On early Welcome to Plathville seasons, Kim and Barry Plath appeared to be happily married, but the season 4 premiere showed signs that the pair may split up in the future. The strict Christian fundamentalists raised their nine children in an unconventional way, keeping them away from much of the outside world. Although Kim and Barry usually appear to be on the same page about things, they have dropped some major hints that they may end their relationship.
Kim and Barry have been called hypocrites by Welcome to Plathville fans. One reason why is the way that they treated Ethan Plath's wife, Olivia Plath, versus how they treated Moriah Plath's boyfriend, Max Kallschmidt. Olivia was said to be possessed by evil spirits because she wanted to introduce Ethan to movies and soda. However, Max was accepted into the family with open arms, even when he and Moriah broke the rules by displaying affection in front of the younger kids. Ethan has said that Kim is manipulative, adding that when it comes to her marriage with Barry, she's the one who's in control.
Whether it was disciplining Lydia Plath for texting a boy she liked on Kim's phone, or arguing with Ethan on their home's driveway, Kim and Barry acted similarly in terms of the way that they parented. However, during Welcome to Plathville season 3, Kim insisted on showing up at Moriah's first concert against her daughter's wishes. Barry was noticeably absent from the fiasco. Kim and Barry showed a different side of themselves when they started an impromptu food fight with their younger kids, ending the dramatic season on a high note.
Kim and Barry have been through a lot in their marriage of over 20 years, and Welcome to Plathville fans think that some cracks are showing. In the season 4 premiere, Barry said that he thought Kim was going through a mid-life crisis. She said that she has spent the better part of the last two decades being a full-time mom, teacher, and wife, and wanted to focus on herself. Kim abandoned her stance on conservative clothes and started wearing skirts, which surprised Barry. She also bought her own dance studio, and one of her kids speculated that she did so in order to have her own source of income if the pair divorced.
Kim read a heartfelt diary entry that she wrote during the Welcome to Plathville premiere, saying how often she felt like crying. Barry stated in the season 4 trailer that the family had started getting used to takeout food since Kim wasn't cooking for them as often. Clearly, the dynamics are changing. Although Welcome to Plathville fans are excited to learn more about this new version of Kim, many are wondering whether her evolution is signaling the end of her marriage with Barry.