The Slap

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 ;)

Having just watched the Australian version of "The Slap," I was interested in seeing how the US version would compare. It was quite a disappointment.

The Australian version was cast much better & key story elements were developed much better as well (for example the tension and chaos building up to the slap was perfect in the Au version, but completely unbelievable in the US version).

Regarding Casting: Jonathan LaPaglia, who plays Hector in the Au version is a much better fit. Also Alex Dimitriades as Hector's Cousin Harry in the Au version is a much better fit as the sort of short tempered hot- head.

There are many great actors in the US version- but they are unfortunately either cast in the wrong role (in a few cases) or do not work for this series at all (most cases). Thomas Sadoski is a talented actor, but is an example of miscasting. He could have been a decent fit as Hector, but not the correct fit for the role of Gary. Peter Sarsgaard and Zachary Quinto are also talented actors, but do not work for this series at all.

I guess I have to also question the directing. The entire initial episode was completely rushed, disjointed, and simply not believable. (Case in point- the tension between Quinto & Sarsgaard seemed almost joking rather than heated). I think both are good actors, so the problem is likely one that falls to casting or directing?

There are many other problems I could mention but suffice it to say- If you are at all interested in this series, skip the US version and watch the AU version..... Or at the very least, watch the first episode of each and see if you agree (It will only take 1 episode of each to make up your mind).

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.

the character of Rosie's super-fake woykin' class new yawk accent. she is obviously laying it on very thick. it sounds ridiculously fake. is she British or something?

the multi-ethnic mix of characters is fine. New York is like that.

but that level of entitlement from the stay-at-home wife of an artist only comes with years of higher education and privilege. a working-class New York mother would have smacked her own kid on the ass and said, "play nice!" that would have been the end of it.

speaking of accents we get it, Aisha is from england. her character can stop saying "bloody and petrol and knickers". we get it.

haven't watched the third episode yet. running out of patience for this.

also, who the hell is the narrator? why is there a narrator?

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.