In the previous episode of Good American Family last week, episode 4, the final moments saw Kristine and Michael officially changing Natalia's age and sending her away to live by herself. And that's where today's new episode picks up, and it's heartbreaking. After waiting halfway through the season, we finally get to Natalia's point of view. Here's a review of episode 5 on Hulu. SPOILERS BELOW.
Natalia's life on her own
The episode first starts with Natalia speaking to an investigator, and she tells him that she did hide knives, repeats the mantra we keep hearing in the episode of she's 22 but looks young for her age, and more. At first, we're left wondering if this is really how she feels and the Barnetts are right about her, or is it perhaps a defense mechanism. Worse, it's fear.
We go back to the start of her living alone, and it's so heartbreaking to see her run after her parents. They take her walker too, just to be more cruel I guess. And now she doesn't have help walking. The home is all stocked up on food, but the food is placed in inconvenient spots that are too high. She also doesn't know how to open a can with a can opener and the faucet in the shower won't turn.
She let's herself into a neighbor's house and finds a treat. It would be a cute lighthearted moment as it's something many kids do when they find something sweet. But the way Natalia is stuffing her face is proof of how hungry she is. Again, she's a kid, at least from this point of view, and doesn't know how to cook or make her own food. Though I do want to preface this with the fact that in real-life, judges have overturned the change of her legal age and it's back to the way it was. Which means she really was a child at this point.
Natalia's heartbreaking struggles
Throughout Good American Family episode 5, we continue to see Natalia go through struggles. She misses her family, and it makes her happy to see Kristine on TV doing an interview. She also heads to the library to get her book, but gets angry and hurt when she notices one of the images used in the book originally had her in it but she was cropped out. Due to her age and the difficulties Natalia has been through, she has outbursts and one happens at the library as she steals the book.
That's when Michael pays her a visit and brings her more items. It truly tears at your heart as she's begging him not to go. And he tells her to clean herself up and behave, then gets angry and says if she'd done that in the first place, they wouldn't all be here. She really does try and cleans up her apartment, and it seems like she's befriended the neighbor and her grandson. But things just keep going wrong for Natalia.
The two kids try to go to the Barnett home so she can see her parents, but finds out that they're moving to Canada. With the kids going missing for so long, her neighbor got worried about her grandson and is angry with Natalia, and demands she gets kicked out. She does, and this time Kristine comes around. And she is not nice.
Natalia gets a new place, but there's so many stairs to go up. And then everything Natalia says at the beginning of the episode during her interview with the detective makes sense. We see the moment where Kristine threatens her, and a desperate Natalia tells her she's tell people whatever she wants. Kristine then maces her, and we see Natalia in a college class that is clearly too advanced for the child she is.
Good American Family episode 5 review
Good American Family episode 5 is definitely not an easy episode to watch. Basically the whole time, it's a heavy episode that sort of doesn't let up. It's so crazy to think that these events are based on a true story. Now the real-life Kristine, Michael, and Natalia all allege certain aspects from their point of view. But, what is true is that it turns out Natalia was a child when the Barnetts left her. I don't know how she lived on her own.
I enjoyed the previous four episodes and thought they were important to have, but it took a little too long to get into Natalia's point of view. But it finally arrived here, and it makes the show all the more better. Even if it is heartbreaking to watch. This episode really makes you think about how certain events play out, and how people can tell one version over the other and make the lie believable. Plus actress Imogen Reid completely knocked it out of the ball park. Episode grade level: A.
Good American Family releases new episodes Wednesdays on Hulu.