TV Recap: Kristine and Michael Barnett Meet Natalia Grace in "Good American Family" Premiere
The curious and disturbing case of Natalia Grace gets dramatized in Hulu’s Good American Family. In the premiere episode, we get a hint at what’s to come before flashing back to how Natalia Grace came to be a Barnett, putting the family on a road to ruin. Here is a recap of the first episode, part of a double-episode premiere.
Episode 1: “Almost Like a Prayer" - Written by Katie Robbins
The events of this episode are based on Kristine and Michael Barnett’s version of events.
2019
Kristine Barnett (Ellen Pompeo) is hailed as an expert in dealing with kids on the spectrum, and she’s returned to her home state of Indiana as part of a book tour, speaking about her journey raising her own son on the spectrum, Jacob (Aaron Potter), who seems uncomfortable with the attention. She boasts about Jacob’s accomplishments, which include early admission into college at the age of 15 and a PhD in quantum gravity, all of which wouldn’t have occurred if she listened to the doctors who tried to give her a narrow view of Jacob’s future.
As Kristine speaks to the eager audience, a troop of uniformed police officers enters. She sees them, and she tries to continue the speech, but eventually, they interrupt, publicly arresting Kristine in front of her sons and fans, reading her the charges, which include child neglect and abandonment of a minor. Kristine first blames the boys’ father, and then rambles about how she had to do what she did. “That b**** tried to kill me!"
2010 - Fall
Kristine Barnett and her husband Michael (Mark Duplass) thought their dreams of having a daughter had come true when they became foster parents to a girl named Blanca, but in the midst of their attempts to adopt her, the state instead gave custody to Blanca’s aunt. Kristine has poured herself back into work as a special education teacher on the brink of opening her own recreation center for kids on the Autism spectrum. Michael is the manager of a Circuit City store who is having a difficult time getting over the loss of a child he felt like a father to.
Much of this exposition is delivered by Kristine to her friend Val (Sarayu Blue) when Kristine brings her daughter Shawn (Indra Juniper) home. Val wants to pay Kristine for all the extra time and care she’s provided to Shawn, but she refuses, even in the form of a donation to Kristine’s recreation center, because Christine says she’s received a grant from the Christian Community Fund and has everything she needs for the grand opening. When Val asks Kristine how she and Michael are doing, Kristine has a chipper disposition and a smile - Everything is, according to her, fine.
In truth, things aren’t fine. Michael has been sleeping on the couch instead of in bed with his wife. The life seems drained from him when he gets home late from a 12-hour work day, disappointed that his youngest sons are already asleep and his oldest, Jacob Barnett (Alas Dalman), is up late working on string theory, using washable markers to do equations on the glass windows and declining his dad’s offer to play XBOX with him. Dejected, Michael gets even more upset when he sees a box full of Blanca’s toys, which Kristine is planning to recycle for her rec center.
Kristine and Michael go to their bedroom to argue. Kristine suggests that he sleep in the empty bedroom (aka Blanca’s old room), which really upsets Michael. He feels like Kristine is completely over the loss of their foster child. “Is that honestly what you think?" she asks him. Michael doesn’t really answer, opting to sleep on the floor instead of in bed with his wife.
As Kristine goes about her tasks the next day, we hear her talking to her mother (Jenny O’Hara) on the phone. Kristine’s mom wants her daughter to leave Michael, but Kristine isn’t interested in leaving her “soul mate." We see Kristine at the rec center getting things ready, placing Blanca’s toys around the play space. However, she pulls out a pink bunny and seems to hesitate about it.
We see Michael in his car in the Circuit City parking lot. He seems on the verge of a panic attack, breathing deeply and trying to calm himself down, giving himself a pep talk, telling himself that he’s ok. As Kristine tries to call, he lets her go to voicemail.
It’s just as well, because Kristine gets an incoming call as she leaves her message for Michael. Answering the call, she’s surprised the call is from a woman named Sandy Mosley (Mary Birdsong) with a North Carolina adoption agency called First Path. A 7-year-old girl with dwarfism from Ukraine is going to be put in a group home in 24 hours if they don’t find a home for her, and Sandy was given Kristine’s info by the Indiana adoption agency that was working on making them Blanca’s permanent family. Kristine first asks why the previous family is surrendering the child. Sandy says they weren’t equipped for the child’s unique needs, but with Kristine’s record, she should be capable. Sandy even mentions reading an article about Kristine’s success with Jacob and the program she’s building. Kristine asks for the child’s name - Natalia Grace - which she says sounds "almost like a prayer.“
Kristine shows up at Circuit City, meeting with Michael in the break room. His pregnant employee, Jennifer (Kim Shaw), enters for her break, but Michael asks for privacy. Kristine tells Michael about the adoption offer. He feels their marriage is too fractured to adopt right now, but Kristine thinks all of their relationship problems are the result of losing Blanca. Michael is concerned that the same situation will happen again with Natalia. “This is the little girl that you’ve always wanted," Kristine promises. Michael doesn’t commit, telling Kristine he has to get back to work. “Maybe we’re not being called to save this little girl," Kristine says before he can leave. “Maybe she’s being called to save us."
Later that day, we see Michael as he gets a text from Kristine with a photo of Natalia Grace. The sight of her makes him smile.
The Barnetts suddenly find themselves in Myrtle Beach to adopt Natalia. On the drive from the airport to First Path, Kristine tells Jacob, Wesley (Liam Anderson), and Ethan (Azriel Dalman) that Natalia may need time to get used to them, and they shouldn’t expect her to instantly feel like a sister. She also reminds them that while Natalia is small, she’s the same age as Ethan.
First Path is located in a dumpy-looking office complex that instantly raises some concerns for Kristine. Going in, Sandy puts the family in a waiting room and says that Natalia is just saying goodbye to her previous family. Kristine and Michael ask to meet with them, but Sandy says this is a closed adoption, and that’s not possible. While they wait, they hear several loud bangs and a child yelling in the next room. Sandy returns, looking harried, as she opens the door for Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid) to enter. The girl comes into the waiting room, moving with the assistance of a walker, and greets Kristine and Michael. “Are you going to be my mommy and daddy?" Natalia sweetly asks. In their introduction, Kristine presents Natalia with the pink bunny, saying that the whole family filled it with 7 years' worth of missed hugs. Natalia calls them mommy and daddy as she meets her new brothers.
The kids get acquainted while Kristine and Michael take care of the paperwork with Sandy in her office. Kristine is worried that a state visit may determine that their home isn’t yet capable of meeting Natalia’s needs with her walker but that they will fix that if given time. Sandy says with this particular adoption, there won’t be any state visits. Kristine is confused but accepts this. Then Sandy drops a bomb on them - Natalia’s previous family had several surgeries for Natalia’s hips and feet, and they need to be reimbursed for those fees. The total: $7,000! Kristine asks for time to speak to a lawyer, but Sandy says that will mean a delay in the adoption, and Natalia will be in a group home until it’s all sorted out. Kristine and Michael ask for some privacy.
Standing outside of the office complex to talk. Michael reminds Kristine that they maxed out their credit cards making this trip. As they stress over money, Natalia comes out with her walker and bunny, saying Hercules ran out of hugs (she already named the plush) and needs a refill. After Kristine and Michael hug the stuffie, Natalia asks for a refill for herself. They’re both charmed by how quickly Natalia seems to have warmed up to them. When Kristine hears Natalia’s stomach rumble, she’s upset that her previous family didn’t give her breakfast. She asks Natalia to go ask Jacob to get her a snack from her purse in the waiting room and that they will go get lunch as soon as they’re done. Alone again, Kristine shares her plan with Michael - using $7,000 of the donation for her rec center to pay for Natalia’s medical bills. She thinks she can cut a few corners to make do without it.
As promised, the family goes to lunch at a beachside restaurant. Kristine had told Natalia that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so Natalia was confused that her new mom didn’t order lunch for herself. Natalia offers her mom some of her pancakes. The boys finish their meal and get permission to go play in the ocean, taking off and running away from the table. Natalia wants to go too, but she needs help getting through the sand. Kristine tells her they will go together once they finish their food. Natalia protests, saying that’s not fair. “Fair isn’t always equal," Kristine tells her. Natalia throws a tantrum, yelling and throwing her plate on the concrete, causing it to shatter. Kristine is stunned, even more so when Natalia gets up and runs toward the water without her walker.
With Natalia sleeping between them on the flight back to Indiana, Michael asks Kristine if she thinks Natalia is faking not being able to walk. Kristine reasons that with Natalia’s dwarfism, she can walk on her own; it’s just more painful. She thinks Natalia’s excitement to play with the boys on the beach overpowered the pain of running.
Kristine leads the way as Michael carries Natalia into her new bedroom, which he decorated in pink. Natalia calls it “baby-ish,“ saying she prefers rock ‘n’ roll to princesses. Michael tells his new daughter that he used to be in a band, and they laugh as he plays the air guitar and sings “I Would Do Anything For Love." He promises that they can redecorate the room together as a project. Kristine Smiles as she watches Natalia hug Michael.
At the dinner table, Kristine is unhappy when she hears the boys say that Michael let Natalia watch TV but not them. Michael justifies it as trying to help Natalia get used to her new home. And Natalia looks at Kristine, parroting what she taught her - “Fair isn’t always equal." Natalia picks at her dinner, so Michael offers her something else. When the boys ask for something else, too, Kristine reminds them all that they get what they get, stopping Michael from getting Natalia something else. So he, instead, makes a joke about making it taste better with ketchup. As dinner wraps up, Jacob asks his mom to sit with him while he works like usual, but she says she will be with him after giving Natalia her bath. Natalia asks for Michael to bathe her instead, but Kristine says Michael has to do the dishes.
As Kristine draws Natalia’s bath, she asks her daughter if she likes to sit and play in the tub or if she likes to just wash and get out. Natalia protests, saying she doesn’t like baths in general. Kristine says she has to bathe. “You can’t tell me what to do, you’re not my real mom," Natalia snaps. Kristine offers a “bird bath," having Natalia stand in the tub while she washes her. But as Kristine tries to get Natalia into the tub, Natalia pushes her over. Kristine hits the side of her ribs against the side of the tub and gets hurt. Natalia freaks out, apologizing and running to hug Kristine, who decides they will skip the bath tonight.
Later that night, we see Kristine taking pain medication in her bathroom as Michael comes in to announce that after reading her a dozen books, Natalia is finally asleep. He assumes that Kristine is worried and tries to encourage her that she and Natalia will become great friends, but Kristine insists that she’s not worried. For the first time in a while, they get in the same bed together. Michael tries to make love to Kristine, but she tells him she’s in too much pain.
The next morning, Jacob is in a panic. He left his work on the windows, and somebody drew all over it! Kristine gets mad at Natalia, who thought it was ok to draw on the windows since Jacob does it. Michael intervenes and tries to de-escalate the situation, but that doesn’t go well. Jacob believes Natalia ruined his work on purpose because he caught her eating Cheetos last night. Natalia says she wasn’t, saying she wouldn’t be hungry after having Pop-Tarts with Daddy while playing XBOX. Kristine accuses Michael of lying about reading all those books to Natalia.
Kristine brings Natalia to the rec center while she works on getting it ready for opening. Natalia is being noisy, banging a metal tube against her walker and refusing to stop when Kristine says it’s giving her a headache. Meanwhile, Michael’s employees have thrown him a new daddy party at Circuit City. Kristine calls him in frustration when she learns that the basketball hoops she ordered can’t be delivered due to insufficient funds.
Back at Val’s, Kristine asks her friend if she’d be willing to make that donation after all, getting a check for $1,000. Val asks about Natalia, and Kristine pretends that everything is going swimmingly. She says Natalia is great for Michael and that she’s been giving them space to bond. Val compares this to her own experience with adoption, saying it took Jayden a while to get used to them, recalling how he would throw tantrums and scream that she’s not his real mom.
That night, Michael brings Jacob home from school, and Kristine sees that her son is upset. When she approaches him, he says she never came to sit with him last night, and he feels like she lied to him. She apologizes, saying she was in pain and tired and admitting that she was also sad. When he asks why, she tells him she doesn’t think Natalia likes her very much. Jacob points out the story she always tells about him, how his Autism meant it took a while for him to warm up to her, too. “And that was definitely worth the wait," she smiles, telling her son that he’s one of her favorite people to talk to.
The rec center’s opening day has arrived, and Kristine is stressed in the kitchen, still debating what to name the place. When Natalia enters the kitchen, Kristine is frustrated that she is wearing street clothes instead of the dress she picked out for her to wear, a hand-me-down from Kristine’s youth. Natalia doesn’t like the dress, and when Kristine tells her she wants her to look nice for the dedication, Natalia interprets that to mean that Kristine doesn’t like the way she looks. Natalia offers to help, and Kristine asks her to fold napkins. But instead, Natalia grabs a knife and wants to cut vegetables, a task that seems dangerous for a 7-year-old. Kristine tries to stop Natalia, and a back-and-forth fight ensues. To get Natalia to let go of the blade, Kristine squeezes her wrist. Just as Natalia drops the knife, Mark enters. Kristine thinks she sees Natalia grin for a moment before starting to cry. “Mommy is mad at me," Natalia sobs as she rushes over to her daddy. Michael asks Natalia to go play.
Kristine tells Michael she was scared and worried Natalia was trying to hurt her. The kitchen chaos gets interrupted by the arrival of Val in the main room. Michael tries to comfort his wife, giving her the same kind of encouragement he had to give himself. Kristine asks Michael to make sure everything goes smoothly with Natalia during the event.
Michael finds Natalia lying on a beanbag chair in a cozy corner, bringing Hercules to her. Natalia worries they’re going to give her up. Michael promises they won't and tells Natalia that Kristine is worried she hates her. “If there’s anything Kristine does hate, it’s not being able to help the people she cares about," he tells her. Michael brings up his own father, sharing that he was abusive and made Michael feel unworthy of love, something he overcame thanks to Kristine. “I just want you to know that in this family, we love unconditionally, and that means we love you for who you are, no matter what."
A reporter (Patrick Faucette) is on hand at the grand opening, interviewing an anxious Jacob with Kristine present. He praises her, saying her center should have a big impact. And this conversation inspired a name for the center.
Jacob’s Place, Kristine announces during her dedication speech, saying that raising her son on the spectrum gave her the foundation for building the center. During her speech, Natalia comes out of a back room, calling for her. Michael rushes to try and help, but Natalia insists that she needs her mom. She put on the dress but can’t get the zipper up. Kristine pauses her speech to help Natalia with her dress. Whispering, Natalia apologizes. “You don’t hate me?" she asks. “No, of course not, I could never hate you," Kristine replies. They hug, eliciting emotional praise from the spectators.
Kristine comes to bed feeling great about the opening of the rec center, with two full basketball teams of kids on the spectrum registered. He sings her praises, and she calls him a hero for taking care of Natalia. Michael reminds Kristine that she taught him how to love, so he couldn’t have helped Natalia if she hadn’t helped him. They kiss, and, for the first time in a long time, they make love.
…
Kristine wakes up to Natalia whispering, “Mommy, are you awake?" Natalia stands in the entrance to the bedroom, holding Hercules. Kristine asks if Natalia had a bad dream, offering to make room in the bed for her to cuddle. “Not time yet," Natalia whispers back, moving Hercules to reveal that she’s also holding a knife while grinning. Kristine seems frozen in fear. She summons the energy to reach out to Michael, who is sleeping, but Natalia shushes Kristine and leaves.
Songs Featured:
The second episode, “Jump the Jitters Out," premiered alongside this debut episode. Continue the story in our recap of Episode 2.