S01.E01: Hector

[leisawoo]

Also chiming in to add, 1. I would have beaten the FUCK outta anyone who slapped my kid in the face. 2. I had 4 kids who knew better than to act like that. Even so, though kids can lose their minds in diff environments around other kids. Would I have spanked mine? Yes, maybe, swinging a bat at others, being disrespectful, destroying other people's property. SPANKED, never ever slapped in the FACE. We would definitely have made a HASTY exit after flower destruction (maybe even after records but I don't think anyone else knew about that) with profuse apologies and I would have had some really quiet kids on the way home, worried about what fave thing they were going to lose, most likely. IF SOMEONE ELSE SPANKED MY CHILD, I don't think I'd be cool with it. Bring my kid to me and explain the situation. i think spanking from parents is discipline if done only in most serious instances-child is being violent, harmful, etc. it's not show friendly, lol, but I knew where my kids were, checked on them all the time. Organized sporting or game event? I would have been watching. That's the problem with some parents today. They look at going to someone else's house as a "break" of sorts. It's unfortunate because it is never your hosts responsibility to watch your children just cuz you're at their house. They are still your kids.

[Whimsy]

Nothing else was on, so I watched this. I've always had a girl crush on Thandie Newton so I sympathized with her a lot here. Her husband needs to grow the hell up and stop lusting after girls his kids' age. Speaking of his kids, were they in the house while he and Aisha were screwing on the kitchen table? That's all I could think of during that scene.

 

Me too!  I forgot to mention this, but that's all I could think of too!! 

 

While I do sympathize with the character as far as her husband's wandering eye goes, I really didn't when it came to the trip to Greece.  On one hand, I get that this is just another in a long series of the family not paying attention to her needs, but if my in-laws gave me and my husband a trip to Greece I'd figure out a way to go!!  What is she, a therapist (that's what I guessed when her husband was going to her office for a valium)?  Why can't she take time off?  Every single doctor I know (and I know a lot) takes vacations.  That part made no sense to me.  But, I may have missed something due to not paying 100% attention.

[loki310]

The thing that I kept going back to was how Hector and Aisha paid for that beautiful brownstone - it's my biggest pet peeve when characters live in spaces that there's no possible way they could afford them in real life.

 

It appears as though Hector is a public civil servant and his wife is a primary care physician.  Their combined salaries don't seem like enough to pay for a mortgage of that caliber.  Neither of them has time to take care of that garden. So they probably have some people on the home payroll as well. These are the ideas I was thinking of, and I'd like to get your feedback. 

 

Hypothesis #1: They bought the brownstone 18 years ago when they just finished college and the housing prices were cheap in Brooklyn.  

Not likely.  Aisha probably finished her training at age 30.  So she's only been making real money for about 10 years.  Hector went to law school?  So there's no way he could have bought something so early in his career.  And do they have student loans?  Oh the student loans, they could potentially have!

 

Hypothesis #2: They got money from Hector's parents. 

It seems like they're really pushing up the overbearing immigrant parent angle.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they're the type of immigrant parents who scrimp and save and live frugal lives and end up with millions of dollars in the bank. Dad probably works at his own business, Mom helps out cause she's good with the customers.  Now they're able to shower their only son with all their riches. They also pay for his law school, so he has no loans.  Win-win. Unfortunately, he's beholden to them and has to go on trips to Greece and have them stay in the adjoining room.  And listen to them talk shit about his wife. This is also directly related to Aisha's barely concealed hostility to towards his parents - she resents them, but knows that they're responsible for their cushy lifestyle.

 

Hypothesis #3: They got the money from Aisha's parents.

Aisha is some British do-gooder with incredibly wealthy parents.  She took a job at a local clinic where she makes a measly $60,000 so she can help the uninsured hordes.  Who are children. And babies.  She also probably volunteers with Doctors Without Borders. Her parents are super proud, and so they're more than happy to give her the awesome brownstone.  They also pay for her med school, and for Hector's loans.  They made her make Hector sign a prenup, so that explains *his* hostility and his wandering eye. 

 

Hypothesis #4: Zachary Quinto gave them money for the brownstone.

ZQ knows the importance of family. He's Greek, after all, and likes to mumble rude things in Greek to other Greek people. He's a 1 percenter, so he's got plenty of money.  For ZQ, it's family first. So why not make sure that the cousin who he's always looked up to and who has taken the honorable road of public service gets a little taste of the good life? This is why ZQ feels like he can walk around Hector's backyard slapping anyone he wants.  It's technically his backyard, you see?  And later on, Hector will be in a real moral conundrum.  Turn his back on generous cousin or defend the indefensible?

 

Does one seem more plausible than the others? Are there any other potential theories that I might have missed?  (I ruled out Powerball winners.)

[retrograde]

Maybe the problem with this is the forced transition from Australian class skewering story to Brooklyn hipster angst. The novel and the Australian version focused on the attitudes of Hector's immigrant family, the 'mixed' marriage of Hector and Aisha who is upper class Indian (which may be why he lusts after white trashy Connie in the novel), the macho sensibility of Australian men insofar as many of the men feel the need to wield power in this situation, and Gary's alcoholism as a class issue. Rosie has a crappy husband and overmothers Hugo so she can feel like she has a purpose in her life which is otherwise a dead end, and she grabs onto what happened at the picnic as a new vendetta to give her life some meaning. There is even an aboriginal friend who converts to Islam and further complicates the plot in the novel. Transferring this to American - and dumping it in hipster Brooklyn - and blurring the class issues seem to be the problem with this version. I liked the novel because the plot was that something so unexpected can make people react in such dramatic ways. So I'll stick with it a little longer, if only to wonder at Uma's new face!

I heartily agree with everything here, except the Brooklyn part. They live in brownstone Brooklyn, not a Bushwick artists' loft or a condo in Williamsburg. In the Australian version, Hector's family live in Northcote. I think Boerum Hill, where they filmed, and Northcote are actually pretty good analogues. Northcote does have a history as a strong Greek immigrant community, which Boerum Hill doesn't, I'd grant that, but I think their modern incarnations have pretty similar sensibilities and inhabitants. (Source: Have lived near both Northcote and Boerum Hill). 

[maraleia]

The Aussie version did a better job setting up everyone's relationships with each other especially the fact that Aisha, Anouk and Rosie had been friends for a decade or more which is why they were all at the party.

 

Right now I'm only watching to see how they changed things and for Lisa Cholodenko's directing.

[wonderwoman]

Watched because of the outstanding cast, but don't think I'll stick around for this one. However, watching Marie Tucci and Thandie Newton channel Marie and Debra Barone was worth an hour of my life:)

[Neurochick]

That brat Hugo reminded of the kid on Game of Thrones right down to the breast-feeding. I wanted to slap him myself.

 

Oh yes, that kid with the insane mother who thought Sansa Starke was lusting after her creepy "husband."  I couldn't stand that little brat and  I wanted someone to throw him down the shaft, or the well, or whatever that big hole in the castle was.  

 

It wasn't right to slap the kid, he should have smacked the parents.  I can't stand parents who think their child can do anything the fuck they want and it's all good.  My parents smacked me on the bottom when I was being a little brat and you know what?  I deserved it because I never did that shit again.

 

It appears as though Hector is a public civil servant and his wife is a primary care physician.  Their combined salaries don't seem like enough to pay for a mortgage of that caliber.  Neither of them has time to take care of that garden. So they probably have some people on the home payroll as well. These are the ideas I was thinking of, and I'd like to get your feedback.

 

 

Years ago in Harlem, the city was trying to unload the property they owned there, so they sold those dilapidated brownstones for $1 but YOU had to pony up the cash to fix it up.  Don't know if they did the same thing in Brooklyn.  I have to say that it never crosses my mind, how people on TV, especially in NYC can afford to live where they do because unless it's an area like Sutton Place, Central Park West or a building like The Dakota, many neighborhoods in the city, at any given time, have been pretty marginal,(anything east of Park Avenue used to be considered a working class neighborhood, now it's full of condos) so a place that is now a million dollars, cost a fraction of that fifteen years ago.  

Edited February 13, 2015 by Neurochick

[FozzyBear]

Soooood that was laughable bad. Man, it really is an SNL skit.

But, maybe because I'm a member of the Gen X middle class too where you have to put up with all manner of fuckery in the guise of parenting philosophy, I kind of felt for the guy that slapped the kid. I would have felt more for him if he'd slapped either of the absurd parents. Unfortunatly he slapped a kid so I'm going to call him an asshole on the balance of things. Now to all the parents out there: what are you supposed to do in that situation? I've been there. Some kid destroying my home while the hipster parents ignore it because they are too busy getting drunk and debating politics. Seriously. If you have a family in your home with a destructive kid and the parents refuse to do anything or leave what should you do? I've never disciplined a kid I wasn't in charge of in my life and hitting a kid is unacceptable for many reasons. What do you do?

[yourmomiseasy]

Wait. Is that the kid from "Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce"? He plays a douche on that show too!

 

I've caught one episode of Girlfriend's Guide and last night's episode of The Slap and that kid made me want to punch him on both.  Given that evidence, his age, and the picture posted of him at the premier, I have to assume he's not a talented actor that's great at playing characters audiences love to hate and just a terrible, horrible, undisciplined, asshole in real life.  

[Mountainair]

Soooood that was laughable bad. Man, it really is an SNL skit.

But, maybe because I'm a member of the Gen X middle class too where you have to put up with all manner of fuckery in the guise of parenting philosophy, I kind of felt for the guy that slapped the kid. I would have felt more for him if he'd slapped either of the absurd parents. Unfortunatly he slapped a kid so I'm going to call him an asshole on the balance of things. Now to all the parents out there: what are you supposed to do in that situation? I've been there. Some kid destroying my home while the hipster parents ignore it because they are too busy getting drunk and debating politics. Seriously. If you have a family in your home with a destructive kid and the parents refuse to do anything or leave what should you do? I've never disciplined a kid I wasn't in charge of in my life and hitting a kid is unacceptable for many reasons. What do you do?

What do you do? Well first, yea, you never hit someone else's kid but I grew up in the late 80s/90s and I remember being paddled at school for mis behaving, my parents spanked me and gave my grandparents permission to do the same. I tend to fall under the same rule of thumb when it comes to my own children albeit a little more "with the times". I've popped my kid in the mouth twice his whole life for being a smart ass to me and I've popped my kids on the hand or butt for deliberately disobeying me. When I say "popped" I don't mean "beat the shit out of" either.

Another kid in my home acting like Hugo? Well, if the parents are there I take the kid directly to the parent and "tattle". Tell the parent exactly what happened in a tone of voice which conveys disaproval. If the behavior continues, well, the party is over. I'll be a bitch. I don't care. If the parent isn't in my home and their kid is over for a play date, the kid gets time out. If that doesn't work the kids has to sit at the table with me and do busy work (coloring, workbook pages, etc). If that doesn't work I call the parent and their ass best be at my house to get their kid ASAP.

So far I haven't had to deal with my kids having unruly friends and my other mommy friends have similar parenting styles to my own so their kids just don't behave that way.

I think I voiced this strongly enough up thread but I just can't with parents that don't discipline their children and then act all butt hurt when someone else does. Yes, physical violence is wrong but for fucksake, look at the situation here and realize that your a shitty ass parent. No need for a lawsuit. Perhaps this a time for some self evaluation and therapy for the whole damn family. And a note to self that you refrain from get togethers with the dude that slapped your kid.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Mountainair

[shapeshifter]

Did any of the actors speaking Greek already know the language before filming?

Did the kid with the camera tell Hector, "It was my fault" because Hector asked for help setting up, and the kid had put out the wooden bat? That seemed to come out of nowhere, so maybe it will figure into the lawsuit.

How was the kid with the camera related to Connie? Brother? Boyfriend? Gay friend? Friend friend?

Did anyone else think she brought him along to take pictures of Hector hitting on her to use as blackmail? Does asking this question mean that I watch too many crime shows?

I watched because a) I didn't have to work that night, b) I find Zachary Quinto impossible to look away from when he's on screen--it's got to be more than the eyebrows, c) it was talked about on NPR while I was going to work in the morning.

Rather than seeing the kid as a spoiled brat with bad parents, I saw him as a budding serial killer whose parents didn't know what to do.* He was a little old for breast feeding, but I could relate to the mom doing it as the only way to control him--not that I don't think she could have learned some better techniques from a therapist for disturbed children.

I hope they show the kid's reaction to the slap. Does it cure him of being a sociopath? Do his parents' talking about it in front of him harm him more than the memory of it? Does he use it as a means to manipulate others as he plots to take over and destroy the world (or at least small furry creatures)?

*I breastfed my three kids for 2-3 years each--they were born 5 years apart. The middle one was the difficult child (still a difficult adult but employed rather than in prison, heh) but I weaned her the earliest--shortly after she turned 2 because she was biting. I'm surprised Hugo isn't a biter.

Edited February 14, 2015 by shapeshifter

[spaceghostess]

Eh, I'm one of those creepy weirdos who breast fed my kids until 3-plus (although I'm afraid my family is miles below the income bracket of these characters). Thus far, both boys have managed to avoid displaying publicly slap-worthy and/or sociopathic behavior. That said, if either of them acted like this little maniac, I wouldn't wait for someone else to intervene.

I feel a tiny bit like slapping the makers of this show for reinforcing divisive and idiotic parenting stereotypes, but I wouldn't want to ruin my organic manicure or set a bad example for my little Norman Bateses-in-training.

Edited February 14, 2015 by spaceghostess

[marieYOTZ]

I'm of mixed minds about the slap (the actual slap, not the show - I liked the show fine) -- On the one hand, I'm a prosecutor in a state where some degree of parental discipline still counts as an exception to the assault & battery statute.  I've gone ahead and prosecuted cases where parents are claiming 'discipline' because I felt like it was inappropriate and unnecessary (and lost them).  

 

On the other hand, if I got this case, and the defendant had no prior criminal history, and there wasn't any allegation of injury, I'd probably offer him a suspended jail sentence, require him to take an anger management class, and put him on a year of unsupervised probation.  It doesn't really ring my bells as super offensive  (i.e. warranting jail time).  It would probably depend on what degree of injury the kid displayed.  

 

Minor spoiler/discussion related to the preview: 

 

In the previews, a guy tells the slapper "Someone got 5 years for slapping a kid on a plane!" I have to call shenanigans on that, unless someone can find some documentation of it. I looked, and what I found was a guy who was charged with assault and battery for slapping a kid (I assume the charge is federally equivalent to what it is in my state -- punishable by up to a year in jail) -- HE got 8 months to serve, and the kid was 13 months old, the guy was intoxicated, and he referred to the baby by a racial slur before the slap. And he had a prior assault and battery and a prior alcohol related charge. That is a different matter.

Edited February 14, 2015 by marieYOTZ

[FozzyBear]

I'm of mixed minds about the slap (the actual slap, not the show - I liked the show fine) -- On the one hand, I'm a prosecutor in a state where some degree of parental discipline still counts as an exception to the assault & battery statute. I've gone ahead and prosecuted cases where parents are claiming 'discipline' because I felt like it was inappropriate and unnecessary (and lost them).

On the other hand, if I got this case, and the defendant had no prior criminal history, and there wasn't any allegation of injury, I'd probably offer him a suspended jail sentence, require him to take an anger management class, and put him on a year of unsupervised probation. It doesn't really ring my bells as super offensive (i.e. warranting jail time). It would probably depend on what degree of injury the kid displayed.

Minor spoiler/discussion related to the preview:

In the previews, a guy tells the slapper "Someone got 5 years for slapping a kid on a plane!" I have to call shenanigans on that, unless someone can find some documentation of it. I looked, and what I found was a guy who was charged with assault and battery for slapping a kid (I assume the charge is federally equivalent to what it is in my state -- punishable by up to a year in jail) -- HE got 8 months to serve, and the kid was 13 months old, the guy was intoxicated, and he referred to the baby by a racial slur before the slap. And he had a prior assault and battery and a prior alcohol related charge. That is a different matter.

My first priority as the defense attorney in this thing would be to get the kid on the stand. For any reasons, just get him there. Five minutes of that and at least 2 jurors are going to want to slap him too.

[MaryPatShelby]

I'm also intrigued by the kid with the camera. Did he snap an image of Hector and the babysitter making goo-goo eyes at each other under the stairs? And was he flirting with Hector when he told him he had a nice smile?

I'm pretty sure that the camera kid must have taken a photo of Hector and the babysitter, and I'm pretty sure that will come up down the road...or will it? With only 8 episodes, and the "quality" of this first one, it seems like this could be the kind of show that drops plot lines as fast as it springs them on us. Time will tell, I guess.

Like someone above, I also don't understand why camera kid would have said that the whole slap scenario was his fault. Makes no sense.

Edited February 14, 2015 by buffylew

[Cosmocrush]

The thing that I kept going back to was how Hector and Aisha paid for that beautiful brownstone - it's my biggest pet peeve when characters live in spaces that there's no possible way they could afford them in real life.

 

It appears as though Hector is a public civil servant and his wife is a primary care physician.  Their combined salaries don't seem like enough to pay for a mortgage of that caliber.  Neither of them has time to take care of that garden. So they probably have some people on the home payroll as well. These are the ideas I was thinking of, and I'd like to get your feedback. 

 

Hypothesis #1: They bought the brownstone 18 years ago when they just finished college and the housing prices were cheap in Brooklyn.  

Not likely.  Aisha probably finished her training at age 30.  So she's only been making real money for about 10 years.  Hector went to law school?  So there's no way he could have bought something so early in his career.  And do they have student loans?  Oh the student loans, they could potentially have!

 

Hypothesis #2: They got money from Hector's parents. 

It seems like they're really pushing up the overbearing immigrant parent angle.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they're the type of immigrant parents who scrimp and save and live frugal lives and end up with millions of dollars in the bank. Dad probably works at his own business, Mom helps out cause she's good with the customers.  Now they're able to shower their only son with all their riches. They also pay for his law school, so he has no loans.  Win-win. Unfortunately, he's beholden to them and has to go on trips to Greece and have them stay in the adjoining room.  And listen to them talk shit about his wife. This is also directly related to Aisha's barely concealed hostility to towards his parents - she resents them, but knows that they're responsible for their cushy lifestyle.

 

Hypothesis #3: They got the money from Aisha's parents.

Aisha is some British do-gooder with incredibly wealthy parents.  She took a job at a local clinic where she makes a measly $60,000 so she can help the uninsured hordes.  Who are children. And babies.  She also probably volunteers with Doctors Without Borders. Her parents are super proud, and so they're more than happy to give her the awesome brownstone.  They also pay for her med school, and for Hector's loans.  They made her make Hector sign a prenup, so that explains *his* hostility and his wandering eye. 

 

Hypothesis #4: Zachary Quinto gave them money for the brownstone.

ZQ knows the importance of family. He's Greek, after all, and likes to mumble rude things in Greek to other Greek people. He's a 1 percenter, so he's got plenty of money.  For ZQ, it's family first. So why not make sure that the cousin who he's always looked up to and who has taken the honorable road of public service gets a little taste of the good life? This is why ZQ feels like he can walk around Hector's backyard slapping anyone he wants.  It's technically his backyard, you see?  And later on, Hector will be in a real moral conundrum.  Turn his back on generous cousin or defend the indefensible?

 

Does one seem more plausible than the others? Are there any other potential theories that I might have missed?  (I ruled out Powerball winners.)

 

I'm no help with the brownstone since I know nothing about Brooklyn real estate except maybe to guess that they bought this house when they started a family and the oldest child seems about 12.   I like hypothesis #3 as a good bet - I'm thinking Aisha comes from money for some reason.  Not sure about home help outside of the babysitter though.   I did catch the part about the garden - Hector's father takes care of the garden.  When he was helping to put it back together after hurricane Hugo blew through it he said something like, "I'll fix this, after all I'm the one that planted them."   

[venusnv80]

Eh...I liked it. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever watched and I think it's an interesting topic. I will watch it again.

[Amerilla]

I think the kid with the camera was saying he was sorry because he was watching the kids play and taking pictures, but didn't intervene when Hugo began to meltdown. It wasn't his fault, but he was physically closest to the action before ZQ came down to the yard, so I can see where he'd feel bad given...

The Slap that ensued.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Amerilla

[leisawoo]

And he was watching the absolute mess, that is probably gonna take over the show (jmo), between Hector and Connie or w/e her name is. He wasn't watching the kids like he should have been. Just like the parents....

I think Harry overreacted because of his anger towards the "dirty hippie" (his words, I think) dad and that is going to play into the case in a major way. And, omg, in the face? Noooooooo. My Knee jerk rection would have been to spin that kid around and give him a smack on the butt. I would have squelched that, picked him up and put him on the porch with the other adults.

[bref]

Do I remember that Hector's son also took some responsibility? or perhaps Hector just said to him, "it's not your fault" before he sent him inside. The son was the one who told Hugo his turn at bat was over, yes? So I guess he might think he played a part. 

 

I spent way too much time trying to figure out the relationships. Glad to see it wasn't just me.

[Fable]

I watched because the concept was interesting, but actually, most of the episode was boring as hell!  Personally, I probably wouldn't have hit the kid, but would have picked him up and presented him to and confronted his parents about his behavior, but I get this show isn't about what I would or wouldn't do and rather about the fallout from what someone else did do.  Love, love, love Zachary Quintos and wanted to stick around, but this show is a major fail!  Everything going on in snooze-worthy.

 

To sum it up two words:  Oh brother! 

[MizStaken]

Watched the first episode on Hulu and then they played the Aussie version, and I'm really digging it. So if they follow the formula, things and relationships will become clearer for those of you who can't figure out who's who.

Do not buy Peter S as Greek for a second.

Think I'll stick to the Aussie version though, the men are hotter and the sex and language is more graphic.

[janie jones]

Not that I think slapping the kid in the face like that is a reasonable response, but I'm not surprised Harry didn't march the kid over to his parents to tell them what he did, for two reasons.  First, if he did have time to consider it in the short amount of time the whole thing transpired, he probably didn't think the parents would even do anything.  Secondly, if the family is as close as they seem to supposedly be, they probably scold each other's kids, so he might not have thought much of "disciplining" the other people's kids.

[FozzyBear]

Not that I think slapping the kid in the face like that is a reasonable response, but I'm not surprised Harry didn't march the kid over to his parents to tell them what he did, for two reasons. First, if he did have time to consider it in the short amount of time the whole thing transpired, he probably didn't think the parents would even do anything. Secondly, if the family is as close as they seem to supposedly be, they probably scold each other's kids, so he might not have thought much of "disciplining" the other people's kids.

I also got the feeling that the Hugo's behavior and his parents non reaction is a long standing issue. Even the oldest son alluded to it not being fair that the kids have to deal with Hugo. I also think we're supposed to believe that Hector's wife is from a much more affluent background so I could see Garry and Rosie's style of parenting secretly bugging son of immigrant Hector more than his upper class wife. That could actually be interesting if they explore Hector implying he thinks Harry did the right thing, at least a little secretly.

Which brings me back to my original question. What should have happened. Should Hector have asked Garry and Rosie to leave some where between the albums and the flower bed. Is it fair that his family has to be terrorized by Hugo in order not to interfere with how someone parents? Obviously not hitting, but what?

[shapeshifter]

Which brings me back to my original question. What should have happened. Should Hector have asked Garry and Rosie to leave some where between the albums and the flower bed. Is it fair that his family has to be terrorized by Hugo in order not to interfere with how someone parents? Obviously not hitting, but what?

If my sister was there, she would have succeeded in getting Hugo to replant the flowers.

[AndySmith]

It's too bad we can't slap the parents of kids who turn into howler monkeys who have been possessed by a demon seed. I get that in situations like this, the kid's actions should be brought to the attention of the parents. The thing is, a lot of parents with kids like that aren't always...receptive regarding any sort of criticism of their style of parenting. So it might not always work.

 

Then again, from I've read about it on wiki, this show/book isn't just about the slap itself, but how that one action is the catalyst for the UNRAVELING OF THE FRAGILE SOCIAL NATURE OF THE LIVES OF THESE PEOPLE! Or something.

Edited February 14, 2015 by AndySmith

[DiabLOL]

 

 

Hugo was awful. Since I don't believe in hitting someone else's child, i think it's best to stay away from people like Rosie, Gary and Hugo. In my real life, I never have a problem turning down invites to parties (for family, in-laws and friends) if I know someone I don't like will be there. 

 

OMG and you get away with this shocking behavior? :)  

 

Slade3, your comment jumped out at me because while I try to do this as well I've had quite the range of punishing reactions and am curious to see where my experiences with people's displeasure about it all lands compared to Aisha's. Also the overbearing In-Laws with The Mandatory Trip to Greece (with a specific date, no less!) also stuck a poignant chord with me for similar reasons. These are situations that irk me IRL so anytime I get to watch fictional characters deal with similar stuff I jump at it so that's why I'll be watching this show. Bonus points if they have it worse than me/handle it worse than I would.

 

I guess I really don't get why anyone would invite Hugo and his monstrous parents to their home. It seemed obvious to me that his history as a destructive brat with negligent flaky parents was well established with everyone there. 

 

Also I thought the baby sitter's friend seemed very attracted to Hector. I don't get why the babysitter would be, though.

 

I may watch the Australian version, wish there was a thread for it here.

[AndySmith]

Maybe what all these people need to do is to just play Slap Bet?

[Suck It Trebek]

I am counting the days until I can hate watch the next episode.

The show takes itself far too seriously and I plan to laugh my way through it.

A few moments of hilarity:

Connie's attraction to Hector (side note: how old is she?)

Hector's mother's meal for 100

Uma Thurman's boyfriend's hair cut

Hector just watching while his 70? 80? Year old father is kneeling down, replanting the flowers Hurricane Hugo pulled up

Aisha using the bathroom (Seriously. Why did they show that? They could have had the "tense" scene between the two of them without the toilet. Though, at least she washed her hands.)

Melissa George's braid

[maraleia]

 

I may watch the Australian version, wish there was a thread for it here.

Here is the thread for the Aussie version of the show http://forums.previously.tv/topic/11733-the-slap-the-original-aussie-mini-series/#entry821464

[imjagain]

I found the show interesting, well sort of.

Hector creeped me out.

Felt for Aisha, the MiL was to much and I was annoyed.

Now as far as the 4 year old. OK first I would never touch another person's child. And I would flip on anyone who touched/hit mine.

I have 4 year old who has autism, he can get over whelmed with other children or in crowds at times, and is beyond curious. He is verbally delayed, was non verbal till about 3 so there was a lot of screeching at times. We don't hide in the house. We go to parties , movies, amusement parks/ water parks.

We try to not bother others. Things can be overwhelming.

We have lots of tricks, we try to calm him and when it doesn't work we leave, because it's not fun for any one, even us .

I have had a lot of rude comments and dirty looks. I could not imagine someone hitting my child.

The parents of Hugo did nothing to help their child and I wanted to slap them.

Edited February 14, 2015 by imjagain

[LucyEth]

I don't think someone should hit another person's child, but this Hugo was out of control and his parents are idiots. Obviously the slapper (Harry) is  a hot head.  Hector didn't care for the kid's out of control behavior either but handled it calmly. The kid Hugo looked like Blanket, Michael Jackson's son when he was that age.  Greek parents, annoying yes, deserving of respect and patience because they are your husband's parents yes.  I found Aisha annoying and was routing for the babysitter.  I don't know about anyone else but I would be thrilled if someone wanted to take me on a paid trip to Greece.  Only 6 episodes so I will see it through.   

[Janet Snakehole]

This show was a delicious hot terrible mess filled with unlike able people, except Uma and Thandie Newton.

I think I will enjoy laughing at their pain for the next 8 weeks.

[missy jo]

Um, so is Hector a pedophile, or what? Talk about burying the lede!

[bilgistic]

There are many reasons why I don't have kids, and this show reinforced several of them. Every one of those kids was obnoxiously loud and drove me crazy, and they were only on TV. The proliferation of tablets was galling. And Hugo THREW an iPad? The kid is four-ish? No iPad in the first place!

Granted, I'm 40, and come from a time when any adult (and CERTAINLY any elder family member) could tell me or my sisters to straighten up and we had to obey. There was paddling in school, and if I got one at school, I was getting another when my mother got home (it never happened). Now when kids are acting up in public, all I can do is give their parent(s) the Death Stare because they probably don't care anyway. Well-behaved and disciplined children don't run amok through Trader Joe's, and/or turn over carts sideways on themselves, but what's a few broken bones or brain damage when you can sue a store for your own negligence?

I'm not saying it's okay to slap a child. I don't even think it's right to paddle, despite my upbringing. I do think a family member/friend, in the case of the show, is well within rights--especially when a child is endangering others--to remove the child from the situation, deposit the child with their parent(s) and strongly suggest they leave. I appreciate the dialogue the show is stirring, and I love the cast.

Side note: Hurricane Hugo was an actual hurricane that was especially devastating to parts of NC and SC in 1989. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hugo

Edited February 15, 2015 by bilgistic

[shapeshifter]

...Obviously the slapper (Harry) is a hot head. Hector didn't care for the kid's out of control behavior either but handled it calmly....

Maybe Hector should have dropped one of his Valiums in Harry's drink.

...I don't know about anyone else but I would be thrilled if someone wanted to take me on a paid trip to Greece.

Seriously! Edited February 15, 2015 by shapeshifter

[bilgistic]

Hell, I'd like a paid trip to a Greek restaurant.

[leisawoo]

Me, too, Bilgistic!

[tigertim]

 

I'm also intrigued by the kid with the camera. Did he snap an image of Hector and the babysitter making goo-goo eyes at each other under the stairs? And was he flirting with Hector when he told him he had a nice smile?

He was, yes. The episode focused around Richie is episode 8 (the season finale)

 

How was the kid with the camera related to Connie? Brother? Boyfriend? Gay friend? Friend friend?

Gay friend

[TimWil]

Mary Louise Parker worked one day as Anouk but she turned out to have walking pneumonia. She was sent home halfway through her second day and the role was quickly recast with Uma Thurman. MLP would have been more interesting, I think.

[leisawoo]

Whenever I see Uma, who is attractive, I can never NOT think of the fam guy episode with Stewie talking about her eye- wrangler, lmao.

[KarmaG]

My husband saw the commercials and was interested. I watched it with him and am hooked. Can't wait for the next episode. I wanted to smack the kid's parents for not disciplining their kid.  I won't even touch on the extended breast feeding.

[LeGrandElephant]

I actually liked it. It didn't seem campy or bad to me. It seemed like a show I have to actually pay attention to.

I had to look up the character tree on ABC to figure out who everyone was and how they were connected. I guess the party was mainly the husband's family and the wife's circle of friends.

Hector: I didn't get the job. They gave it to a minority woman instead.

Me: maybe that's not the best way to say it to your wife who is also a minority woman and a professional.

My first reaction was that he definitely shouldn't have slapped the kid but that pressing charges is overkill. But then I thought, if some dude slapped me at a party, I would definitely want to press charges. So why is it more ok if it's a kid? So I have to revise my opinion and support serious consequences. (And I'm a little ashamed of myself for initially thinking they shouldn't press charges, especially since he wasn't sorry at all). Though, five years in jail as mentioned in the previous would be insane. I think something along the lines of anger management classes and probation would be more reasonable, assuming he doesn't have a history of hitting his family or something.

The adult should have grabbed the bat away to prevent injury to any other kids, but should have stopped right there. No shaking, no hitting.

I was less bothered by breastfeeding a kid of that age than by the fact that his mom breastfed him to comfort him right after he did something bad instead of addressing the misbehavior.

 

How old was the babysitter supposed to be? At first I thought like 16 which is really gross for him to be into her. But if she works at that clinic, she must be more like 19 or 20, which is slightly less gross on that level (though still cheating). 

 

How many episodes are there going to be?

Edited February 16, 2015 by LeGrandElephant

[KarmaG]

How many episodes are there going to be?

 

At the end of the episode when they showed the upcoming scenes they said 7 weeks, so 8 episode total.

[Ailianna]

The talk about him being arrested, in NYC, is the part that may break this for me. It was all over the previews of him being placed in cuffs and the 5 years talk--the kid wasn't hurt--so in New York, that's what is called Harassment in the Second Degree, a violation with a MAXIMUM sentence of 15 DAYS in jail. And with good time only 10. And nobody is getting cuffed for that--IF anything was done, the parents would have to sign the complaint and he would get an appearance ticket--a date to show up later in court.

I agree with those who think the kid was awful, his behavior was unacceptable in a two year old, let along a 5 or 6 year old (which is how old he looks). The parents are even worse, comforting him and reassuring him that there is nothing he is not allowed to do and that he is the bestest best who ever bested and the entire world should bow down to him. They are not helping him out. Life is going to turn out to be a massive shock to this kid if he doesn't learn he's not the actual center of the universe soon.

On the other hand, while the kid wasn't hurt by the slap--as noted in the dialogue, not a punch, and certainly the kid's jaw wasn't dislocated, nor did he have any actual injury--a swat on the butt would have been more appropriate. But it was pretty clear from the way the kid was wrecking havoc all day that his parents would have told him he was being misunderstood by those nasty big kids and of course he should get as many times at bat as possible, and the pitcher should make sure he got a good hit too. I have little to no patience for spoiled brats, and that's what this kid is.

[AndySmith]

 

I have little to no patience for spoiled brats, and that's what this kid is.

 

Parents of brats like that should be held just as liable. On this show and in real life.

[Ailianna]

Parents of brats like that should be held just as liable. On this show and in real life.

I completely agree with you. It is 100% their fault he acts like this. The "parenting" we saw in this episode demonstrates that. And Hugo's dad seems much angrier and more bitter than Harry, who just seemed like he was fed up with their stupidity and Hugo's dad's rants about people who have money (struggling artist who has to be better than everyone else *somehow*).

[FozzyBear]

I completely agree with you. It is 100% their fault he acts like this. The "parenting" we saw in this episode demonstrates that. And Hugo's dad seems much angrier and more bitter than Harry, who just seemed like he was fed up with their stupidity and Hugo's dad's rants about people who have money (struggling artist who has to be better than everyone else *somehow*).

They also didn't seem to be particularly struggling. When they got to the party Rosie was talking about how they weren't putting Hugo in preschool or something so that means at least one of them is home full time. That is not a family struggling to get by. That is a family that has to choose between 1 week or 2 weeks in the Hamptons this summer.

[bilgistic]

It may be a situation wherein one parent's wages aren't enough to balance daycare. Daycare/preschool is crazy expensive, just from knowing what my sister and friend paid for their respective kids in the Southeast U.S. We're talking hundreds of dollars a week.

The couple seemed artsy, but it's hard to say/I don't remember them saying what she does/did for a living before having her child. If she makes candles, yeah, she's better off not working until the kid is in Kindergarten. And really, if he's in daycare, whatever would he do every half-hour when he got in a snit and needed to suckle?

[LeGrandElephant]

She's a stay at home mom and he's an artist who won't say how much his paintings sell for, so I can't imagine they're making any money, but they don't seem broke. I would assume they have family money (or possibly he has a day job that he didn't mention when talking about paintings).