‘Welcome to Plathville’: TLC’s Shattered Show Could be Revived By 1 Unlikely Villain

TLC‘s Welcome to Plathville entered the network’s lineup in 2019. It was a show about a supersized family who believed in a fundamentalist way of life and didn’t allow their children to partake in commonplace activities such as watching television, drinking soda, and having friends outside of their religious sect. Today, the family has been irrevocably broken, their core beliefs shattered, and trust issues threaten each of their relationships. However, TLC shattered show could be revived by one unlikely villain.

‘Welcome to Plathville’ once had exciting storylines; now it’s just boring

The Plath family was headed by Kim and Barry Plath. Their children are Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Lydia, Isaac, Amber, Cassia and Mercy.

The family’s belief system dominated every aspect of their lives. Therefore, when Ethan and his girlfriend Olivia married, it was their chance to break away from their respective clans and live the life they chose.

Following this, Moriah and Micah also realized that there was a great, big world outside of their small Georgia town. They followed Ethan and Olivia’s lead, leaving home at a young age to experience the ups and downs of life.

However, the family’s pull on its children emotionally affected their lives. Although this parenting method caused deep family drama and division, it remained the only interesting aspect of the series.

Within six seasons, the Plath family continues to implode. Kim and Barry, the parents, are divorcing, and Ethan and Olivia are also divorced.

Thus far this season, Ethan won’t let Olivia go while she lives her best life outside of their marriage. Kim resides on a houseboat, Barry is into health and fitness, and Micah moved across the country from California to Florida to live with a woman who refuses to be identified.

So what is Welcome to Plathville about today? Nothing but a bunch of peripheral characters who, together, make for something other than an exciting story. But that could change this season as one unlikely villain could revitalize the series.

Ethan Plath could become the villain ‘Welcome to Plathville’ needs to keep it interesting

As Welcome to Plathville progresses, Ethan Plath’s behavior continues to take a dark turn. Although he projected an air of progressive behavior in his marriage to Olivia Plath, he has since returned to his traditional beliefs.

However, it took him a long time to truly unite with Olivia, so their breakup appeared to come out of left field. But did it?

Ethan has a history of pointing fingers at others rather than taking ownership of his personal problems. Throughout Welcome to Plathville, he blames his parents for the problems in his marriage to Olivia.

Then, as the couple continued to move around to escape their issues, Ethan began to blame Olivia for their marriage breakdown. He demonized her for wanting to change and grow rather than fall into the comfortable pattern of his youth.

“Between me or your family, you were going to pick your family,” Olivia claimed. Ethan shot back, “That’s because you made me choose.”

Ethan reuniting with his mother after years of not communicating due to her dislike of Olivia also lends an air of suspicious behavior. His emerging dark side could be just the adrenaline the series needs to keep it interesting for fans instead of just watching the usual family dynamics.

Which Plath family member does not appear on the TLC series?

Even though Olivia Plath divorced Ethan, she remains a Welcome to Plathville cast member. In response to an Instagram post, she said, “Doing my own thing in my own way with my own people. Hoping to provide a counter perspective to all of the fundie crazy.” 

All the family members continue to be involved in the series except the Plath’s eldest daughter, Hosanna. She is married to Timothy Noble, and their family website shares information about their professional work as musicians.

Us Weekly quoted Moriah, who spoke of Hosanna’s absence: “She married at a young age and moved off with her husband and started her life somewhere else. And she didn’t want to be on the show, and we were kind of all just, like, yeah, I mean, it’s her life.”

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