# The Slap - NBC Drama



## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

My take:

All star cast with actors I love. 
Decent acting (as expect).
Slow start. 
Too many (and lengthy) commercials for pilot. (Thank God for 6-tuner Roamios.)
Wanted to slap all of the characters. 

I'll DVR/watch one more episode.

Not surprised there is no thread yet but did anyone here watch it yet?


----------



## Alfer (Aug 7, 2003)

Beryl said:


> My take:
> 
> All star cast with actors I love.
> Decent acting (as expect).
> ...


Nope. Zero interest in it.


----------



## Kevin L (Jan 10, 2002)

Alfer said:


> Nope. Zero interest in it.


+1
Cannot believe this is a plot for a series.


----------



## ClutchBrake (Sep 5, 2001)

Fantastic cast, but the preview I saw during the Super Bowl was so outrageous I thought it was an farcical commercial. I'm curious to see what folks here say about it.


----------



## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

ClutchBrake said:


> Fantastic cast, but the preview I saw during the Super Bowl was so outrageous I thought it was an farcical commercial. I'm curious to see what folks here say about it.


Those were my thoughts exactly.


----------



## markymark_ctown (Oct 11, 2004)

You mean the show is not about this?


----------



## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

Makes me wonder how some of these things get green lighted.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

The NYT gave it a good review, surprisingly. Though I don't usually let reviews influence my decision to watch. I recorded it and will take a look over the weekend. Not expecting much, but could be surprised.


----------



## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

It's a running joke with my wife and I, where I fake interest in wanting to watch it and she tells me I'm an idiot.

We get far more entertainment from the show in this fashion than we would from actually watching it.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I will give NBC credit for trying something different than the troika of cob/law/medical shows that usually get high ratings.


----------



## LlamaLarry (Apr 30, 2003)

ClutchBrake said:


> Fantastic cast, but the preview I saw during the Super Bowl was so outrageous I thought it was an farcical commercial. I'm curious to see what folks here say about it.


Indeed, I am subbing to this thread to see if it is worth the effort. The premise as outlined by the promo is farking amazing.


----------



## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

What's a cob show?


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

Steveknj said:


> I will give NBC credit for trying something different than the troika of cob/law/medical shows that usually get high ratings.





LlamaLarry said:


> The premise as outlined by the promo is farking amazing.


:up:

i'm not in for the pilot, but for the character study, the cast, and (hopefully) the performances.


----------



## Cragmyre (Mar 8, 2004)

uncdrew said:


> What's a cob show?


A corny one of course


----------



## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

I had momentary interest when they presented the potential affair with the babysitter, but that alone is not worth spending an extra hour a week on broadcast TV. Everything else about it was a total snooze fest so I can only recommend it if you have insomnia. As for the actual slap - the kid deserved it.


----------



## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

I thought the first episode was pretty good. As someone else said upthread, I kinda wanna slap everyone, especially the grandparents, stay outta your son's marriage!

For those who didn't watch, it appears that it will be about far more than just the slap, there's a lot of relationship stuff they were throwing out in the first episode.

For instance I never knew that it wasn't odd to breast feed up to 5 years old.


----------



## flyers088 (Apr 19, 2005)

Is this NBC's attempt to replace the dysfunctional family with tons of problems from Parenthood with another dysfunctional family with tons of problems?


----------



## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

It was an interesting show. At least it was done in an interesting manner with the noire voice-over that reminded me of the old private detective serials. It is also filmed interestingly with how they turn between all the various conversations that go on at a family get-together, unlike most shows that just focus on each individual moment. You could see while focusing on a conversation in the foreground, someone almost spilling something and then arguing about it in the background. You could hear bits and pieces of the other conversations going on. Not many shows do that.

The cast is fantastic.

The actual slap is just the catalyst the sets in motion the destruction of an already fragile family full of in-fighting. 

Everyone is compelled to come down on one side or the other. The matriarch of the family states that the little bastard deserved it. He was a totally out of control child whose parents did not ever discipline him and when he was threatening harm to another child, that child's father jumped into mother (or father) bear mode to protect his child.

Did I remember correctly that when the boy first acted out, his mother scooped him up to go breastfeed him. Isn't he like 8 years old? That shows the dysfunction of his raising in my opinion. (eta: just saw upthread someone else mentioning it.)



I will stick around another episode or two to see what direction it goes in, because I like the cast.


----------



## Turtleboy (Mar 24, 2001)

It's a remake of an Australian show based on a book.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

SeanC said:


> For instance I never knew that it wasn't odd to breast feed up to 5 years old.


i knew this mother, and her son, and it was odd.


----------



## justapixel (Sep 27, 2001)

I liked it quite a bit. It's like breaking bad or BCS in that it starts with an "everyman" who is dissatisfied with his life and the many pressures on him and than this one incident is supposed to be a catalyst for what's to come - which way will he go? Will be break bad? So far, the only method he'll have of doing that is having an affair with the teen but who knows? It seems like pressures are going to mount as he navigates both sides of this argument that grows into something much bigger than it should.

I knew that kid was gonna get slapped the second they showed him on the screen (who breastfeeds a 5 year old?) but I actually thought that the main characters, with his tranquilizers and wine and beer and repressed sexuality was going to be the one to hit the kid, and so I was surprised at who did it. 

I was kind of bored at the start - the cliche of the 40 year old being into a super beautiful teen/model babysitter was so trite, and really, there is no reason why that girl would be interested back it just made no sense at all. But still, it came together for me. I think they showed the pressures of that time of life perfectly.

So I think this is an SP I keep. I'll be interested to see the way he's pushed and pulled and what allegiances he'll have to make or break to keep his family going. Or not.


----------



## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

SeanC said:


> For instance I never knew that it wasn't odd to breast feed up to 5 years old.


Oh, it's odd alright.


----------



## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

justapixel said:


> It's like breaking bad


Nope. In BB the catalyst was life and death, and it was set in an action packed crime drama world of drug manufacturing and trafficking where any moment could turn into life and death. In this the catalyst is insignificant and the "transformation" - conversations about feelings and one more failed or succesful relationship and home life out of billions - is also relatively insignificant. NBC would have had a better chance of success making this a comedy that doesn't take itself seriously.


----------



## justapixel (Sep 27, 2001)

series5orpremier said:


> Nope. In BB the catalyst was life and death, and it was set in an action packed crime drama world of drug manufacturing and trafficking where any moment could turn into life and death. In this the catalyst is insignificant and the "transformation" - conversations about feelings and one more failed or succesful relationship and home life out of billions - is also relatively insignificant. NBC would have had a better chance of success making this a comedy that doesn't take itself seriously.


I didn't saw it WAS breaking bad. It is the same thematic idea - a normal, slightly boring middle-aged "every man" beaten down and mediocre suddenly faces a crisis that requires him to make choices that changes his life in unexpected ways. In BB, that choice was a very rapid descent into a world of crime and yes, life and death. In doing so, the protagonist realized his strength and power when before he lived an otherwise powerless life.

Thematically, we start from the same beginning as in BB. This may not end up being about life and death, and it may end up being only a family drama (although the previews show that it may go deeper). But it is about how choices we make at specific times lead to certain consequences we may not have intended. When Walt started out making meth, I don't think he intended to become a huge drug king, I think he just envisioned making a few bucks on the side to deal with his disease and stop. But it went somewhere deep and evil and in that, we found the real Walt, even though that Walt ended up losing everything he formerly valued.

This may not go quite as far and I don't think it's going to go that way, or even really be about "breaking bad." I don't think I completed my thought as I don't mean he will actually go into evil, but just that one incident is going to be a catalyst for change. But it still will be about the choices that people make that seem trivial at the time but which can profoundly affect their future. I think it's going to be more than a regular family drama but perhaps I'm wrong.

Since it is only going to have 7 episodes, it can't get into the kinds of things that BB did, but it seems that defeated middle-aged men who have some sort of crisis, big and small, are becoming the major characters in TV shows now.


----------



## markymark_ctown (Oct 11, 2004)

Sounds like "The Affair" but substituting sex with corporal punishment...


----------



## MacThor (Feb 7, 2002)

flyers088 said:


> Is this NBC's attempt to replace the dysfunctional family with tons of problems from Parenthood with another dysfunctional family with tons of problems?


They could have just had Crosby slap Max.


----------



## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

justapixel said:


> Since it is only going to have 7 episodes, it can't get into the kinds of things that BB did, but it seems that defeated middle-aged men who have some sort of crisis, big and small, are becoming the major characters in TV shows now.


Only 7 episodes? They should have called it a miniseries, aired it over 4 nights @ 90 minute increments, and reduce the first night's commercials .

(Side note: it is hard for me to view 40 as middle-aged but I know you are correct.)


----------



## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

If it's only seven eps I might be in.


----------



## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

Based on the title alone I won't watch.


----------



## Test (Dec 8, 2004)

SeanC said:


> For instance I never knew that it wasn't odd to breast feed up to 5 years old.


I think other people on the show thought it was weird. We saw the main guy notice it and stare...I would imagine he thought it was odd and he wasn't just trying to catch a peek.



markz said:


> It is also filmed interestingly with how they turn between all the various conversations that go on at a family get-together, unlike most shows that just focus on each individual moment. You could see while focusing on a conversation in the foreground, someone almost spilling something and then arguing about it in the background. You could hear bits and pieces of the other conversations going on. Not many shows do that.


Yes, with this I noticed the grand parents catch the hippie mother breast feeding the 5 year old in the garden and point it out to each other.


----------



## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

I guess the sarcasm of my original comment about breast feeding was too subtle...


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

SeanC said:


> I guess the sarcasm of my original comment about breast feeding was too subtle...


We just figured you don't watch Game of Thrones...


----------



## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

Wasn't this a show a couple of years ago? I seem to remember it.


----------



## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

spartanstew said:


> Wasn't this a show a couple of years ago? I seem to remember it.


There was a Australian version. One of the actors on this is reprising their role. Not sure who though.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

gossamer88 said:


> There was a Australian version. One of the actors on this is reprising their role. Not sure who though.


hugo's (the boy) mom, rosie, is played by melissa george in both.


----------



## justapixel (Sep 27, 2001)

Beryl said:


> (Side note: it is hard for me to view 40 as middle-aged but I know you are correct.)


Imagine how I feel.


----------



## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

gossamer88 said:


> There was a Australian version. One of the actors on this is reprising their role. Not sure who though.


Ah yes, it was aired on DirecTV's Audience Network a couple of years ago. I remember watching the first two episodes.


----------



## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

I watched it.

I am going to watch another before I render a verdict. However... I am wondering WHY it reminds me of The Affair?


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I didn't know it was a remake of a Australian series.

Jon Rabin Baitz is a pretty well known NY based playwright, so I had it in my mind this was his brainchild which would explain the rather well known respected cast of actors coming on board.

I had a prediction as to how this series was going to be structured but I might be wrong. Since the first episode was all about Hector, I am willing to bet the other episodes are going to focus on a different character and it will all be tied up in how they respond to or are affected by "The Slap".

It really really did have a slow start and that annoying kid really really deserved the slap.


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Turtleboy said:


> It's a remake of an Australian show based on a book.


I thought it was a remake of the Indian youtube video "How Can She Slap".


----------



## justapixel (Sep 27, 2001)

Cainebj said:


> I
> I had a prediction as to how this series was going to be structured but I might be wrong. Since the first episode was all about Hector, I am willing to bet the other episodes are going to focus on a different character and it will all be tied up in how they respond to or are affected by "The Slap".


That's what I thought until I saw the previews, but maybe they mislead me. It would explain why Hector suddenly decided to stick with his wife - his main storyline ended.



> It really really did have a slow start and that annoying kid really really deserved the slap.


I think the same kid plays the child of the main character in Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce. And he's an annoying brat in that show too.


----------



## Turtleboy (Mar 24, 2001)

busyba said:


> I thought it was a remake of the Indian youtube video "How Can She Slap".


Or the more recent American "Man smacks the soul out of girl on the NY Subway."


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Turtleboy said:


> Or the more recent American "Man smacks the soul out of girl on the NY Subway."


_That_ show, I would watch the hell out of....


----------



## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

The Slap gets slapped hard in the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver at the 19 minute mark.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

NorthAlabama said:


> hugo's (the boy) mom, rosie, is played by melissa george in both.


I noticed.
It made me want to switch places with the boy.


Got to agree with the other that the previews made this look terrible.
I was going to take a pass until I actually looked at the cast list and realized that it's an interesting cast.

And it seems to be an interesting mini series so far.

I get that Quinto's Harry is kind of a ***** but I honestly do think that his toast to Hector was heartfelt.


----------



## Graymalkin (Mar 20, 2001)

This recent trend of taking what should be Lifetime movies and making series out of them is annoying as heck.


----------



## realityboy (Jun 13, 2003)

I'm in for this since it's only 7 more weeks. The acting is fine and the story is intriguing, but if it were much longer, I'm not sure that I could tolerate watching these mostly dislikable people.


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Kevin L said:


> +1
> Cannot believe this is a plot for a series.


It's not a "series". They called it something like a "limited event". Think of it as a short run series.

BTW, haven't read most of this thread yet.. But the kid basically deserved it, though I wouldn't be the one to do it, solely for fear of getting arrested.


----------



## goblue97 (May 12, 2005)

Turtleboy said:


> It's a remake of an Australian show based on a book.


I watched the original Australian version when it ran a few years back on DirecTV's Audience network. I thought it was pretty good. Other than being set in NY City, they stuck very closely to the script.


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

I am watching it, and I am enjoying it... The cast is great, and the commitment is short... It's a 8 episode mini-series...

The title "The Slap" does not fully encompass the complete scope of the mini-series. The 8 episode series has a lot of strong character building, and has a number of micro-threads running through it... "The Slap" is simply one micro-thread...

I am in two episodes and am definitely in for the next 6... It'll have to get really bad for me to quit in the middle, since there is such a short and finite end to the show...

Update: Interesting...I just read a review of the US version, and they criticize the film for not spending as much time on character building as the Australian version... The Australian version had the luxury of a full hour per episode... The US version has only 43 minutes (after you factor in commercial breaks)...and apparently they aren't giving up any of the original scope of the script...so they have to rush through parts that they were able to take their time through on the original version...

I'd love to watch the Australian series...I can't find the full episodes on YouTube...


----------



## realityboy (Jun 13, 2003)

The Australian version is available on Netflix. I haven't seen it yet as I'm not too keen on watching the same story twice.


----------



## tivotvaddict (Aug 11, 2005)

Second episode in and it's still a compelling story. The narrator device adds a nice literary feel, providing character insight that can be challenging to convey through dialogue alone. And I love the voice itself.  I'm curious if the Australian version also has a narrator.

The dad who was the focus of the first episode reminds me of Stephen Collins of 7th Heaven. 

tta


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

tivotvaddict said:


> Second episode in and it's still a compelling story. The narrator device adds a nice literary feel, providing character insight that can be challenging to convey through dialogue alone. And I love the voice itself.  I'm curious if the Australian version also has a narrator.
> 
> The dad who was the focus of the first episode reminds me of Stephen Collins of 7th Heaven.
> 
> tta


I'm still liking it, but I get the feeling it's moving toward adult soap opera territory, with all the affairs and such. If it goes too far in that direction, I'm out.


----------



## justapixel (Sep 27, 2001)

I liked the second episode better than the first. I don't know about soap opera territory as I think the affairs are just to show the characters of the people involved and aren't a major plot point. I liked the way the dad realized his son was gentle at the end, a "philosopher" rather than a warrior like him. Complicated like all of us. 

Interesting show.


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Ken Olin directed episode 2 and then I figured out this is just _Thirty Something_ with a slap.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

Cainebj said:


> Ken Olin directed episode 2 and then I figured out this is just _Thirty Something_ with a slap.


i'm ok with that.


----------



## Howie (May 3, 2004)

I watched the pilot yesterday. I had a hard time getting interested. The teenage babysitter looked way too young for a normal 40 year old man to be fooling around with. And of course the little brat looked way too old to be breast fed. I don't think the kid deserved to be slapped like that, but he certainly deserved to be taken over someone's knee and swatted on the butt a few times. I have one more episode on a DVR that I'll watch, but if it doesn't pick up some I'm out after that.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Howie said:


> I watched the pilot yesterday. I had a hard time getting interested. The teenage babysitter looked way too young for a normal 40 year old man to be fooling around with. And of course the little brat looked way too old to be breast fed. I don't think the kid deserved to be slapped like that, but he certainly deserved to be taken over someone's knee and swatted on the butt a few times. I have one more episode on a DVR that I'll watch, but if it doesn't pick up some I'm out after that.


I felt the kid should have been slapped too, but by their parents! Having some non immediate family member slap the kid is wrong, no matter what.


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

realityboy said:


> The Australian version is available on Netflix. I haven't seen it yet as I'm not too keen on watching the same story twice.


Thanks realityboy!

I started watching the Australian version... Mostly because I was curious to see how the two interpretations compared (and why they didn't just replay the Australian versions on US television)...

The Australian versions are not a full hour without commercials as I was lead to believe by one of the reviewers... But they do seem to do take more time to do some character building (which could be a bad thing for those who think the US version is already going at a slow cadence).

Australian version has a lot of local slang and some swearing, nudity and more obvious acts of intercourse that would definitely not pass US FCC rules for normal network broadcasting...

First episide was "Hector", same as US... But second episode was "Anouk" (Hector's sister played by Uma Thurman in the US version), whereas the US version decided to go with "Harry" for the second ep...

I love seeing Melissa George playing the same role in both series.


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

OK, so now we know the slapper has violence control issues.. Which obviously makes the story more interesting.. but annoyingly dirties the issue of whether the kid deserved it or not (as I said before, I think he did)


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

I am 6 episodes into the Australian series (2 more to go)...

Interesting to see the back story of each of the characters... I won't go into detail for fear of delivering spoilers...

But now that I am "bought in" to the Australian cast, it'll be interesting to see if I can easily transition back to the US-based cast...


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

OK, I have far too much TV to watch already, so this is really just out of curiousity.. Is the Australian series available legitimately anywhere to stream? That is, not on a purchase-each-episode way?


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

mattack said:


> OK, I have far too much TV to watch already, so this is really just out of curiousity.. Is the Australian series available legitimately anywhere to stream? That is, not on a purchase-each-episode way?


All 8 episodes of the Australian version are on Netflix...

And I just finished the series last night... Now I can sit back and watch the American interpretation...


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Not sure if it's just because I have seen the Australian versions first... You know how it goes sometimes when you hear a cover of a song, and it never matches the original...

But for some reason, I am really disappointed with the US episode tonight versus the Australian equivalent...

An any case, I am still "in" for finishing out the US versions... It's a low commitment since it's just an 8 episode mini series... 5 more to go!


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Watched Anouk episode. As I was afraid of, it was very much adult soap territory.



Spoiler



But next weeks preview puts us back on point.


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> Watched Anouk episode. As I was afraid of, it was very much adult soap territory.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interestingly enough, the Anouk episode was 2nd in the Australia version.

I read somewhere that the US producers decided to put the Harry episode second to keep the intensity and momentum of the show going...

I guess I could see that... If the intensity drops after only the 2nd episode, you could use a lot of viewers...


----------



## goblue97 (May 12, 2005)

Never been a big Uma Thurman fan but I think she looks better than ever in this.


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Steveknj said:


> Watched Anouk episode. As I was afraid of, it was very much adult soap territory.


Yeah, this episode was boring. Given the title, I was expecting 'the slap' and the legal repercussions, etc., to be the full extent of the story.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

mattack said:


> Yeah, this episode was boring. Given the title, I was expecting 'the slap' and the legal repercussions, etc., to be the full extent of the story.


Maybe Anouk's story has some implications down the line, but I'm not quite understanding what yet. Another episode like this one and I'm out.


----------



## tivotvaddict (Aug 11, 2005)

The parts of the Anouk story I enjoyed were seeing Isha (Aisha?) in her role as a sympathetic, competent physician and the storyline of her mom (Blythe Danner, yay), an accomplished intellectual but not great mother. 

tta


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

The Anouk story is very different in the Aussie version... No spoilers...just thought it would be interesting for those thinking about checking out the original version...


----------



## megory (Jan 23, 2003)

Watching the 2/12 episode, Hector. Keep fast forwarding. This is true to life and it takes just as long. I want stories that are compact but illustrative with a beginning and an ending. Glad to see there are others who aren't entranced by this show.

Give me "Allegiance" any day!


----------



## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Except for Hector's parents , I'd like to slap all of the main characters.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I'm done with this show. Another soap opera episode with very little actual "slap" stuff. Shame because the premise could have been an interesting legal show, but instead, it's a soap.


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

I thought this ep was back to being very entertaining... maybe not QUITE as good as the first or 2nd, but still very watchable.


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

OK... Well the last episode aired, and it never got any better...

Funny...I don't think that anyone who wasn't paying attention would have even realized that it was the last episode...

I watched the Australia version and it was better than the US version...


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

That's funny, I sort of agree with you, in that it seemed like there COULD have still been a followup episode..

but I still thought it was very entertaining.

So how close were the US & Australia versions? I seem to remember people saying Broadchurch/Gracepoint were almost identical until they split more than half the way in (the first season, in Broadchurch's case).

I'm still slightly interested in seeing Broadchurch, to compare/contrast.. (though I don't know of the BBC America ones are edited for more commercial time, so if I ever do see it, will likely be on a streaming service or DVD -- but I'm in no rush).


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

The Australian version was the same story telling model... 8 episodes, each focusing on one of the main characters...

The order of the episodes was slightly different, and the details of their lives (and even their detailed situation and choices) were very different...

There are some significant difference, but I don't want to risk moving into "spoiler" territory for those that are interested in watching this other version...

I liked Australian version a lot more than the US version... I am glad it was so conveniently accessible via Netflix!


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

mattack said:


> That's funny, I sort of agree with you, in that it seemed like there COULD have still been a followup episode..
> 
> but I still thought it was very entertaining.


same here.



Spoiler



the judge's ruling and the time shift at the end was a good enough ending to make it an entertaining finale for me.


i'm also glad i decided to stay with the series, even though it wasn't as good as i'd hoped.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

I liked it but think it could have better.

The issue is that I don't think they dug down deep enough in these characters and explained enough of their motivations.

And some of their characterization was inconsistent, especially when it came to Hugo.

In the first episode, Hugo's totally out of control because Rosie and Gary don't say "No" to him ever. Certainly the fact that Rosie still breastfeeds him at, what, age 6 or so(?) raises an eyebrow.

As others stated previously from the way he was acting and the fact he kicked Harry, one could feel that Hugo deserved it.

Certainly though as we later see, Harry is no saint but it's hard not see why this happened.

Even Anouk said that Hugo was out of control and this should have happened a long time ago.

And yet, later on, we keep hearing on how Hugo's a good kid, not only from Gary and Rosie, but Connie and Ritchie too, which I found difficult to swallow.

Unless Connie and Ritchie spent all their babysitting time getting high, they should have known how out of control Hugo can get.

And then there's Rosie. I know Aisha said that Rosie was like a sister to her and you do admire her loyalty but quite honestly we aren't shown or told why Aisha and Anouk are such close friends with Rosie.

Well, because Rosie is a hot mess. (Very hot, but I digress...)
She's a trainwreck about to happen and I can't fathom why Aisha and Anouk are sister friends with her.

And as a result, the conflict between and within the families doesn't quite ring true (or true enough) and in the end, weakens the story.

I may go ahead and check out the Australian version though.


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

JYoung said:


> I liked it but think it could have better.
> 
> I may go ahead and check out the Australian version though.


If you generally liked it...and you are motivated to watch the Australian version... I think you will be pleased...

It addresses many of your criticisms... I think they did a much better job of character building, and the various situations were much more realistic and genuine...

Plus, I would love to hear someone else's opinion (other than mine) comparing the two...


----------



## tivotvaddict (Aug 11, 2005)

JYoung said:


> I liked it but think it could have better.
> 
> The issue is that I don't think they dug down deep enough in these characters and explained enough of their motivations.
> 
> ...


Nice articulation of exactly why I didn't love this show even though I really wanted to.

The lack of foundation as to why Aisha and Anouk are close to Rosie - yes, yes, precisely! That friendship *never* rang true. Neither did Rosie's claims about the slap''s impact on Hugo, even though intellectually I'm in agreement that a slap like that could indeed be harmful. They didn't have to show him being sad or afraid all the time, but showing how his drawings changed or him being afraid when he wasn't before or ... something ... would have made Rosie's story resonate more strongly.

As for Connie and Ritchie saying Hugo is a "good" kid wasn't quite as problematic for me. Really, what defines a "bad" kid? I think for many, if kids aren't torturing animals or setting fires, you'll find that most kids have good moments, which we all want to believe is the true nature of childhood.

tta


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

tivotvaddict said:


> Nice articulation of exactly why I didn't love this show even though I really wanted to.
> 
> The lack of foundation as to why Aisha and Anouk are close to Rosie - yes, yes, precisely! That friendship *never* rang true. Neither did Rosie's claims about the slap''s impact on Hugo, even though intellectually I'm in agreement that a slap like that could indeed be harmful. They didn't have to show him being sad or afraid all the time, but showing how his drawings changed or him being afraid when he wasn't before or ... something ... would have made Rosie's story resonate more strongly.


Interesting idea that I think could have benefited the show in showing the conflict.



tivotvaddict said:


> As for Connie and Ritchie saying Hugo is a "good" kid wasn't quite as problematic for me. Really, what defines a "bad" kid? I think for many, if kids aren't torturing animals or setting fires, you'll find that most kids have good moments, which we all want to believe is the true nature of childhood.


Well, just because a kid isn't torturing animals or setting fires doesn't necessarily mean they're a "good" kid. 

But I would like to point that I didn't say that Hugo's a bad kid.
Undisciplined and out of control, yes. Even Anouk said so. And that's what I felt Ritchie and Connie would have seen as well.

Plus, we really didn't see any positive examples of Hugo's behavior until the end.
You can have characters say that he's a good kid but since film and television are visual mediums, it's better to show it.


----------



## Hcour (Dec 24, 2007)

I thought the Aussie version was an excellent character study. Not much interested in the U.S. version, they'll probably sanitize it and bland it down.


----------



## Robin (Dec 6, 2001)

MikeekiM said:


> But now that I am "bought in" to the Australian cast, it'll be interesting to see if I can easily transition back to the US-based cast...


I started the US version, switched and watched the entire Aussie version, and am now back to the US.

So far I really prefer the Aussie version. Rosie is more likeable and the actors look more like real people. They're still attractive but not as flawlessly made up.

Aussie spoilers:


Spoiler



Anouk's story is much more compelling and a huge change between the shows.

The mother is really horrible. She's so gleeful seeing Rosie destroyed on the stand.

And the parents knew about the cousin beating his wife. Major diversion from the US version.

I'd love to set an interview explaining why they made the changes they did. Why is Aisha a doctor instead of a vet? Why a cut face instead of a broken jaw?


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Robin said:


> I started the US version, switched and watched the entire Aussie version, and am now back to the US.
> 
> So far I really prefer the Aussie version. Rosie is more likeable and the actors look more like real people. They're still attractive but not as flawlessly made up.
> 
> ...


I am in complete agreement with you... The Australian version has some rewatch potential... I won't be watching the US version again...

As you put it, the Australian cast is much more believable as "real people"...

I also like the choices that they made in their storytelling better...


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

Just finished watching the US version. 

I really hated the Hugo kid...

I'm glad that they didn't pretend that everything was OK between everyone at the end. Hugo seemed less out-of-control and his mom also seemed more together---I wonder if we're supposed to infer that it was the result of the judge's admonishment...


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

heh, someone who watches shows even later than I do! (Though I just finished a Masterpiece Mystery series from IIRC 2013, with David Tennant, last night.)


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

I also just rewatched _The Middleman_ (from 2008)...


----------



## gchance (Dec 6, 2002)




----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

That's funny. Reminds me of that scene in _Airplane_...


----------

