KSDK - The best shows hit you when you least expect it. When the unexpected intrigue lands on your television set and you are compelled to watch.
The reason I found Banshee was by accident. I flipped it on by chance and haven't stopped watching for three years now. When I saw promos for NBC's The Slap, I thought to myself, "That doesn't look like enough story to hold up a show or maintain my interest." I put it off and resisted the temptation of a seasoned cast and didn't look into its history.
Finally, I found a free moment in my stay at home dad leisure to tackle the pilot. Less than a day later, I've consumed all five hours and desperately want more. Thursday night can't come soon enough.
Why did The Slap surprise me? What does it do so well? A lot of things, but I'll fit them into five because time is never on our side. The show is adapted from an Australian show and book of the same time.
1) The cast is killer: This is a seasoned group of actors that were made for the roles. From Melissa George to Brian Cox to Zachary Quinto to Peter Saarsgard to Uma Thurman, the stellar casting of film actors here is dynamite. Thomas Sadoski (Don on The Newsroom), Mackenzie Leigh (Gotham, The Unforgettable) and Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl) are TV vets doing solid work here.
Special mentions go out to Quinto, who has come a long way from playing the villainous Skylar on NBC's Heroes (which is being rebooted this summer). Quinto's Harry slaps Hugo, the son of George and Sadoski's characters, and sets off the show. Quinto gets a lot to play with here, presenting a millionaire who sells fast cars, talks big, is full of rage, and suddenly sees his entire life crashing down. It's a departure for the versatile thespian. Cox is sharp as the patriarch of the family, and Saarsgard is his usual commanding everyman presence as a city government worker who finds himself straying from his stable marriage with Ayisha(Thandie Newton, working her native accent well) towards a younger woman(Leigh) who has ties to all the couples. The show attracted the cast because it's a juicy 8 part miniseries and doesn't make the actors commit to multiple seasons or 20 plus episodes. The Slap is an actor's showcase.
2) The story's framework works very well: The pilot kicks things off by following Saarsgard's Hector as he gets passed up for a huge promotion, thinks about a possible affair and prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday party. The slap takes place at the barbecue, launches the show into motion and the rest of the episodes are told from the perspective of different characters.
What seems like cardboard cutout people are fleshed out every hour. This keeps viewers on their toes because once you think a character fits into a certain bubble, a part of their past is revealed by another character and the point of view shifts.
It never gets complicated because each episode involves 3-4 characters in smaller doses while focusing on one because it's their perspective. Your opinion of Quinto will shift because every perspective pulls a layer off his deceptive slick talker, and Leigh's young woman isn't just a flirting machine for Hector. She gets a spotlight in last week's 5th hour. Every character is fleshed out due to the framework which makes the show richer and more interesting as the hours build up.
3) For such a layered and complex show: The Slap has a ton of heart. It's not all societal norms and family faceoffs. It's not stiff and boring. It's about the harsh truths that face us every day, and how the simple matter of choice can make or break us. How far can we outrun who we really are before getting tired?
There's a moment in the 5th episode, dedicated to Cox's head of the family, Manolis, where he visits an old friend and the scene creates this sudden emotion. It's a feeling that sweeps over the viewer as we see this older man struggling to keep his family together rejoice with a sick friend from his past.
The show also truly embodies the Greek lifestyle and wit that consumes this family. The accents are dead on and the way the family treats each other are similar to what I saw in my passionate days growing up as a member of an Italian and Lebanese family. Creator Walter F. Parks and Jon Robin Baitz do a great job of balancing drama, emotion and real life morals in making these characters instantly relatable.
4) The show isn't afraid to take risks: Starting with the controversial slap, the show goes leaps and bounds with showing imperfect people and not exactly making things easy on them. Episodes don't end with nice bows or sweet givings. The family aspect of the show is handled carefully but the story doesn't let up. There are dark moments on the show and it stays true to the content while holding up the promise of the pilot. Normal TV show cliches are thoroughly avoided here.
5) Little things are done right: The narration from Victor Garber works well and doesn't grate on us because it's doesn't overload the episodes. The music on the show is impressively selected and will strike a chord. New York City is gorgeously shot. The pacing is very good. The 8 hour count is relieving because you know it won't require you to make a seasonal commitment to one show. The show plays out like an extended movie with different points of view and that makes it watchable.
The Slap caught me by surprise and once I gave it a chance, I want more and now dread the eventual end. It's rare for a guy like me who watches more than his fair share of TV to have this experience but it also rewards the creators out there constantly thinking of ways to shake things up. While it's a remake, The Slap plays out on NBC like a slow boiling movie where things seem okay but will eventually crumble due to the human frailty the characters carry within them. Tune in and you won't be disappointed. Before long, you'll find a character you like and stand behind them just like you would in real life. The Slap is wired to connect.
The show plays on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. CST on NBC.
