Contributor: Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Fringe

UPDATED REVIEW: Paranormal battles with an alternate reality all but consume J.J. Abrams’ effort at stitching together a Frankensteinian sci-fi police procedural. But the drama’s real showstoppers each week are its blood, gore and squirm-inducing torture scenes.

The Closer

UPDATED REVIEW: America loves crime procedurals. Critics love The Closer. It’s a perfect combination, right? Right?

The Passage

The Passage is about as positive a television show predicated on ravenous vampires and the end of the world as I can imagine.

The Family

This is a grim story with an uncertain trajectory, and its strong performances (led by Oscar nominee Joan Allen) simply can’t compensate.

Sons of Anarchy

UPDATED REVIEW: Something’s rotten in the town of Charming. It’s not the apricots, we can tell you that. But it just might have something to with all those hogs out on the road.

Blue Bloods

UPDATED REVIEW: Yet another New York City cop show on CBS … that somehow manages to focus on family just as much as felons.

Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels has the feel of those old 19th-century dime novels—with the addition of as much sex and violence as AMC felt it could cram into a TV-14 rating.

Shake It Up

UPDATED REVIEW: Disney’s new sitcom doesn’t shake free from the Mouse House’s temperate template … but it still may leave parents shaking their heads.

The Order

A certain segment of Netflix’s subscribers like pure, unambiguous trash, right?

Tyrant

Change may be coming to desert nation of Abbudin. But this FX show seems all too familiar.

Almost Human

If CSI runs for another 35 years, it might look a lot like Almost Human.

The Exorcist

This remake of the iconic 1973 movie is a rare television show that affirms that God and the devil are real. But the show’s horrific content is real, too.

No Ordinary Family

Superpowers may help you lift cars and run real fast. But will they help you understand your kids or get along with your parents? ABC wants you to stay tuned.

Dallas

Big D’s back—this time on TNT. And it’s safe to say that the show’s scheming, womanizing ways have not mellowed with age.

Godless

Despite its title, this Netflix Western talks about God plenty. But the quantity of blood we witness is not at all cleansing.