Who knew that when The Curious Case of Natalia Grace premiered, it would spawn two follow-up seasons, Natalia Speaks and The Final Chapter? Well, maybe the producers did. But maybe it was two too many?
I don’t know, but now the producers are launching a new series in the same vein called The Curious Case of… Before we look into the cases it’ll examine, let’s revisit the case and its seasons that inspired a spin-off series.
Recapping The Curious Case of Natalia Grace Seasons 2 and 3
Natalia Speaks
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks wasn’t so bad. There were unanswered questions from the first season that warranted further exploration. Mainly, who really was Natalia? An adult posing as a child, as her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, claimed? Would DNA reveal the truth? And what was Natalia’s side of the story? Was she the threat they presented her to be, or were they abusive and neglectful?
It turned out that in addition to not adequately caring for her, the Barnetts tormented Natalia. Not only did they abandon her to live on her own (when she was around just eight years old!), they even wrongly re-aged her in an attempt to get out of their parental duties.
Eventually, DNA proved Natalia wasn’t an adult. She really was a child at the time of her adoption and when the Barnetts moved her out on her own just a few short years later.
The Barnetts were charged with felony neglect, but neither did jail time. (Hopefully, they’re facing consequences via the court of public opinion now, especially Kristine Barnett. Michael at least tried to make amends and own his mistakes.)
But it seemed Natalia had found new champions, Cynthia and Antwon Mans. The couple took her in, then adopted her, and she seemed loved, happy, and thriving. The Manses and Natalia were all smiling and Kumbaya by the last episode…until a bombshell call from Antwon Mans to the producers.
“Something ain’t right with Natalia,” he said. “This girl is tweakin’. I feel like she’s the enemy in the house. And she said to us, we have held her hostage. Made us look like we’re the enemy.”
“Natalia is stabbing her family in the back, over a complete lie,” Cynthia Mans added.
“She’s done other things too,” Antwon said. “But this was a new low. Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We’re done. We’re done with her.”
WTH? Obviously, that kind of drama warranted a third season in the story.
The Final Chapter
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter aired on ID, with the first two episodes dropping on January 6 and the second two on January 7. They also streamed on Max.
However, The Final Chapter wasn’t satisfying. It felt contrived. Perhaps the producers were culpable in it, but it also seemed plausible the Manses took them in.
After all, as Jason Sarlanis, president of Turner Networks, ID, and HLN, told The Hollywood Reporter, “We genuinely thought Natalia had found a happy ending with her new family, so you can imagine we were all thoroughly shocked when that call came from the Mans’.”
Clearly, the Manses weren’t done with their 15 minutes of fame—or Natalia’s earning power. It’s conceivable they manufactured faux intrigue, hoping for exactly what happened: a third season.
Ironically, Antwon and Cynthia declined to be filmed for The Final Chapter. And instead of appearing as sympathetic victims done wrong by Natalia, they’re vilified in almost as cruel a light as Kristine Barnett. Rightly so. They’re nothing short of crooks who essentially steal Natalia’s disability money each month. As well as the money she’s gotten as a result of sharing her story via various platforms.
But besides Natalia, the people who appear most sympathetic in The Final Chapter are the DePaul family, especially Nicole. She put her family through hell trying to help Natalia. It nearly tore her family apart. Her heart was in the right place, but it was hard watching what she had to endure.
It was also hard watching all four episodes, which were plagued with redundancy. Also, ultimately, the conclusion was lacking. Hopefully, Natalia Grace will be okay going forward. She will be if she lets the DePauls guide her. It’s a shame they weren’t allowed to adopt Natalia in the first place.
And while The Final Chapter was the last in Natalia’s story, it’s not the last after all.
The Curious Case of…
“Natalia Grace’s story is not the only curious case,” legal analyst Beth Karas says in the trailer for The Curious Case of…, a new series from the producers of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. It premieres on Investigation Discovery on Monday, January 13. It will also stream on Max.
Each of the six episodes examines a new curious case, which are as follows:
The Curious Case of… Bam Margera
Premieres Monday, January 20 at 10/9c on ID
Examines whether Bam Margera’s path to sobriety spiraled into complete chaos after being caught in the crosshairs of two unique personalities. When BJ Corville, a lawyer and YouTuber passionate about celebrity conservatorships, discovers Margera is in a legal guardianship led by tech entrepreneur Lima Jeramovic, who is using her VR technology to treat Margera’s addiction, Corville takes action online to expose Margera’s situation. But what starts as a digital disagreement between the two soon evolves into a complicated situation with real-world consequences.
The Curious Case Of… The Girl Who Died Twice
Premieres Monday, January 20 at 10/9c on ID
In 1981, 13-year-old Mary Day vanished, and investigators suspected her stepfather may have killed her, but they never recovered her body. Decades later, a woman claiming to be Mary appears, stirring suspicion and debate. Is this Mary Day or an imposter?
The Curious Case Of… The Orphan Impostor
Premieres Monday, February 3 at 10/9c on ID
Master conman Nicholas Rossi fakes his death to evade justice, adopts new identities, and leaves a trail of alleged crimes across continents. Now resurfaced as “Arthur Knight,” he spins his most audacious con in court.
The Curious Case Of… The Funeral Home of Horrors
Premieres Monday, February 10 at 10/9c on ID
Jon and Carie Hallford’s “Return to Nature” promises eco-friendly care but instead leaves bodies decomposing in filth and provides families with concrete instead of ashes. When investigators arrive, the Hallfords flee, leaving families demanding justice and answers.
The Curious Case Of… The Doomsday Cat Cult
2-Hour Episode Premieres Monday, February 17 at 10/9c ID
Preacher Sheryl Ruthven, a self-proclaimed prophet, beguiles her followers into subservience and uses them to settle personal scores. As her beliefs grow increasingly bizarre, she demands her congregation adopt cats, believing the animals’ souls will save them in the impending apocalypse. Her manipulation drives followers into intense isolation, financial ruin, and bizarre rituals, tearing families apart and exploiting loyalty – all under the promise of salvation.
The Curious Case Of… Jodi Hildebrandt
Premieres Monday, February 24 at 10/9c on ID
Therapist Jodi Hildebrandt’s crusade against masturbation drives a wedge between couples in crisis. She forms a dark alliance with Mormon mommy vlogger Ruby Franke, but a horrifying 911 call exposes the depths of their bizarre beliefs.
Check-In
Have you seen any, or all, of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace seasons? Do you plan to watch the new spin-off series? If so, which curious case are you most curious to see investigated?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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The Doomsday Cat Cult? That’s bizarre! I’m sorry to hear people were taken in by an obviously misguided or disturbed preacher woman. Eek.
That’s the one I’m most curious about too, Priscilla. I’m at least vaguely familiar with all the other cases, but not that one. I just hope no cats were harmed from it.