Critic’s Ranking: 3.5 / 5.0
3.5
In relation to true crime dramas, I usually stroll away feeling like I’ve wasted my time as a result of they add too many views and what-ifs to a delicate scenario.
The result’s often an over-stuffed affair that doesn’t do the story justice.
Fortunately, Good American Household zeroes in on elements of the Natalia Grace story that we haven’t heard a lot about, together with Kristine Barnett’s perspective.
All we learn about Kristine is how the media portrayed her, and, in fact, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which didn’t present her in the very best mild and even embody her aspect.
Ellen Pompeo did the majority of the heavy lifting within the first two episodes, showcasing Kristine as this heat mom determine who slowly realizes one thing is amiss with the younger lady she introduced into her household on a whim.
Originally of the premiere, Kristine and her husband, Michael, have been in a horrible place of their marriage, to the purpose that they weren’t even sleeping in the identical mattress.
There was marital strife, and although they tried to cowl it up, it was apparent to anybody trying in that they weren’t the fortunately married household they wished everybody to imagine they have been.
Good American Household Shines a Mild on Kristine and Michael Barnett
Their lack of communication is extra widespread than you’d assume as a result of many individuals change into complacent of their relationships and don’t need to think about what the grass is like on the opposite aspect.
So, it’s not shocking that they each noticed Natalia because the lacking piece of the puzzle to restore their household and produce them nearer collectively once more.
Essentially the most fascinating side of the primary two episodes is how Ellen channels these totally different aspects of Kristine’s persona.
In some respects, Kristine struck me as this pretend, it-’til-you-make-it form of particular person. The sequence showcased this motherly and caring aspect whereas slowly peeling away on the self-serving aspect we’ve heard a lot about.
However the actuality is that she’s sensible as hell and may have had extra questions and consideration when touring midway throughout the nation together with her household to welcome this younger girl into their lives.
What occurred within the adoption heart ought to have been sufficient to alert everybody that one thing was amiss and that there ought to have been extra time to make a agency resolution of this caliber.
Kristine and Michael knew not understanding something about Natalia was an enormous concern. But, they proceeded to pay the clearly falsified medical charges to depart the middle together with her and change into her dad and mom.
If that didn’t occur in actual life, I’d be slamming the present for being unbelievable, however there we go.
They knew nothing about Natalia and introduced her into their residence with their three sons. It was like they’d blinders on as a result of they by no means thought-about the ramifications such a choice might have on their household.
It’s Wild That Most of This Story Really Occurred
The adoption heart did a exceptional job of forcing their hand by implying Natalia’s life can be a lot worse with out them.
Given their earlier points with adoptions, Kristine and Michael have been properly conscious of the method and the way these offers might collapse, so why didn’t they query how Natalia wound up of their care?
The sequence needs to painting Natalia as this crafty younger girl who will do no matter it takes to get her personal method, however I can’t shake the sensation that some elements of Kristine’s perspective have been heightened a bit of an excessive amount of for the sake of drama.
As a substitute of taking part in out as an adaptation of the story that was oversaturated within the media for years, components of Orphan have been thrown to make the sequence play out like extra of a thriller.
From a dramatization standpoint, it really works very properly, however this story must be offered extra straightforwardly as a result of it doesn’t want any extra drama.
Then once more, it’s being instructed from a number of views, which suggests the creatives had to choose that labored for the narrative they wished to inform.
Good American Household’s portrayal of Michael is way extra subdued than that of the real-life one that impressed him, which shocked me.
Mark Duplass is a superb actor with even higher comedy timing, so it’s shocking he didn’t play into Michael’s extra eccentric aspect.
Maybe that’s on the agenda as Good American Household progresses, however the second episode, showcasing him years after his relationship with Kristine flat-lined, showcased him in just about the identical mild.
The primary concern with Michael is that he’s open to undermining Kristine’s parenting. At no level in these two episodes did he sit her down to grasp the place she was coming from.
He assumed she blamed all the pieces on Natalia, however the teenager performed him like a fiddle, and whether or not he wished to confess it or not, he was making some large errors in judgment.
One of many wildest moments was how Natalia lied about his promotion to become involved in an argument between her new-found dad and mom. That ought to have been the straw that broke the camel’s again for Michael to assume, “You already know, perhaps my spouse, who I’ve been with for years, has some extent.”
Kristine Might Have a Skewed Opinion of Natalia
Kristine’s large revelation about Natalia’s age will certainly flip the thriller on its head as we dive into Good American Household Season 1 Episode 3.
Kristine is poised to proceed doing morally questionable issues to make sure that Natalia isn’t the monster her thoughts needs to imagine she is.
We’ve barely scratched the floor of the broader story and the bombshells that can occur later, however Good American Household has me interested in what it has in retailer for the remainder of the season.
Over to you, Good American Household Fanatics! What are your ideas on Kristine’s perspective to this point?
Do you assume the sequence is doing a fantastic job to this point, or does the heightened drama do a disservice to the story?
Hit the feedback.
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