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.

What Does City So Real Tell Us? That Reality is Complicated.

Few cities surpass the political theater of America’s so-called Second City.

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The Conners

The Conners, like Roseanne, would’ve never gotten a green light back in TV’s Golden Age.

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black-ish

There’s good and bad in this ABC sitcom, but it’s not always black and white.

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The Undoing

The Undoing sports an A-list cast, a compelling murder mystery and content that would make most R-rated movies blush.

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Social Media Plus COVID-19 Equals … Depression?

new research suggests that using social media too much—especially now, during the coronavirus outbreak—can lead to both depression and what researchers call “secondary trauma.”

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Bill Murray and Rashida Jones ride in a convertible in On the Rocks.

On the Rocks

For adults navigating their own important, sometimes prickly relationships, On the Rocks is filled with teachable moments.

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Courthouse scene featuring Abby Hoffman.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Our verdict, in this case, is to use all due caution.

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Is Google’s Search Dominance Unfair? (And What Does That Mean for Families?)

In the Information Age, it’s critical to know not only how to access information, but where it’s coming from … and why.

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A teen guy and girl lean in to kiss.

Clouds

For families that choose to engage this bittersweet story, Clouds comes with a whale of a silver lining.

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The Plugged In Show, Episode 47: The Fascinating Influence of Christian Rap

Our Plugged In team raps about rap on the latest episode of The Plugged In Show.

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The Haunting of Bly Manor

A young woman fleeing a haunting specter in America finds more of the same when she arrives at her new job in England.

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Archer

It appears that FX has issued its silly and salacious animated superspy with a license to appall.

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The Plugged In Show, Episode 46: Examining The Social Dilemma and Our Interaction with Social Media

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Most of us use at least one social media service, and we know that they’re not altogether perfect. But as Adam Holz pointed out on a blog this week, Netflix’s The Social Dilemma shows an even uglier social media underbelly …

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Monsterland

Complex characters? This show has ‘em. But it apparently ran out of budget to buy any hope.

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Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Series Might be Taking the Wrong Lessons from Game of Thrones

Middle Earth has plenty of room for dwarves and elves, orcs and hobbits. But it is no place for an intimacy coordinator.

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