigger city and find work in a creative field of some kind. 

Lydia- what a sweet girl. She loves her family so much. I don't see her doing much with her life. Married and making babies, cooking, cleaning and making a nice home seems to be all it will take to make her happy. She'll be a great wife and mother. 

Micah- this may be an unpopular opinion but I could see this kid having a successful modeling career if he had someone knowledgable about the business give a damn about him. He very good looking and his body is amazing. Change up the hair a bit and learn to walk a runway. I really could see it. He needs to go to NYC and try to get with a good agency if he is serious about it. 

These parents have really effed up these kids. I'm proud of the one's that got away and are trying to make a normal life for themselves. That's one thing they have over the robotic Duggars. Except Jinger who got married and moved far away from the rest of the Duggar cult. 

Edited December 2, 2020 by bichonblitz

[CarolMK]

I just started watching this show about 2 weeks ago, going through season 1 and now I'm caught up. Missed it last year due to working overtime at a job I've now lost due to the pandemic. Anyway, my observations are that I think at least half the show is somewhat scripted. I think that Moira going to live with her grandparents was actually likely to be her parent's idea, since they had ongoing conflicts with her. It wasn't Olivia's idea. Also, the family is very friendly with another fundamentalist family, the Rodrigues family in  Ohio. The one daughter, Nurie, was in Hosanna's wedding last year and then this year, she married Anna Duggar's younger brother, in July. So the Plaths must be involved with the Institution of Basic Life principles by Bill Gothard and they have gone to those conferences/church camps for a long time. I wonder if Kim changed to wearing jeans on the show to make herself seem more mainstream when their Facebook page from a couple of years ago shows all the girls in modest dress and promotes a CD that the family did. Maybe once Hosanna and Ethan got married, there was no more incentive to do the family band as the majority of the talent had left. I'm event wondering if Moira didn't actually live with her parents on season 1, but they just made it seem that way. I doubt she would have bought the skimpy  clothes while still living under her parent's roof. The trip to San Francisco was probably scripted by the producers as a storyline, not a wedding photo shoot by Olivia. 

Speaking of Olivia, I don't see her and Ethan staying married forever. She's eventually going to grow tired of him and find herself another man. Their marriage was probably rushed because both of them couldn't wait to get out of their parent's homes. I've read that Olivia doesn't talk to her sister, and she seemed very much on board with Ethan cutting off his parents. 

I've followed the Duggar family and also the Bates family for quite a long time, and it doesn't seem that any of them have had the same type of conflicts with their parents, among the kids who have left home to get married. The only one is Jill Duggar (Dillard) and she does still seem to have a relationship with her sisters and to some extent, her parents. I remember reading that she and Derrick were also not allowed to visit their family at home unless Jim Bob and Michelle were also there. They also have made similar choices as Ethan and Olivia like drinking alcohol, dressing more mainstream and using birth control. 

[Twopper]

On 12/2/2020 at 8:11 AM, mom2two said:

the father might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I believe he really cares for his kids and has taken what has happened to his oldest to heart.   He did seem proud of Moriah.   If it was up to him, I think they could mend fences with Ethan, but its Kim that is the queen bee and rules the roost and has caused all the issues.

Honestly since this is "TV" I dont believe that Max and Moriah were actually Boyfriend/Girlfriend, but likely were already in friend zone anyway.  The line is pretty thin, but if you look at his social media, he is a typical college kid.  They need plot lines for this show and he , similar to Helena are part of them.   

If you look at the scene from next week with Olivia and Ethan, it seems out of place timeline. It also seems like she is wearing the same outfit from another day (Yes I know people wear the same things multiple times, but if I was on TV I would likely be conscience of this),  so they are showing things out of order. Also, would love to know when they looked at that house in Thomaston.   Even the realtors were not wearing masks.  Yes, its not prevalent in S. Ga, but still.

I agree about the father.   Kim is horrid, just horrid.  I cannot believe I dislike a mother more than Michelle Duggar, but I believe I have found someone who I think is worse.   If someone wants to help me change my mind about this,  I am open to it.  At best, they are equally awful although for different reasons.   I cannot believe that she was so snarky about the relationship about Max and Mariah.  I understand that she feels that way, but saying it on camera was really nasty and, I think, totally unnecessary.  (Of course, the Max-Mariah relationship may just be scripted and Ma Plath's remark was also written for her).

I really don't watch as attentively as most of you do as to who is wearing what when.  I do know how hot and muggy that part of Georgia is during the spring-summer-fall.  I occasionally have been to Thomasville to visit family, and it is definitely an improvement over Cairo.  I will say that Olivia mentioning T'ville having better schools is an indication that they won't be home schooling.  I notice Ethan didn't say that they should home school so I see that as a plus.   I think Olivia's desire for this house will cause lots of conflict with Ethan.  Yes, it is a nice house BUT it is probably too expensive (unless they are getting paid well by tlc which is a possibility), is too close to neighbors, and doesn't have enough yard for Ethan to feel comfortable in.  There are plenty of areas around T'ville that that have houses on bigger lots, but the houses might not be new enough for Olivia.  They could certainly find something similar to what they have in Cairo with more yard.  I think it would be hard for Ethan to adjust to that neighborhood.

as to the masks, I am not sure how prevalent the COVID is there now except I do know someone who lives there who had it last month.  Just a mild case, but still.  Cairo and T'ville are both just about an hour south of Albany which was one of the nation's earliest hotspots back in March.  It was really hit hard. 

If you are ever in south Georgia or the Tallahasse area, you might  consider going to Thomasville.  It is a fun little town and probably very different than you might expect.   https://thomasvillega.com/

And no, I am not employed by the Thomasville tourist bureau😂

[Xena]

On 12/2/2020 at 10:19 AM, bichonblitz said:

Micah- this may be an unpopular opinion but I could see this kid having a successful modeling career if he had someone knowledgable about the business give a damn about him. He very good looking and his body is amazing.

I have heard many, many people on reality shows say they are going to become a 'model'.  He is the only one where I did not roll my eyes.  He would have to put the work in, and learn how to look serious (he is always smiling!  Good for his personality, bad for his model jobs lol).  He is extremely attractive.  His body is ... good lord.  On point.

[Mothra]

Okay, I admit it.  I don't know whether "relationship" means sex or not.  Did Moriah have sex with that guy Max?  It seems a big jump from her protected life into the sack with the first guy she met, but I guess that's what happens.

[TwirlyGirly]

On 12/2/2020 at 10:19 AM, bichonblitz said:

Micah- this may be an unpopular opinion but I could see this kid having a successful modeling career if he had someone knowledgable about the business give a damn about him. He very good looking and his body is amazing. Change up the hair a bit and learn to walk a runway. I really could see it. He needs to go to NYC and try to get with a good agency if he is serious about it. 

The problem is even if Micah were to become one of the top* male models, he wouldn't be making much. 

Average salary for top* female models in the U.S. is $42,000/year. Average salary for top male models, also in the U.S, is $28,000/year.

Most male models need to have a well-paying side gig to support themselves; the trouble with Micah is he doesn't have the education, training, or prior work experience to get a job to supplement his modeling earnings that will pay him enough to support himself, especially in a major city, which is where most of the modeling work is.

Furthermore, male models get most of their work between the ages of 30 - 50. Micah's got 11 years to go before he'll be old enough to compete for the type of modeling jobs top male models are paid the most to do.

*Top models, as differentiated from supermodels. 

Edited December 4, 2020 by TwirlyGirly

[readheaded]

17 hours ago, Twopper said:

I agree about the father.   Kim is horrid, just horrid.  I cannot believe I dislike a mother more than Michelle Duggar, but I believe I have found someone who I think is worse.   If someone wants to help me change my mind about this,  I am open to it.  At best, they are equally awful although for different reasons.   I cannot believe that she was so snarky about the relationship about Max and Mariah.  I understand that she feels that way, but saying it on camera was really nasty and, I think, totally unnecessary.  (Of course, the Max-Mariah relationship may just be scripted and Ma Plath's remark was also written for her).

I really don't watch as attentively as most of you do as to who is wearing what when.  I do know how hot and muggy that part of Georgia is during the spring-summer-fall.  I occasionally have been to Thomasville to visit family, and it is definitely an improvement over Cairo.  I will say that Olivia mentioning T'ville having better schools is an indication that they won't be home schooling.  I notice Ethan didn't say that they should home school so I see that as a plus.   I think Olivia's desire for this house will cause lots of conflict with Ethan.  Yes, it is a nice house BUT it is probably too expensive (unless they are getting paid well by tlc which is a possibility), is too close to neighbors, and doesn't have enough yard for Ethan to feel comfortable in.  There are plenty of areas around T'ville that that have houses on bigger lots, but the houses might not be new enough for Olivia.  They could certainly find something similar to what they have in Cairo with more yard.  I think it would be hard for Ethan to adjust to that neighborhood.

as to the masks, I am not sure how prevalent the COVID is there now except I do know someone who lives there who had it last month.  Just a mild case, but still.  Cairo and T'ville are both just about an hour south of Albany which was one of the nation's earliest hotspots back in March.  It was really hit hard. 

If you are ever in south Georgia or the Tallahasse area, you might  consider going to Thomasville.  It is a fun little town and probably very different than you might expect.   https://thomasvillega.com/

And no, I am not employed by the Thomasville tourist bureau😂

I won't try to change your mind about Kim, because I do completely agree she's horrid.  What I don't agree with though, is that Barry's any better.  I think they both love their children and honestly think they're doing what's best for them, however abusive and misguided, but I can't get on board with absolving Barry.  He's content to let Kim be the "mouthpiece" while he smiles affably and is insideously complicent.  He's such a pussy and a hypocrite that he'll let her be the lightning rod while he allows himself a career that uses the college degree he was able to pursue and that gives HIM financial security (what would happen to the rest of them if he walked away?).  Meanwhile, that's vastly different from the opportunities he's agreed with Kim to allow for his children.

[Twopper]

2 hours ago, readheaded said:

I won't try to change your mind about Kim, because I do completely agree she's horrid.  What I don't agree with though, is that Barry's any better. 

I think Barry may be just marginally better;  I don't know if he started out as a wimp or if he became that way having to deal with Kim and her depression over running over their child.  I think he is just too terrified to push back on anything she says or does, and a decade or so of that has taken its toll on him and all the children.   I think production probably prodded him into going into the yoga class that Moriah was teaching.  

[Mothra]

Going into Moriah's class might not have been Barry's idea, but he sure was a jackass when he got in there.  Those parents *really* don't want their children to achieve any degree of independence.  Moriah's job as a yoga instructor is important to her;  she earns money from her work--for the first time in her life--and Barry not only barges in, but prances around until she is forced to acknowledge him because he's a goddam eight-foot diameter spider with an idiot's grin, and she figured (I bet) that if she didn't acknowledge him he would only get worse and start yelling at her.  And of all things to disrupt with manic behavior!  I wonder how Barry behaves at his own job, and what his co-workers think of him.

And they live (lived) on a farm.  Did they grow vegetables or fruit?  I recall farm animals being mentioned, but nothing as far as I can recall was made of having to get up at 4 a.m. to milk cows, or any other of the hard physical work a real farm requires.  Did they work the farm, or did they rent it out to real farmers?  And if they did work it, did they grow their own food?  I'm really stuck on mother Plath's ban on sugar; if they grew all their food, wouldn't there be a similar ban on stuff like preservatives?

I think this family may be a big phony.

[Madding crowd]

21 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

The problem is even if Micah were to become one of the top* male models, he wouldn't be making much. 

Average salary for top* female models in the U.S. is $42,000/year. Average salary for top male models, also in the U.S, is $28,000/year.

Most male models need to have a well-paying side gig to support themselves; the trouble with Micah is he doesn't have the education, training, or prior work experience to get a job to supplement his modeling earnings that will pay him enough to support himself, especially in a major city, which is where most of the modeling work is.

Furthermore, male models get most of their work between the ages of 30 - 50. Micah's got 11 years to go before he'll be old enough to compete for the type of modeling jobs top male models are paid the most to do.

*Top models, as differentiated from supermodels. 

He, Moriah and Ethan work at auto garages and the cost of living is low in Cairo. The money is made these days on Instagram and other social media and modeling shots can be a part of that. Plus he is getting some money from the show. Obviously a college degree would be good but I think he can make a living ok for age 19.

[TwirlyGirly]

On 12/4/2020 at 7:43 PM, Madding crowd said:

He, Moriah and Ethan work at auto garages and the cost of living is low in Cairo. The money is made these days on Instagram and other social media and modeling shots can be a part of that. Plus he is getting some money from the show. Obviously a college degree would be good but I think he can make a living ok for age 19.

I quoted and was responding to @bichonblitz , in which they said:

"He needs to go to NYC and try to get with a good agency if he is serious about it. "

For the reasons I cited in my post, Micah would find it difficult, if not impossible, to support himself in NYC.

If he's able to find work in auto garages in Cairo, that's great! But do we know whether Micah is certified as a mechanic? Because competition for jobs in NY is fierce; he can probably work in an auto garage in or near Cairo without being a certified mechanic. NY is a whole different ballgame.

That's the problem I was addressing; whether Micah would be able to support himself in New York City as a model with a side job (IMO, not likely); not whether he can support himself as a model with a side job in or near Cairo. 

[Madding crowd]

I don’t know whether he is a certified mechanic or not. They haven’t mentioned anything about moving to NY and couldn’t afford it. As I said though, traditional modeling is fading away as social media pictures are replacing modeling portfolios and modeling can be done anywhere unless you want to walk the runway of a designer. 

[Fostersmom]

On 12/2/2020 at 10:19 AM, bichonblitz said:

This family is so strange. Stranger than the Duggars and that's saying alot. If mama Plath is such a health nut why is she so overweight? What is she eating? 

I hope Ethan and Olivia make it. I doubt it, though. They were so young and didn't really take the time to know each other before the marriage. 

Moria- I hope she finds what she's looking for. She has a sensitive soul and has a good work ethic. I wish she would move to a bigger city and find work in a creative field of some kind. 

Lydia- what a sweet girl. She loves her family so much. I don't see her doing much with her life. Married and making babies, cooking, cleaning and making a nice home seems to be all it will take to make her happy. She'll be a great wife and mother. 

Micah- this may be an unpopular opinion but I could see this kid having a successful modeling career if he had someone knowledgable about the business give a damn about him. He very good looking and his body is amazing. Change up the hair a bit and learn to walk a runway. I really could see it. He needs to go to NYC and try to get with a good agency if he is serious about it. 

These parents have really effed up these kids. I'm proud of the one's that got away and are trying to make a normal life for themselves. That's one thing they have over the robotic Duggars. Except Jinger who got married and moved far away from the rest of the Duggar cult. 

I looked at Micah's Instagram and he could certainly be doing print work. Micah posted this and it has catalogue written all over it. 

Lydia truly is a sweet girl, and not just in the fundy keeping sweet sense of the word. I do agree she's going to be content with a very simple life of marriage, babies, and motherhood. I hope she ends up with a nice man who makes her happy when she gets older. She's unfortunately also got the personality that will allow her to be crushed by disappointment in the future if things go wrong and she decides she's angered God or wasn't holy enough. 

[bichonblitz]

2 hours ago, Fostersmom said:

I looked at Micah's Instagram and he could certainly be doing print work. Micah posted this and it has catalogue written all over it. 

That first pic is fantastic. Wowza, he photographs beautifully. The second pic ruins it, looks awkward and unprofessional. WTH? 

Edited December 6, 2020 by bichonblitz

[Fostersmom]

20 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

That first pic is fantastic. Wowza, he photographs beautifully. The second pic ruins it, looks awkward and unprofessional. WTH? 

Even with the sweater half pulled up, that's still more clothing than he's normally wearing in his Insta pics! LOL! 

[emmawoodhouse]

6 hours ago, Fostersmom said:

I looked at Micah's Instagram and he could certainly be doing print work. Micah posted this and it has catalogue written all over it. 

Lydia truly is a sweet girl, and not just in the fundy keeping sweet sense of the word. I do agree she's going to be content with a very simple life of marriage, babies, and motherhood. I hope she ends up with a nice man who makes her happy when she gets older. She's unfortunately also got the personality that will allow her to be crushed by disappointment in the future if things go wrong and she decides she's angered God or wasn't holy enough. 

Lydia has "doormat" written all over her. Moriah is taking baby steps but also seems to have little agency in her relationship with Max. 

[toomuchtv]

WTF why would the dad think it’s ok to walk into a yoga class and start waving his arms around trying to get the attention of and make the instructor laugh? Kudos to Moriah for keeping professional. Although, I haven’t done yoga in a few years but that didn’t look quite like any yoga class I’ve done. And I wonder if she has any certifications or training. It feels very much like a setup for the show.

[ethalfrida]

15 hours ago, toomuchtv said:

 Although, I haven’t done yoga in a few years but that didn’t look quite like any yoga class I’ve done. And I wonder if she has any certifications or training. It feels very much like a setup for the show.

I was watching her moves also and it was more like a pseudo cardio routine. I mean movement is awesome in all forms but that wasn't Yoga.

[Mothra]

On 12/5/2020 at 10:18 PM, TwirlyGirly said:

That's the problem I was addressing; whether Micah would be able to support himself in New York City as a model with a side job (IMO, not likely); not whether he can support himself as a model with a side job in or near Cairo. 

I think Micah's idea of what "modeling" is and yours and mine is very different.  For what Micah considers modeling, no agent is required, no contacts in the business.  I don't know where Micah (and other reality show stars) get the idea that sexy posing on an Instagram account is a "photo shoot."  They are not models.  They do not aspire to print work, or catwalk work, or any kind of *real* modeling work.  They go online and show off their bodies, and people pay to look at the racier photos.

I don't have any idea what kind of money this kind of "modeling" brings in, but it sure seems like Micah likes doing it.