The Slap

First and foremost I have to say that I am so relieved and thrilled to see a show thats not about the Police/Detectives and/or Doctors! Enough already; those types of shows are so boring... I like the idea of this show and I also like the controversy it brings. This type of subject is so personal and a hot-topic issue for so many people. I can see both sides. I don't have kids, I have dogs and I wouldn't let a anyone hit or kick them on the other hand if one of my dogs bit someone I would fully expect them to protect themselves. So thats the struggle and I think it will be fun to watch this cast navigate this and take sides. Both my husband and I enjoyed the first episode and will be watching the second episode tonight. I have high hopes for this show and again I can't stress enough...thank you writes/producers/actors for coming up with a fresh idea and one that is controversial.

The original Australian version of this series was brilliant. It worked in Australia, too, as most Aussies *would* slap that child---a horrid, spoiled, undisciplined little brat whose parents---most especially the idiot mother---needed a slap more than the child. But I'm not sure how America will react: will be interesting to watch, as the country were at the forefront of the "never slap a child" nonsense. The mixture of personalities and reactions in the series is good, but while initially you want to see particular characters dealt with harshly, as the stories unfold you see their more vulnerable sides and find yourself supporting them. Only exceptional direction and writing can do that, and this has both. The Aussie series had brilliant actors too, particularly the mother played by Melissa George in both the Aussie series and this one. She really did capture the self-righteous mother routine.

While the title (and premise) of the series do come off as comical, The Slap is daring to take Network TV viewers to a place where we question our choices and our way of thinking. One small decision can spiral into a massive event that drastically changes everyone's lives around us. We have no idea what personal issues another person may be dealing with, or how we may affect them.

What each episode of this compelling miniseries forces us to do is confront a different controversial issue in today's society, and decide what we believe is right. Some people may argue that these characters are cliché and melodramatic. But the truth is, we all know people exactly like them, and we are guaranteed to confront some of these issues within our own lives. When these events occur, there's no predicting how another person will behave. The Slap is a guidebook to show how we should react, when others don't know how. We need to set the example, to prevent the disasters which happen in this series.

Society still has a long way to go. But by watching this series, we may gain some insight into being better people and caring neighbors.

This series may not have been as compelling or dramatic as the original, but it did bring a fresh take on an event that brought very different outcomes.

So i remember watching the Australian version of the show in 2011 and it was fine then ,, this US version though has got a more regularity and the story is a bit more organized.

8 episodes with the same titles as the original and it would seem the same but unlike the US version the Australian just gave a whole story about each character with missing the connections or sometimes with no sense at all ,, seems like after 4 years they'v become more experienced .

Anyway,, so the Idea of a child slapping and in my perspective a child spoiling and in between that there's a whole relationships drama is really well put and nice to be brought up on TV like this.

The story of the slap ended fast in the Australian version i think in the 5th or 4th episode so here its like they're trying to be more thorough and built up a whole season on the trial and the slap story and i think one more season will bring up the other stories that have been mentioned in the AU version.

The cast is good,, i really liked casting Zachary Quinto he's awesome and they also brought Melissa George as "Rosie" and funny she was also in the Aus version as rosie so here she made it even better ;)

Overall the story is nice,, the plot is complex somehow many ideas branches out of it ,, i think it needs more than 8 episode but if it would be really the same story i know i think probably a second season should wrap it up perfectly unless they change something about the story of Richie to make it simpler... who knows ;)

The original Australian series was based on a book published in 2008. That book, and the Aussie series, have Harry slapping Hugo AFTER Hugo kicked Harry in the shins when he took away the cricket bat. In this American version the baseball bat is nowhere in sight when the brat gets slapped, which changes the entire connotation of the drama. When you remove the pain/shock/reaction factor, you change the entire premise of the story. Anyhow, for all the critics out there - maybe read the book, which is excellent by the way, and watch the original version, before becoming moral judges of the situation. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying watching this version, but it does not really portray the events and emotions in play in the book. Oh, and Aisha was a vet, not a doctor.