S05: All Season Thread

[lightninggirl]

The comment about Ethan being just like Buddy from "Elf" is pretty spot on, minus the hysterical personality. That's where that ends. Ethan is truly cut from the same cloth as his narc mother. He's passively aggressively avoidant and petulant. I know that it's difficult to have the person you married grow and change while you both navigate life outside of an isolated, controlling upbringing, but he's an absolute manchild with little growth and redemption. He's growing less and less endearing by the episode as he morphs even more into Kim. And what the FUCK is up with his mom jeans? I haven't seen a guy wear jeans like that since the mid-80s. It's absolutely bizarre.

I know Ethan was trying to paint Cairo as a town without even as much as a stop sign, but I lived in a town of 300 in northern Florida for some of my formative years (thankfully, my dad moved us out because he wanted us kids to not be mired there and actually grow & thrive). But Cairo had over 9K people in the 1990s, so there's a line to draw between isolation and ignorance. And Kim - in a town of 10K, could you perhaps find ANOTHER man to date? I mean between her fashion sense and narcissistic personality I get that it's slim pickins, but come the fuck on. Maybe not pursue your kid's flight instructor? (my SIL lives in a town of about 17K and her husband fucked their son's best friend's mom and ended the marriage, so I get the proximity thing but MAYBE DON'T LET IT BE A PROXIMITY THING, so gross)

[SongbirdHollow]

Wait are we just gonna ignore that Olivia loves butt stuff but Ethan won’t do it? Who says that out loud during a Get To Know You game?

[SabineElisabeth]

So, please don't take away my membership card for admitting this haha, but Barry is kind of growing on me this season.  More than anything, I have to admire the sincere effort he seems to be putting into building real relationships with his children.  Compared to say, Kody from Sister Wives who actually, for real, said out loud, on teevee, that the reason he no longer has anything to do with most of his older kids now is because before their moms left, all Kody had to do to see his kids was show up whereas now, he would actually have to put forth some modicum of effort - like oh, you know, send a few texts or whatever.

Beyond that, I just have a feeling that Kim portrays Barry as having been a much worse husband than he actually was.  It's obvious Barry had become complacent in their marriage and took for granted that Kim would always be there, but I didn't see that he treated her badly.  And frankly, I see potential in Barry and was always a bit confused Kim had no interest in trying counseling, etc.  However, we now have the answer, as this season basically confirms she'd had one foot out the door for a while.

My other main observation from this episode is that Ethan and Olivia have one seriously weird-ass relationship.  I've never known a couple who spends as much time apart as these two.  They go weeks at a time without seeing each other (and barely talking?), and even when they're together, it seems like they often live very separate lives.

And one final, general observation is that a lot of the Plath kids are in that age range that I really find annoying AF.  Moriah, of course, being the absolute worst.  I often wish I could tell her, to her hideously over-made up face, that she's really not nearly as interesting or unique as she thinks she is.  Not that i ever would, given that I'm a grown-ass woman who doesn't go around dressing down young adults (especially fucked up ones like the Plaths), but nonetheless . . . I still want to sometimes.  : )

[TexasGal]

I really, really don’t want to see either Plath parent dating.  Just, no.   The kids are barely tolerable. 
 

I do not like Moriah’s tattoos. 

[Meow Mix]

Ethan is a jerk full stop.  I have tried to cut him a lot of slack because of his upbringing, but doing donuts when your wife is asking you to stop and then getting pissy about it is just too much.  Even if she hadn't had trauma from multiple car accidents, what he did was stupid and dangerous.  He had no idea what the ground was like under that snow.  He could have hit a hole or a hidden tree limb or something and rolled that SUV and hurt or killed someone.  Olivia needs to dump him and he can go back to Cairo and hide in his mechanic friend's shop working on cars.  I'm over him.

Kim is just disgusting.  How dare she tell Isaac that he was the one who introduced her to her new boyfriend.  I worry about Isaac blaming himself for the demise of his parents' marriage.  And I figured he would just stuff down his feelings rather than telling her that this whole thing is gross.  Kim was totally cheating with this guy before she ever left Barry.  And I'm sick of hearing about her happiness over and over.  Despite what she believes, no one owes her putting aside their own feelings so that she can be with this guy.  And frankly, they are made for each other.  It was pathetic that they had to subtitle him because his speech is so poor.

Moriah needs to get over herself.  Her story keeps changing regarding what happened.  Now apparently Olivia made her make up lies about the Olivia stealing her music because ... something.  And Ethan is now a bully.  She needs to pay the rent she owes.

[surfgirl]

On 10/17/2023 at 7:31 PM, JayDub1987 said:

Absolute bullshit that Kim keeps making it known that Isaac introduced them. Way to tell your 17 year old “hey, thanks for finding me a replacement for your dad!” Legit, I hate this woman. 

My firestorm thought was "Kim you stupid moron, way to make Isaac feel like it's his fault that his mother is moving on because he introduced his hobag mother to his scumbag plane partner. Psych 10, DUH.

[ezzy4]

Ok...i'm gonna venture into uncharted territory...it feels so so weird for me to be saying this 'cause i fully dislike Kim (I mean, what's there to like other than her beautiful hair?)...but...but...

I think she could do much better that that new bf.  

There i said it!  She's too good for him.

And i agree with everyone who says this relationship started long before she left her marriage.  Which it makes it even weirder.  Why would anyone leave any marriage for that guy?

Am i missing something?

[Quof]

11 hours ago, Meow Mix said:

Olivia made her make up lies about the Olivia stealing her music

To be fair, that would be petty theft, like a kid stealing penny candy.  Not worthy of prosecution. 

[JayDub1987]

3 hours ago, Quof said:

To be fair, that would be petty theft, like a kid stealing penny candy.  Not worthy of prosecution. 

If she had stolen the music and destroyed it, it would’ve been a public service. 

[Pattycake2]

So Isaac is 17 and seems to have working for awhile.  Does home school “larnin” only last through age 16?

The producers got great footage of those car doughnuts so I’m going with that scene being producer driven.

I want to know exactly what are Ethan’s and Olivia’s different values.  Isaac said that Ken was a great guy when we know he’s a racist pos.  What were those kids brought up to believe?

Of course it’s very possible that Ethan’s and Olivia’s upcoming disagreements are just to help push for another season.  This one has been boor-o.

 

[JayDub1987]

3 hours ago, Pattycake2 said:

I want to know exactly what are Ethan’s and Olivia’s different values.  

I’ll venture a guess here. I think Olivia wants to do the stuff that most people do in their late teens/early 20s. Drink some, party, maybe travel. Ethan wants a slow, simple life where he works, tinkers with his cars, and goes home. I think what they’re calling “values” are really “interests.” I don’t think Olivia’s values involve bartending, but it’s something that interests her. 

Their values have also changed tho. Olivia no longer considers herself a Christian while Ethan does. He seems to want a kid, she doesn’t. But I think most of their differences involve interests. They just use the terms interchangeably.

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by JayDub1987

[Salacious Kitty]

2 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

I’ll venture a guess here. I think Olivia wants to do the stuff that most people do in their late teens/early 20s. Drink some, party, maybe travel. Ethan wants a slow, simple life where he works, tinkers with his cars, and goes home. I think what they’re calling “values” are really “interests.” I don’t think Olivia’s values involve bartending, but it’s something that interests her. 

Their values have also changed tho. Olivia no longer considers herself a Christian while Ethan does. He seems to want a kid, she doesn’t. But I think most of their differences involve interests. They just use the terms interchangeably.

 

I think using the terms interchangeably stems from their lack of formal education, especially in Ethan's case. Does he even have an 8th grade education?

[JayDub1987]

8 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I think using the terms interchangeably stems from their lack of formal education, especially in Ethan's case. Does he even have an 8th grade education?

That I don’t know. But we do know he couldn’t read a menu on their first date and still says the “pictures help him.” 

[lightninggirl]

14 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I think using the terms interchangeably stems from their lack of formal education, especially in Ethan's case. Does he even have an 8th grade education?

I think he's functionally illiterate. It was mentioned here that Olivia had to help him with reading as those skills were quite poor, and I'm not sure how much he improved.

[Salacious Kitty]

I forgot about the menu. Forget 8th grade. I agree he's likely functionally illiterate. Geez, I could read a menu when I was 6 or 7. 

The Plath kids are severely handicapped as they try to navigate adulthood.

[Notabug]

5 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

That I don’t know. But we do know he couldn’t read a menu on their first date and still says the “pictures help him.” 

Ethan himself called Kim out, saying that, when he was around 12 or so, he had an interest in cars and wanted to learn how to repair them.  They had an old car in the barn on their property and, from that time on, most of Ethan's 'schooling' involved fiddling around with that car.  He said, because of that, his reading skills are very poor and he lacks a lot of basic knowledge of history, art, literature and mathematics that most of society would consider a fundamental part of basic education.

Kim has tried to claim that auto repair is a fine vocational skill and she was simply helping her son prepare for his future; but, watching the show, it's pretty obvious that Kim has very little interest in her kids' education and is perfectly willing to let them take the path that was easiest for her.

[Meow Mix]

On 10/20/2023 at 3:54 PM, Notabug said:

Ethan himself called Kim out, saying that, when he was around 12 or so, he had an interest in cars and wanted to learn how to repair them.  They had an old car in the barn on their property and, from that time on, most of Ethan's 'schooling' involved fiddling around with that car.  He said, because of that, his reading skills are very poor and he lacks a lot of basic knowledge of history, art, literature and mathematics that most of society would consider a fundamental part of basic education.

Kim has tried to claim that auto repair is a fine vocational skill and she was simply helping her son prepare for his future; but, watching the show, it's pretty obvious that Kim has very little interest in her kids' education and is perfectly willing to let them take the path that was easiest for her.

Kim loves to claim that she is setting her kids up for a great future.  She claimed that Moriah had the foundation to be a professional singer, several of the girls can apparently be professional dancers based on her crappy ballet lessons, and Ethan can be a mechanic when he can't read a menu as an adult.  She and Barry have completely failed those kids.

[SunnyBeBe]

Moriah is a lovely girl, but her choice of presentation seems odd to me. I sense she thinks it makes her appear edgy, but it fails, imo.  It reminds me of an imitation of The Joker.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joker_in_other_media

 

Ethan seems like a very difficult person.  I can’t imagine trying to deal with him.  I don’t care for his wife either.  None of them are very likable, imo.  I have no idea why I watch. Lol 

 

[zenme]

They’re all so socially awkward due to how they have been raised. 

[Cancun]

I’m focused on how many times Kim says “the children”. It’s so stilted and cold. It’s never “my kids” or “our girls” or “the littles”. Something about the way she says it makes them sound like an object, not people. I can’t explain it well, but it bugs me.

Update: dang you, Kim! She refers to “the girls” in next week’s preview.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Cancun

[JayDub1987]

Ethan and Olivia are going to split; it’s “when” not “if.” And that’s fine. They’ve changed, and aren’t compatible. They have no kids, don’t own a home, and have none of the things that divorcing people have to fight through. They’re young, and can keep this quick and easy. 
 

BUT getting marriage advice from your unmarried sister who says that she purposely “keeps it casual” is the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. 

[Shelbie]

Kim has spent the last twenty odd years trying desperately to control every aspect of her children’s lives. She believes she is right in every situation and has produced so much tension and heartache as her children grew up and now has just decided that she doesn’t want to be mom anymore. She is behaving like a giddy fourteen year old about her new boyfriend. 🙄.

Moriah’s outfit to go Christmas tree shopping was as idiotic and inappropriate as her baptism one.

Ethan at 24 saying his beliefs will never change shows how immature and stilted he is. He has no idea what life will throw at him. His desire to homeschool his own children even though he is functionally illiterate is scary.

[Gharlane]

Quote

"Now Is The Winter Of Our Discontent".  Kim starts new family traditions with the kids for Christmas.

I haven't seen this one yet, but the description caught my eye. What was it, she's going to spend Christmas with her shack-up honey and they're spending it with Barry? 🙄

[bichonblitz]

Olivia's sister is a shit stirrer. I don't like or trust her one bit. 

I used to like Ethan until the "spinning donuts" episode. He was gonna do exactly what he wanted no matter his wife was terrified and his guests very uncomfortable. The car could have spun out of control and caused a bad accident. What an immature, uneducated, selfish prick he is.

Olivia is no prize but I wouldn't put up with his crap for a minute. Not to mention him taking off for months to go work on his cars. Run, Olivia, while you are still young and pretty or you will end up just like Kim. 

[laurakaye]

3 hours ago, Shelbie said:

Kim has spent the last twenty odd years trying desperately to control every aspect of her children’s lives. She believes she is right in every situation and has produced so much tension and heartache as her children grew up and now has just decided that she doesn’t want to be mom anymore. She is behaving like a giddy fourteen year old about her new boyfriend. 🙄.

With the unfortunate death of their baby, I wonder if Kim doubled-down on how she was going to raise the rest of her kids as a way to cope and Barry, numb from grief himself, went along with it because he thought he was doing the right thing for his wife.  When they got their show and the older kids started leaving and living life, Kim decided that what she was doing was too much work, Barry had exited stage left to work in order to support their large family, and Kim took that as "Barry doesn't care, this is hard, so I'm out."  The problem is, she left behind several emotionally stunted adult children and a posse of younger kids that still really needed her but hey, a gal's gotta live life too, right?

Barry could have gone the way of Kody Brown and peaced out himself, but it's nice to see that those kids have at least one parent they can reasonably count on while Kim overlines her lipstick, dances alone in her apartment and goes on dates with Pilot Guy to get wet calamari.

[surfgirl]

This epi couldn't hold my attention it was so forced and boring. The continuity sucks. Kim's Xmas tree has no lights but they're about to put ornaments on it, then suddenly lying it's all alight. Whatever, that's the least of my complaints. 

As others have said, Lydia Grace is hardly a reliable font of adult life wisdom, and while she doesn't seem to know that, I think Olivia does. 

I missed the donuts last epi, that's how bored I am with this forced season, but that combined with Ethan talking smack about Olivia in an u demanded way to Lydia Grace's boyfriend was just bizarre. And thr fact that he claims he will only home school his kids is ridiculous given that he's functionally illiterate himself. Who's going to hkem school his kids? Surely not him because he's an intellectual moron who can barely read let alone whatever his other skills may be. Olivia is the only one who has a real job with her wedding photography business (I think this bartender thing is just a lame storyline fir a lame show). 

Kim continues to provide Grade A Cringe, whilst Barry continues to bring his A Game to his I'm Being A Stand Up Guy For My Kids storyline. 

These kids need therapy and the parents should be fined for fucking up their children so much. Exhibit A & B Your Honor: Moriah and Ethan Plath.

[Madding crowd]

I could have done without the snide Plath comments about Christmas. Not everyone celebrates Christmas but I would never comment on other people’s beliefs or traditions. Olivia’s sister seems like she just wants to get Olivia upset and they didn’t get along for this reason before. I have a sister like this and it’s always some variation of “I noticed this and don’t think it’s right for you” but done out of jealousy.

Ethan says he hasn’t changed but he clearly has so I think that was a producer driven conversation. He has a Christmas tree, he drinks alcohol, he travels around Europe. I can’t wait for Lydia’s reaction to Kim dating. 

[Salacious Kitty]

In the preview, it's Moriah who says she doesn't approve. I'm sure Lydia will also get all righteous. 

 

[Tabbygirl521]

On 10/3/2023 at 3:17 PM, JayDub1987 said:

But didn’t you hear? She’s the “oldest female in the house.” That means she’s the stand-in wife and mother. Fortunately, she’s bought all the way into the cult shit that these people push so she’s a viable replacement. 

If only Kim hasn’t shut down Lydia’s wishes to text those two guys she was interested in getting to know, instead of clamping down on her and dooming her to be the family caretaker/“old maid. It seemed clear Kim was waiting until SHE decided a guy was suitable (don’t hold your breath) and then Lydia would be allowed to text him two or three times and then get married. What about the amazing concept of getting to know a few different people before you make any big life decisions??

and how I wish we could hear from Hosanna on her take about all this mess. Exactly why did she choose to opt out of the show?

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

In the preview, it's Moriah who says she doesn't approve. I'm sure Lydia will also get all righteous. 

 

after she flees into her prayer closet for a few hours (consults her magic 8 ball) and will pronounce if it is Gods way, she will be fine with it

[lightninggirl]

I am with Ethan on the "I wouldn't gift a butt plug to a family member for Christmas, maybe your spouse" comment. 😂 There are gag gifts, and then there are ... butt plugs. Wow.

Color me absolutely NOT surprised that Barry and Kim never celebrated Christmas or let their kids have a tree. If I had 10 kids, that would be something that would bring me an immense amount of joy. Sure, a lot of planning with that many and I'm sure Barry would do absolutely the bare minimum, but the chaos would have been wonderful and a lot of sweet memories. I felt a little sad hearing Moriah not understand why Santa says "ho ho ho" or what an ornament was for. Kim is such an asshole saying that SHE had a lot of FOND memories growing up of Christmas, yet she denied her own children those memories. I'm not sure how she can make herself more unlikeable each episode, but somehow she manages to do it.

Barry: Eschewing traditional celebrations is such a lonely path but I'm being true to myself!! I love eating this sad meal all by myself with what looks like a burnt bun! No kids around! Yeah! 

Not me waiting for Micah to go out on that hill a la Michael Kennedy or Sonny Bono or anything. 😳

[Lisa418722]

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

and how I wish we could hear from Hosanna on her take about all this mess. Exactly why did she choose to opt out of the show?

Hosanna lives with her husband, TImonty Noble, and child (I think it's a boy) in Ohio.  I know they seem to be very fundie from what I've read and they travel a lot playing music (not JillRod music - religious but talented).  I will admit to wanting to know what she thinks about her parents' divorce and Kim's new boyfriend since it seems she is still living more like she was brought up.   Also, I could be mistaken,  but I think Nourie was in her wedding. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Lisa418722

[Meow Mix]

Lydia Grace is no better than Moriah with her butting in.  It appeared that Olivia was aware of that because she gave very short answers to Lydia's questions and tried not to give her any more fuel to criticize her marriage.  I don't think Ethan and Olivia should stay together, but that needs to be their decision, not siblings on either side.

Barry's sandwich of sadness was something else.  Maybe it was too much work for him to heat up whatever Lydia left for him before she went to Christmas at Kim's.  And I am sure the only reason Kim is doing Christmas now is to get one up on Barry.  She is so transparent.

Ethan wants to homeschool.  Someone who can't decipher a menu without pictures to help him along has no business trying to educate someone else.  He actually means he wants his wife to homeschool to his specifications.   Has he met Olivia?  She is not going to do that.  She may homeschool, but she won't parrot his beliefs.  Move on Olivia before the birth control fails.  At least she understands that they have no business having a kid right now with their issues.

[JayDub1987]

9 hours ago, laurakaye said:

ith the unfortunate death of their baby, I wonder if Kim doubled-down on how she was going to raise the rest of her kids as a way to cope and Barry, numb from grief himself, went along with it because he thought he was doing the right thing for his wife

I think this is only partially true. There’s some reason that the oldest daughter is never around and (to my knowledge) doesn’t appear on social media platforms with her family. Thinking Kim was whacked out before the grief. 

9 hours ago, surfgirl said:

These kids need therapy and the parents should be fined for fucking up their children so much. Exhibit A & B Your Honor: Moriah and Ethan Plath.

C: the dead kid; D: absent eldest child. E; the parentification of Lydia

[Gharlane]

13 hours ago, lightninggirl said:

Color me absolutely NOT surprised that Barry and Kim never celebrated Christmas or let their kids have a tree.

Wait, what? What kind of turbo Xian family wouldn't celebrate X-mas? 😲

[MamaGee]

1 hour ago, Gharlane said:

Wait, what? What kind of turbo Xian family wouldn't celebrate X-mas? 😲

There are Christian denominations that don't celebrate Christmas for a variety of reasons. One being that we don't know exactly when Jesus was born and indications are it was nowhere near December 25th. Some of the people I know who don't celebrate Christmas said that date was based on a pagan idea. Not sure where they got that but it's an argument that's used. Also, at least one denomination thinks it's wrong to celebrate Christ's birth on one day when we should celebrate it every day. These arguments also apply to people who don't celebrate Easter. 

[Fouts]

I always find that pagan date argument interesting.  The fact is that Christian religions picked these dates for their celebrations in order to help nullify the pagan parties happening then.  They superseded them and made them forgotten and irrelevant.  Much like how European Catholics of old built their churches atop the very foundations of mosques sites they'd conquered.  

I wish I could explain this to Barry.  

[SabineElisabeth]

On 10/23/2023 at 4:32 AM, zenme said:

They’re all so socially awkward due to how they have been raised. 

16 hours ago, lightninggirl said:

I am with Ethan on the "I wouldn't gift a butt plug to a family member for Christmas, maybe your spouse" comment. 😂 There are gag gifts, and then there are ... butt plugs. Wow.

Watching them to try have fun is so incredibly awkward I actually feel some second-hand anxiety.

On 10/25/2023 at 7:11 AM, Shelbie said:

She [Kim] believes she is right in every situation and has produced so much tension and heartache as her children grew up and now has just decided that she doesn’t want to be mom anymore. She is behaving like a giddy fourteen year old about her new boyfriend. 🙄.

I was pretty shocked she moved to FL to live with the new boyfriend, as some of her girls are still pretty young.  It looks like she's only a little over an hour away from Cairo, but are the little girls really going to live part time with her at the new boyfriend's house?  Seems highly unlikely for many reasons.  And while I get wanting to be happy, that's pretty shitty to peace out on your young daughters - who, no matter how much Barry rises to the occasion, are going to suffer significant emotional damage due to not having a present, invovled mother.

20 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Ethan says he hasn’t changed but he clearly has so I think that was a producer driven conversation. He has a Christmas tree, he drinks alcohol, he travels around Europe. I can’t wait for Lydia’s reaction to Kim dating. 

On 10/25/2023 at 7:11 AM, Shelbie said:

Ethan at 24 saying his beliefs will never change shows how immature and stilted he is. 

Ethan's assertions he hasn't changed just shows his lack of self-awareness, as he's a totally different person than he was even at the beginning of the show.  He's gone from being happy, goofy, carefree, and innnocent to someone who seems much more jaded, bitter, and perpetually unhappy.  We've also seen his perception of his family change over time, as well as his opinion on what kind of relationship he and Olivia should have with them.  He went from being all about his family - to fully supporting Olivia, which effectively cut him off from not just Kim and Barry, but all the little kids, as well - to being angry and resentful towards Olivia over her refusal to have anything at all to do with Kim, and by extension, the rest of the family.

 

On 10/25/2023 at 7:11 AM, Shelbie said:

His desire to homeschool his own children even though he is functionally illiterate is scary.

I was rather taken aback that he's still pro-homeschooling after the seething anger he has towards Kim over being homeschooled.  He basically accused her of leaving him without a basic education . . . and he doesn't want better for his kids?  Maybe he thinks it was just a Kim problem, and not an overall fundie homeschool problem . . . But after Olivia shared an episode or two ago that she thinks about going to college all the time, I'm not at all surprised she wants to send her kids to public school.  I imagine that after growing up with parents who kept her world so small, Olivia will do everything in her power to help her kids experience the broader world and have all the opportunities she's wanted so badly.

[MamaGee]

I am no homeschooling apologist but there are people out there who do it and do it well. To the point their kids are better educated than public school kids. I can't imagine Ethan would be capable of that and, if Olivia isn't interested, it's a moot point. Of course, I think they should go their separate ways long before a child is born much less education decisions be made for a child. 

Also, something just occurred to me: what job is Ethan doing now??

[Salacious Kitty]

56 minutes ago, MamaGee said:

I am no homeschooling apologist but there are people out there who do it and do it well. To the point their kids are better educated than public school kids. I can't imagine Ethan would be capable of that and, if Olivia isn't interested, it's a moot point. Of course, I think they should go their separate ways long before a child is born much less education decisions be made for a child. 

Also, something just occurred to me: what job is Ethan doing now??

He mentioned his job, but I was so zoned out I didn't catch what exactly he's doing.

[Gharlane]

17 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

He mentioned his job, but I was so zoned out I didn't catch what exactly he's doing.

You mean "being on a candid reality TV show"? 

[Guest]

Isn’t it interesting that, with no family interference, Ethan’s marriage is still a shambles.  Can’t really blame the family now.

Ethan is embracing his old values because he understandably pines for his past.  He does recognize, however, that his mother is a lazy toad, and that is why homeschooling could look different to him.  If I were raising kids in this day of shootings, homeschooling would definitely be on the table.

Kim disgusts me more every episode.  Her immaturity, laziness and selfishness borders on child abuse.  

Edited October 27, 2023 by Pinenut
typo

[Guest]

It was enlightening to hear Olivia describe her family life growing up, you begin to understand where she got the tools to wreak havoc in the Platt family.  She very clearly describes exactly how drama and pitting family members against each other was a way of life for her.  While I enjoy seeing Kim called out, Olivia is perpetuating family dysfunction.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Pinenut
typo

[Fouts]

I blame Ethan and Olivia's problems on these factors:

1.  Barry and (primarily) Kim created a toxic environment for their children growing up and doubled-down when they realized they couldn't control their new daughter-in-law to their satisfaction.  They saw her as a threat to their freakish absolute power over their remaining kids at home.  

2.  Ethan sided with his wife, as he should, but his family shunned him for it.  Moriah and Micah were so undone out by their parents' divorce and dysfunction that they ran back into the burning building of the Plath parents in a misguided attempt for safety.  The devil you know and all that.  Barry took the opportunity to further pit his children against Olivia (see "brainwashing" comment). 

3.  Ethan now misses his family (see shunning) but doesn't own the verbal tools to express it and work through his depression.  Instead he lashes out at Olivia in a cruel and reckless manner (see donut spinning episode.)  Such contempt and hostility towards a spouse generally kills a marriage.  

4.  Olivia, finally free from the Plath family up in Minnesota, grows and changes as young adults often do.  (Olivia would have thrived in and loved the normal college experience.)  She and Ethan no longer share the same values of faith and homeschooling, surely among other things.  Neither of them are to blame in this aspect; it's just reality.  Or upon further reflection, I can blame Kim and Barry for preventing their children from experiencing normal maturation and experiences in the real world during their teenage years.  Olivia and Ethan were both somewhat emotionally stunted upon marriage and still had a lot of growing up to do as a result.  

My order of blame goes:  Kim, Barry, Ethan, Moriah, Micah and Olivia.  

[Guest]

The only reason Moriah and Micah came crawling back into the fold is they found that being paid to be baptized, 🙄 get tattoos and snowboard was so much easier and more lucrative than bartending and modeling.

By the way, Moriah is only blocking Ethan to avoid paying rent she knows she owes.  

[Back Atcha]

On 9/13/2023 at 5:05 PM, Meow Mix said:

Kim was so already involved with that guy.  I suspect she may have been involved with him before she even left Barry.

We all should begin EVERY POST with this!  Kim...always the controller.

[Back Atcha]

On 10/27/2023 at 8:33 AM, Pinenut said:

Ethan is embracing his old values because he understandably pines for his past.  

I think Ethan might be the only Plath kid that cannot evolve.  He'll be a cute old man happily tinkering with his cars.  Unless some Fundamentalist Subserviant Female sets her sights on him and tries to mend his ways.

On 10/27/2023 at 8:33 AM, Pinenut said:

Kim disgusts me more every episode.  Her immaturity, laziness and selfishness borders on child abuse.  

HUZZAH!!!  May I add self-absorbance?  She certainly thinks more of herself than anyone else does.  Well...maybe Ken, but that will be temporary.

[Back Atcha]

On 10/18/2023 at 9:37 AM, lightninggirl said:

And Kim - in a town of 10K, could you perhaps find ANOTHER man to date? I mean between her fashion sense and narcissistic personality I get that it's slim pickins, but come the fuck on. Maybe not pursue your kid's flight instructor?

Fabulous!  It's probably that narcissistic personality that makes her believe she looks FABULOUS in those tight pants ... and the tops are tight too.  Kim, you do not...but apparently something has impressed Ken (who might be "attractive" because he has enough money to have more than one plane).

 

On 10/18/2023 at 5:01 PM, Meow Mix said:

Kim was totally cheating with this guy before she ever left Barry.  And I'm sick of hearing about her happiness over and over.  Despite what she believes, no one owes her putting aside their own feelings so that she can be with this guy.  And frankly, they are made for each other.  It was pathetic that they had to subtitle him because his speech is so poor.

REMOVE THEM BOTH FROM THE SHOW!  There's enough dysfunction without that poor excuse for a mother.

[surfgirl]

On 10/26/2023 at 4:38 AM, Gharlane said:

Wait, what? What kind of turbo Xian family wouldn't celebrate X-mas? 😲

I don't know what 'Xian' is but many many people do not celebrate Christmas because, different religions, different  beliefs. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Xian = Christian

Even most fundies celebrate Christmas, just without a tree or presents. They call it CHRISTmas. The Duggars celebrated this way for years, but in the last 5 or so years have gotten a huge tree and exchange gifts.