‘Welcome to Plathville’s’ Ethan Plath: An Emotional Prisoner of Ex-Wife Olivia and Mom Kim

Welcome to Plathville centered its drama around family matriarch Kim Plath and daughter-in-law Olivia Plath. Portrayed as the TLC series’ villains, their strained relationship divided the conservative family and broke Ethan Plath’s heart. Did the two women Ethan loved most keep him an emotional prisoner? Will he ever fully be out from under their control?

Ethan Plath appears to be the most emotionally stunted of the Plath kids

Throughout six seasons of TLC’s Welcome to Plathville, Ethan Plath has been at the center of an emotional rollercoaster between his mom, Kim, and wife, Olivia. The two women could not get along, and there’s a good reason why.

Both Olivia and Kim were more similar than they realized. Strong-willed, determined, and challenging, the women’s ultimate prize was Ethan, the oldest son of the Plath family.

However, as Ethan appeared to mature into his relationship with Olivia, it wasn’t enough to undo years of Kim’s programming. That means that Ethan appeared trained to respect his parent’s wishes as the oldest son.

Kim held on to her children, with ex-Barry along for the ride. She determined the rules of their ultra-restrictive lifestyle and appeared to stunt her children’s emotional growth.

Therefore, when Ethan married Olivia, he appeared confused by all the freedom she wanted them to have. Also raised conservatively, Olivia wanted to break free from the shackles of her youth, and her headstrong demeanor thrilled and comforted Ethan because it was so similar to that of his mother, Kim.

Ethan remained stunted as an adult because he allowed both women to lead him throughout life. This is why he continued to fight Olivia against a divorce, thinking their problems could be fixed, but the damage was done and both Kim and Olivia were to blame.

What did Kim Plath and Olivia Plath do to stunt Ethan Plath’s growth on ‘Welcome to Plathville?’

Throughout six seasons of Welcome to Plathville, Ethan Plath appeared to be in the unenviable position of choosing between his wife, Olivia, and his family. Both women stood their ground regarding certain aspects of Ethan’s life, and he rarely challenged either. Kim and Olivia played their cards with Ethan to make him believe that he was making his own choices when, in fact, they were being made for him.

The strong-willed women didn’t let Ethan stand on his own two feet. This tactic eventually led Ethan to be indecisive and turn back to some of the more traditional aspects he had learned from Kim instead of growing into the man he had become with Olivia.

For example, Olivia and Ethan purchased a house away from the original Plath homestead, only to have Kim and Barry buy a home closer to their family. To put further distance between them, Olivia and Ethan moved to Florida, but he continued to visit his Georgia family while Olivia remained estranged from her parents.

Ethan wanted to trust his parents, but Olivia’s distrust of them left him conflicted. In turn, Kim manipulated Ethan into believing Olivia’s feelings were wrong, leaving Ethan in the middle with nowhere to turn.

So, who can Ethan trust on ‘Welcome to Plathville?’

During Season 6 of Welcome to Plathville, Ethan must rely on himself to find out who he is without his life’s two most controlling elements. Kim remains a fringe element while his divorce from Olivia continues.

However, will Ethan be over Olivia despite trying to put himself out in the dating world again? She explained she wouldn’t rule out a reconciliation in the future if she continues to string him along with mixed signals during the extended trailer for Welcome To Plathville season 6. 

Meanwhile, as Kim tries to reconcile with Ethan, will there be strings attached to their union? Ethan has wanted to trust in his mother despite her failures as a parent. However, will she become the mother he needs while he navigates this trying life experience, or will Kim fail Ethan once again?

Welcome to Plathville airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.