This plot is so disturbing that reviews are going to be as much about whether you agree with what the characters did than your opinion of the art itself. So let me start by saying obviously the writing, directing, and acting is superb to trigger such emotions in the viewer. But, now, on to my opinion of the slap itself. The boy swinging the bat was clearly mentally disturbed, quite possible autistic. Slapping a mentally disturbed child accomplishes nothing positive. There were a hundred ways to protect the other children without hitting anyone, including sucking it up, being the adult, and taking a blow yourself then grabbing the bat out of the kid's hands. But, ironically, the brute who slapped the kid did make the most cogent remark in the episode when he stated the obvious, which is that the disturbed kid's parents were unfit to raise a child. It was their job to defuse the situation instead of ignoring it until another adult had to step in for them. But, and I cannot emphasize this too much, all you reviewers who think slapping a mentally disturbed child is appropriate need to seriously seek psychiatric counseling.
Review of The Slap
