Moriah Plath could become the villainonWelcome To Plathvilleseason 7, but I’ve changed my mind and think thatKim Plathis the bad guy on the hit reality TV series. Kim transformed duringWelcome To Plathvilleseason 6 due to her divorce from Barry Plath. The once-conservative matriarch redefined herself by showing off her relationship with Ken Palmer and living on a houseboat. However, it’s important to remember how Kim’s parenting affected Moriah, exposing her as the real villain.

Welcome to Plathvilleseason 7, which should be coming this summer, and it could turn out to be one of the most dramatic yet. Moriah is dealing with personal turmoil of her own, especially after her separation from Matthew Craven. He allegedly had a secret family, which added to the heartbreak. Lydia Plath’s wedding to Zac Wyse is another development that I certainly hope to see play out on screen, having tied the knot in February. As the focus shifts once again towards Moriah, however, I think everyone needs a reminder that Kim has always been the villain.

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Kim Got A Lot Of Backlash For Her Parenting Style

She And Barry Traumatized Her Kids

Kim faced plenty of backlash for her parenting style over the years, and I think it’s important how strict and repressive she was. She and Barry raised their nine kids in an ultra-conservative, sheltered environment, limiting their access to television, the internet, and mainstream culture. It’s not a bad thing to reduce screen time, butKim and Barry sheltered their kids so they wouldn’t know what else was out therebesides their gripping control.

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While Kim insisted this approach would protect her kids, it left them reliant on her and thoroughly unprepared for the real world. I’ve always taken serious issue with Kim’s heavy-handed control over her children, even when they approached adulthood. When Moriah expressed interest in college, Kim discouraged her, ultimately denying her daughter the chance to further her education. Moriah could be a different person today if she had the chance to go to school.

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It’s important to remember that Kim was only half of the equation when it came to parenting the Plath kids, as Barry also imposed strict rules on the children.

Of course, it’s impossible to overlook her tension with Olivia Plath. Olivia isn’t a saint, but Kim’s treatment of her daughter-in-law was downright evil. She wanted her and Ethan Plath to break up from the beginning. Kim disapproved of Olivia’s influence on Ethan because she encouraged him to explore outside the Plath family’s rigid outlook and lifestyle. Once Kim started allegedly using her son’s credit card, it was all over for the couple.

Kim also exposed herself as somewhat hypocritical when she got a DUI in October 2022. Given the strict morals she thrust upon her children, I saw it as a shocking and unexpected twist amid her difficult and public divorce. Kim had long presented herself as the pillar of discipline and virtue in the family. Between her strict parenting, her rocky relationships with her children, and the hypocrisy of her actions, Kim remains the villain, not Moriah.

Kim Was An Absent Mother After Her Divorce

She Basically Abandoned Her Kids

Kim completely swung the other way after her divorce from Barry, taking a step back from parenting. It seems a little heavy-handed to say she was an absent mother, but she was notably absent from many family events, such as Thanksgiving in 2022. It even split the family further since Micah Plath, Isaac Plath, Ethan, and Barry were all together, but Moriah and Lydia were conspicuously missing.

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While a bit of healthy distance may have been a positive development for Kim and her older children, things were a little more suspicious when it came to her younger kids. Kim and Barry became involved in a custody dispute over their three minor children: Amber, Cassia, and Mercy. In June 2024,Kim filed for divorce, seeking primary custody and child supportfrom Barry. In response, Barry contested her request, filing for custody himself and seeking child support from Kim. They got joint custody, but not before it was alleged that Kim wasn’t involving herself in her minor children’s lives.

Moriah Is The Product Of How Her Mother Raised Her

She’s Become What Kim Created

Moriahis just a product of how Kim raised her, making Kim the original villain. She’s wiped her Instagram once again, only featuring a few photos, most of which highlight her plump lips and long, black locks. While Moriah has long been painted as the rebellious black sheep of the family, her struggles with identity and independence stem directly from Kim’s rigid control. From the purple hair through her Christian reawakening and now on to her latest identity crisis, Moriah is just trying to figure out who she is outside the strict Plath household.

“A weekend filled with laughter, tears, smiles, hugs, and pure joy as I stood by my sister on her special day. I love you so much Lydia Joy and I’m lucky to call you my sister! 🤍 Welcome to the family Zac! I’m excited to see what the future holds for the both of you!”

Simply put, Moriah was forced to suppress her individuality, which caused a strain with her parents. Now, she’s forging her path, and it’s clear Kim’s influence still lingers, but in a different way.Moriah’s constant drama, online outbursts, and selfishness mirror Kim’s behavior, proving that she might be more like her mother than she wants to admit. Kim’s unpredictable parenting, abrupt lifestyle shifts, and tendency to put herself first have created what looks like lasting instability in the Plath family. While Moriah fights to be her own person, she doesn’t have a bad character.

Hopefully, Kim can be humble enough to realize her own internalized misogyny caused her to raise her children in such a repressive and controlling way. Now that she seems to be loosening the reigns of her own life, perhaps she can make peace with some of the older kids and have a more open mind. If she’s unable to do so, I think Kim will firmly remain theWelcome To Plathvillevillain.