Good American Family: episode guide, trailer, cast and what we know

Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett with her arms crossed in Good American Family

Ellen Pompeo, Good American Family (Image credit: Disney/Ser Baffo)

In her first major role since leaving Grey’s Anatomy as the series’ lead, Ellen Pompeo stars in the new thrilling drama, Good American Family.

The series is based on the true account of Natalia Grace and her former adoptive parents, the Barnetts. For those who aren’t quite familiar with the story, Natalia Grace grabbed national headlines with her gut-wrenching adoption journey, one that consists of competing stories of intimidation and manipulation, and has left many questioning who is the “bad guy” in this sordid tale. If you want a full rundown of what happened, we suggest watching The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter on Max. The documentaries aren’t scripted, but with the amount of twists and turns, you may not be able to tell.

Anyway, with Pompeo leading the way to adapt the story of Natalia and the Barnetts, we’re interested to see how the new drama plays out. Here’s everything we know about Good American Family.

Good American Family release date

Good American Family premieres with two episodes on Wednesday, March 19, on Hulu in the US. In the UK, the series debuts on May 7 on Disney Plus with all episodes of the series being available to stream at that time. By the way, make sure you check out our Good American Family review.

Good American Family episode guide

Here is an episode guide for the season. Episode 4 airs on April 2.

Good American Family episode 1: "Almost Like a Prayer"
"Reeling from the grief of a failed adoption, the Barnett family gets a second chance when they get a call about a little girl named Natalia."

Good American Family episode 2: "Jump the Jitters Out"
"A couple adopts who they believe is an 8-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism, but questions soon arise concerning the actual identity of the adoptee."

Good American Family episode 3: "Ghosts Everywhere"
"Kristine investigates Natalia's age; as she doubles down on her suspicions, Jacob's star rises and Michael's web of lies spins further."

Good American Family episode 4: "Right There in Black and White"
"Michael and Kristine's marriage reaches a breaking point as their differing perspectives on Natalia threaten to tear them apart; when the stakes become dangerous, Kristine draws a line."

Good American Family cast

Mark Duplass and Ellen Pompeo as Michael and Kristine smiling in Good American Family — Mark Duplass and Ellen Pompeo in Good American Family (Image credit: Disney)

Good American Family stars Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett. The actress hardly needs an introduction as she’s spent years portraying Dr. Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy, the longest-running primetime medical drama in the US. Before she put on the white coat at Grey Sloan Memorial, Pompeo was featured in Old School and Daredevil (2003).

Joining Pompeo in the new show as Michael Barnett is Mark Duplass. The Emmy winner for Wild Wild Country, Duplass is a familiar face from things like The Morning Show, The Creep Tapes and Bombshell. Also helping to fill out the cast are Imogen Faith Reid (The Famous Five) as Natalia Grace, Dulé Hill (Psych) as Brandon Drysdale and Christina Hendricks (Good Girls) as Cynthia Mans.

Good American Family plot

Here is an official synopsis of the series:

“Told from multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias, and trauma, this compelling drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism. But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, mystery emerges around her age and background, and they slowly start to suspect she may not be who she says she is. As they defend their family from the daughter they’ve grown to believe is a threat, she fights her own battle to confront her past and what her future holds, in a showdown that ultimately plays out in the tabloids and the courtroom.”

It’s worth noting that Pompeo shared with Vanity Fair about the series, “We’re coming up with our own version of what this story could have been, so this isn’t sort of a beat-for-beat of what their experience was.”