TV Recap: The Fight for the Truth Ends, but Natalia Grace’s Story Continues in "Good American Family" Finale

Hulu’s limited series about Natalia Grace wraps with the eighth and final episode of Good American Family. It finds her forced to reunite with her adoptive parents in court, and while you can’t call this a happy ending for anyone, the series does try to give viewers some sense of closure, while also reminding them that this isn’t the end of Natalia Grace’s story. Here is our final recap of Good American Family.

Episode 8: “Blood on Her Hands" - Written by Sarah Sutherland and Katie Robbins

The events of this episode are based on conflicting allegations by Kristine Barnett, Michael Barnett, and Natalia Grace.

2022

Kristine Barnett (Ellen Pompeo) gets upset as lawyers show her a 2020 Dr. Phil (Rob Nagle) interview with Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid). “I knew I was 8," Natalia said in the clip, saying that Kristine trained her to lie. Natalia was accompanied by her surrogate parents, Cynthia (Christina Hendricks) and Antwon Mans (Jerod Haynes), who supported her as the TV host asked some difficult questions, like whether Natalia had pushed Kristine into an electric fence, which Antwon said wasn’t even on, according to the fence’s owner. Cynthia recalled how Natalia would sometimes act out when she first came to live with them, and how she thinks Kristine just wasn’t up to the challenge of raising her. Asked what she hopes to achieve from going to court, Natalia Grace told Dr. Phil that it’s too late to get her childhood back, so she wants justice.

In response to Kristine’s discomfort, Terrance (Derek Webster) points out that since that interview was filmed, Natalia Grace’s accusations against the Barnett’s have become even more damning through vlog posts. Her latest video, which links to an online fundraiser, claims that due to the Barnetts’ negligence, Natalia Grace needs several costly surgeries.

Since Kristine and Michael Barnett (Mark Duplass) are divorced, they are being tried separately, but their legal counsels are working together to maintain consistency. Kristine spats with Michael’s wife, Jennifer (Kim Shaw), having her kicked out of the meeting. Terrence’s strategy is to discredit Natalia Grace’s story by making her seem like a sociopath, asking Kristine for any witnesses who can corroborate some of her claims about Natalia Grace’s age and behavior. Unfortunately, everyone Kristine thought would be able to help seems to have a different story now.

They watch recorded interviews from several witnesses. Dr. Wachter (Kyle Bornheimer) describes Natalia Grace as a sweet kid with a strict mother - Kristine says this is retribution because she was critical of the school’s ability to support kids with special needs. Natalia’s first adoptive mother, Mary Leones (Nicholle Tom), talks about how the only reason they gave her up for adoption was because they thought another family would be better able to handle her unique needs; sharing a story of Kristine’s unhinged surprise visit - “She has blood on her hands," Kristine says. Toni (Briana Venskus-Vazquez), the nurse from the psychiatric hospital, describes how worried she was for Natalia being transferred to the adult ward - Kristine explains that Natalia Grace is a master manipulator. Natalia’s first apartment neighbor, JJ (Jane Adams), expresses her regret at not knowing the truth when she lived near Natalia. This seems to be a nail in the coffin. “I wish she had held me against that fence until I fried," Kristine says, describing this whole process as torturous.

Natalia Grace’s lawyer, Jackie Starbuck (Marin Hinkle), has access to the same interviews, and Detective Brandon Drysdale (Dulé Hill) sits in the meeting along with Cynthia and Antwon. Cynthia expresses concern that Natalia Grace is preoccupied with stalking Kristine on Facebook, but that leads Jackie to ask her assistant, Gabe (Danny Lee Gomez), to subpoena Kristine and Michael’s direct messages.

Michael seems deflated when he exits the meeting, finding Jen waiting for him. Terrance pulls them aside, proposing a “nuclear option" should Michael lose his trial. He thinks the state wants Kristine more, and that they would offer him an immunity deal if he testifies against his ex-wife. “She is the mother of my children," he says, extremely hesitant to do such a thing. “Who she never lets you see," Jen reminds him.

Kristine and her sons are staying with her friend, Val (Sarayu Blue), who goes as far as to jump into Kristine’s video conference with the head of a program in Slovenia who was interested in buying Kristine’s patented special education program when her board caught wind of the case and pulled out. Val offered to write a letter to the board that praises Kristine’s program, sharing that her daughter is now enrolled at Penn because of the work Kristine did. After the call, Kristine thanks Val for everything, asking one more favor - she asks Val to testify about the things Natalia Grace did. “I don’t know that I actually saw saw any of the incidents," Val says, saying her testimony would be thrown out as hearsay.

“Hold onto your butts," Gabe announces as he brings in reams of paper, printouts of Facebook messages between Kristine and Michael.

Terrance has the Facebook messages, too, and he’s furious as he points out a few highlights with Michael and Kristine. They used derogatory language to talk about Natalia Grace, and this is their last day before the trial. He and Diedra (Diandra Lyle) will do what they can to get the messages stricken from the record, but if they can’t, he thinks they are ruined. Michael looks so pale that Terrance offers to get him a car service home, but Kristine wants to drive him.

Dreysdale hates that Natalia Grace has to see all the horrible things the Barnetts said about her. “The worse they are, the better for me, right?" she asks, understanding what’s needed for the case. “If you decide it’s too much, that you don’t want to go to court, we’ve got you," he encourages her. She reminds him she’s not a child anymore. “When I tell you I can handle this, I need you to listen."

Kristine and Michael fight on the car ride, leading him to spill the beans about Terrance’s offer for Michael to testify against Kristine if he loses. “What are you gonna do?" she asks. “That’s a problem for another day," he replies. She reminds him that their boys will be without a mother if he does that.

Instead of taking Michael to his house, she brings him to Val’s so they can review the messages together. Their sons - Jacob (Aaron Potter), Wesley (Chase Mangum), and Ethan (Saul Thomson) - were supposed to be out seeing Thor: Love and Thunder again, but with the show sold out, they find them in the living room watching TV. They seem cold and hostile towards Michael, who Kristine sends upstairs to wait for her. He overhears his sons expressing their concerns about their dad abusing her again, but she tells them he’s on medication that keeps him stable now.

When Kristine joins Michael upstairs, he accuses her of planning for the boys to be home all along. “This is feeling really weird," he says, pointing out how nobody is willing to come to Kristine’s defense in the trial, fearing she made everything up. She points out that she didn’t do anything alone; Michael was involved every step of the way. “I only did those things because I believed you," he defends himself, beginning to have a panic attack as he realizes he did abandon a child. Kristine’s physical comfort turns into manipulation as she praises him for being a good father and a good man. She says the reason their marriage had problems is because he stopped needing her, which he knows isn’t true. “I was so lonely," he says, recalling how she ignored him. “I was dying without you." Kristine changes the story, saying Michael blamed her for what happened with Natalia Grace. “We had to protect our family, and you stepped up," she praises him. “You had a plan to put her away and to go to Dr. Lawrence. When you did that, it made me feel so safe. So loved. And I guess that’s the feeling I was trying to hold onto when I sent you those pictures." Michael confesses that he kept those pictures. “I know what you like, Michael," Kristine says as they move close enough to kiss. Their infidelity is blocked when their kids enter the room to say they’re hungry. Kristine suggests they all go out for pizza, and the boys reluctantly invite Michael to join.

The boys are closed off to Michael during dinner. When Kristine insists that Wes eat another slice, Michael defends his son. “Don’t talk to Mom like that," Wes snaps at him. To Michael’s surprise, Wes begins to eat another slice of pizza. A call from Terrance forces Michael to step away from the table. Terrance sent him a damning headline, an interview with a woman in Ukraine claiming to be Natalia Grace’s birth mother, who has hospital records and birth certificates that confirm that her daughter was born in 2003. He asks Michael to reconsider his decision to testify against Kristine. Looking back at the table, watching his ex-wife manipulate everyone like puppets on strings, he makes his decision. “If it goes bad, let’s do it."

Cynthia and Antwon speak in hushed voices in the living room, debating whether it's better for Natalia to hear the news or have it kept a secret. But their discussion is irrelevant, Natalia Grace has already read it as she wanders into the living room. “It’s great for the case," she says.

That night, we see Michael return home, climbing into bed with Jen and telling her his plan to testify against Kristine. “Baby, I’m really scared," he tells her.

Kristine also finds her home to be less comforting than before. She finds Jacob in Val’s kitchen on his laptop. He just read the news story about Natalia Grace’s birth mom, and he tries to show it to his mom. “I don’t read lies," Kristine says, dismissing it.

There’s a flurry of news outlets outside the courthouse as everyone arrives for Michael’s trial. On their way in, Jacob and Natalia Grace see each other for the first time in years from across a crowd. Terrance is late to the trial, having had two flat tires. Jackie requests to postpone the trial to allow for DNA testing between Natalia Grace and her reported birth mother, which Terrance calls a trick, pointing to the fact that the State of Indiana had the opportunity to appeal Natalia Grace’s re-aging decision five years ago and chose not to. The Judge (Sean O’Bryan) sides with Terrance, dismissing all elements of the case as they pertain to Natalia Grace’s age. He puts them on an early lunch break so that Jackie can formulate a new strategy for the charges that pertain to Natalia Grace as a legal dependent. He lays down new rules: There is to be no discussion of Natalia Grace’s age, adoption, or schooling.

As the Barnetts look victorious, Natalia Grace finds herself in a closed room with Jackie, Dreysdale, and the Mans. Because of the judge’s decision, the Facebook messages now fall under spousal privilege and can’t be used in the trial. Cynthia is livid, calling the system rigged, warning Natalia that this isn’t going to end well.

Michael pleads not guilty. Every witness brought in needs to, at some point, talk about Natalia Grace’s age. Terrance objects every time. Finally, it’s time for Natalia Grace to take the stand. Under the judge’s rules, when asked to state her birth year, she has no choice but to say what was ordered - “I was born in 1989." It looks painful for Natalia Grace to say. And as the jury finalizes their verdict, Michael is found not guilty on all charges.

Natalia Grace sulks in a stairwell at the courthouse, which is where Cynthia finds her. Natalia Grace is understandably upset, and she puts some of the blame on Cynthia, accusing her of knowing this would happen. She thinks she should’ve fought harder at her guardianship hearing. “For the rest of my life, people will see me like the Barnetts see me - a monster." Cynthia tells her there’s a “whole clown car of people to blame" for what happened. Natalia Grace compares Cynthia to Kristine, saying they both just like to help others to make themselves feel better. Cynthia reminds Natalia of the difference - she loves her. “I don’t think you want to push me away," Cynthia tells Natalia. “I’m a grown ass woman now, you can’t tell me what I want," Natalia Grace bitterly replies.

Kristine pours two glasses of wine in Val’s kitchen to celebrate, surprised when Val tries to reject the toast. Kristine is even more alarmed when she opens Facebook to find her inbox flooded with hateful messages from strangers. “How can people still have questions?" Kristine wonders, considering the case closed. “I have a question," Val says, pointing out that she was struck by the change in Natalia Grace’s appearance in court, looking more like a young adult now, and questioning why she lacked those features if she truly was a young adult back then. She watched witness after witness try to argue for Natalia Grace in the trial, and now questions if Kristine was wrong about her. Val asks Kristine why nobody was willing to testify in her defense. “Wow," Kristine says, stunned, comparing Val to Judas as she calls the boys and tells them they’re leaving. Ethan and Wes were on their way to a party, so Kristine leaves with just Jacob, reminding Val of all she did for her daughter before closing the door on her.

“I remember what you did to Natalia," Jacob tells his mom as they drive. Kristine tells her son that he was too young to understand everything, adding that she was trying to protect him. “I saw it, and I’m not certain how to live with that," he clarifies. “How do you?" He doesn’t let his mom defend herself, pointing out that Natalia Grace’s birth mother was told that her daughter would never be capable of living a normal life, the same thing Kristine refused to hear about him.

Michael is shocked to find Natalia Grace at his doorstep that night. “I really need to talk to you," she says, confronting him about what he knew and when he knew it. “We were both victims here," he defends himself, saying they were both manipulated by Kristine. “I was a kid; You were supposed to be my dad," Natalia reminds him, asking why he wanted to adopt her in the first place. He describes feeling broken at the time, and defends himself again, saying he fought to cling to her as long as he could. “If you loved me, why didn’t you do something?" Michael starts to cry, giving his pitiful explanation: “Hurt people hurt people, Natalia."

“Are you freaking kidding me?" Kristine yells as she walks up to Michael’s front porch with Jacob, finding her ex-husband talking to Natalia Grace. Kristine lies, saying Val has a gas leak and they need a place to stay. Michael refuses to let her stay with him, suggesting they go to a motel. “I’m out of money, Michael, because of you," she snaps. But Jacob begins to speak, telling Natalia Grace that he wanted to say hi to her at the courthouse. He apologizes to her, wishing he had done something to help her long ago. “She made us scared of you, but you were just a kid," he says, defying Kristine’s orders for him to shut up. “I shouldn’t have listened; I’m very sorry." Natlia Grace finally hears what she needed from a Barnett, just not the two who should be saying it. “It’s ok," she responds. “You were just a kid, too." Jacob decides to stay at Michael’s as Kristine leaves to go to her mother’s house. “Judases everywhere," she curses.

Detective Dreysdale drove Natalia Grace to Michael’s, wishing he went with her to the porch when she tells him that Kristine showed up. “You shouldn’t have had to face her on your own," he says, but Natalia Grace tells him it’s fine. “I know how to handle her." He feels like he failed her, apologizing that people never got to see the real her. “Thanks for the ride," she tells him as he drops her off back at the Mans’ home. It seems as if she’s referring to more than just the distance between the two houses.

We see Michael one last time, sitting in his dark living room, staring at an old photo of Natalia Grace as his wife calls him to bed.

We see Kristine one last time, her mom, Almeda (Jenny O’Hara), waiting on her porch as her daughter arrives. That night, she lays in bed, listening to the interview Natlia’s birth mother gave.

And we see Natalia Grace one last time. Her siblings, Jehari (Zakai Biagas-Bey) and Jelly (Saloney Avery Meadows), show he the comments on her YouTube channel, which has suddenly surged in popularity. The messages are full of love, support, and acceptance. It seems that Dreysdale’s fear that the world never got to see the true Natalia Grace were unfounded. Millions of people around the world see the true Natalia Grace. “We see you, Natalia," a comment reads. “You are loved."

Final Disclaimer: “Since this series was completed, abuse allegations against Antwon and Cynthia Mans have come to light. They maintain their innocence, and to this day, so does Kristine Barnett. But in 2024 - with the help of an attorney - Natalia received a U.S. passport that officially restored her birthdate to September 4, 2003, making her just 21 years old at the time this series was released."

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