Plathville 2: The Whole Family Needs Therapy

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Season 6, Episode 3 – “They’re All Freaks Here”

We open briefly in Scottsdale, where Olivia and her sister are getting ready to go out to a bar (in full daylight). Her sister is back to being “Lydia Grace” in the captions, but Olivia calls her Lydia.

Now we’re in Cairo with the Plath dudes, who are all in the gym together. Ethan is slightly more muscular than he used to be. He agrees with his dad that exercise helps with his depression. Barry lifts 90-pound weights (like hand weights, but comically big). Micah tries them and taps out. But he looks fabulous with his shirt off.

Back in Arizona, Olivia is wearing a red blazer and red lipstick. I’ll bet she’s a Taylor Swift fan. She jokes about what a “grandma” she is, with snacks and a game in her purse. Lydia is wearing denim shorts and a tiny white top. At the bar, Olivia says that she doesn’t know how she’s feeling about anything because it’s all so different.

In Cairo, Moriah is organizing her clothes with Lydia’s help. Sorry, there are two Lydias in this episode. There are clips of Moriah’s past rebellious fashion choices. Moriah has a cool floral tattoo on her collarbone. They say that they haven’t seen each other much lately. Lydia does a TH explaining that she went on a two-month mission trip, then kept traveling. She’s been to Minnesota, the Florida Keys, and Tennessee/north Georgia. Lydia is glad that Moriah is home to keep Barry company. Moriah is happy to spend some time with him, because she had moved out so suddenly and on bad terms. They’re both thinking about going to college. Lydia tells us in a TH that she and her boyfriend broke up. Jesus is a rock for her.

Back to Scottsdale, where two young women drinking at a bar in the afternoon with a camera crew in tow probably looked very unnatural to the handful of guys who were there.

• TH: It’s nighttime and they’re wearing different clothes. Olivia says she doesn’t go to bars, though she took a bartending course and she went to a bar in Tampa that one time. (They show a clip.)
• Bar scene: It cuts confusingly between conversations with different guys. Let’s pretend it’s one guy. Lydia says her name is Jackie. He asks where they’re from, and Olivia says they grew up on a farm in the far southwest corner of Virginia. He works at a bar called “Fifty Shades of Rose.”
• TH: Olivia loves to flirt and worried that she did it too much when she was married.
• Bar: Olivia tells a guy who wants to buy her a drink that she will buy him a drink.
• TH: Olivia is always awkward.
• Bar: They tell the guy that they used to milk cows and try to explain the technique.
• TH: Lydia says “they’re all freaks here” in reference to the totally ordinary bar guys.

After the commercial, we’re back in Scottsdale. Olivia and Lydia are hiking in the desert. Olivia has had a great time. She tells Lydia that the first time she came to Arizona, she peed outdoors at night and squatted on a cactus. Olivia feels at peace with where she is in life and how she’s spending her time. So much has changed since they spent time together in Minnesota a year ago. Olivia wants to be open to life. They watch the sunset.

In Florida, Ethan, Micah, and Moriah are going to visit Kim and the girls. In his TH, Ethan looks red-faced and apprehensive (though it was clearly filmed later). [Clip of past Ethan/Kim drama.] He wants to reconcile with Kim, but says she’s not motherly or affectionate. Cut to Kim, who is also feeling apprehensive. [Clip of their most recent awkward conversation.] Kim says Ethan can be unpredictable and emotional. He stews over things privately and then surprises you. They arrive at the marina and everyone hugs. Kim and Ethan hug and she’s weepy in her TH. In his TH, he says that the upside of splitting with Olivia is that he doesn’t have to take her into consideration in his relationships. Ethan asks if the boat runs, and Kim says that she hasn’t tried yet. In his TH, Ethan finds this odd. In her TH, Moriah says Kim’s a free spirit. In a joint TH, they agree that Kim and Ethan don’t really get their feelings hurt. In his later TH, Ethan says he had trouble being vulnerable with Olivia, and by the time he reached his breaking point, it was too late. He’s going to have to work on that. Kim suggests they all go visit Ken, and Ethan says not today. In the later TH, he says it’s way too much, too soon. They say their goodbyes.

Back at the house, Barry and Ethan agree that it was a good visit. Micah says they should all move back home. Moriah brings out her guitar and suggests that the others join in. Ethan also takes a guitar. Lydia takes Moriah’s guitar and sings a song that seems to be called “I’ll carry you.” Micah and Issac (who were dozing) go to bed. Ethan sings a country song he wrote about the breakup. It’s pretty good! Much better than his sisters, anyway. They sing “Keep On The Sunny Side” together.

Both Ethan and Olivia tell us at the end of their trips that they’re going to meet up in Minnesota to finalize the divorce. Next episode, Olivia and Moriah meet up in Minnesota. Also, Micah tries to help Kim with the boat and she’s clueless.

[JDuggs]

When Moriah and Lydia talked about wanting to go to college, it seems like they just think it would be a fun thing to do. They joked about being college roommates. It would have been interesting to hear what they actually wanted to study. The only other comment was Moriah spouting the typical conservative political opinion that college just means going into debt. Well, Moriah, most parents who have good careers like your father save their money to help their kids go to college. Too bad your college educated parents don’t seem to want to help their kids in this way.

At the end of last season, I remember Isaac talking about his plans to go to college to become a pilot. There hasn’t been a peep about what’s going on with Isaac yet this season.

[waltraute]

15 hours ago, JDuggs said:

When Moriah and Lydia talked about wanting to go to college, it seems like they just think it would be a fun thing to do. They joked about being college roommates. It would have been interesting to hear what they actually wanted to study. The only other comment was Moriah spouting the typical conservative political opinion that college just means going into debt. Well, Moriah, most parents who have good careers like your father save their money to help their kids go to college. Too bad your college educated parents don’t seem to want to help their kids in this way.

At the end of last season, I remember Isaac talking about his plans to go to college to become a pilot. There hasn’t been a peep about what’s going on with Isaac yet this season.

I'm sure it was just an empty talking point for the show. I doubt they have serious aspirations for college. In an earlier season, Moriah attended a college information session and came away pissed that her parents had failed her so badly. She realized that she had major barriers that would have to be addressed before she could even contemplate the application process. 

[JDuggs]

4 minutes ago, waltraute said:

I'm sure it was just an empty talking point for the show. I doubt they have serious aspirations for college. In an earlier season, Moriah attended a college information session and came away pissed that her parents had failed her so badly. She realized that she had major barriers that would have to be addressed before she could even contemplate the application process. 

I think college could definitely be something they’re considering as an option. It has to be sinking in with the two of them that careers as recording artists are not going to happen. Moriah’s a bartender and Lydia seems to get jobs in retail. They probably want a little more out of life. Lydia hangs out with a group of Bible bangers and I assume some of them are college students or graduates. Lydia would probably enjoy majoring in Christian ministry or something like that.

[noseybutt]

16 minutes ago, waltraute said:

I'm sure it was just an empty talking point for the show. I doubt they have serious aspirations for college. In an earlier season, Moriah attended a college information session and came away pissed that her parents had failed her so badly. She realized that she had major barriers that would have to be addressed before she could even contemplate the application process. 

One of the beautiful things about US higher education is that it is easily accessible and cheap even if you have been failed. Most community colleges do not require high school diplomas and, for students who either are not considered high school graduates or are graduates but lack necessary skills, there are classes that will get the students up to speed. Like, this is what community colleges are all about. 

I don't blame Moriah for being pissed but girl, millions of students are failed by education and you have a path forward right in front of you. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I’m sorry but I don’t see Moriah going to college. She’s so shallow, superficial, and immature. She will try her hand as an influencer and professional reality star before she steps foot inside a college. I could see Lydia loving Bible college though. 

[Four is Enough]

On 7/25/2024 at 1:00 AM, marmalade said:

For those who have watched, man the scenes between Ethan and Olivia are PAINFUL. Ethan  can't communicate and has the coping skills of a toddler. 

Ethan   is a big baby. He's a MAN, so he expects to be adored, revered, catered to, cleaned up after, never questioned, never expected to lift a finger in the home, and so on. Olivia is lucky to be shut of him. Of Course he wanted her to stay. She's beautiful, she was probably the ideal wife at first, but when she started to change, he didn't go along with her.

 

Micah: I'm tired of seeing him without a shirt.

Moriah: ACK! That lipstick!

Kim: I thought she'd gained a significant bit of weight.

[noseybutt]

43 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I’m sorry but I don’t see Moriah going to college. She’s so shallow, superficial, and immature. She will try her hand as an influencer and professional reality star before she steps foot inside a college. I could see Lydia loving Bible college though. 

And this is the real damage.

[JDuggs]

55 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I’m sorry but I don’t see Moriah going to college. She’s so shallow, superficial, and immature. She will try her hand as an influencer and professional reality star before she steps foot inside a college. I could see Lydia loving Bible college though. 

But it’s possible to be a college student and an influencer like Lori Loughlin’s daughter whose admission to USC was bought. I don’t think Moriah is bound for the Ivy League and I don’t think she could hack any majors with heavy science or math, but there is a place for average students in higher education.  Maybe she would have an interest in fashion design or interior design or something creative like that.

I think it would be a very interesting question to ask Barry and Kim what they envisioned their adult kids doing to support themselves with such limited education. Did they just assume the girls would young brides and stay at home moms and the boys would just do manual labor? I don’t really recall either of them trying to guide their kids into the future.

[JermajestyDuggar]

11 minutes ago, JDuggs said:

But it’s possible to be a college student and an influencer like Lori Loughlin’s daughter whose admission to USC was bought. I don’t think Moriah is bound for the Ivy League and I don’t think she could hack any majors with heavy science or math, but there is a place for average students in higher education.  Maybe she would have an interest in fashion design or interior design or something creative like that.

I think it would be a very interesting question to ask Barry and Kim what they envisioned their adult kids doing to support themselves with such limited education. Did they just assume the girls would young brides and stay at home moms and the boys would just do manual labor? I don’t really recall either of them trying to guide their kids into the future.

It’s funny you mention Olivia Jade. Because it was extremely obvious OJ didn’t want to go to college. But her parents pushed it. She just wanted to be an influencer. I think Moriah is the same. 

[JDuggs]

Moriah is somewhat introverted and needs stuff going on with her life in order to be interesting. The music isn’t cutting it so it’s time to try something else. Moriah as a fish out of water college student might be more captivating for her social media.

From what information the show has given us and from their own social media, it seems like the lives of Ethan, Micah, Moriah and Lydia are all kind of stagnant right now. They all have a sense of being directionless. On the opposite side, Olivia portrays herself as traveling, making friends, working her photography business. She’s presenting herself as having a very full and active life.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Season 6, Episode 4 – “You’re Like a Stranger to Me Now”

Olivia is driving to Minnesota to get her stuff and finalize the divorce. They’ve been separated for nine months. He texts her every few weeks to say he misses her.

In Minnesota, Moriah and Lydia are visiting. Because Moriah has turned 21 now and Lydia has not, Moriah and Ethan go out to a bar without her. It’s cold, and Ethan doesn’t consider this a social activity, so he orders coffee. They talk about his divorce. In his TH, he wishes he had signed the papers last time so they wouldn’t have to go through this again. In her TH, Moriah reminds us of the drama between Olivia and the rest of the Plaths. She tells Ethan that she wants to apologize to Olivia, who has agreed to meet up with her. He encourages her to do it. They agree that neither of them has handled things well with Olivia.

In Florida, Amber – now a full-fledged, makeup-wearing teenager – is teaching line dancing. She’s wearing a sleeveless top. (Little Mercy has her flannel shirt tied up, baring her midriff.) Kim and Ken are helping her set up outdoors for the class. The students are young girls, plus Kim and Ken. It seems like a casual thing set up in a park for the show. There are voiceovers about how Amber’s getting along really well with Kim and Ken.

Micah visits Kim at the marina. Kim says he wants to get his hands on the boat’s engines. I guess he did fix up a boat previously. He asks her some questions that reveal her utter cluelessness about the boat. Kim says Micah’s girlfriend told the girls that he didn’t buy her presents for her birthday or Christmas last year. He says he had expensive flowers delivered. Kim has met the still-nameless girlfriend and likes her a lot. Everyone was surprised that Micah decided to settle down. He missed California for a long time, but now he’s closing the door on it. They talk about Ethan briefly. Micah doesn’t want to get married if it will end in divorce. Kim says you have to love the person enough to work on it. Micah will come back and work on the boat.

Olivia arrives at Barry’s parents’ farm and giggles about how Moriah is dressed inadequately for the Minnesota cold. They don’t hug. They sit outdoors, with a blanket over Moriah. Now for the back-and-forth with THs that we get in big emotional scenes:

• Scene: Moriah says she’s sorry for how she handled things and how she treated Olivia, and how she kept a record of wrongs while not acknowledging her own mistakes.
• Olivia TH: She doesn’t know what to say, since Moriah didn’t apologize for her specific actions (which she reminds us of).
• Scene: Olivia wasn’t interested in a private reconciliation after the things Moriah and Micah said about her publicly. Moriah wouldn’t do that to someone publicly again. (The irony of having this conversation on camera is strong.) Olivia was suspicious of Moriah given that Moriah has just released a song that is clearly about Olivia. Olivia calls it her “burn book.”
• Moriah TH: The song is part of her story, and we hear clips of it. It’s the song with the circus metaphor. It’s not very good.
• Scene: Moriah says the song was originally about her family and it was true at the time. Olivia points out that it’s public now. Moriah apologizes for not expressing her feelings sooner.
• Olivia TH: She feels weird about how close they used to be. She says (addressing Moriah theoretically in the TH) “you’re like a stranger to me now.”
• Scene: Olivia says she had let it go, and she knows that she made some bad choices when she was 20, and she’s going to extend the grace to Moriah that she did not receive. Olivia adds that she really did love Ethan, and she starts to cry. She says that sometimes love is not enough. They both say “I loved you,” past tense.
• Moriah TH: She only loved me while I was distant from my family.
• Olivia TH: Maybe I did need more closure.
• Scene: Olivia quotes Moriah’s lyric from the burn book song: “When it comes to other people telling you who you should be, you should light all of that on fire and hope it never rains.” Moriah thanks her for listening. They do a joint TH and hug awkwardly. They climb the grain bins for old times’ sake; apparently this is something they used to do together. They say goodbye, “love you,” and best wishes, and hug for real.

Next time: Kim choreographs a dance for Moriah’s music video; Barry needs to get rizz before he starts dating; poor depressed Ethan has to sign the divorce papers.

[marmalade]

I was not feeling Moriah's "apology." I agree with Olivia who said Moriah did it to make her feel better

[QuiverFullofBooks]

10 hours ago, marmalade said:

I was not feeling Moriah's "apology." I agree with Olivia who said Moriah did it to make her feel better

Or, to be more cynical, because they were both in Minnesota and the producers needed content. (Even more cynical: it was a condition of the production company paying travel expenses.)

[MariaariaM]

I haven't watched any of the actual show (I don't handle cringe well) so I'm just going to ask you guys: are these people good at dancing? I assume the kids didn't dance at all before the show and Kim probably hadn't done it for two decades when she met the dance teacher yet she decided to just... buy a studio and now she's doing choreography and Amber is teaching classes?

[QuiverFullofBooks]

1 hour ago, MariaariaM said:

I haven't watched any of the actual show (I don't handle cringe well) so I'm just going to ask you guys: are these people good at dancing? I assume the kids didn't dance at all before the show and Kim probably hadn't done it for two decades when she met the dance teacher yet she decided to just... buy a studio and now she's doing choreography and Amber is teaching classes?

I wouldn’t say good, but the producers don’t show enough to make them look bad. Amber’s “class” was clearly a handful of friends in a park, and Moriah’s whole music career is a vanity project.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Season 6, Episode 5 – “How Do I Get Rizz?”

It’s interesting that the title is about Barry hypothetically dating, when it’s the episode where Ethan and Olivia’s marriage finally ends.

The younger girls are taking Tae Kwon Do. Amber just turned 15 and will be getting her learner’s permit soon. Micah, Ken, and Kim are hanging around. In a TH, Micah says that if he had gotten to do anything outside the house, he could have been a professional athlete. Kim responds in her own TH that she had kids from infant to teens and she couldn’t drive them around. She also points out that the girls aren’t getting to grow up on a farm.

Moriah and Lydia visit sad Ethan in Minnesota, but Lydia immediately leaves to buy coffee. Moriah says in a TH that Ethan gives her good advice, and she wants to help him in return. She tells him she talked to Olivia. She’s glad that she finally got to a place where she could have that conversation. He’s looking forward to leaving the apartment in a month. She tells him he’s really strong. Lydia returns and they leave immediately.

In Cairo, Barry and Micah arrive at a rental property that they own. Barry wants to move there once the divorce is finalized. Micah says he’s going to start a fencing and landscaping company and his relationship is going well. They’ve been together a year and a half. In a TH, Micah says that his parents advocated courting, but hey, they got divorced. The producer asks if his girlfriend will ever appear on camera, and he doesn’t know. With Barry, he sounds a little uncertain about his career, and he’s still thinking about acting. The subject changes to Barry’s life. He won’t date until the divorce is final, but Micah points out that he’s going to need to set up a dating profile, and he needs to get rizz. In a TH, Barry talks about new slang, such as “dope.” The producer laughs at him and tells him no one says that anymore. To Micah, he says he wants someone athletic who will make him laugh.

Back to Minnesota. Olivia is at the apartment packing – she still has a key – and Ethan is not. The succulents have died and she throws them away. She says that he thinks she will come back because she came back after their previous separation. Ethan arrives. She asks if he wants some photos and he’s hurt that she doesn’t. He says in a TH that she left her family without looking back. He tells her that it infuriates him that she doesn’t care.

In Florida, Moriah arrives at Kim’s boat, where the power is out. Kim makes coffee on the grill. Moriah says Ethan’s struggling with his divorce. In a TH, Kim is surprised that Moriah talked to Olivia, which brings up a lot of… [Her sentence trails off. She has feelings.] Kim tells Moriah that she and Barry would say that Olivia’s responses to them were like “ping-pong” (i.e. everything was a reaction) and they would refuse to play. They talk about whether love is enough. Kim says love is an action; you have to prioritize the other person. In a TH, Kim says Moriah dealt with her breakup better than she had in the past. Moriah thanks Kim for staying up until 4:00 with her when she arrived from Tampa heartbroken. Kim suggests going for coffee.

Back to Ethan’s emotions. He doesn’t understand why he feels stuck and Olivia doesn't. In a TH, she says they’ve been separated for nine months. He tells her that when he unloaded on her, he thought that they would work on those issues and move on. She tells him that she tried, and it was not a healthy relationship. He says that it could have been. In a TH, she says that it’s just like their marriage that she explained that things were not working, he avoided the situation, and now he says he doesn’t understand. She suggests that he leave while she packs, and he does, sniffling. In a voiceover, he says he might never see her again.

At the Riverside Café Barge in St. Mark’s, Florida, Moriah says she wants Kim to help her choreograph her dance for her music video. In a TH, she says that her parents couldn’t afford dance lessons when she was a kid, but her mom would teach her dance. The video is set in a nightclub, and Kim suggests that Moriah and her friends should do a burlesque-style dance for a guy in a chair. The song plays while Moriah dances. It’s about someone who pretends to be what you want, but isn’t.

Olivia is still packing. She feels bad for Ethan, but she’s glad to be out of the stress. She gets a little weepy looking at photos. She doesn’t like it that he told her the person she had become was not good enough. She’s not scared to be on her own anymore. She shows a photo of a car that he sold to buy her engagement ring, and says she bought it back for him. She would have missed out on a lot if they hadn’t been together.

After the commercial, Ethan tells us that Olivia asked him to write down how he felt instead of trying to talk. He writes that he’s sorry he fell short, and he hopes she finds what he couldn’t give her. He loves her and will help her if she needs him. He says the happy memories are painful. We get clips of their wedding and happy moments from the show. They gave it a good run, but not everything works. The title card says he signed the divorce papers the next day.

The preview says it’s for the season instead of the next episode. Ethan works out with a trainer. Ethan and Olivia both start dating. Olivia dyes her hair bright red. Moriah has a concert and everyone turns up, including Moriah’s ex, and Barry and Ken have to hang out. Didn’t we have this story line with her dance competition like a year ago?

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Season 6, Episode 6 is oddly titled “Welcome to Plathville.”

I watched this episode without being able to take notes, but luckily, it was simple enough that I don’t need to rewatch it.

Ethan and Kim got the episode off. Olivia went to a Pilates lesson in LA with a friend and said that she’s relieved to be divorced. She also said that the letter Ethan wrote said the same things as a letter he wrote during their first separation, so he’s not exhibiting personal growth.

At the end of the episode, there was a scene where Micah’s girlfriend finally agreed to be on camera. She has long blonde hair and her name is Veronica, as we already know. She didn’t make a good impression on me. She seems argumentative and wasn’t affectionate. Also, she had never tried ranch dressing or salsa (salsa!) before Micah talked her into it, which is just so strange. The episode description says “Micah’s mystery girlfriend leaves everyone stunned,” but there was no one else in the scene, so I guess “stunned” is how the producers feel about her.

The majority of the episode was about a “Spartan Race,” which was the type of race also known as a tough mudder. It’s an obstacle course on deliberately muddy ground. Mercy and Cassia were too young to participate. Moriah and Lydia finished together, after the others, but in less than an hour. (They said most people take an hour or two.) Barry and Amber finished between the guys and the girls. The big drama of the episode was that Issac finished less than two minutes before Micah, but he had skipped one obstacle, apparently having genuinely not noticed it, or heard Micah yelling at him to come back. It was a very simple obstacle that probably wouldn’t have taken up the time difference, but Micah was really mad about it. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I can’t believe they still have a show. What a snooze fest. 

[MariaariaM]

DOING a tough mudder is fun. Watching other people do them? Only if you love them, and then maybe.

[marmalade]

5 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Season 6, Episode 6 is oddly titled “Welcome to Plathville.”

I watched this episode without being able to take notes, but luckily, it was simple enough that I don’t need to rewatch it.

Ethan and Kim got the episode off. Olivia went to a Pilates lesson in LA with a friend and said that she’s relieved to be divorced. She also said that the letter Ethan wrote said the same things as a letter he wrote during their first separation, so he’s not exhibiting personal growth.

At the end of the episode, there was a scene where Micah’s girlfriend finally agreed to be on camera. She has long blonde hair and her name is Veronica, as we already know. She didn’t make a good impression on me. She seems argumentative and wasn’t affectionate. Also, she had never tried ranch dressing or salsa (salsa!) before Micah talked her into it, which is just so strange. The episode description says “Micah’s mystery girlfriend leaves everyone stunned,” but there was no one else in the scene, so I guess “stunned” is how the producers feel about her.

The majority of the episode was about a “Spartan Race,” which was the type of race also known as a tough mudder. It’s an obstacle course on deliberately muddy ground. Mercy and Cassia were too young to participate. Moriah and Lydia finished together, after the others, but in less than an hour. (They said most people take an hour or two.) Barry and Amber finished between the guys and the girls. The big drama of the episode was that Issac finished less than two minutes before Micah, but he had skipped one obstacle, apparently having genuinely not noticed it, or heard Micah yelling at him to come back. It was a very simple obstacle that probably wouldn’t have taken up the time difference, but Micah was really mad about it. 

The episode is titled Give Me Your Mud. 😀

[QuiverFullofBooks]

39 minutes ago, marmalade said:

The episode is titled Give Me Your Mud. 😀

Thank you! On demand systems can be weird. 

[marmalade]

If you think this episode was a bunch of filler, wait for the episode that aired last night. There was one highlight that I won't spoil, but other than that, zzzzzzzzzz.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Season 6, Episode 6 – “I was born on Highway 111”

We open at Bradley’s Country Store in Tallahassee, where Kim is handing the girls over to Barry. They alternate weeks. Mercy is 11 now. She says she appreciates her parents more since she’s not always with them. The girls watch their parents’ awkward chat from a distance. Kim tells Barry that the girls are fine, and Amber is teaching gymnastics twice a week. They need to do a little more homeschool, but they’re almost done (presumably for the week). They discuss Ethan’s divorce; Barry says he gave Ethan pointers. Kim says in a TH that they saw how Ethan and Oliva interacted early in their marriage and thought that it wouldn’t last. Kim tells Barry that she cried when Ethan hugged her. He says in a TH that Kim and Ethan need each other.

In Cairo, Ethan and Micah are visiting. Ethan likes coming back, but it’s sad when he has to see places where he was with Olivia. Lydia reminds everyone that the next day is her 20th birthday (dating the events of this episode to February 3-4, 2024). They react awkwardly. Ethan tells us in a TH that there will be a surprise party. Issac says that the middle children get forgotten about, so they want to do something special for her. Veronica calls Micah; Ethan and Issac tease him a little about being tied down. Ethan is enjoying the reversal. Micah asks Veronica when she will come to Cairo. She says maybe next time. He’s disappointed that she didn’t come up for the party now that she’s agreed to be on camera.

In LA, Olivia’s friend Lily is visiting and they’re having a glass of wine. Olivia’s apartment looks nice. Olivia wants to defend herself against Ethan’s accusation that she doesn’t cook, which was aired at the end of last season, and gave people the impression that she doesn’t cook. It’s not true, and she cooked plenty for him. Lily is horrified that any guy would expect to be cooked for. Olivia says she’s gone on about three dates. She slept with the first guy. She doesn’t regret it. (She fell for the line “Do you want to meet my cat?’) After that, she decided to “date long distance” so that she can remain independent in her LA life. She says that having dinner at a restaurant doesn’t tell you much about a person and she’d rather do something together. She’s talking to someone who has potential.

[boring Cairo scene and commercials]

Olivia puts on a long red wig before her sister Lydia Grace arrives. They have alter egos for bars named “Jackie” and “Larissa.” Lydia Grace does a TH musing about how Olivia’s trying to figure out the image she wants to project as a single woman. They try on wigs. Olivia says in a TH that the last time she asked Ethan if she looked good, he disparaged her piercings.

The surprise party is getting set up at First & Broad Pizza Co. in Cairo. Lydia returns from church to find the house empty except for Micah, who invites her out to lunch. Lydia seems genuinely surprised, especially to see Barry, who she thought was grocery shopping in Tallahassee. Barry tells the story of Lydia’s birth. Kim says in a TH that she was horrified, and annoyed that he told the story without mentioning her name. Barry says that Lydia got stuck in the birth canal, so the midwife suggested that they go for a ride. Lydia was born in the car. (Lydia never says the remark in the episode title.) In a TH, he adds that when Lydia was born, Kim bit him on the thigh, leaving bruises and teeth marks. (Presumably Kim was in the back seat with her head on Barry’s lap.) Barry gives Lydia some plants and says “I bought you a shrubbery!,” a reference to the Month Python “Knights Who Say Ni” sketch. She laughs and laughs. Kim gives her an electric violin, and Lydia is delighted.

After the commercial, Kim has rented a dunk tank so the kids can dunk her. Let’s work out some of those passive-aggressive feelings, kids! It’s $5 per ball and Lydia gets the money. It’s set up outdoors, of course, and even in south Georgia, Kim is very cold in her swimsuit. To his credit, Barry declines to participate. Mercy, Moriah, Issac (five balls), and Ethan all fail to dunk Kim. Micah is disturbingly gleeful about this opportunity. He dunks Kim with the first ball. Kim suggests that Barry get in the dunk tank and he says no.

Previews: Micah’s girlfriend refuses to say she’s in love; Olivia and Lydia Grace host a sex ed party; Ethan talks to the younger girls about his divorce.

I caught up on the bonus scenes in the “More to Love” episodes (under spoiler for length).

Spoiler

The “longer” episodes are all still one hour, so they either cut something out, or run fewer commercials, or both.

• Olivia says she knows the tarot card reading that she will get back together with Ethan will not come to pass, because he’s the wrong person for her and she’s in control of her life now.
• When Micah was in the back seat of Ethan’s car (driving to Florida to see Kim), he was blowing soap bubbles at Ethan and Moriah.
• Ethan shows Moriah photos of a car he wants to buy, and she thinks it’s good luck that there’s a penny in a photo of a tire; he explains that’s to measure the tread.
• Amber’s dance class was at The Chill Spot in Crawfordville, Florida, south of Tallahassee. It’s an outdoor bar that presumably let them use it on a weekday in exchange for the brief publicity shot. It does not advertise children teaching dance to other children. The episode added more dancing; Amber did a reasonably good job of teaching a simple country line dance.
• Olivia tells Moriah she thinks the Plaths view forgiveness differently than she does. Moriah says it means that you have to let go in your heart. In a TH, Olivia says that sounds good, but it means that the person being forgiven doesn’t have to be accountable.
• They had to reach to add anything to last week’s episode. There’s a little more of Olivia’s Pilates lesson, and some very shaky race footage from Barry’s GoPro. The episode title was from Barry saying “Give me your mud…and your wire” as he crawled under barbed wire.

 

Edited August 31 by QuiverFullofBooks
I swear, I edited this multiple times, and saw a mistake the second it was posted.

[ifosterkittens]

Do you the show will get a seventh season?