Inside the Surprising Turn of Events in Good American Family’s Episode 5

Viewers of “Good American Family” experienced a change in perspective during the fifth episode of the Hulu drama.

Entitled “Too Hurty Without It,” Episode 5 centers around Natalia Grace, played by the 27-year-old British actress Imogen Faith Reed, after her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, leave her alone in a small apartment.

According to creator and co-showrunner Katie Robbins, the episode aims to challenge viewers to reconsider “everything they’ve seen before and their assumptions about” Natalia and her situation, as she explained to TODAY.com.

“Good American Family” presents a dramatized version of Grace’s real-life story. Born in Ukraine with a rare form of dwarfism, Grace was adopted by a couple in New Hampshire in 2008, but they sought to re-adopt her in 2010, based on a document from the Court of Appeals in Indiana obtained by TODAY.com.

Grace was then taken in by Michael and Christine Barnett, who began to suspect that she was not a young child but rather an adult plotting to harm them. The Court of Appeals document indicates that Grace’s adoption paperwork from Ukraine claimed she was born in 2003.

Following medical and psychological evaluations, the Barnetts successfully obtained a court order to change Grace’s birth year from 2003 to 1989, based on age assessments from her doctor and social worker, as noted in the Indiana Court of Appeals document.

Grace has consistently claimed she was a child at the time of her adoption, alleging that Kristine Barnett instructed her to assert she was older. “I was terrified of her. I was terrified, so when Kristine told me to tell people that I was 22, I listened because I didn’t know what she would have me do. I didn’t know what she would do to me,” Grace shared in the documentary “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.”

“She threatened me into telling people lies. At first I said, ‘No, I’m a kid,’ and I guess she just got so mad,” she added.

According to a 2019 affidavit submitted to the Tippecanoe Court in Indiana and obtained by TODAY.com, a physician at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital evaluated Grace and estimated her age to be around 8. A skeletal examination indicated she was 11 years old in 2012, based on the affidavit.

The Indiana Court of Appeals document also reveals that in 2013, the Barnetts moved Grace into two different apartments in Indiana and assisted her in obtaining federal disability benefits and supportive services as “an adult.” They later relocated to Canada with their three biological children.

This marks the beginning of Episode 5. Up until that point, “Good American Family” was narrated from Kristine Barnett (Ellen Pompeo) and Michael Barnett’s (Mark Duplass) viewpoint, portraying Natalia as a deceptive adult masquerading as a child.

In the latest episode, viewers witness Natalia living independently without her walker. She faces challenges with everyday tasks, such as turning on the shower and getting into the bathtub, leaving her unable to bathe herself. Due to her small height, she struggles to reach the top cabinets in the kitchen and finds it hard to prepare her meals. The episode shows her spending her days in front of the television, consuming junk food while her apartment becomes increasingly disordered.

While alone, she accidentally cuts her hand trying to open a can of food.

“I don’t know what to do,” Natalia states, her hand bloodied. “Mommy, please mommy. I don’t know how to take care of this.”

She seeks assistance from a neighbor, who mistakes her for a child, but Natalia clarifies that she is an adult with a youthful appearance.

“I remember reading the script and thinking, ‘OK, this is going to be a significant episode for me,” Reid told TODAY.com. “It felt a little intimidating because it’s just me and long hours on set.”

Robbins highlighted that this episode marks the first moment viewers see Natalia alone on screen.

“While one may not realize it watching the initial four episodes, you never see Natalia in a scene by herself. In those episodes, she can only appear if she’s with Kristine or Michael, as the narrative is from their viewpoint,” Robbins explained. “So by the time you reach (Episode) 5, and you’re on the other side of that door, it’s the first time you’re in the room alone with her.”

As the episode progresses, Natalia finds herself in trouble when she and the neighbor’s grandson take the bus and get lost while trying to reach the Barnetts’ home.

Following the incident, her adoptive parents treat her poorly, necessitating her move to a new, smaller second-floor apartment. Natalia endures continued hardships and feels abandoned, yet she strives to “straighten up” to earn her family’s affection.

“All of a sudden you have to question, ‘Oh my gosh, were all these beliefs about her accurate, or were they not?’” Robbins reflected. “Writing and filming that episode was incredibly emotional.”

Robbins shared that witnessing Reid perform her solo scenes was deeply moving for everyone on set.

“Watching (Imogen) enact those moments evoked tears from our crew, consisting of professionals who have decades of experience and have seen it all, due to the vulnerability she portrays and the themes addressed,” Robbins elaborated.

Reid expressed to TODAY.com that the fifth episode effectively showcases her character’s perspective.

“She’s not only been abandoned and is now 8 years old, but she also has a disability, making it heart-wrenching to witness her struggles,” she explained. “As the episode progresses, it only gets worse for her because she can’t fend for herself. Episode 5 is something I am genuinely proud of.”

Viewers will continue to experience life from Natalia’s viewpoint when Episode 6 of “Good American Family” airs on Wednesday, April 16.