Moriah, Max And Lydia's Welcome To Plathville Love Triangle, Explained

While TLC's "Welcome to Plathville" primarily tackles the ongoing feud between Ethan and Olivia Plath and his parents, the side controversies are equally fascinating, if not more so. Moriah Plath, Ethan's sister, faced heartbreak in 2021 when she broke things off with her boyfriend, Max Kallschmidt. According to People, Max confessed to cheating on Moriah during an emotional conversation with her brother, Micah Plath. Despite Max coming clean about his one-time mistake, Moriah decided to end their year-long relationship. 

Micah expressed his surprise after speaking with Max, stating, "Most of us didn't think he was capable of that." Moriah struggled with the breakup, and according to Ethan and Olivia, with whom Moriah lived at the time, she hardly left her room. "Moriah definitely has taken it very hard," Ethan told People, adding that he and his wife were providing his sister with unwavering support until she felt better — including covering household bills.

The most shocking aspect of the split, however, wasn't necessarily the cheating part; it was Lydia Plath's involvement. After Moriah confided in her younger sister about the painful situation, Lydia displayed a surprising interest in Max, creating an unexpected love triangle that left many unanswered questions lingering in the air.

Following her big breakup, Moriah Plath was surprised to find her younger sister showing considerably more interest in maintaining a connection with Moriah's ex-boyfriend than in supporting her. After Moriah spilled the beans on her relationship ending, Lydia Plath immediately tried to make sure it was okay if she continued seeing Max Kallschmidt even though he'd just broken her sister's heart.

In a Season 4 episode, they sat down to discuss the situation. Moriah, visibly heartbroken, was taken aback when Lydia asked if she would mind her and Max occasionally meeting up and talking. Moriah's response was a diplomatic "I think you can do whatever you want to do," likely reflecting a struggle to find the right reaction to such an odd question. In her solo confessional, Moriah expressed her surprise at Lydia's unusual request and confessed that she had expected more sisterly support.

Moriah later decided to come clean with Lydia and admitted she was hurt by her meeting up with Max. Lydia, however, shifted the focus to Christianity, stating that she didn't want to "go the rest of [her] life with that huge grudge in [her]." Moriah pointed out that Max had wronged her, and Lydia involving herself in the situation made little sense. "You have nothing to really forgive him for," Moriah asserted. The two ultimately talked it out, but not everyone, including fans and some family members, was as forgiving as Moriah.

The comment section on YouTube, under the clip of the initial conversation between Moriah and Lydia Plath, revealed little support for the younger sibling's behavior. "Is it just me, or does Lydia seem kind of happy they're broken up?" one person wondered, while many others compared Lydia's behavior to that of her controlling mother, Kim Plath. A Reddit thread discussing the show had similar remarks, with some users suggesting that Lydia might lack social skills due to her sheltered life, which could explain her actions.

Olivia Plath, the girls' sister-in-law, echoed similar sentiments in a comment on a now-deleted TikTok video addressing the situation. As TV Shows Ace reported, Olivia openly expressed her disapproval, stating, "[Max Kallschmidt] did hang out with Lydia and her friends for a few months. P****d us off down here in Tampa." Despite not providing any further details and refraining from discussing the matter again, Olivia's comment added to the ongoing speculation, as the timeline of Lydia and Max's interactions still remains unclear.

However, it's worth noting that their relationship, as portrayed in Season 3, was purely friendly. Lydia even assisted Max in designing a promise ring for Moriah during one episode of "Welcome to Plathville," demonstrating a seemingly genuine interest in ensuring it was the right choice for her sister. With the Plath siblings appearing to have resolved their differences, it's reasonable to assume that Lydia's intentions were nothing but sincere.