Barry Plath is the patriarch on Welcome to Plathville, and fans are convinced that he lets Kim Plath take advantage of him on the show, especially in season 4. Barry is known for being passive and having a smirk on his face, often confusing fans about what he is really thinking. Barry and Kim had some controversies throughout the series, as fans question some of their extreme parenting tactics.
Barry and Kim are devout Christian fundamentalists, and some Welcome To Plathville fans believe they use religion as an excuse to control their children. From isolating the kids on a farm and homeschooling them to calling them rebellious for being curious about life outside the farm, Barry and Kim have made some questionable choices. The Plath parents always seemed to be on the same page and were a united front, up until Welcome to Plathville season 4.
Fans have called Kim manipulative, especially towards her nine kids, and they think she also manipulates Barry into backing her up in arguments. When Kim and Barry said that their daughter-in-law, Olivia Plath, was filled with evil spirits, some wondered whether it was really Kim talking and Barry feeling pressured to go along with her. Barry and Kim's oldest child, Ethan Plath, called his mom the neck that turns his dad's head, letting Welcome to Plathville fans know that Kim is a manipulator who makes all of the decisions. Kim is very upfront, while it is harder to know what Barry really thinks about these tense situations on the show.
Welcome to Plathville season 4 is exploring Kim and Barry's unexpected marital struggles. After Barry supported Kim in buying a dance studio, Kim started spending all her time there instead of at home with her younger children. She also shocked Welcome To Plathville fans and Barry when she said she was so unhappy, ultimately wanting to separate from him and live in one of their rental properties on her own. Fans felt Kim was being selfish as she abandoned Barry, leaving him to not only work full-time but pick up the slack at home too.
Even though Welcome To Plathville fans take issue with Barry, it's clear that Kim is the boss, and Barry follows along with whatever she says. Barry appeared to have no part in the decision to separate, and it seems Kim is walking all over him. He has supported her business dreams and given her space to be alone, while he appears to be the only one upset about the state of their marriage. Barry even cried for the first time in Welcome to Plathville history. Overall, fans are hoping Barry will stand up for himself later this season.