But lately, the team hasn’t been living up to its name. The highest-paid player, Travis Bugg, embarrasses them with foul-mouthed interviews off-court and poor leadership on-court. All-star Marcus Winfield still plays well, but he’s mentally tapped out from the franchise otherwise.

So when Waves President Cam Gordon (Isla’s eldest brother) is forced to step down because of a drug problem, it falls to the rest of the family to make some changes.

Next eldest, Ness, is the only Gordon who can actually play the sport. In fact, his dad even drafted him for half a season. But then he got demoted to a league in the Philippines, which ended in jail after Ness tried to bribe a club bouncer with Ecstasy. He is the Waves’ general manager now, but he’s certainly not smart enough to run the whole shebang.

Isla’s younger half-brother Sandy Gordon is smart, driven and good with numbers. That’s why he’s Chief Financial Officer for the organization. But he knows nothing about the game itself and wouldn’t even know where to begin recruiting new players.

So, the presidency falls to Isla. It’s actually a pretty good choice. Although she’s been the “Coordinator of Charitable Endeavors” the last several years, Isla loves basketball and actually knows quite a bit about the sport and the business behind it. But since her dad was “old-school” (read sexist), he never gave her a shot. So she acted out, partying it up until she hit rock bottom. Then, after her dad died, Cam gave her the charity position to restore some of her dignity and family honor.

Now, Cam is counting on Isla to run point. But with problematic players, angry sponsors and unruly brothers—including a newly discovered other half-brother, Jackie Moreno—Isla’s got her work cut out for her.

Feinting and Flapping

Netflix’s Running Point, starring Kate Hudson, is somewhat based on the life of Jeanie Buss, president of the Los Angeles Lakers, who, like Isla, had to prove herself as the female leader of a male-dominated franchise after her father passed away, states The Hollywood Reporter.

The show sort of gives off Ted Lasso vibes. But instead of being brought together by a wholesome coach from Texas, the Waves are united by a party-girl-turned-girlboss. That isn’t to say that Kate Hudson isn’t portraying a strong lead, just that her character isn’t nearly as endearing as Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso.

And the show itself has just as many problems as Ted Lasso, maybe even more. We see a couple of sex scenes, people take their clothes off, the Gordon’s dad was involved in multiple extramarital affairs, Sandy Gordon is in a same-sex relationship, and Isla lives with her fiancé, whom she’s been engaged to for three years.

Language is also foul; players are often crass; and more than one character makes some really derogatory, sexist remarks. Not to mention the abundant drug use of Cam Gordon, which acts as the show’s inciting incident.

Hudson says the show is more family comedy than rom-com, but most families are probably gonna want to steer clear of this TV-MA rated series.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Of course, not everyone feels the same as Coach Dan, namely his daughter Laurie. She hasn’t made a single play all season—not one hit, one catch, one game-winning throw. And she’s starting to believe what everyone is saying: that she’s only there because she’s the coach’s kid.

Laurie isn’t the only one stressing out before the big game, though. Teammates, parents and even the umpires are all facing their own insecurities, anxieties and fears.

But what they’ll all learn soon is, in the game of life, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses: It’s about how you look at it.

Some Wins, Some Losses

Win or Lose is the first original series to come from Disney’s Pixar. But it faced some heavy scrutiny even before it aired: In December 2024, Disney announced that it had pulled a transgender storyline from the series.

“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a Disney spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

The character still exists in the show (and is voiced by a trans person), but the verbal cues indicating gender identity have been removed. And given Disney’s proclivity for introducing LGBT storylines (2022’s Lightyear and Strange World both featured gay characters), there’s still a chance other LGBT characters could pop up. (Indeed, the janitor of the Pickles’ school behaves in an effeminate manner that may suggest same-sex leanings to some.)

There are some other heavy topics to be mindful of, as well. Laurie’s parents are divorced and still struggling to find a balance in their co-parenting. Rochelle, Laurie’s teammate, is being raised by single mom Vanessa, who is facing her own insecurities and challenges. And Frank, the umpire, after trying out a dating app, is heartbroken to learn that his ex is now engaged. However, these topics are largely navigable if parents are able to walk their younger viewers through them.

Some potentially less navigable issues include a few misuses of God’s name. Laurie prays to God, asking him for help during a softball game, but we also later see her mom doing a Tarot card reading. Viewers will be exposed to some mild violence (a girl gets walloped by a softball to the face, for instance) and occasional toilet humor.

Win or Lose does do a couple of things well. Parents (ahem) step up to the plate, reassuring their kids and helping them through difficult times. Friends are there for each other. And teammates learn that the most important part of the game isn’t winning or losing; it really is about having fun.

For parents, Win or Lose is far from a home run. Will it round the bases and slide into your home? It’ll be up to you to say whether this lands fair … or foul.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Well, technically Dr. Gomez’s son, Michael, found the squirrels. But considering squirrels weren’t native to the archaic Middle East, it’s still a rather impressive discovery. But then the squirrels reanimate, revealing that not only are they not dead, but they can speak English, too.

Merle and Pearl, the squirrels, explain that they were vacationing in the Roman province of Judea about two millennia ago when they made the mistake of swimming in the Dead Sea. The saline waters dehydrated the rodents, freezing them in time until Michael found them.

Merle and Pearl take on the task of mentoring young Michael and his friends, sharing stories from their adventures in Judea—stories about Jesus, the Apostle Paul and other disciples.

Unfortunately, Michael and his family aren’t the only ones who know about Merle and Pearl. A mysterious man in sunglasses is doing everything he can to kidnap the nut-hoarding mammals. And the Gomez family will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Let’s Crack This Acorn Open

Based on the book series by Mike Nawrocki, Dead Sea Squirrels is the latest offering from the kid-focused, Christian streaming service Minno. Each episode features a character (usually Michael or Merle) getting into some sort of trouble or hardship because of his or her bad choices. But then they’re reminded of stories from the Bible (usually narrated by Pearl) to help them find the right way to proceed.

It’s sort of like VeggieTales, which makes sense since Nawrocki co-created that series, too. But the series’ mysterious B-plot helps engage kids more, since they’ll no doubt want to return regularly to find out what’s happening to Merle and Pearl.

Dead Sea Squirrels comes with the occasional moment of peril. There are some odd inclusions that older audiences will catch (a girl wearing a hijab attends Michael’s school, for instance). The Gomez family’s cat (and a few other creatures) repeatedly tries to eat Merle and Pearl. And Michael and his friends sometimes push boundaries more than they should.

However, bad behaviors are always corrected—used to teach viewers a lesson, not encourage mischief. Parents can count on nice, subtle messages about the importance of family, friends and good manners. And catchy songs tell Bible stories and reinforce Christian values, which is something many a parent can celebrate.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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She towers over trees. She looms over houses. She and King Kong could borrow each other’s clothes (if Kong wore any). And if she has a good cry? Well, the hamlet of Boysenburg has plenty of extra canoes on hand if it comes to that.

But a little flooding is a small price to pay for having such a big—and kind—neighbor.

Tall Tales

Goldie’s backstory is not that complicated. She just kind of arrived. A stork just dropped baby Goldie into a tree one day, and there she was. Raised by a bird named Romeo and somehow given a giant set of clothes, Goldie is now one of Boysenburg’s most noticeable residents. And they’re happy to have her.

“Even though our flood-management and construction bills have been through the roof, we’re glad you chose Boysenburg as your home,” the town’s mayor says.

And he means it. In fact, most everyone in town loves Goldie. Well, everyone except for the grouchy antique dealer, Mrs. Petunia. And even she admits that the girl has her uses.

No one is happier to have Goldie around than her two comparatively short compadres. Teeny and Petey think the world of Goldie, even though her massive size and sensitive disposition can make playdates a little tricky. When Goldie decided to get a really special gift for Teeny, for instance, she brought Teeny a yeti. (Note: Yetis and parties don’t mix well.)

But even if Goldie might make an (inherently) big mistake now and then, her heart’s always right on point. As Teeny says, Goldie’s the type of girl who’ll move mountains for you. Literally. “They really do look better over there,” Teeny says.

Heart of Gold

Apple TV+’s Goldie may star a big girl. But its problems—at least to this point—are very, very tiny.

Sure, the mayor wears a pink bowtie, which some will take as a sign of his romantic inclinations. Yes, the town of Boysenburg is routinely destroyed, which surely must result in astronomical property taxes. And really, never invite yetis to parties.

But those amount to the smallest of quibbles in a show that sports a heart as big as Goldie’s own.

Goldie cares about everyone she sees. And they care about her. Those who are alarmed by just how big she is are soon won over by Goldie’s kindness and creativity. “I know I’m a little different,” she explains to some visitors. “But that doesn’t mean you need to treat me any differently.” (This message of acceptance is underlined with her friends, as well: Petey’s in a wheelchair.)

Goldie even comes with a wonderful message about adoption. After all, the whole town adopted Goldie as its own—and it couldn’t be happier about it. 

Moreover, Goldie isn’t just one of those sweet, sentimental shows that might teach great lessons to your kids but make adults roll their eyes. It’s fun, too: It comes with some of the whimsy we might find in, say, The Fairly OddParents, but with fewer problems and more soul.

Of course, all this could change. Goldie does not have a long track record as of this writing, and if it runs for several seasons, new problems could crop up.

But at this point, I hope it does run for several seasons. Goldie’s the type of show that I’d like to see more of.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )

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Stories don’t end, really. Not as long as the protagonists have breath in their lungs. Luke Skywalker brought down the Empire but became a bitter, old dude. Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, grew up and had kids, and still came back more than 20 years later to defeat Voldemort again.

The kids from 1984’s Karate Kid? They grew up, too. Their stories didn’t end when Daniel LaRusso planted a heel in bully Johnny Lawrence’s face. They went on, well after the movie’s credits finished rolling. And maybe the most important parts of their respective stories are still to come.

READ ON, READ OFF …

It’s been 30-something years since Daniel and Johnny squared off in 1984’s All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship. From that pivotal moment, their lives diverged radically.

Daniel leveraged his underdog victory to propel himself to modest fame and fortune—mostly as the cheesy spokesman/owner of his own line of car dealerships. Meanwhile, Johnny wallowed in self-pity, hating Daniel and vowing to get revenge someday.

Well, that day comes when Johnny and Daniel each reopen their old dojos—Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, respectively—to compete (or, at least, have their students compete) in the All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship once again.

While Daniel continues the gentle, defense-only strategy of his old sensei, Mr. Miyagi, Johnny teaches his pupils the same motto his own sensei, Kreese, taught him: “Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy.”

Yessir. Johnny and Daniel both know how to land punches where they hurt the most.

But then Kreese makes a reappearance, taking over Cobra Kai and reimplementing the hard-hitting training tactics that he once trained Johnny on—and it makes Johnny realize that, you know what, maybe a little mercy isn’t such a bad thing?

He and Daniel ultimately team up to take on Kreese’s Cobra Kai dojo, causing Kreese to himself team up with an old friend named Terry Silver (the main antagonist of The Karate Kid Part III). And Silver is apparently still a jerk, because he gets Kreese falsely arrested in order to take over Cobra Kai himself…before Johnny and Daniel manage to get Terry arrested for his (authentic) crimes, too. And that shuts down Cobra Kai altogether.

But you (and honestly, Daniel) should know by now that it isn’t that simple. After all, how can a show called Cobra Kai not have the titular dojo?

Kreese and Silver each finagle their way out of prison. Kreese heads to South Korea to set up Cobra Kai once more, and Silver takes over the Iron Dragons, based out of Hong Kong. Both men then train their students in preparation for the same prestigious tournament the now-allied Johnny and Daniel train theirs: Sekai Taikai.

For Daniel, it’ll be his swan song in honor of Mr. Miyagi before he moves away from being a full-time sensei. After all, whatever dojo wins tends to influence the karate sphere into following that dojo’s karate strategy. But if either Kreese or Silver has his way, that’ll never happen.

Because in Cobra Kai, it’s not about the wax: It’s all about the whacks.

OUT OF BALANCE?

The original Karate Kid was relatively innocent and pretty inspirational—a PG film that inspired a generation of kids to flood their local mall-based dojos (and maybe even paint their parents’ fences).

Cobra Kai was the first real high-profile show from YouTube’s subscription-based addendum YouTube Red (which was picked up by Netflix in its third season). But it isn’t aimed at young viewers like the original was. At least, let’s hope not. Just as the show focuses on the now-50-year-olds Johnny and Daniel, the content is pretty grown-up, too.

The s-word flies more often than karate kicks, with plenty of other milder profanities (including the occasional f-word) landing blow after blow. Drinking and drug use land on the screen as well.

The show’s sexual content is also more in-your-face than you might expect: Daniel’s high school-age daughter, Samantha, is subject to sexual harassment and assault. And when she rebuffs her quasi-boyfriend’s advances, she becomes the subject of ugly and graphic rumors at school. A post-prom scene shows Johnny’s son, Robby, getting pretty steamy with his girlfriend, too. And it becomes pretty clear as the series continues that several high school couples are jumping in bed together. Parents and other adults are also caught in intimate moments, and at one point, Johnny searches online for a way to tell his star pupil, Miguel, that he’s “banging” Miguel’s mom, Carmen. And later, Johnny and Carmen are thrilled to learn Carmen is pregnant.

And naturally, Cobra Kai has some violent moments. I mean, it is a show predicated, at least in part, on beating people up. And sometimes, even characters we ostensibly root for have moments where they’re just plain mean. (Season 3 opens with one of Johnny’s students stuck in a coma after “good guy” Robby kicked him off a landing in an all-out karate gang showdown at school. And Cobra Kai’s final season reveals that Mr. Miyagi may not always have been a defense-based fighter, since he may have been responsible for one man’s death and another’s hospitalization.) But a few characters are murdered, too. And one young karate champ falls on his own blade after allowing his anger to get the better of him.

Ironically, though, it’s in the wake of those difficult moments that Cobra Kai, like its characters, finds a certain measure of redemption.

Cobra Kai is, after all, a story about folks trying to find their way to Mr. Miyagi’s mystical sense of balance, to find the middle way between being a pushover and being a world-class jerk. Everyone here, from oldsters Johnny and Daniel to their troubled pupils and offspring, is searching for redemption and meaning. Some tap into past hope and past sins, even as some of those hopes and sins are passed on to another generation. Families want to restore relationships, and friends work to make up for their regrets. Netflix’s show does more than simply play off Gen X nostalgia: It has a story of its own it wants to tell. Several, really.

But while those stories may have merit, they also come with problematic content aplenty. And that can make Cobra Kai a more difficult dojo to deal with than the original. After all, the motto is “No mercy.”

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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These issues are relatively new, to be honest. Mark Grayson has always gotten along pretty well with his pops, Nolan. And, like most kids, he always wanted to grow up to be just like his dad.

But ever since he was 7 years old, Mark knew that he’d have bigger shoes to fill than most. While Nolan may simply look like a heavily muscled, mustachioed, middle-aged father, he’s actually the alien Omni-Man, Earth’s sworn protector. In a world filled with superheroes, Omni-Man is its most super—incredibly strong, really fast and nigh invulnerable. Oh, and of course, he can fly.

As 17-year-old Mark’s just beginning to develop and learn about his own matching powers, his famous father is acting pretty … weird. Like, murderously weird.

Seems like they’re overdue for a father-son chat.

It’s Botherin’ Time!

It’s not as if Mark doesn’t have enough on his teenage plate already. He’s in college now, and it’s pretty difficult to make a class schedule work when villains don’t exactly wait for you to get out of class.

Oh, there’s also that big thing about Mark’s father having his own Viltrumite agenda. He wanted to conquer Earth for the Viltrumite Empire, and he wanted Mark to join him in that goal. Mark, of course, being half-human, wasn’t too keen on the idea. And after a devastating battle, his father took one look at his mostly dead son and realized that maybe he did care a little about humans, more than he’d like to admit.

That was before Nolan took off into space. Since then, he’s sired a child, Oliver, with another alien race, one who eventually ended up under the care of Mark’s mother, Debbie. And at the accelerated rate he’s growing, it’s not long before he gains his powers and wants to fight alongside his big brother, too.

Is that all? No, it never is.

That’s because even if Nolan is questioning is commitment to the Viltrumite goal, the rest of his people don’t exactly take no for an answer. They’ll come back in full force.

And if Mark has trouble fighting one Viltrumite … how about a whole attack force of them?

Uck, Uck, and Away!

We live in an age besotted with superheroes, so perhaps it’s no surprise that we might have more revisionist superhero stories than straightforward good-doers on the telly these days. From HBO’s Watchmen to Amazon Prime’s own The Boys, television has plenty of dark, satirical, incredibly problematic superhero stories to choose from.

Invincible resides in an interesting cubbyhole in the classroom of superhero revisionism. As an animated show, it can feel lighter and more true to the genre at times. (Emphasize the words at times in that sentence, if you will.). It can feel even a bit ludicrously whimsical, even—like The Tick, perhaps. When Omni-Man took Mark to pick out his very first super suit, I immediately thought of Edna from The Incredibles.

And from what I know of Invincible’s source material (a series of comics created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker from Image Comics Universe), the story has more on its mind than just dissecting the genre; it may seek to tell its own gritty and even aspirational tale of fall and redemption, infused with some of the dynamics of Greek tragedy.

But, yowza, does this show go dark. And red.

The carnage here is pretty extreme. Heads are crushed. Guts are strewn. Blood is shed by the bucket. You might think that the show’s animated imagery would lessen the impact of all that gore. But for me, at least, it actually made it worse. Ink can still give more detail than even the best CGI can, if not the same realism.

Sexual content is inescapable, too, from tight, almost nude-appearing costumes to characters talking about behind-the-bedroom-door exploits. LGBT characters take center stage. Language can be quite colored, as well, including f-words.

Invincible sports a pretty amazing cast of voices behind the characters, from Oscar-winners (J.K. Simmons as Omni-Man) and A-list comedians (Seth Rogen) to the great voice actor Mark Hamill himself (yes, that Mark Hamill).

This story seems to be heading toward some interesting places. But to get there, you’ll have to stomach some pretty grotesque content. That’s a journey I’m not willing to take. And for many, Invincible might be—or perhaps should be—unwatchable.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Hosted by Poppa himself, Poppa’s House is the No. 2 talk-radio show on the air.

Why not No. 1?

Well since Poppa’s divorce, the show has come off as a bit … bitter.

Now, Poppa only plays music that his listeners describe as “old-school.” He publicly tells callers on his show to “kick rocks.” And his negative attitude toward women has caused a lot of females to stop listening altogether. According to Poppa’s assistant Allen, Corporate needs something to change.  

Enter Dr. Ivy Reid.

Corporate commands that Ivy, a podcaster with a Ph.D. in psychology, will become Poppa’s new co-host for the Poppa’s House radio show. And her scented candles, assertive personality and new ideas immediately annoy Poppa.

And although their personalities clash, Poppa and Ivy at the radio station must work together to bring Poppa’s House back up to the top.

But the radio station isn’t the only concern in Poppa’s life. Poppa’s adult son, Damon, is having troubles of his own.

After graduating from film school, Damon landed a job as a successful foam roller salesman to support his wife and kids. The only issue is that he hates every second of it.

Damon wants to chase his dream of becoming a director, but he recognizes the importance of taking care of his family. Poppa supports and inspires these aspirations as Damon struggles to balance his dreams and duties.

Turn that Dial

Like most family-based TV sitcoms, CBS’ Poppa’s House has constructive and concerning elements.

True to its TV-14 rating, the show employs profanity, including “d–n,” “a–” and misuses of God’s name. Characters utilize sexual references and innuendos as a primary source of comedy, and while these comments are not particularly graphic, they are extremely frequent.

And as you may have already noticed, Poppa has a complicated relationship with women. Throughout the first episode, Poppa consistently makes negative comments about his ex-wife, some of which are in front of his son. And as mentioned, the divorce seems to have soured Poppa’s perception of women in general. Poppa is rude to female callers on his radio show, one of whom asks, “Why do you reduce every conversation you have with a woman to sex?” And Poppa publicly disrespects Ivy on air by telling listeners that she is “overstaying her welcome” at Poppa’s House.

The show also contains a great deal of family dysfunction. For example, although Poppa frequently mentions his ex-wife, he seems completely unbothered by their divorce. Additionally, Poppa also has a sour relationship with Damon’s father-in-law, and the men incessantly insult one another. And when Nina, Damon’s wife, discovers that Damon lied about a job-related incident, she briefly behaves coldly toward him. There is also an ongoing joke in which Damon pokes fun at Nina’s height.

But despite these issues, family relationships—including the good and bad parts—are at the heart of Poppa’s House. While Damon and Nina argue, they ultimately love and affirm one another’s dreams, and they learn to make one another a priority. And although Poppa can be cantankerous, he willingly offers Damon support and advice.

Whether or not Poppa’s House shows up in your house is up to your family. But if you do choose to “turn that dial” to CBS’ comedy, you’ll find an imperfect, somewhat dysfunctional, but highly relatable family.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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No one could have predicted the success of the game, especially with a creative director who regularly pushes back release dates and exceeds production budgets. But somehow, Ian’s rash, last-minute “noodling” always works out, ever expanding his legacy. Er, I mean his team’s legacy…

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK?

And by the show’s fourth season, the legacy of MQ’s team has endured more than a few bumps.

The chief “bump” among those was the loss of Ian and another prominent employee, Poppy. Both of them left the company to start work on Poppy’s game, Hera. Unfortunately for Poppy, Hera just wasn’t all that fun to play. And that caused the duo to scrap the idea in favor of Poppy’s other idea: Playpen, a platform consisting of user-generated games and content.

Well, the issue with that software is that Poppy couldn’t raise enough capital to support it. Fortunately for her and Ian, the team behind MQ is struggling for ways to keep their game fresh and relevant. And that’s how the two rejoined the MQ team, merging Playpen back into MQ’s fold.

But if there’s one thing that seems to update more often than MQ itself, it’s Ian and Poppy’s relationship, which bounces around like a ping-pong ball on the perpetual on-again, off-again table. Currently, Poppy’s dating someone else, and considering their history, the relationship is bound to bring more tension into Ian and Poppy’s working relationship.

NERFS AND BUFFS

Mythic Quest is an accurate depiction of gaming culture—including everything wrong with it.

To be sure, there are many positive elements to online gaming (and to Mythic Quest)—the camaraderie, the engaging storyline, the emotional connection built between characters. But as any parent of a teenager obsessed with Fortnite knows, there are also many negatives.

Language (especially the f- and s-words), sexual innuendos and toilet humor flow just as rapidly as MQ’s in-game blood. LGBTQ characters are present (and engaging in romantic relationships). And the staffers at MQ love to hate on a 14-year-old boy who goes by the streaming tag “Pootie Shoe.” They nonchalantly call him a “little s—” and don’t even realize how unprofessional their behavior towards the child is until a rival company points it out.

Mythic Quest, the game, would no doubt be rated M for mature. And the show is no different.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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At face value, you might conclude that Ranmaru simply loves his gig. But Ranmaru is hiding a secret.

He’s a vampire.

And a 15-year-old boy named Rihito is the real reason Ranmaru is staying at the bathhouse.

Ten years ago, Ranmaru collapsed outside of the Koi Bathhouse on the brink of death. Though initially frightened, 5-year-old Rihito eventually invited Ranmaru into the bathhouse to stay. And Rihito’s innocence and purity immediately mesmerized Ranmaru.

You see, the vampire has a particular—ahem—taste when it comes to humans. And Ranmaru finds pure, virgin, 18-year-old boys particularly delectable. So Ranmaru devised a plan: He will work at the Koi Bathhouse until Rihito’s 18^th birthday. Then he’ll indulge in Rihito’s blood.  

It’s been a decade since Ranmaru first met Rihito, and things are pretty much the same. Sure, Rihito is 15 now, but he’s still the same innocent kid as before.

But that innocence is threatened when Rihito starts high school.

On the first day of school, Rihito falls in love with a girl in his class, and Ranmaru realizes his plans could unravel. So, Ranmaru vows to protect Rihito’s virginity until his 18^th birthday.

Then, he’ll have his reward.  

Bloodsucker

Based on the Japanese manga series Baban Baban Ban Vampire by Hiromasa Okujima, Netflix’s new anime series Babanba Banban Vampire contains some bloodcurdling content.

For one, Ranmaru frequently acts according to his violent vampire nature. Some scenes feature him biting into the necks and shoulders of various characters, who bleed as they painfully pass away. Additionally, Ranmaru’s desire throughout the series is to drink Rihito’s blood. Sometimes, Ranmaru is almost overcome by this desire, and he thinks, “I could drink him dry right this moment.”

As you might’ve guessed, even more troubling than Ranmaru’s vampiric desires are the sexual suggestions that underscore these longings. Ranmaru explains his blood-drinking preferences by saying, “I only settle for 18-year-old virgin boys.” Ranmaru’s statement seems to refer to more than his culinary taste in humans.

For example, when Ranmaru thinks about Rihito’s purity, he sometimes experiences physical arousal. Ranmaru also looks longingly at Rihito’s unclothed body—which viewers do see—as he bathes in the bathhouse. And the overall relationship between the 450-year-old vampire and the 15-year-old boy appears alarmingly intimate. Additionally, Ranmaru reveals that one of his ex-lovers was another man, for whom he expressed his love by biting his flesh and drinking his blood.

Adding to the sexual undertones of the series are frequent scenes featuring animated nudity. Apart from some bare backsides, nothing critical is seen, but the show is animated in such a way that critical features are barely hidden. (Readers of this review should note, however, that much of the nudity is due to the show’s setting in a traditional, single-gendered Japanese bathhouse, or sento, in which complete nudity would be considered acceptable—and not at all sexual.)

Additionally, while the show’s narration is entirely in Japanese, its subtitles employ harsh profanity, including the f-word, “h—” and misuses of God’s name. And of course, since the show features a vampire protagonist, there are references to Ranmaru’s superhuman abilities and talismanic forces. 

If you’re looking for a family-friendly animated show about vampires, I’m inclined to suggest Hotel Transylvania instead of this Netflix anime. After all, Babanba Banban Vampire probably contains far too much disturbing sexual content, nudity and profanity to suit your family.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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For most of us, the line between work and the rest of our lives can get pretty blurry these days. We bring work home with us. We bring home to work with us. Telecommuting from the dinner table, texting the boss from the kid’s soccer game, running spreadsheets through our mind at breakfast. COVID didn’t help, certainly. But let’s be honest: Those lines were blurring long before we were going to work on Zoom.

(And if your job is, like, watching television shows? Well, don’t even get me started.)

But have no fear! You can separate your job from home! You can do your work and have a life, too!

All you need is just a bit of irreversible brain surgery, and you’ll never bring work home with you again.

Office Displace

Admittedly, the severance procedure is still pretty rare (even in this Apple TV+ world) and freighted with controversy. But for Mark Scout, the procedure was welcome. His wife died not long ago, and he was—is—consumed with grief. But instead of suffering 24 hours a day, he suffers for 16, give or take. For eight hours at work, Mark doesn’t know he was a husband, much less a widower. For that eight hours, he can lose himself in macrodata refinement at Lumon Industries.

Mark’s supportive sister, Devon, has her doubts about the procedure. “I just feel like forgetting about her for eight hours a day isn’t the same thing as healing,” she says. But Mark’s happy with his decision. Or, at least, he thinks he is.

Admittedly, it’s not overly stimulating work for his “innie.” But it’s important work—and so sensitive that only people who have been severed are allowed to do it. And again, it’s better than the alternative. Why, Mark just got a promotion—one that he might be inclined to brag about to his sister.

If, y’know, he knew he got one. Because the surgery works the other way, too: Mark has no memory of his work once he leaves each day.

But while Mark claims to be happy with his choice, he’s beginning to suspect that something strange is afoot—or, rather, something even stranger.

Mark received that promotion only after his innie’s best friend, Petey, left Lumon under rather mysterious circumstances. So when Petey sidles up to Mark at a local bar—outside work—and re-introduces himself, Mark realizes that if this “Petey” is telling the truth, perhaps the severance procedure isn’t quite so permanent as they thought.

“Nothing down there is what they say,” Petey tells Mark, and he encourages Mark to follow up. And Mark surely will. But what doors will he unlock? What secrets will he uncover? And will Mark ever be the same again?

Stark and Wrecks

Apple TV+’s Severance is directed by comedian Ben Stiller and stars Adam Scott, perhaps best known for his work on the sitcom Parks & Recreation. But don’t let that pedigree fool you: It’s classified as a thriller, and what laughs it offers are more of the dark, broody, sepulchral kind. Indeed, showrunner Dan Erickson says that the series was born from his own office-bound, repetitive-task misery.

At one point, Erickson remembers thinking, “Man, I wish I could just totally not experience the next eight hours. I wish I could disassociate and just have it be 5 and suddenly I’m going home,” according to Apple Insider.

The result of Erickson’s workplace doldrums resulted in this masterclass in office-bound malaise. Secular reviewers are calling the show “unnerving,” “engrossing” and sometimes, “brilliant.” Severance boasts a 100% “freshness” rating on Rotten Tomatoes thus far.

And indeed, Severance hits the bullseye it seeks to hit: It turns repetitive drudgery into edgy unease. It’s simultaneously taut and ludicrous, grief-stricken and creepy. If it was a work of art, it’d be an M.C. Escher sketch with an assist from Edvard Munch’s The Scream. If it was an urban legend, it’d be Slenderman with a smile painted on.

With Apple TV+ stringing the hour-long episodes in weekly fashion, it’s hard to say where this TV-MA rated show might swing. We see a flashback of the severance procedure, but we also watch as a man is brutally murdered by a woman wielding a bat. One episode in Season One gives a much-warranted warning for a depiction of suicide—an act which sparks conversations about whether the attempt (she survives) should be classified as suicide or homicide since the woman was trying to send her “outie” a very strong message regarding her thoughts on severance.

A bit of office romance (both traditional and same-sex) causes controversy, too. Indeed, characters hear on the news that a woman’s innie became pregnant in a workplace romance that her outie had no knowledge of and certainly didn’t consent to. But given the office setting, we don’t see tons of skin.

Severance comes with a fair bit of language—including f- and s-words. Mark drinks heavily outside the office. And because of its curious, existential setup, some spiritual themes can be in the offing, too. The innies only exist in the world at work, so many both inside and outside believe severance to be a form of slavery. Elsewhere, innies protest the idea of retirement since that life event effectively ends their existence. But do innies even qualify as people? That’s what the world is still debating.

Tonally, the show comes with other cautions. This is not a nice show—one that you flip on mindlessly that helps you forget about your own difficult workday. Severance takes you on an unsettling ride—one with few thrilling loops and dips, but the strange turns may make you feel a little queasy anyway.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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