We Finally Understand Why Welcome To Plathville's Kim And Moriah Plath Have Issues

Of course, Kim and Moriah Plath have issues. They have so many issues that Moriah moved out, and has no plans, says Screen Rant, of moving back home. She's also dating (gasp!), and she rides around on motorcycles dressed in black leather with her friends. So, yeah. If there was ever a more perfect definition of "black sheep," we're all ears.

And somehow, despite their issues, Kim and her daughter are trying. After a (shall we call it disastrous?) shopping trip in season 2, episode 4 of Welcome to Plathville, The List untangled Kim and Moriah Plath's strained relationship with psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker Jaime Bronstein. Bronstein, who specializes in relationships, says that the shopping trip in question served to highlight the issues between mother and daughter. She understood implicitly that when Moriah Plath rejected her mother's attempt to bond over clothes, Moriah was looking for something deeper to connect to. "It only makes Moriah more frustrated because she feels like her mom doesn't understand how to have a good relationship," Bronstein told The List. 

Nonetheless, Bronstein signaled that the way through the tension was learning to communicate properly. "Although Moriah says she would like a better relationship with Kim, she fears that communicating more with her will prevent her from feeling independent," Bronstein reflected. "Still, the reality is that when two people learn how to communicate, and both parties can be empathetic and validate each other's feelings, it can always improve a relationship."

Surprisingly, Jaime Bronstein signaled to The List that the reason that Kim and Moriah Plath are struggling is not because of their differences, at all. "I believe the reason why Kim and Moriah have issues is that they are actually very similar," Bronstein posited. Kim, you'll remember, has publicly talked about her alcoholic parents and (should we call them unhinged?) college years. "Kim sees herself in Moriah as they both have a natural tendency to be a little 'wild,'" says Bronstein. Bronstein further noted that Kim may be overprotective of her children because she doesn't want them to feel "miserable on the inside" the way that she felt growing up.

Is there a path to a healthier relationship? Bronstein thinks so. "It was incredibly heart-warming to watch the two hug at the end of the episode, talking about the moment Moriah was born," Bronstein reflected, "I believe that if Kim and Moriah continue to have open communication and really get to the heart of the issue, they will be able to have a better relationship eventually."