Plathville 2: The Whole Family Needs Therapy

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Episode 5: So Foul and Fair a Day I Have Not Seen

In Minnesota, Ethan and Olivia are going ice fishing in Lake Minnetonka. In a TH, he attempts a metaphor about marriage’s deep waters. It’s good to have fun together, but it doesn’t fix the problems. In her TH, Olivia says she needs to be reminded to have fun, since she’s been working hard on her issues. They’re renting a very nice fishing shack. Olivia instantly catches a cute little fish and releases it, then hooks it again. There’s a camera looking up through the hole in the ice.

In a TH, Ethan says that great dates won’t resolve their issues. On the date, Olivia asks if they’re going back to Georgia to get a car and says that she wants to see the little girls. He says in a TH that he wants to go alone to avoid conflict with his family. (He still has TWO cars in Georgia.) She tells him that they don’t have to push seeing the little girls. Back in the TH, he doesn’t want to tell her that he doesn’t want her to go. She asks about Mike and Moriah. He says that no one’s talking. She asks if it’s because of her and he says yes.

Kim, Moriah, and Lydia are at a juice bar called the Juice Box in Thomasville. Kim looks like she’s put on weight (maybe because she had to give up the dance studio). They joke about Lydia getting a tattoo. Kim announces that she’s dating someone. Moriah politely asks how it’s going. Lydia is a little shocked. Kim has a terrible rash on her chest that wasn’t there earlier in the scene; maybe anxiety gives her hives. Both girls seem unhappy in their THs. Moriah says that she’s learned that honesty is important, and so she tells Kim that she struggles with her dating and “I can’t support this, but I support you.” Lydia says that she doesn’t agree with it, but tells Kim that she loves her. Lydia struggles with how soon it’s been since Kim stepped out of the marriage. [They announced the separation in June 2022 and the previous episode covered Christmas 2022. The high temperature in Thomasville that week was 73. I guess that’s warm enough for Moriah and Lydia’s sleeveless tops, but I’m suspicious that they’re fudging the timeline.] Kim says that she’s learning to step out of her comfort zone and have hard conversations.

In LA, Micah invites his friends Hayden and Kapeesh over for dinner. He’s making chicken paprika, which his family made on birthdays. Micah’s gone to Miami twice and to South America. He clears up the timeline by telling Hayden “it’s been a little over a year or something, and my mom, she’s already dating someone else.” [Micah, a year is a long time!] He agrees that’s not too fast, but still... [still what?]. Micah suddenly remembers that Kapeesh doesn’t eat meat. He doesn’t remember the specifics and mentions that he doesn’t know what vegan means. He cooks all of the veggies he has and it turns out okay. Micah says he’s probably leaving LA. He doesn't like how chaotic it is, though his hometown is too slow. The guys want to get together again before he leaves.

Ethan finally calls Micah back. He tells us first that Olivia is in St. Lucia on a solo vacation. Micah is moving to Florida. Ethan tells Micah that he would like to have him come along when he drives the car back from Georgia to Minnesota. Micah asks if he’s been mad. Ethan says maybe they need to talk about some stuff, but he’s not mad. Ethan says that he’s going without Olivia even though she wants to come along. Maybe she can come along for the final car. Micah says that he’s fine with making small talk with Olivia and he’s not going to try to get her to hash things out again. He’s not going to try to repair his relationship with her, but he still wants a relationship with Ethan. He asks Ethan if that’s okay and Ethan says that they will talk in person, then tells us in a TH that it’s not okay.

Moriah is talking to Issac, sitting on the flatbed of his truck. Issac has also heard from Ethan, but Moriah has not. We get yet another recap of their estrangement. Issac tells her that her value isn’t diminished by others not seeing her worth. Moriah unblocks and texts Ethan, saying that she forgives him. He replies quickly: “What are you forgiving me for?”

In Minnesota, ominous music plays as we join Ethan and Olivia. He’s just told her that he doesn’t want her to come along to Georgia and he’s taking Micah instead. (She’s not wearing makeup, which always makes her look like a completely different person.) He lied to her when he told her about his conversation with Micah, saying that they hadn’t made plans. Plus he’s being really vague about how long this trip will take. Olivia says that she doesn’t want Micah to come to the apartment. She says “I need to feel safe” and he says “He’s not a damn terrorist.” She says that they were on the same page about his family’s drama. He says that they eventually have to have more of a relationship with them and she says “No one’s going to force me to do anything.” He awkwardly says “It’s not your fault…exactly…not all of it, at least.” This does not go over well. She says that she needs her home to be a safe space and he doesn’t recognize the expression. How are these people married to each other? She explains and he says “That makes no sense to me. So stupid.” In a TH, he can understand physical safety, but not “a safe place.” He tells Olivia that he won’t bring Micah to the apartment, but says he hopes that will change someday. Back in the TH, he reasonably points out that if they have kids, he wants them to know his family, and so they need to work through things before they have kids. Olivia has a bitter TH about how he won’t call her while he’s gone, except maybe briefly so she can’t say that he didn’t.

Next time: Kim tells Amber about Ken (I paused it on her giving her mom some major side-eye); Olivia talks to a friend; Ethan goes back to Cairo and might talk to Moriah; a family dinner in Cairo; Moriah feels guilty about having started the family drama.

[Xan]

Thanks for recapping the episodes.  I have some difficulty watching them.  Aren't there any sane people in the camera crew who can speak up once in a while to try to straighten them out?  At this point, I don't even understand why Olivia doesn't just walk out.

[kittykay]

 

I haven't watched any episodes this season and so grateful for the recaps.  QuiverFullofBooks you are simply amazing.  Thanks so much.  

I feel bad for Ethan and Olivia but I see no future for those two.  I don't expect Ethan to grow beyond how he is right now.  All those Plath kids are so sad.

Edited December 30, 2023 by kittykay
typo

[KWLand]

I didn’t even realize this was still on the air.  What could possibly be filmed that they don’t make public themselves.  it seems at least with Duggar and Bates they tried to keep some life events under wraps.   Then Jill R is spilling life updates of the one Plath who has managed to stay out of the spotlight.  

I think Ethan would have married the one non-Rod girl that showed interest and could help him get away from home.  He and Olivia are a mess, but I do hope they are both able to find a healthy relationship with someone else  if that’s what they want.  

[JermajestyDuggar]

My predictions for Ethan and Olivia. I think Olivia will not get married again for a long time. I’m sure she will have boyfriends and date. But I think she’s pretty hurt from her first marriage and will want to take time to be alone and independent. 
 

I think Ethan will try to find a wife rather quickly. I don’t think he can be alone. I’m sure he will find some conservative Christian girl who will be happy to be a SAHM for the next 30 years. 

[LurkerOverThePond]

Have they officially separated/divorced now? 

[JDuggs]

2 minutes ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

Have they officially separated/divorced now? 

They announced their separation on October 27, 2023, on IG. They have no intention to reconcile.

[JermajestyDuggar]

1 hour ago, JDuggs said:

They announced their separation on October 27, 2023, on IG. They have no intention to reconcile.

And I think they had separated awhile before that. They likely were forced to wait due to the show. 

[marmalade]

7 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

And I think they had separated awhile before that. They likely were forced to wait due to the show. 

The very last episode announced their separation, so I think it's been several months.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

11 hours ago, KWLand said:

it seems at least with Duggar and Bates they tried to keep some life events under wraps.

Some of that is a timeline thing. The Duggars’ production team was very on the ball. At some points their show was barely behind real life. Plathville is almost a year behind. The Plaths can’t be expected to keep quiet about anything important that long.

[JDuggs]

Around the time that Olivia’s brother Micah Meggs died in May, 2023, one of Olivia’s estranged sisters said publicly that Olivia and Ethan were no longer together.

[JermajestyDuggar]

3 minutes ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Some of that is a timeline thing. The Duggars’ production team was very on the ball. At some points their show was barely behind real life. Plathville is almost a year behind. The Plaths can’t be expected to keep quiet about anything important that long.

I think this is what will kill some “reality” tv shows. If you are a regular watcher of social media and YouTube, you get used to life events that are very up to date. If you get used to that, you will tire of watching stuff that’s a year behind. Many people would rather just watch some of the Plaths’ social media stories instead of the show. 

Just now, JDuggs said:

Around the time that Olivia’s brother Micah Meggs died in May, 2023, one of Olivia’s estranged sisters said publicly that Olivia and Ethan were no longer together.

And of course it was denied. But I knew it was probably correct. Since the show is so behind. That funeral was when all the Meggs siblings were last together. 

[marmalade]

11 minutes ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Some of that is a timeline thing. The Duggars’ production team was very on the ball. At some points their show was barely behind real life. Plathville is almost a year behind. The Plaths can’t be expected to keep quiet about anything important that long.

It's hard to know the timeline for certain. They did the Minnesota talking heads until the end. They kept showing winterscapes in the MN scenes, but it was clearly spring when Ethan went to California to visit Micah (it rained here all winter, and there wasn't a cloud on the sky when Ethan was there). They filmed more talking heads after that. 

My guess is they broke up last spring. 

Edited December 30, 2023 by marmalade

[Jackie3]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I think this is what will kill some “reality” tv shows. If you are a regular watcher of social media and YouTube, you get used to life events that are very up to date. If you get used to that, you will tire of watching stuff that’s a year behind. Many people would rather just watch some of the Plaths’ social media stories instead of the show. 

1 hour ago, JDuggs said:

Since these shows exploit children, I think they need to be cancelled anyway. I don't watch them for that reason. It's like being in the audience at the Hunger Games.

[ifosterkittens]

1 hour ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Some of that is a timeline thing. The Duggars’ production team was very on the ball. At some points their show was barely behind real life. Plathville is almost a year behind. The Plaths can’t be expected to keep quiet about anything important that long.

Sister Wives have had a real problem with this. They timed Christine's announcement she and Kody split about a week before the season was premiering, and it worked to boost rating. I don't think Janelle and Meri's were as well timed. 

[Funwithfundies]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:32 PM, JDuggs said:

I think it’s a good bet that Micah will end up in Florida. He seems to be able to get some modeling work there and he seems to enjoy the boating/fishing lifestyle. When he’s in Florida, he usually seems to spending time out on a boat with Ed Butera, Ariana Grande’s father. I thought I remembered a cryptic Instagram comment that maybe Moriah had moved further away from Cairo than Tampa. I really don’t know how she’s going to support herself because her music really sucks. Ethan did seem to like Minnesota, but I still see him going back to Cairo for the cheaper, slower lifestyle. All we know for certain in that Olivia moved to Los Angeles six months ago, but she doesn’t plan to stay there permanently. She just wanted to try it out.

I read this too quickly and thought, "I think Ariana Grande is supporting herself quite well...?" 🤣

[JDuggs]

Moriah’s ex-boyfriend Max is now married.

Spoiler

 

[moreorlessnu]

Gosh, she looks a lot like Trista, the first bachelorette.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Sorry, another three weeks went right by. Here's another episode and a half. Tomorrow I'll post a painfully long recap of Ethan and Olivia's final meltdown.

Episode 10, “I Am Not Bound to Please…” 

We open with Ethan driving into Cairo. He’s looking forward to seeing family, and as usual he doesn’t want any drama. Moriah blocked him again after he texted her “What do you forgive me for?” The producer asks if he’s been in touch with Olivia. He’s sent one text. He acknowledges that Olivia’s mad because he had planned the trip with her and then decided to take Micah instead. 

Micah and the little girls are very happy to see Ethan. No sign of Barry, Kim, or Lydia. In a voiceover, he’s missed time with his siblings over the last few years, but doesn’t regret it. The guys play guitar and then the siblings play croquet.

At a bar in Minnesota, Olivia gets together with her friend Maija. Olivia has finished bartending school. In a TH, Olivia says she’s been talking to Ethan about how things are changing with his family, who have been reaching out to him lately. She’s over dealing with it. She tells Majia that she’s rethinking that marriage is for life. Majia has a TH where she talks about the pressure to marry in Chrisian culture. There’s a flashback to Olivia and Ethan’s wedding vows (two bridesmaids are blurred out, probably including Hosanna), when she vowed to “look to you as the leader in our home.” She thinks she’s an equal in the relationship now. She says that they’ve been talking about whether to have kids and says that her parents’ ten kids were more than they could handle. She says “[Ethan] wants kids, but not with me.” Majia is understandably taken aback. Olivia says that he doesn’t want a child who has her political and social beliefs. [Why are they even having this conversation? The marriage is clearly over. There’s no coming back from that.]

After the commercial break, Olivia says in a TH that Ethan’s been saying maybe they shouldn’t have kids together since before they separated in Georgia. She says that she wants someone who thinks she will be a great mom. She thinks maybe they need to let each other go.

In Cairo, Barry talks to Ethan. (There are playing cards on the table, so I guess Barry’s cool with that.} Barry does a TH about how he wants to reconcile with Olivia. Barry asks Ethan if he’s been spending time at his grandparents’ farm, and Ethan says yes, and he likes Minnesota much better than Tampa. Ethan asks after his mother, who he refers to as Kim. Barry invites Ethan to join him in visiting Micah in LA. Ethan knows that he needs to work on his marriage, but it would be fun to go on the trip.

Strangely, the On Demand service that I’m watching only has about half of the episode. Based on the teasers and the recap, the rest of the episode covered:

• A conversation between Moriah and Lydia in which Moriah feels guilty that her rebelliousness kicked off the craziness that has destroyed their parents’ marriage. [I wish they could talk about how much the show might have been a factor.] She also misses Ethan.
• Kim awkwardly telling Amber about Ken.
• Ethan and Micah’s road trip, during which Ethan defended Olivia from Team Moriah’s accusations about the music.

Episode 11, “The Wheel Is Come Full Circle”

We open with day two of Ethan and Micah’s road trip. Ethan thinks that Barry has handled the divorce well and disapproves of Kim dating before the divorce is final. Micah says Kim “has a lot of crap from her past.” He thinks she needs male attention because she didn’t have a father. They agree that the little girls shouldn’t have to go through this. Ethan isn’t going to say anything. [Sometimes he doesn’t seem to realize that Kim watches the show.]

In Tampa, Barry is visiting for Moriah’s dance competition. He tells her about Ethan’s visit. She’s not sure how to approach Ethan. Moriah has a TH about how Joshua’s death makes her feel like she could lose her siblings at any time. She wants to reconcile with Ethan, but has a lot of damage with Olivia.

The dance competition is in Jacksonville. Barry brings Moriah coffee while she gets her hair done. Kim is there with Barry and the kids and it’s kind of awkward. While we watch Moriah dance (she’s fine) we get voiceovers about how Barry and Lydia disapprove of Kim dating. Barry says, “I don’t condone it.” Moriah appreciates that everyone is there for her.

Back to the guys in the truck. Micah asks Ethan if he’s going to see Olivia in Minnesota, and Ethan admits that Olivia doesn't want him to come to the apartment. Ethan feels torn. In a TH, he wants the whole family to apologize and then move forward. Micah returns a call from Moriah, who clearly wants to talk to Ethan. She says that she wants to talk to him, but she doesn’t want him to yell at her. He recaps her accusations and ghosting in a TH. He wants an apology; she won’t apologize. The subject of money comes up. Apparently he paid for her oil change [because God forbid a car should be neglected] and she couldn’t afford to reimburse him. Moriah finally admits that she overreacted when she found that the songs weren’t in her account. In a TH, Micah says that Moriah’s too emotional and Ethan doesn’t understand emotions at all. Next up, the conflict over Kim’s alleged credit card theft. Moriah says that Olivia lied about it. Ethan says Olivia didn’t lie; Kim was making money off of them and threw a fit when they told her no. Micah says that everyone should have been talking to each other instead of about each other. Moriah starts crying and Ethan says in a TH that he can’t handle crying. Moriah says she loves him and he doesn't say it back.

After the commercial, Micah gets a text from Olivia, who wants to meet up with him alone to clear the air. Ethan encourages him to go. Micah’s only going to be there for a day, so he says no, but he’s fine with seeing her socially. In a TH, Ethan says that would be weird, but he understands. At the apartment, Olivia FaceTimes with her sister Lydia about Micah (referred to by his full name, because they have a brother named Micah too). Of course, she’s not down to hang out. TLC has to bleep a lot of curse words. She’s hurt that he doesn’t care more about their relationship. She reveals that Ethan basically told her that if he had known how everything would go, he wouldn’t have pursued their relationship. She feels like a scapegoat for the Plath family. When he’s with them, his communication is even worse than usual. In a TH, she says that Lydia’s honesty has helped her think through things since they reconnected. Lydia asks if Olivia’s refusal to hang out with Micah will affect her relationship with Ethan, and she says that she thinks so.

[JermajestyDuggar]

The name overlap in the Plath and Meggs families is confusing. 2 Lydias, 2 Joshuas, and 2 Micahs. And each family started with 10 kids but had a brother who died. Joshua Plath died and Micah Meggs died. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Episode 12, “Off With His Head!”

We start with Kim saying that she misses their gorgeous house, but she’d rather be in a small house with someone who loves her. She’s dropping off the girls and it’s awkward. Barry tells us that they haven’t finalized their divorce agreement. They’re getting Amber a phone. Kim wants her to text a photo of a clean bedroom. Kim’s bitter that everyone’s impressed that Barry’s had to step up, after she did more than he does for 25 years. She says that it’s been a bad day, and things usually are better. She calls Barry to go over phone rules. Amber’s getting her phone at 14 instead of 16 because she’s going back and forth between them. He’s glad they’re on the same page.

Ethan and Micah are happy that they’re done with the drive and at a bar. They enjoyed seeing the girls and having a chance to talk. Micah’s going to stay with their aunt and uncle (awkwardly referred to as “our aunt and uncle”). Micah doesn’t want to get into it with Olivia, and he’s negative about her to Ethan. He tells Ethan that he would hate for his own marriage to look like Ethan’s. In a TH, Ethan says he wouldn’t say anything like that to Micah, but he decides that he doesn’t want to fight. He wants his younger siblings to be certain about their values before they get married. Micah reiterates the invitation to LA.

The next day at Ethan and Olivia’s apartment, it looks like we have finally reached the moment that this whole show has led up to: the end of their marriage. She’s wearing overalls and delicately potting succulents in the kitchen. There’s a lot of back-and-forth with the TH.

• Scene: He knows she’s hurting, but he can’t put his family on hold to save his marriage. She says that Micah blew her off and Ethan didn’t ”facilitate.” He wants to know why she wanted to meet with Micah alone. She says “why not?”
• TH: She wanted to talk to Micah alone because she feels ganged up on by the Plath kids. He looks tortured.
• Scene: Ethan admits that he copped out on the conflict, then adds, “I didn’t realize how much they don’t like you.” She laughs bitterly and says that she told him that all summer. He says that Micah doesn’t respect her.
• TH: She obviously doesn’t like it that he didn’t stand up for her.
• Scene: He had said that he “didn’t want to dig deep” before; she tells him that it’s time now.
• TH: They both remember their early days in Minnesota happily, but when they had to make decisions about the future, everything broke down.
• Scene: He’s frustrated that she’s changed so much. She says that she was very young and naïve and she’s grown a lot. She says that she’s always been curious about the world, so why did he think that she would never change? She says he’s changed too. He was kind and he respected her, and that was important to her because her dad didn’t respect her.

With that, we go to commercial and then out to LA. Micah (or the production team, whoever) has rented a house in Malibu to get together with Barry, Issac, and maybe Ethan. Barry reflects on how negative he was about California when Moriah wanted to go there. Now he thinks that it’s fun and exciting. Micah says that his own neighborhood in LA isn’t the nicest. Micah gives Barry a necklace, which they refer to as “drip.” Barry is rather discombobulated, between California and the absence of women. Micah thinks Olivia might forbid Ethan from coming.

Back to the collapse of Ethan and Olivia’s marriage:

• Olivia TH: Olivia says that when they were dating, they had a fight, and he drove 17 hours each way to spend one hour with her to apologize.
• Scene: Olivia’s not angry and she understands his frustration, but she’s not going to kick the can down the road anymore. She starts to say “If you want to be with someone who’s not going to be curious…” He says that he’s been very accepting and tolerant. There are just a few things where he has to draw a line when it comes to having kids. He says that his problem with her is that she has no boundaries. [I’d like to know what he meant by that; probably, no hard lines when it comes to certain values.] She replies with a sassy “Oh, I have some very strong boundaries. You just don’t like them.”
• Ethan TH: She’s changed most when it comes to faith and politics. He wants to raise patriotic, Christian children. [I really wish the show would acknowledge real-world politics so that they could get into the specifics. Would they be breaking up if this wasn’t such a politically divisive moment? Was there a whole church drama angle that we missed completely?]
• Scene: He asks if they can get back on the same page. She says, “I don’t know how.” They agree that they both want kids, and that ideally, he would like to have a family with her. She says that he gave her a list the previous week of the things he wouldn’t compromise on if she wanted to stay married and have kids. He says it was only three things. [They don’t tell us what they were!] She says something to the effect that it’s not fair that he gets to set the rules. He apologizes for the way he said it, and she says it was coming from a place of truth. She reminds him that he said he wouldn’t be with her if he had known she would have so much conflict with his family.
• Joint TH: She says that the family conflict contributed to their problems, but they have a lot of core differences. He says that being on opposite ends of the spectrum is extremely hard.
• Scene: She says, “I’m struggling to see the longevity of this relationship.” She says that her family and her in-laws don’t accept her because she’s different, and she’s not willing to do that to another person. She can give him some time to figure out next steps. A cheesy song plays while they look sad.
• Ethan TH: The problems feel insurmountable, but he still loves her deeply.
• Scene: Olivia goes out to tend bar and meet a friend. On her way out she suggests that he talk to a therapist.

After the commercial, we’re in LA. Barry is wearing sparkly loafers that Micah calls “clown-looking.” They’re cleaning up after breakfast when Ethan walks in. Micah’s happy that Ethan presumably defied Olivia. Ethan hadn’t told Olivia he was going to LA! Of course, she was mad when she finally found out, so Ethan dithered about whether he should go, and he missed his flight. She told him that the trip wouldn’t make any difference to their problems, so he got another ticket and went.

Next time: Kim spends time with Ken. Moriah crashes the guys’ trip. Ethan is disappointed that he’s not getting a break from the drama.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I’ve been thinking about the two TLC shows we talk about on FJ. Sister Wives and Plathville. In both families there seems to be a scapegoat. And now in both families, the scapegoat is divorcing and leaving the family. In SW it was Christine and Janell. In Plathville it’s Olivia. Now the family members left no longer have someone to blame all their problems on. Kody and Robyn’s family will now have to look at each other when there are problems instead of looking at Christine, Janell and Meri. And now the Plaths will have to look at each other instead of Olivia when they have problems. 

[waltraute]

I think the Plath family as a whole will be blaming Olivia for a long time to come. Although Kody and Robyn will also be playing the blame game maybe forever (especially with Christine), the larger family unit is not and will not, so that 1. eases the stress on the departing wives, and 2. throws a spotlight on how idiotic Kody and Robyn are. The Plaths are in an isolation chamber concerning family dynamics. I think they'll always find it easier to point the finger at one person. I would hate to be Olivia. I'm glad she's freed from that mess and I hope she can use that freedom to work on herself.

[mebeforee]

I recently started a podcast about this family… I haven’t really been involved on FJ for several years but I’d love some input. My first written review was that I said Um a thousand times in thirty minutes which is fair, but I wonder what people actually think about the content. I’m trying to improve that verbal tic. It’s called Plathville Bitching if anyone wants to check it out. 
 

i think Olivia will be blamed for shit for as long as they can stretch it out, then if there’s a new relationship to attack they’ll go there and if not, they’ll start blaming Ken for everything 😅

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Episode 13, “If I Lose Mine Honor, I Lose Myself”

We open in LA. The guys are going surfing. It’s cold enough that they have to put on wet suits. They look like they miss the Florida beaches. Ethan’s reluctant, but he gets in. In THs, Barry and Ethan bitch and moan.

Lydia Plath is going to record an album in Nashville. She’s taking her younger sisters along as a road trip [and as chaperones, and because their parents have other things to do]. We quickly switch to Tampa and Moriah’s ambition to sing professionally. She meets with some guys at a recording studio. She tells them that Micah told her that they were in a circus that other people brought them to, and she wrote a song about that. She’s adding some vocals to the previously recorded song. She says in a TH that it’s about Olivia. The chorus is “I’m tired of the circus.” The song isn’t much worse than most of the crap you hear on the radio.

Now we’re at Ken’s house in Crawfordville, Florida. He and Kim are cooking steak, shrimp, and asparagus. They’re very happy together. He’s good to her. He tells her that if she wants to move into his spare room until she gets back on her feet, she’s welcome to be there. She wants to think it through.

Back to LA. Micah is cooking dinner. Barry and Ethan talk. Ethan asks Barry what he does when he feels depressed. Barry says he refuses to get depressed. He asks Ethan what’s wrong. Ethan tells him that he and Olivia have grown apart. Barry asks how they can get closer. Ethan says that he knows he needs to communicate better. Barry says he was like that too. Barry has realized that he has to invest in his relationships with his children. Ethan says that Olivia thinks that Barry wishes they weren’t together.

After the commercial, we’re in – Florence, Italy! This show must have a significant travel budget. Olivia’s there to “work on a writing project” and explore the city. She’s wearing a sleeveless top that is not modest at all. In a TH, she recaps the impasse in their marriage.

Back in LA, Barry says he’s fine with Olivia being part of the family. Ethan wants to invest in his relationship more. Barry says that relationships take effort. They adjourn to the dining room, where Micah has grilled steaks. Micah tells Ethan that Moriah’s in town.

After the preview and a commercial, it’s the next day. Micah and Ethan are playing Jenga. Micah hopes Ethan and Moriah can talk through things. Ethan texted Olivia the day before, but she didn’t respond. He feels like they’re oil and water. Superficial compatibility doesn’t make up for fundamental differences. Ethan TH: He wanted to get away from his problems and he’s irritated that he has to deal with Moriah. She arrives. She says that she’s in LA for meetings about music stuff. Her hair is up, looking much more elegant than her usual messy curls. Moriah and Ethan haven’t seen each other since the previous June, which is almost a year. (They don’t say when it is. I’m guessing March 2023, from the tree in bloom at Ken’s house.)

Moriah tries awkwardly to make conversation. Ethan wants to talk with her alone. They walk to a set of benches outside the house. Ethan asks why she moved out while he was gone. Moriah says that she felt the situation wasn’t healthy and also, she had a puppy. They talk over each other. Moriah says in a TH that she had paid her rent until the lease ended, and she moved out 20 days before it ended. In Ethan’s TH, he says that he should have gotten a written agreement, since they seem to have had a genuine misunderstanding. Next he asks about the social media post (about Kim’s alleged credit card theft). Moriah says she felt bad about not speaking up sooner. She knew she was sacrificing her relationship with Ethan and Olivia, but this is her family.

Next time: Barry and Kim fight over a train set in front of the kids; Ethan and Moriah’s conversation continues; Ethan wants Olivia to go back to being a fundie wife and she calls out his privilege.