Good American Family Finale: The Truth About Natalia Grace Leaves Viewers Stunned

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[This story contains spoilers from the Good American Family season finale.]

Since The Good American Family aired its last episode, viewers have now witnessed the entirety of Hulu’s storyline centered around Natalia Grace.

Or:

Now that the final episode of The Good American Family has been shown, audiences have seen the whole narrative of Hulu’s project about Natalia Grace unfold.

The eight-episode miniseries, based on the viral true story of Grace, initially focused on the experiences of Kristine and Michael Barnett, an Indiana couple who adopted Grace from Ukraine in 2010, portrayed by Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass. Later in the series, it shifted to telling events from Grace’s perspective, as played by Imogen Faith Reid, and introduced Cynthia Mans, one of Grace’s subsequent adoptive parents, played by Christina Hendricks.

As a gamer, I was intrigued by the unique narrative approach of this series, as presented by creator Katie Robbins. Instead of a clear-cut perspective, she crafted a story that evolves and challenges our initial understanding. Initially, we follow Kristine and Michael Barnett’s account of events, but over time, things begin to shift subtly, leaving us questioning if what we’ve been experiencing is the truth. The creators explained to The Hollywood Reporter that this method allows viewers to confront their own biases in unforeseen ways.

The Barnetts, particularly Kristine Pompeo, claimed a different account of events, suggesting that Grace, who suffers from a rare and severe form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, posed a danger to their family and had been untruthful about her age. Acting as her legal guardians, they altered Grace’s legal age from 7, the age at which she was adopted, to 22. This change made Grace an adult, allowing them to establish an apartment for her to live independently while maintaining their guardianship from a distance due to her disability.

However, once Grace recounted her tale from her unique viewpoint, the Good American Family found themselves accomplishing exactly what Robbins had intended. Audience members were left bewildered and appalled as they witnessed the harrowing fifth episode, which vividly depicted Grace’s immense physical, emotional, and psychological hardships while attempting to live independently with her disability.

Reid, who is playing her first major role, mentions that since Grace’s type of dwarfism differs from hers, the 27-year-old British actress prepared extensively for this part. She worked with acting and dialect coaches, as well as a movement coach, to ensure that her movements felt genuine in her body and accurately portrayed the character. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t portraying something that wasn’t true,” she shares with THR. “These various aspects helped shape my interpretation of Natalia.

Reid, similar to other cast members, knew about the ID docuseries titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” which ended with its third season in January. However, it’s important to note that Reid did not interact personally with the individual she portrayed. Instead, she chose to focus on her interpretation of Natalia. Her enthusiasm for the role was evident as she often thought about seeking justice for Natalia, helping her find light, and empowering her. She feels privileged to have had the opportunity to bring this character to life.

The show, after delving into contrasting perspectives from court records and media sources, ultimately resolves the dispute concerning Grace’s actual age: At the time of adoption by the Barnetts, Natalia was seven years old; however, she was left to live independently at eight years old according to them.

According to Sarah Sutherland, co-showrunner, our investigations have established that Natalia was a child when the Barnetts abandoned her. In 2024, she was issued a U.S. passport, confirming this fact. However, during the trial, this information couldn’t be presented as evidence. Sutherland adds that it’s disappointing, but fascinating to observe social media discussions about the show’s unexpected turn of events, and how people have revised their opinions on the narrative after watching episodes five, six, and beyond.

Confirming Grace’s age at the end of the series changes our perspective of it significantly, especially the fifth episode where Reid depicted Grace as a young girl of around eight years old who was learning to fend for herself.

In Reid’s words, “When we initially encounter Natalia, she is 7 years old. The skillful application of makeup and hair styling by the team transformed me into a 7-year-old, which was truly impressive. This transformation affected me profoundly.”

Later in episode five, the makeup is dramatically altered. “Natalia has been left alone, so she can’t wash her hair or take care of herself – naturally, she’s only 8 years old. She also suffers from dwarfism, which makes this heart-wrenching scene all the more poignant.

Reid mentions working with the show’s episode directors, including Liz Garbus who directed “Too Hurty Without It,” in movement sessions to master walking as Natalia authentically, not just imitating something untrue for her. She explained that recalling the pebbles from the series finale, found in Grace’s shoes and causing her pain, aided this process by altering her physicality.

Duplass, who portrayed her on-screen adoptive father, felt a stirring emotion due to the new viewpoint audiences will gain on that specific episode following the finale’s viewing.

He shares with THR that it’s unclear how old Natalia truly is while watching the series, as Imogen portrays a character who might be older than she appears or is actually that age. Then, she has to play an even older character convincingly throughout the story, all while maintaining a believable Natalia. The subtle differences in her performance sometimes made her seem a bit older and other times younger, leaving viewers wondering, “Is this acting? Is it real?” According to him, these small nuances are what make Imogen’s performance so impressive.

According to Sutherland, as per the World Health Organization (WHO), over half of all individuals will encounter some form of disability during their lifetime. She emphasizes that this isn’t a specialized subject, yet societal prejudice towards disabled individuals remains largely misunderstood: “It’s quite uncommon nowadays for people to shift their viewpoints on something and acknowledge their own biases,” she says. “Our aim is that the show encourages this kind of self-awareness, even if it only affects a few people.

According to Robbins and Sutherland, it was the climax of the show “Good American Family” that inspired them to share the story in the first place. Sutherland, one of the co-showrunners, expresses her feelings about this by saying, “This story struck a chord deep within me, and I believe if anyone other than Katie had proposed it to me, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable enough to agree.” She further adds, “Katie has a unique vision for the series. Instead of turning it into a sensational, lowest common denominator drama, she managed to maintain the thrill while also guiding the audience on a journey that challenges them to question their own prejudices and monstrous tendencies.

Even though the game didn’t hold either Kristine or me accountable for our actions related to neglect of a dependent in the end, neither of us faced any legal consequences after being charged. Michael was acquitted in 2022, and the charges against me were dropped the following year.

In “Good American Family,” after the trial, Kristine firmly sticks to her choices when confronted by friends, Michael, and even her sons. Pompeo contends that she needed to stand by Kristine’s truth in order to uncover the truth during her final performance.

Or:

In the TV show “Good American Family,” following the trial, Kristine remains steadfast with her choices when faced with questions from friends, Michael, and her sons. Pompeo argues that she had to stay true to Kristine’s truth in order to discover the truth during her final performance.

The Grey’s Anatomy star expresses to THR that to make such significant changes, one must truly believe they are correct. It takes great humility for someone to acknowledge they might be wrong, which is not something many people do. We witness this a lot today, don’t we? It’s far easier to remain within the confines of your ego and continue following what you perceive as truth.

She goes on to say, “At the conclusion of our performance, I wasn’t sure if it was due to acting technique or something else, but I didn’t know how to handle or process the information we were given. So, like many people do, I pushed it aside and made up reasons for it. The scripts are incredibly complex; there are countless instances where a scene could be interpreted in multiple ways. For me, being unsure about her character’s beliefs—whether she truly believes what she’s saying or not—served as a lifeline during this time.

Regarding Kristine’s actions, Pompeo maintains that the truth is clear for viewers. “The role I play is adept at deceiving others and making them do her bidding. She’s quite cunning. However, I believe there’s proof to support this,” she notes, alluding to the damaging Facebook messages from Kristine used in court proceedings that were displayed in the finale. “We’ve witnessed what transpired, what was backed up by physical evidence. Yet, it often seems that such evidence doesn’t matter. People can claim whatever they want, and somehow, people choose to believe what they hear rather than what they see.

What Pompeo refers to is what particularly shocked Robbins during her years of research for the series.

The series delves into numerous genres, however, it subtly avoids horror stereotypes, notably in its early installments. Ultimately, what’s truly chilling is that despite apparent facts or what we believe to be true, they don’t significantly alter the situation in public perception or Indiana courts,” she notes. “This idea – that the truth sometimes holds no weight – is one of the most crucial themes in this show.

After the ending of “Good American Family”, a notice appears for viewers, stating that following the series’ completion, accusations of abuse have surfaced against Cynthia and Antwon Mans (portrayed by Jerod Haynes in the show). The Mans and Kristine deny these allegations. Moreover, in 2024, Grace successfully updated her passport to reflect her birth date as September 4, 2003, which means she is now 21 years old.

In Indiana, her age remains the same, but on her U.S. passport, it’s been updated. This change is supported by strong physical, biological, and ancestral proof. To Robbins, this felt like a significant achievement.

She clarifies that we can’t predict how Natalia, who represents the real Grace, will react or not react, nor can we make statements about the future. However, she aspires that our portrayal of this tale has been compassionate and does justice to Grace’s actual story.

It could be that the reason Michael encounters Natalia in a scene written specifically for the finale is because he’s the one who made a mistake. He’s offered a chance to seek forgiveness, but he struggles to reach a point of regret. In the meantime, it’s Jacob (played by Aias Dalman) who takes the initiative to apologize to Natalia. This action seems to push Kristine away from her family, or more accurately, they decide to leave her behind.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase that as follows: “The cinematic dialogue we’re all familiar with often involves two characters deep in conversation on a bench. However, the interaction between Michael and Natalia, while echoing this pattern, falls short of resolving their issues. There’s an apparent disconnect, and despite Michael’s yearning to understand his mistakes, I believe he’s currently unable to do so. This struggle was intriguing for me as an actor because the scene suggests they’ll overcome it, but they fail, which is truly heartbreaking. I think this unresolved ending perfectly encapsulates their journey.

According to Reid, the situation was heart-wrenching for Natalia, who clung onto her connection with Michael. “In my interpretation of Natalia, Michael is a damaged individual whom she wanted to mend. I believe it’s crucial to portray this because Michael is such a fragile character, and Mark’s depiction of Michael was captivating,” says Reid. “Their relationship remains somewhat intact in that scene, but it’s clear that it’s fractured, and it’s also tragic due to the fact that Natalia and Michael, from my perspective, once shared an extraordinary relationship and bond of wanting to heal each other.

In the finale, Kristine witnessed a video clip that verified Grace’s account of her age (real-life scenario), which was originally from her birth mother. Additionally, Grace received an apology from the trial investigator, Dulé Hill, for the breakdown in the system that affected her. Upon their return to their new home with the Mans, Reid’s Grace encounters a significant wave of social media reactions to her birth mother’s video. The final scene shows Grace beaming as she navigates through the supportive messages on social media.

Reid recalls performing the courtroom scenes in the final episodes, noting it was strange yet powerful since he portrayed his own version of Natalia, who is now a real woman. Afterward, he went to his trailer and felt deeply moved. All he desired was justice. By this point, they had been filming for four months, and his fervor for the character intensified. He was so invested that he yearned for her to be recognized and validated.

This could potentially mark the conclusion for the Good American Family’s tale, but it doesn’t signify the end of Grace’s journey. In fact, the genuine Grace was part of the ID docuseries titled “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” and the latest season chronicled Grace’s tumultuous separation from the Mans family. Presently, she is residing with her new adoptive parents, Vincent and Nicole DePaul.

In their last discussion, Reid distanced herself from Cynthia (Hendricks), which she attributes to her discontent with the trial’s outcome. “Cynthia was overly optimistic that the court case would turn out well for her,” says Reid. “Being diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder, her instinct is to push people away. She does this especially when people genuinely care about her, and I believe Cynthia in our story understood Natalia’s behavior. She knows she behaves badly at times, but the love remains constant, and her heart always welcomes them back. That’s how we portrayed their relationship.

As Grace’s journey with the Mans and later the DePaul family unfolds further, there remains a chance for the series Good American Family to carry on. While Pompeo, who is also an executive producer, clarifies that her portrayal of Kristine comes to an end here, both she and Robbins might be interested in delving deeper into where Grace’s story progresses, especially concerning Cynthia.

Pompeo implies that Kristine Barnett’s story has reached its conclusion, as evidenced by a third installment of the documentary and Natalia’s ongoing sharing of her experiences. Thus, if there were more episodes to come, one might wonder if Hulu is tuned in.

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Good American Family is now streaming all eight episodes on Hulu. Read THR’s show coverage.

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2025-05-01 21:25