Zachary Quinto stars in “The Slap”

If there's one thing to be said about family, it's that regardless of your own preference, you're stuck with the one you're given. Regardless of opinions, personal upbringings or outlook on life, the challenging part of keeping together a family is each member's level of tolerance and understanding.

We've all had arguments with our own blood before -- but what happens when the conflict goes from verbal to physical? Catch an all-new episode of "The Slap," airing Thursday, March 12, on NBC.

While the title itself may paint a portrait of NBC trying something new, the show's plot and characters are recycled content of various mediums. "The Slap" first made its on-screen debut in October 2011 as an eight-part Australian television drama series. Even further, that show is based on an award-winning novel by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, titled -- you guessed it -- "The Slap," released in 2008.

But back to NBC's version. The show's premise is simple enough. Various family members and close friends of all walks of life and different cultures come together for the 40th birthday party of Hector (Peter Sarsgaard, "The Killing") at his humble abode in Brooklyn, New York. As guests begin to settle in, with the adults catching up with one another and the children playing a game of baseball amongst themselves, five-year-old Hugo (Dylan Schombing, "Pompeii," 2014) refuses to give up his spot with the baseball bat. He begins to swing the baseball bat threateningly at other children, immediately alerting the adults present.

At this time, Harry (Zachary Quinto, "Heroes"), Hector's cousin, becomes irate with Hugo and demands that he stop swinging the bat and listen to the adults. Hugo disagrees and kicks Harry in the shin. In the blink of an eye, Harry raises his hand and strikes the child down with a powerful slap. Chaos ensues as Hugo's liberal and free-spirited parents, Rosie (Melissa George, "The Good Wife") and Gary (Thomas Sadoski, "The Newsroom"), rush to their child's aid in horror. The show's plot picks up immediate traction and sparks the question: should a child be hit, in order to be taught a lesson?

That question alone is half the reason why "The Slap" resonates with so many people. In an age of awareness and extreme political correctness, we now have a zero-tolerance policy for hitting or spanking children, as many believe that any type of violence can potentially scar a child for life. However, the world thought quite the opposite in years past, as Quinto discussed in a recent interview with "Vanity Fair."

"I grew up in the '80s, and it was a time when there wasn't so much political correctness surrounding corporal punishment. We'd get cracked on the knuckles or spanked if we did something egregiously wrong or broke some rules," he said. "I don't feel particularly emotionally scarred by that. ... I don't believe that violence ever serves the purpose of supporting or nurturing or rearing a child in a healthy or productive way."

Dylan Schombing, Melissa George and Thomas Sadoski star in “The Slap”

The show's main plot point sparks conversation on and off the television screen. Upon Harry slapping Hugo, all family and friends present immediately take sides, with the elderly believing that the child deserved the hit for being a brat and Hugo's parents denouncing all forms of violence, and are now pursuing legal action. This is where NBC's narrative differs from its Australian counterpart, as showrunner Jon Robin Baitz explained to the "Hollywood Reporter."

"The big difference is that in the Australian version, the trial or the crime and punishment section, so to speak, ends in episode 4," he said. "There's a court action that happens. We felt we should keep that alive until episode 8, all the while accruing the tension on the characters. As the trial date comes closer, it puts each character under more pressure about their position."

However, the show is similar to the Australian version in one aspect. George, who plays Rosie in the American version, played the same role in the Australian depiction. Baitz initially refused to recast George in the same role, as he had unsuccessfully done previously with other actors, but as he continued to write the script, he couldn't get her voice and embodiment of Rosie's character off his mind.

"(George) has a chemical reaction with Rosie," he said. "Of course, the writing is very different and she's playing different emotions in some places. Her work is so gorgeously fragile and fragmented and layered. It's impossible to not forgive her in her actions."

Protagonists aside, "The Slap" is loaded with various A-listers from multiple genres of film. Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1," 2008) stars as Anouk, Hector's older sister who's the only person present who isn't a parent. Brian Cox ("Troy," 2004) plays Manolis, Hector's father who has trouble understanding the greed of today's youth. Thandie Newton ("ER") stars as Aisha, Hector's wife who begins to question her husband's relationship with their babysitter Connie, played by Makenzie Leigh ("Gotham").

What began as a harmless birthday party evolved into a family torn, friendships questioned and potential criminal charges being laid. If "The Slap" has one purpose, it's to create a conversation about parenting styles amongst those who watch it. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. Catch an all-new episode of "The Slap," airing Thursday, March 12, on NBC.