The end of a good American family decay

”With any story, you have to believe what is being told, ”says Katie Robbins. Creator, co -producer, active producer and Hulu's writer A good American family Knows exactly how the story can become a slippery thing. The show dramatizes the real story, which the Barnett family was adopted by the Natalja Grace, a dwarf child, in 2010. Their lives became a nightmare when Barnetts made sure Natalia was an adult trying to wear them until they interrupted the bandages with himTo.

This is a story that is infinitely strange than fiction. Robbins and co -presenter Sarah Sutherland, who looked at the real people involved in the story, found a completely different story to tell the story. Robbins' own opinions continued on the way back and the truth of the story was remarkably difficult.

It influenced Robbins to say A good American family Through several perspectives. First, Kristine and Michael Barnett (Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass) through the eyes during the first episodes before moving to Natalya Grace (Imogen Faith Reid) in the second half of the exhibition. The final of Hulu on Wednesday brings together all the perspectives when things come to mind when Kristine and Michael Barnett are accused of neglect, leading to an intense battle in court.

Here Robbins breaks down the main revelations A good American family The end, including a large gap that changed the trajectory of the Natalia case.

Making a performance that makes you doubt everything

The idea of ​​making an idea A good American family It came back in 2020, two years before the real trial. However, cooling delays, writing began after the incident. “By the time we wrote, we had deposits, court documents, Facebook messages, doctors' records – we had treasure treatment information that is incredible but very scary,” says Robbins. He compared it as a sculptor working with a giant stone: “You have to talk about it to find it.”

One of the most remarkable elements A good American family It has been moving from Barnetts to Natalia's perspective, which was a way to allow the audience to cope with their prejudices and ask why we believe in the stories we believe, “says Robbins. The viewers regretted the web after they realized that Natalia was just an innocent child, and no one who spoils would lead to Barnetts.

“I have seen people saying,” Why did I think about it? Like why did I believe them? Why did I trust what I saw? Why didn't I ask more questions? “And this is something we all have to do in our lives, which moves through the world's curiosity and empathy.

What happens in the finals?

At the beginning A good American family Finale, Kristine and Michael, with their lawyers, consolidate evidence for the upcoming case, where they are accused of neglecting the dependent and conspiracy for neglecting the dependant. Everything they miss is the witnesses of the characters. Their self -confidence begins to crumble when they understand the people to whom they thought they could count – school principal, Natalia's first adopter, doctors – see things very differently than they do. The scene is intentionally edited to make them feel like a cross -poll in court.

Kristine even loses her greatest ally, friend and neighbor Val (Sarayu Blue). Kristine was helpful in helping her daughter, and Valg has since been emotionally and financially supported by Kristine. But when Kristine asks Val Value if she would be willing to admit Natalia's character, Val Val realized she had never seen any horrible things Kristine has claimed. “If a friend tells you something, you believe in who they are – you don't ask questions,” says Robbins.

On the other side of the suit, Natalia's lawyers have made a big discovery: shocking Facebook messages sent between Kristine and Michael about Natalia. The couple offends him, including called “the thing” and “smoked hungry whore”. This is the scope of messages that turn out to be even more heart. Slow zoom shows a large table full of seemingly endless piece of paper. “All of these are real. Our research group received all Facebook messages and stacks you see, literally represent how many messages there were,” says Robbins. “It's not hyperbolic. The messages read in the show are the tip of the iceberg.”

Natalia is understandably crushed by reading messages, but she does not decay. The feeling that the years of abuse has disappeared. Robbins points to his young age in Natalia, despite his young age. He has burdened him with the prejudices of people with disabilities throughout his life. However, vulnerability is absorbed: “This is how many people talk about people like me,” Natalia tells Drysdale.

But the biggest revelation of the program is saved for the last episode. Before going to court, Barnetts lawyer uses a legal gap, which effectively prohibits the debate on Natalia's actual age in the trial. What saw Natalia as an open and fabulous victory has suddenly become an impossible case. How can they prove that Natalia was abused as a child if they cannot use any evidence that shows that he was a child?

“At the end of the day, it didn't become important in court because Barnetts had told the story so well. It just blew my mind,” says Robbins. “It was the most scary thing for me.”

This leads to a highly disappointed scene as different witnesses are repeatedly stopped from speaking because they refer to the age of Natalja. One doctor clicks, “Don't we just care the truth here?”

According to Robbins, many of these moments are drawn directly from transcripts and precipitation. “The doctors said,” How do you want me to do my job? Are we not interested in the truth? “” ”

“Having evidence -based facts should be important. It should mean something. But it is not in the judicial system designed to maintain people's safety and protect people's rights. This is the most scary thing about the broadcast,” says Robbins.

In the show, Natalia has no choice but to lie under his own age and say he was born in 1989, not his 2003 real birth date. As the lawyer demands that he reveals his year of birth, the show reduces the assembly of his difficult face and his experience with Barnettes, from cheerful adoption to their rumbling abandonment. At that point, Natalia knows that she has lost the case. But in addition, he is abducted in his identity and any conviction that he can get the torment of justice he has experienced in Barnetts.

How A good American family ends

Later, Natalia visits Michael, hoping to understand why she let the abuse happen. Michael explains that “hurt people hurt people” and tries to justify his actions, but he never apologizes. The only person who gets Natalia's apology is Michael and Kristine's oldest son Jacob (Aaron Potter): “He made us scare you. But you were just a child. I wouldn't have listened. I wouldn't have listened. I'm very sorry.” Jacob was just a child.

“Michael is a person who is deeply denied in the show, and has short moments where he sees what it means to himself when he allows himself to be denied and is terrible. Although it is heartbreaking for Natalia, Jacob's excuse for the darkness in the dark.

A good American family deals with generations of trauma. We look at the history of Kristine and Michael, which suggests that they both have challenges. “Maybe at that little moment of love between Jacob and Natalia,” there is hope that this pattern will be broken, “says Robbins.

Last part A good American family It is a difficult clock, but it ends with hope. Natalia returns home, abandoned but her new adopted siblings -brothers show her that supporting the comments that people leave on the web. Natalia is surprised and puzzled; The smile extends over her face and she breathes out with relief. He may not have won the incident, but he has won a public opinion court.

Robbins must end for a full circle for Natalia. “Let's start with the story like the way Kristine and Michael see Natalia, her as a monster, and how it could be an incredibly long arc that would eventually influence her in court,” says Robbins.