Welcome to Plathvillestar Ethan Plath needed his now ex-wife,Olivia Plathas he now has a villain status without her and is regressing.Ethan Plath is the eldest brother out of the 10 (one deceased) Plath siblings.The Plath family is comprised of parents Barry and Kim Plath, their six daughters, Hosanna, Moriah, Lydia, Amber, Cassia, and Mercy Plath, and three sons, Ethan, Micah, and Isaac Plath. Middle brother Joshua, passed away in 2008 after Kim accidentally ran him over with her car. Joshua’s death impacted the family greatly, and the effect his passing had on the family has been highlighted in tributes on the show done by the family.
Welcome to Plathvillehas featured the early marriage days of Ethan and Olivia, who married young at just 18 years old on the Plath farm. Olivia had a warm relationship with the Plath family for years, but later came to have vocal disdain for Kim and Barry and how they raised their kids due to her own conservative upbringing having a negative effect on her.Kim and Barry raised their children with strict religious and cultural values.All the kids were homeschooled by Kim and did not have access to technology or many amenities afforded by the outside world. Olivia was raised similarly, which is why Ethan and Olivia dated to marry so young.
Kim and Barry announced their divorceinWelcome To Plathvilleseason 4, which was shocking not only to viewers but also to the Plath children. They split after 24 years of marriage after Kim felt like she was not getting what she needed in her marriage with Barry. In the latest seasons, Kim and Barry have been struggling to finalize their divorce due to financial request issues, but they have been co-parenting and having the children one week on and one week off. Kim now lives on a houseboat in Florida, while Barry lives in their family home in the family’s Cairo, Georgia, hometown.
Ethan and Olivia announced their split in October 2023, duringWelcome To Plathvilleseason 5, and their divorce was finalized in February 2024.Welcome To Plathvilleseason 6has highlighted the time leading up to their divorce’s finalization and how their lives have separated afterward. Now that Ethan and Olivia are no longer together, it has become apparent thatEthan needed Olivia to grow as a person more and retain a good perception fromWelcome To Plathvillefans.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
10Olivia Broadened Ethan’s Horizons
Ethan Was New To Everything
WhenWelcome to Plathvillefans met Ethan and Olivia they were very green to the outside world and adulthood. It was obvious in Ethan’s childlike excitement and the many firsts he tried with Olivia once they were married. TheTLCcouple were giddy to be living together away from their families and establishing how they wanted their marriage to go. Ethan’s world opened up thanks to his marriage with Olivia, who has been a world-traveling wedding photographer since the show first aired.She introduced Ethan to travel, a judgment-free home, alcohol, and independence.
9Olivia Taught Ethan How To Be In Love
They Married Young
Not only did Olivia broaden Ethan’s horizons in a multitude of ways, butshe also showed him what love meant.At the beginning of their marriage, it was clear that Ethan was head over heels for Olivia, and Olivia catered to and fostered that love. They were each other’s first sexual experiences as well, so their bond and love grew deeper from that foundation as well.
8Olivia Made Ethan See How Problematic His Mom Was
Kim Plath Has Glaring Red Flags
As Olivia embarked on her personal reflective journey, she came to the realization thatKim was a toxic parent and person, and pushed those beliefs onto Ethan.TLCstar Olivia’s strong negative feelings toward Kim were also not without merit, as Olivia pressed to Ethan that his mother should not have financial control over him like she did with using his credit cards at a time when he didn’t understand what was going on. Olivia also led Ethan to recognize that his upbringing by Kim was not necessarily ideal and that it stunted him in many ways, including educationally, culturally, and financially.
7Olivia Encouraged Ethan To Identify Toxic Relationships
Even If They Were With His Family
Olivia not only drove Ethan to see the problematic nature of his mother and their relationship but also encouraged him to identify toxic relationships in general. At one point, toward the end of Ethan and Olivia’s marriage, she tried to get Ethan to see how their marriage was unhealthy. Ethan took his wife’s side up untilWelcome To Plathvilleseason 5, which showcased thatEthan was listening to Olivia’s arguments about why identifying problematic relationships was important.
6Olivia Helped Ethan Mature
Ethan Tapped Into His Emotions With Olivia
At the beginning ofWelcome to Plathville,Ethan came off as very immature and oblivious to the world.Throughout their marriage, Olivia helped Ethan mature in his thinking, reasoning, and communication style. Without Olivia, Ethan would have struggled to have a direction in which to mature and would not have had a champion for his personal growth. With Olivia’s help, Ethan was able to tap into his emotions and express himself in better ways as time went along.
5Olivia Showed Ethan How Boundaries Worked
Olivia Set Standards For Ethan
Olivia set firm boundaries in her relationship with Ethan and in her diminishing relationships with the Plath family. Olivia explained herself well in trying to get Ethan to understand why it was important for her to set boundaries with them. In turn, Ethan came to his own conclusions about what worked for him in his connections with his Plath family members. Ethan did struggle to fully understand why Olivia felt it necessary to separate herself from the Plaths, but he had Olivia’s back as her husband up until a certain point, which spoke to his ability to set boundaries for himself and for Olivia.
4Olivia Wouldn’t Let Ethan Play Victim
Olivia Maded Ethan Own Up
Ethan took a stance starting inWelcome To Plathvilleseason 5 that he was one who was suffering because of Olivia’s need for boundaries with his family. However, Olivia endeavored to make Ethan see things from her perspective and not play the victim in the middle of the fray.Olivia made Ethan own up to his responsibilities and priority to put her first, but his inability to have her back completely is what contributed to their marriage’s downfall.
3Ethan Is Seen As A Villain Without Olivia
Welcome To Plathville Fans Are Not Team Ethan
Now that Ethan and Olivia are divorced, all ofEthan’s actions and feelings have been under a microscopebyWelcome To Plathvilleviewers. Having Olivia in his life kept Ethan in check, in tune with his emotions, and accountable for all his decisions. Without Olivia in his life, viewers are skeptical of Ethan’s individual viewpoints, like how a woman should cook for her man, and he has been scrutinized for being close-minded.
When he was with Olivia,Welcome to Plathvillefans were rooting for Ethan’s personal growth, and after their split, Ethan has not demonstrated the same likable qualities he had when he was with Olivia.
2Ethan Has Regressed Without Olivia
Ethan Needed Olivia To Continue Growing
It’s become clear in the absence of Olivia in Ethan’s life that he is regressing back to his close-minded ways. InWelcome To Plathvilleseason 6, Ethan has spoken again about his desire for his woman to show dedication thorough cooking instead of realizing that there are other ways that could be perceived as less offensive ways to a man’s heart. Moreover,Ethan has underscored his desire to live a simple farm life where he can be in his shell and element, but that might not be what’s best for him to grow as a person.
Ethan was thriving when he was with Olivia. He saw the world, had doors open for him, and got a taste of what a supportive partner who had ambitions looked like. After his breakup, Ethan has regressed back into his small world and traditional valuesthat don’t necessarily work in the modern world for people who want to grow as open-minded individuals.
Ethan has understandably been in his feelings inWelcome to Plathvilleseason 6, but he seems to be reverting back to being uncommunicative and forlorn.
1Ethan Has A Lack Of Accountability Without Olivia
No One Is Keeping Ethan In Check
Ethan needed Olivia to keep his in check and accountable with his communication, life trajectory, and boundaries. Without Olivia,TLC’sEthan has tended to put the blame on Olivia for not living up to his expectationsand has not seen the dissolution of his marriage from a perspective of his own doing.Welcome To Plathvilleseason 6 is not over yet, and there is a lot more drama to come within the Plath family, and perhaps in Ethan and Olivia’s relationship post-divorce. Viewers will be watching Ethan’s behavior and explanatory interview closely the rest of this season to see if he maintains his current villain status or whether he can show glimmers of the developing and mature Ethan he was when he was with Olivia.
Welcome To Plathville
Cast
Welcome to Plathville is a reality television series that follows the lives of the Plath family, a strongly conservative family with nine children that, while sharing some of their values, have begun to yearn for and seize their own independence. As the family tries to hold onto their old-world values, primarily separated from the rest of the country, they will reckon with their children’s newfound beliefs and clash with new family members from their spouses.
