Mashable

Well, when it came to predicting how Season 1 of The Vampire Lestat would end, I was way, way off.

Show creator Rolin Jones went way off-book from Anne Rice's source material, crafting a fascinating, mind-bending finale. While the decapitated Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) had to face his ex-lover Armand (Assad Zaman), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) had to face the long table and its Failure Finders.

Thankfully, both survived their brushes with death. But in the finale's final scene, Lestat reveals the ravaged world sparked by the concert that the episode skipped over. 

We've got burning questions. But in an interview with Mashable, Reid dropped some hints on what's next for the Interview with the Vampire series. 

What's coming up in The Vampire Lestat Season 2?

Over a video call with me, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, Reid noted that the next season of Interview with a Vampire will move beyond Anne Rice's second novel, for which this season was named, The Vampire Lestat. 

"The way that [the show's writers] pull from the books," Reid explained, "we're not necessarily just doing The Vampire Lestat. We're looking at multiple books here in the overall arc — particularly those next three books." 

Those would be The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, and Memnoch the Devil. In the first of these, the central narrator conceit is abandoned, as Rice took on the perspective of a variety of characters, including Baby Jenks. The focus of the overall story is the rise of Akasha (Sheila Atim) and the devastation she wreaks upon the world of mortals and immortals alike. 

The Body Thief is a body-swap narrative, in which Lestat exchanges his immortal form with that of a mortal named Raglan James — who has been a part of this TV series since Interview with a Vampire Season 2. In the next book, Lestat is back in his vampire form and meets the titular character from Memnoch the Devil. 

While Reid didn't get into details of what would come next, he did say, "The overall arc is [Lestat] understanding that even though he keeps rising from the ashes, he's actually a failure and should accept failure." 

The Vampire Lestat star also noted, "There's a lot left unresolved with Gabriella." 

Indeed. At the end of The Vampire Lestat Season 1, we witness the Brat Prince push back at the long table, recognizing the abuse his mortal mother put him through. Then, once his head is back on his shoulders and he's again with the living, Lestat yells at his mother — in her Sofia mode — refusing to play the concert, and even calling her a "monster." 

It seems a potential point of change. But as Lestat says in his narration, he failed to stop what was coming. 

Reid said of this moment, "He's still fundamentally failed because even though he's woken up, and he's like, 'I'm going to start again. I'm not going to go on stage. I'm not going to do these things. I'm not going to be your puppet, Gabriella.' But, you know, as we cut to at the end, he still has failed because the world has been destroyed, which we just haven't seen yet." 

When can we expect more from the Vampire Lestat? That's a question we're waiting for AMC to answer. 

The Vampire Lestat is now streaming on AMC and AMC+.

Early on in The Vampire Lestat's first season, the eponymous anti-hero mentions a formatively traumatic moment that we finally see in full in the finale, titled "The Failures." 

When Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) was just a boy, his mother, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle), took him to see their neighbors burn alleged witches alive. In the final episode of this season, Lestat finally stops deflecting about what this moment meant. At the long table, before the Failure Finders, he confronts his resentment at his mother for how this execution impacted him for the next 200-plus years. 

In a post-mortem interview, Sam Reid told Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko what that scene means for The Vampire Lestat and how it connects to the final moments of Nicolas de Lenfent (Joseph Potter). 

What did the witches burning mean to Lestat? Featured Video For You 'The Vampire Lestat's Sam Reid on Magnus, Claudia, Sofia, and more

In episode 7 of The Vampire Lestat, the version of Gabriella at the long table argues that she took the young child Lestat to witness the witches burn so that he would see his neighbors for the vicious and ignorant "cabbages" they are. She wanted him to be motivated to leave this terrible place for something better. 

Asked about this sequence, Reid told Mashable, "That was one of the main conversations I had with [showrunner] Rolin [Jones] about the whole Lestat journey this season, was getting to the core of him, [which] was this existential crisis that he had when he was a child." 

"You know, he [initially] puts it on Nicki, because he cannot deal with that," Reid explained, "so he gives Nicki that existential crisis in episode three." 

Reid referred to the flashback in episode 3, where vampire Nicki goes mad, cuts off his own hand, and longs for death. At the time, Lestat told Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) that Armand (Assad Zaman) killed Nicki with fire. And as he died, Nicki let out a long, low moan, an "O." In episode 7, recalling the witches at the long table, Lestat echoes this exact sound. 

Lestat looks upset. Credit: AMC

"Nicki saw that in death there was a nothingness," Reid said, "That all of this means absolutely nothing, which is a very complex feeling as an immortal being. And his mouth formed a perfect circle, and all that came out was, 'O.' And then you see [Lestat] reprocess that memory as his own memory, watching these women die, and understanding for the first time: Yes, Gabriella has abused him, and has assaulted him throughout his whole life." 

He continued, "[By taking him to see the witches burned], she's weirdly saying to him, 'Get out. Go do [or] be something else, be something more [than these cabbages].'  But unfortunately, it came out of a place of trauma. So his whole sense of direction has been running — running so far from the idea that he might become nothing and he might be dead. So it's very messy." 

"There's a lot left unresolved with Gabriella," Reid said, "But, we always knew that we were going to return to this 'O,' to this sound, the purity of existential crisis." 

Noting how the show's take on Nicki and Lestat differs from Anne Rice's novel The Vampire Lestat, Reid explained, "There is such a beautiful chapter in the book that he has with Nicki. The way that [Rolin and his team] do the the adaption is that they will look at it, and go, 'Well, maybe Lestat here in the book is deflecting.' So, [the writers] knew they were always going to return to that, and how fundamental the witches were going to be in Lestat's life." 

The Vampire Lestat is now streaming on AMC and AMC+.

When Sam Reid first sat down with Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, they dug into the first three episodes of The Vampire Lestat, focusing on the Brat Prince's perspective on his makers and female fledglings. 

Now, in a post-mortem interview, he's dug into the season's mind-snapping finale, the Failure Finders, what's next for Lestat, and why Paul de Pointe du Lac (Steven G. Norfleet) makes a surprise appearance. 

In episode 7, titled "The Failures," Lestat faces the long table. There, after facing down those he loves and loathes most, he turns it into a stage, where he performs for his long line of victims. But as his time is running out, and it seems his death is coming, it's Louis' long-gone brother Paul — who died by his own volition and not by Lestat's fangs — who comes to share a quiet moment with him. 

Reid reflected on what this scene means to Lestat. 

Why does Paul show up at the long table?  Featured Video For You 'The Vampire Lestat's Sam Reid on Magnus, Claudia, Sofia, and more

Reid says of this sequence, "These people at the concert are the ones who he has traumatized in their life, or he has killed. But Paul represents the reason why Louis can't say 'I love you' to him." 

In the scene, Paul seems to come from the afterlife — as Claudia did, but with no wrath — to meet Lestat, and offer a word about what he's realized about his brother. In death (or near it), the religious zealot and the Brat Prince are able to empathize with Louis in a way they couldn't before. 

"The reason why [Lestat] can't get the validation that he needs from the person he wants it from the most in the world," Reid explained, "is because the last time Louis said 'I love you' to somebody, they killed themselves. And Paul is there, saying, 'He does love you,' you know?"

How does that impact the Brat Prince? Reid continued, "Lestat finally understands, 'I've got to stop asking for this. I've got to stop being this person, like railing and needing to get validation from Louis'… Because Louis does love him. He's just got a lot of his own issues, and [Lestat] finally understands."

"It's a heartbreaking realization for Lestat and beautiful and [a] kind of closure," Reid mused, "for him to realize that he is loved." 

Reid noted this epiphany brings Lestat back from the brink of death. "That's the thing that leads him out," he said. "Then he wakes up, and [he says,] 'Where's Louis?'" 

From there, this episode has darkly romantic moments, like Lestat and Louis reuniting — with each other and their bodies — on the tour bus. But as the final reveal of a ravaged world suggests, there's a lot more to endure for Loustat and their shippers. 

What's next for The Vampire Lestat? Reid gave Mashable a few hints.

The Vampire Lestat is now streaming on AMC and AMC+.

After much fucking about, Lestat hit his find out era. In episode 7, titled "The Failures," while a decapitated Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) is tortured by a bitter Armand (Assad Zaman), Lestat is forced to face his past. We finally see the long table teased all season long in the opening credits.

Earlier this year, Reid came by Mashable's studio for a Say More interview, where he talked Claudia, Magnus, and much more. Now, he and Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko reconnected for a postmortem of the Brat Prince's finale. 

Who are the Failure Finders at the long table? 

At the head of the table sits Lestat's maker, Magnus (Damien Atkins). Then around the table, his fledglings, Nicolas "Nicki" de Lenfent (Joseph Potter), Louis, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle), Antoinette (Maura Grace), and his bandmate TC (Sarah Swire). But no Claudia (Bailey Bass).

As Lestat's severed head is dying, who are these figures? Are they ghosts of those he's loved? But how so, when some are still alive? Are they the voices in his head? Something supernatural from the savage garden?

"I don't think [Lestat] knows." Reid told Mashable, "But he knows that they are coming. The whole season's been set up for this sequence. [In episode 1] Baby Jenks says, 'You know, they're coming for you.' Who are they? And then Magnus in the car [in episode 3] is like, 'At the long table, we eat your soul.' So, he knows that they are coming — the long table is coming."

He went on, "I think when Lestat arrives there [at the long table], because [he is] a supernatural being, there's a lot of space to accept a lot of unknowns very quickly. So that's what Lestat's going through." 

"For me, as the actor trying to understand these kinds of things," Reid continued, "the whole framing device of this season is Lestat accepting and acknowledging failure. This is a character who continually brushes off every kind of trauma that he has experienced and refuses to fully engage with them. You can see that he's cracking under the pressure and the weight of them all." 

Reid then referred to the season's narration, Lestat's story told by him across a series of recordings he calls "The Failures." He explained, "[Lestat] is making this recording for a very specific person, or whoever wins it at the auction. But you know, I think he thinks it's a specific person. And he is explaining to them this is how it felt at the time." 

Lestat performs on the long table in "The Vampire Lestat." Credit: AMC

Compared to Interview With a Vampire's first two seasons, The Vampire Lestat has felt chaotic, leaping around in time and tone, with Lestat raging, laughing, provoking, and even contradicting himself. Reid said this reflects Lestat's choosing to deflect over confronting his past and his psychological pain. "That's why the episodes feel like an assault," he said, "and why certain things don't feel like they're fully investigated, because at the time he was not investigating [them]."

"Even at the long table he fights them, the Failure Finders," Reid said. "These key figures of his life, those who he loved the most or were so defining in his life, continually and persistently tell him that he is a failure." 

Reid continued: "So, what are they? I mean, it's open up to so much interpretation. I think the key thing about the season, though, is really setting up the concept of the soul. The soul does exist in our world. So are these [Failure Finders] the souls of the people who are there? I don't know. I think the long table version of these characters are more heightened. I mean, long table Louis is such a heightened, angry figure. So I don't know if they are the real people. They might be the figures of Lestat's guilt and shame that he carries, [showing] how he feels they feel about him. [That] is probably the most accurate."

"Take it as you will," Reid offered. "But I would say that it's more likely this is what it feels like inside the physical head [of Lestat]. That this is what he's fighting on a daily basis — is that everybody thinks he is a failure. He thinks he is a failure in the eyes of the people whom he should have helped and loved the most." 

Reid went on to connect Lestat facing his failures (and Failure Finders) to the final reveal of the season: the ravaged world, from which he records his album "The Failures." Reid said, "That leads him to acknowledging that he is responsible for the destruction of the world." Then he teased, "And then the subsequent decisions that he makes after that, which, you know, are for a later time." 

What's next for Lestat? Reid teased a few clues.

The Vampire Lestat is now streaming on AMC and AMC+.

Just two episodes after Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) threw a nauseating rat banquet, House of the Dragon upped its gross food game with another disgusting feast.

The feast shows up in Season 3, episode 5, which reveals that Ormund Hightower (James Norton) has been bankrolling the murders of Gold Cloaks across King's Landing. By the episode's end, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen) have killed one man who was involved in the killings, and who claims he was acting alone. However, that turns out not to the case, because by the episode's end, nine other Gold Cloaks are dead, including Luthor.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons connect

Daemon discovers these corpses posed in a horrifying tableau. The deceased Gold Cloaks sit around a long table, their innards splayed out among tankards and candles. Above them, someone has painted the words "a feast for traitors" in blood.

It's a disgusting sequence, a cross between "The Last Supper" and body horror. It's also not in House of the Dragon's source material, George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood — at least, not in this exact way.

For starters, the Gold Cloak killing spree is a show-only addition, as are all of Ormund's plans to crown Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). However, the corpse feast does take place, just in a very different setting.

In Fire and Blood, as Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and his men march south through the riverlands, his scouts come across a similar corpse feast. Pro-Rhaenyra forces staged a "grotesque mockery of a feast," using the rotting bodies of fallen soldiers to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. Later on the march, Criston's men find another corpse banquet, but this one is a trick: The corpses are actually living soldiers in disguise, and they manage to kill a dozen of the scouts.

Based on the fact that their insides have now become their outsides, it's clear that the dead Gold Cloaks in House of the Dragon are not pulling a similar trick. However, that feast, like the book's, is waging some serious psychological warfare. Notably, though, House of the Dragon switched which side of the war is creating this nasty corpse art, shifting it from Team Black to Team Green. The change means that Criston's biggest opponents in the show, Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan) and Ser Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes), aren't painted as total monsters. It's also in keeping with Ormund's more sadistic side in the show, although there's no way he would ever disembowel a man himself. Think of the smells!

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you like a good drink.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 20, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: To shout out

• Green: Use the mouse

• Blue: The ocean's jewel

• Purple: A good drink

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Announce

• Green: Things to click

• Blue: Associated with pearls

• Purple: Starting with alcoholic beverages

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1135 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Announce: BLARE, HERALD, SOUND, TRUMPET

• Things to click: BUTTON, ICON, LINK, MENU

• Associated with pearls: BUBBLE TEA, OYSTER, SWINE, WISDOM

• Starting with alcoholic beverages: ALEXA, MEADOW, PORTOBELLO, SAKES

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 20, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you come in a small package.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 20, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small talk

The words are related to size.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe small things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Itsy Bitsy.

NYT Strands word list for July 20

• Microscopic

• Little

• Tiny

• Itsy Bitsy

• Minuscule

• Miniature

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love the water.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 20, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 20, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Scuba.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

DIVER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Rhaenyra's Small Council in House of the Dragon is growing larger by the day.

The latest addition? Lady Sabitha Frey (Sarah Woodward), who appears to have been given a position mostly to compensate for Rhaenyra not giving her the already-promised Harrenhal.

"I had hoped a seat on the Small Council would suffice as recompense for House Frey's loyalty," Rhaenyra says, power-walking her way through the halls of the Red Keep.

"But Harrenhal was to be our recompense, payment for giving your Winter Wolves passage across the twins, promised by your own son!" snaps back Lady Sabitha.

She's eventually silenced by a withering look from Rhaenyra, and reluctantly accepts her seat. But hang on a minute, who is Lady Sabitha Frey again? And what exactly was the deal Team Black made with the Freys? Let's recap.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons connect Who is Lady Sabitha Frey?

Lady Sabitha Frey is the head of House Frey. It's a while back now, but we have met her before. In Season 2, episode 5, Jace (Harry Collett) meets with her and her husband, Lord Forrest Frey (Kenneth Collard), to cut a deal with them.

Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO

During the meeting, Lady Sabitha Frey brings up the possibility of Harrenhal, to which Jace (RIP) says, "For that, Mother will want more than your crossing."

"What does her grace desire?" asks Sabitha.

"Bent knees," is Jace's response.

Flash back to Season 3, and you can kind of see why Lady Frey isn't too happy. As she reminds Rhaenyra, the Freys allowed the Starks to use their crossing. But instead of gifting them Harrenhal in return, Rhaenyra has offered it as a bounty for the head of Aemond (Ewan Mitchell).

If she's not going to keep up her end of deals like that, she'll likely risk losing allies to Team Green — Small Council seat or not.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

There's a rich tradition of characters coming back from the dead in the House of the Dragon universe.

We've already seen it happen with Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint), but now it appears that the Battle of the Gullet has unclaimed yet another victim.

So, who else didn't die, and how did they make it out alive?

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons connect What happens with Tyland Lannister in Season 3, episode 5?

After giving Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) a well-deserved tongue-lashing, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) finally manages to convince him to board a ship to Essos and give up on the foolish idea of tracking down his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell).

But just as they've come to this agreement, they hear a voice: "What ship might that be?"

"Seven hells," responds Larys when he realises that the cloaked man in front of them is Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), who was last seen being yeeted over the side of a different ship by Admiral Lohar (Abigail Thorn).

So, how did he survive, and what's he doing there?

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast unpack Season 3, episode 2's biggest moments How did Tyland Lannister survive?

We only get one more brief scene with Aegon, Larys, and Tyland in episode 5, but it does give us a little more information to work with. We don't know how Tyland managed to swim to safety wearing all that armour, or how he's managed to trek however many miles it is from where he washed ashore to where Larys and Aegon have ended up — but we do know that he's probably managed to use the Lannister's reputation to buy some safe passage

"I have men riding with me—," Tyland tells Larys.

"Sellswords," responds Larys. "Cheaply bought, by the look of them."

Tyland, it seems, has managed to pay for just enough protection to get himself this far. His end goal is clearly the Lannister seat of Casterly Rock – he wants Larys and Aegon to travel with him – but it doesn't look like he'll get that far. The scene ends with Aegon stabbing a man to death after he discovers his crown, which likely means the trio will be running for their lives in episode 6.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

All men must die, but apparently that goes double if you're wearing a gold cloak.

House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 5 sees an already-embattled Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) contending with a new threat from inside King's Landing: The systematic murder of her City Watch, who are having their throats and bowels slashed open at an alarming rate.

So, who is doing it, and why? Let's unpack.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons connect What happens to the Gold Cloaks in Season 3, episode 5?

"Two of our Gold Cloaks were found dead in the streets this morning," says Daemon (Matt Smith) during a Small Council meeting. "Put to the blade by an unknown hand."

He's keen to get to the bottom of the problem himself, but while meeting with Ser Luthor (Tom Cullen), who heads up the Gold Cloaks, he finds two more of their number dead. This time it's happened in broad daylight, and they can't seem to find witnesses.

Later, just as Daemon has finished giving a speech to try and rouse the surviving Gold Cloaks, he gets word that someone has been apprehended. Under torture, the man confesses — but he says he acted alone, and never saw the face of the man who paid him.

"He said it was the king's work I was to be about," the man rasps. "Compliments of King Daeron Targaryen, he said. For killing traitors to his throne."

The assassin is killed, but Daemon's problems are only just starting. At the very end of the episode, he finds a large number of Gold Cloaks, including Ser Luthor, arranged dead around a dining table. "A FEAST FOR TRAITORS" has been daubed in blood on the wall.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast unpack Season 3, episode 2's biggest moments Who is killing the Gold Cloaks, and why?

Even though we don't know how many assassins in Flea Bottom are doing the killing, we know who's behind it. Midway through the episode, after two Gold Cloaks have been murdered, we see a shot of a little girl walking up some steps and whispering into the ear of a man we haven't seen before. The man writes a note that he sends via raven, and which we then see being read by Ormund Hightower (James Norton).

The note reads: "Gold blood spilled. Three marked in the tally. The account lies open."

Later, Ormund shows Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) a gold coin he's had made with Daeron's face on it. It's the same coin that Daemon later finds in the assassin's boot.

The conclusion? Ormund is paying a network of assassins in Flea Bottom to murder the City Watch as a way of adding to Rhaenyra's problems and weakening her defenses. His hope is probably that without the Gold Cloaks, people in the city are more likely to riot. And if there are problems within the walls of King's Landing, it only serves to strengthen his own position.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

The FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is living up to the hype. And to add to the festivities was a fun but odd sight in the world of association football: a halftime show.

Soccer is normally a brisk sport, but with this edition of the World Cup being co-hosted in the US (the first World Cup in the US since 1994), it's fallen into the American Sports Entertainment Vortex™. Which isn't a bad thing, minus the universal dislike for the hydration breaks, which many commentators have pointed out are glorified commercial breaks for the Fox network.

But given the lineup — Shakira, Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber, with a Sesame Street cameo and a Ted Lasso intro thrown in for good measure — the World Cup's first-ever halftime show was just fine.

The whole thing clocked in at under six minutes, which somehow made it funnier: FIFA spent months hyping a halftime show shorter than the ad break before it. The internet noticed and acted accordingly.

Madonna kicks us off

Madonna's entrance into the World Cup halftime was mostly prerecorded as she sang from her new album Confessions II. She was also seen on an ATV with Ronaldinho and R9, which was a strange sight.

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Probably the most anticipated performance, depending on who you ask, BTS did a quick and dirty set, performing "Dynamite" from their album BE.

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After the hype from the quick BTS appearance, Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendon Hunt did a quick intro for Justin Bieber, "subbing" him into the half-time show as some much-needed heart to the game. Bieber's song, unfortunately, slowed things down, and viewers were not kind about it.

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Shakira finally made her appearance alongside her FIFA World Cup theme collaborator, Burna Boy, to perform "Dai Dai."

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An artificial intelligence program used to classify prisoners' security levels in Ontario jails is disproportionately placing Black prisoners in maximum-security conditions, according to an investigation published by The Breach and a class action lawsuit filed against the province.

The reporting, by journalist Desmond Cole, examined the Security Assessment for Evaluating Risk (SAFER) tool, which has been used in Ontario jails since 2021 to assign prisoners a risk score based on factors including arrest and disciplinary history.

Citing government data analyzed by University of Toronto criminologist Scot Wortley, the outlet reported that Black people make up roughly 5 percent of Ontario's population but represented close to 27 percent of prisoners in maximum security between 2022 and 2025, while white people were significantly underrepresented in that category relative to their share of the population.

The class action, filed by law firm Koskie Minsky, alleges the province was aware the tool's reliance on historical justice-system data — which reflects documented racial disparities in policing and charging — could disproportionately harm Black prisoners, and that Ontario adopted mitigation measures for Indigenous prisoners without extending similar safeguards to Black prisoners. Internal ministry training documents cited by The Breach acknowledged that "assessments like SAFER would likely contribute to the overrepresentation" of Indigenous and racialized people in maximum security.

The Breach reported that neither Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General nor Grant Duwe, the researcher credited with designing SAFER, responded to requests for comment on the program's methodology or accuracy. An Ontario Ombudsman report referenced in the investigation noted it had received complaints about the tool's disproportionate impact on Black and Indigenous prisoners, and that a ministry review of the program is ongoing.

France's National Gaming Authority (ANJ) has ordered the country's internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction market.

This decision came after determining the platform was illegally promoting gambling and games of chance to French users. The blocking order, issued July 16 by the ANJ's president, applies to all Polymarket sites operated by ADVENTURE ONE QSS INC.

SEE ALSO: Spotify deletes 500K streams of popular song for suspected Kalshi, Polymarket user manipulation

The regulator says it has tracked Polymarket's activity in France since November 2024. An earlier formal notice prompted the company to geoblock financial transactions from French users, but the ANJ said that the restriction was being circumvented. The agency noted that prediction markets are not authorized under French law and had already warned the public in February that using such platforms carries risks, including addiction and market manipulation.

The ANJ also pointed to an active investigation, opened in May by the Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit, into allegations that weather-related bets on the platform were manipulated through compromised sensors. The regulator said Polymarket lacks a "Know Your Customer" identification system for its French and European users.

France joins a growing list of European countries — including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland — that have restricted or blocked prediction markets. The ANJ said it blocked 1,290 URLs in 2025 under its administrative powers.

The action follows other recent controversies for Polymarket, including a Wall Street Journal investigation, reported by Mashable, that found the company paid influencers to promote fabricated betting wins on TikTok, and separate reporting on the platform's efforts to block VPN access amid legal pressure in the U.S.

Around the turn of the millennium, straight edge hardcore singer Bill Muir was asked by Japanese game developer Square (now known as Square Enix) to lend his vocals to a song for its upcoming RPG, Final Fantasy X. It seemed like just another recording session. Instead, it became the opening track to one of the most beloved games in the series. Twenty-five years later, "Otherworld" remains one of the most iconic video game openings ever made.

At first, Final Fantasy X lulls players into a familiar rhythm. Gentle music plays over the opening menus, evoking the orchestral soundscapes longtime fans had come to expect from the series. Then, just minutes into the game, Muir's ferocious vocals rip through the silence. As Tidus awakens and flashes back to his former life as a blitzball star in Zanarkand, "Otherworld" explodes onto the soundtrack, replacing tranquility with pounding guitars and raw aggression. It's a startling introduction that immediately announces Final Fantasy X isn't interested in playing by the series' established rules.

Muir, who was in his late twenties at the time, was living in Tokyo and performing with his band, xtillidiex (pronounced "Till I Die"), when he was asked to work on the song. A few months after the game's July 19, 2001, release in Japan, Muir got a taste of how much people loved the track.

"I remember being at a show, a later show for my band xtillidiex, as we were wrapping up and I was going to be leaving Japan, somebody having that song on as a ringtone,” Muir told Mashable over a video call from Los Angeles. "And I remember slowly turning and looking at that and being like, "Oh my goodness! Like, this [game] is a pretty big thing."

SEE ALSO: 'Final Fantasy VII Rebirth' is everything you could want it to be

Most people who played Final Fantasy X shortly after its release were introduced to the song before social media and Shazam, which led to several rumors about its origins. Many people thought the song was by the heavy metal band Rammstein because of what Reddit users describe as an erroneous artist credit on the peer-to-peer file-sharing program Limewire — long before the days of legal music streaming, millennials turned to more illegal measures.

Others thought it was by The Black Mages, a rock band in which Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu was a member from 2002 to 2010. Either way, people were hooked, and they’re still talking about it a quarter of a century later.

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As of July 2026, "Otherworld" has close to 9 million streams on Spotify. A remastered version of the opening sequence, released in 2014, has 1.5 million views on YouTube. The song still appears on legendary video game music lists, and people continue to post on social media about it being one of the best video game openings.

In honor of the game's 25th anniversary, Square Enix is also releasing a remastered version of Final Fantasy X and its sequel X-2 for the Nintendo Switch on July 23.

The game follows Tidus after he appears to be transported 1,000 years into the future. During the "Otherworld" opening sequence, we see Tidus meeting a character named Auron (who, like his name suggests, emanates aura) and having flashbacks of Zanarkand being destroyed by a colossal, monstrous force called Sin. 

Tidus wakes up in Spira, where Sin is still wreaking havoc and destroying entire cities. He joins Yuna, a summoner who hopes to defeat Sin, and her ragtag group of guardians.

The Zanarkand ruins in Spira. Credit: Square Enix

While Final Fantasy X is often remembered for its groundbreaking graphics and cinematic cutscenes — few are as iconic as Yuna's Sending — it also stands out for its willingness to grapple with darker themes. Beneath its fantasy setting lies a story about grief, generational trauma, religious corruption, death, and the search for meaning in the face of inevitable loss. It wasn't the first Final Fantasy game to tackle those ideas, but it was the first video game I played that made the stakes feel genuinely existential.

That emotional depth resonated with millions of players. According to Square Enix, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 have sold a combined 20 million copies worldwide since their original releases in 2001 and 2003, making them among the best-selling entries in the franchise. Released on the PlayStation 2, Final Fantasy X also marked a major technical leap for the series, introducing fully voiced characters and pushing the console's graphical capabilities to create a more cinematic experience than fans had ever seen.

I was about nine or 10 years old and still riding the Kingdom Hearts high when I spotted Final Fantasy X at my local GameStop. I recognized Tidus from Kingdom Hearts, where he appears as a supporting character, and decided to give the game a chance. Up until then, my only experience with the series had been Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS, a relatively straightforward RPG with a whimsical fantasy world and a mellow, orchestral soundtrack. When I got home, I popped the PlayStation 2 disc into the console, my little brother settled in beside me, and hit start.

Just minutes later, we were frozen in front of the TV. As Tidus awakens in a dazzling CGI cutscene, the opening riffs of "Otherworld" crash through the speakers, replacing the serene music that had greeted us in the menus. My brother and I just stared. In an instant, Final Fantasy X announced itself as something entirely different — not just from the Final Fantasy games I'd played, but from almost every video game I'd experienced.

That sense of bold experimentation extended far beyond the opening cinematic. Final Fantasy X marked the first time longtime series composer Nobuo Uematsu shared scoring duties with other composers, bringing in Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano to help shape the soundtrack. The collaboration resulted in one of the franchise's most eclectic scores, seamlessly blending orchestral pieces, piano ballads, ambient soundscapes, and hard rock to forge a musical identity unlike any other in the Final Fantasy series.

How an unexpected meeting at a Japanese restaurant led to Muir working with Square Enix

"Otherworld" was composed by Uematsu, who recruited translator and author Alexander O. Smith to write the lyrics, and vocalist Muir to sing the song. 

Muir said he first met Smith through a mutual friend in either 1999 or 2000, while he and his bandmates were putting together demo tapes at a restaurant. When Smith said he was interested in hearing some of the band’s music, Muir charged him 200 yen for a demo tape. 

"If I had really put together how important this would be in my life, I would have given him the tape. Instead, I charged him for the tape," said Muir.

Smith obliged and said that he worked for Square Enix and that they might be looking for someone to work on a song. A few months later, Smith emailed Muir, asking him if he wanted to come into the Square Enix office for an interview.

Muir said he showed up casually in a band tee with either ripped jeans or camo shorts, with his skateboard in hand, which he said was probably inappropriate for the setting. But somehow, that didn’t deter the folks at Square Enix from giving Muir a chance.

"They played me the song, which was nothing like the song as we know it now," said Muir.

He said that they initially played the song on a keyboard and had asked him if he would be willing to rap on the track, which he turned down. 

"I'm good to go for screaming, yelling, and maybe some angry muttering, and growling," Muir said he told them. "Weirdly, that didn't turn them off."

The rest was RPG history. They brought Muir to a full studio in a basement, where Muir met the band and went over the lyrics a couple of times before recording. He said that there wasn’t much direction from Uematsu and the team on how Muir could approach the song, so it was a very hands-off process.

"They knew what I could do at that point, and whatever I was going to do, I was going to do," said Muir. 

Muir added his own touch at the end of "Otherworld," and if you listen closely, the last few lyrics are a shoutout to his band, xtillidiex: "straight edge/til I die/my lost cause, lost cause, lost cause in this world."

Rebellions, and the legacy of "Otherworld" and Final Fantasy X

It was the first game in the series to feature full voice acting, a fully 3D-rendered world, and more complex, layered sounds. Since the PlayStation 2 had twice as many audio channels (48) as the PlayStation 1 (24), it could support a wider range of sounds and music, making it the perfect platform for a collaborative soundtrack by composers Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, and Junya Nakano.

"Seeing those visuals and the story and the music, it was like nothing else that was on the market at the time," said The Night Sky Prince, a digital creator who has been making content on Final Fantasy and other Japanese RPG games for over 10 years. 

The Night Sky Prince told Mashable that previous Final Fantasy games were associated with a more synth-heavy, orchestral sound, but that the new hardware enabled a more vocal, live-instrumental approach, challenging the preconceived notion of what "video game music" is.

He said that "Otherworld," in particular, is unique to the Final Fantasy series because of its proximity to metal and rock genres.

"I feel like that genre choice is very interesting, in part because it can kind of represent rebellion, which I feel kind of represents the dynamic of Tidus and Jecht's relationship quite a lot too," he said.

In a way, the soundtrack was Uematsu’s form of rebellion, or at least his way of breaking away from the previous ways he composed the Final Fantasy soundtracks. In a 2011 interview with RPGamer, Uematsu joked that Final Fantasy wasn't him, but "Otherworld" was. He said that since Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2, he finally had a way to express rock music, which is the foundation of his work.

Combined with Muir's refusal to rap the lyrics in favor of staying true to his hardcore roots, even if it meant losing the opportunity altogether, "Otherworld" became more than just an opening theme. It challenged expectations of what a video game soundtrack could sound like, especially within the Final Fantasy series. That uncompromising spirit is still part of what keeps drawing fans back to the track.

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The Night Sky Prince said it's one of the songs that he will frequently turn on when he’s at the gym because it's the "best song to listen to while doing a bench press."

"To this day, 'Otherworld' is the only track in all of music ever made that can get me out of a funk. ‘Go. NOW. If you want it,’ reminds me that I need to get off my ass and make things happen,” said Reddit user rogdesouza in a 2025 thread about the song. "I played this game over 20 years ago on the PS2, and it has stayed with me ever since."

Digital creator DizzieDee, who is also known for her content on Final Fantasy and JRPGs, posted about the song on X on June 8 of this year. She said that Final Fantasy X had the best opening of all time, and that “Otherworld” still feels rent-free in her head.

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More than two decades later, Final Fantasy X continues to inspire a new generation of players. Fans still post guitar, piano, and drum covers of "Otherworld" across TikTok and YouTube, while creators like Ollie Dreamer continue to argue that Final Fantasy X remains the best game in the franchise.

For YouTuber The Night Sky Prince, the game's longevity comes down to one thing: replayability.

"People really like the sort of cinematic, story-driven nature of Final Fantasy X. But Final Fantasy X also offered players a lot of customization with the sphere grid, weapon builds, and the combat system was incredibly deep," he said. "Because of that, even though the game was linear, players still felt a sense of choice, whether illusory or otherwise."

Its influence can still be felt throughout the series. Final Fantasy XIII expanded on the Sphere Grid's progression with its Crystarium system and introduced Eidolons that echo X's iconic god-like Aeons. Final Fantasy XVI, meanwhile, revisits many of the themes that made X so memorable, sending its protagonist on a deeply personal journey against seemingly godlike forces.

Perhaps the most memorable callback, though, comes near the end of Final Fantasy X. "Otherworld" returns during the climactic battle against Braska's Final Aeon, who is revealed to be Tidus' father, Jecht. By then, players also know that Jecht was Sin, the monstrous force introduced during the game's opening cinematic. The song that first welcomed players into Spira comes back one last time, transforming what began as a shocking introduction into a powerful full-circle moment about grief, sacrifice, and breaking cycles of violence.

Today, Muir is still forging his own path. Outside of music, he works as a registered nurse caring for veterans and has built an online following as "Sergeant Vegan," where he shares content on nutrition, fitness, and animal and human rights advocacy. He's also writing a memoir about his time living in Tokyo and touring with his band, and hopes to one day perform "Otherworld" for Final Fantasy fans.

Looking back, though, he's simply grateful to have played a small part in something that continues to resonate with players 25 years later.

"When that song kicked in, I remember just being like, 'Oh my God, this is amazing,'" Muir said. "Just the feeling that I've accomplished something… to be a part of something that big, it just feels really, really good."

Fans can pre-download and purchase a digital version of the remastered Final Fantasy X/X-2 on the Nintendo website.

FIFA is giving the World Cup final its first Super Bowl-style halftime show, and the lineup is almost as crowded as the pitch.

Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira will headline the performance during Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium. Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay will also appear, along with characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin curated the show.

What time is the World Cup halftime show?

The World Cup final kicks off Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. ET, and the halftime show should begin sometime around 3:45 to 3:50 p.m. ET, assuming the match starts on time and there are no major delays. FIFA and Global Citizen have not announced an exact start time for the performance because, unlike the Super Bowl, soccer does not stop at a perfectly scheduled point. The first half lasts 45 minutes, but additional stoppage time will push halftime back by several minutes.

Viewers primarily interested in the music should tune in before 3:45 or risk missing the opening of the show.

The performance itself will last 11 minutes, but the full halftime break could reportedly be considerably longer since crews will need time to build and remove the stage. Broadcasters are preparing for the usual 15-minute interval to stretch to as long as 30 minutes.

Not everyone is thrilled about that possibility, especially given the sport’s history. Soccer’s rulemaking body, the International Football Association Board, normally limits halftime to 15 minutes and even rejected a 2021 proposal to extend it to 25, citing concerns about player welfare and the risks of keeping athletes inactive for too long.

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Some fans also see the extended break as another attempt to turn the World Cup into a Super Bowl-style American television spectacle, with the entertainment (and controversial ad breaks) becoming almost as important as the game.

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The halftime show will air as part of the World Cup final broadcast. English-language coverage is available on Fox, while the game can be streamed through Fox One and the Fox Sports app. Fox’s pregame coverage begins at noon ET, three hours before kickoff.

Spanish-language coverage will air on Telemundo and stream on Peacock. Peacock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers have access to all 104 World Cup matches live in Spanish, including the final and its halftime performance. You can also check out Mashable's guide to watching the 2026 World Cup online for free, which includes tips for global readers and VPN users.

The halftime show supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to expand access to education and soccer programs for children around the world. FIFA says more than $50 million has already been raised, including $1 donated from every ticket sold during the tournament.

True ice cream is a labor-intensive process that requires double boilers to make custard, on top of all the churning time. But innovation has brought convenience to the kitchen. Instant ice cream machines like the TikTok-famous Ninja Creami make ice cream easy for anyone to make at home

These appliances take a hint from blenders and spin a blade through a frozen mix, which breaks it up and mixes it up into a creamy, fluffy ice cream texture. These ice cream makers are even back on trend in 2026 as proteinmaxxing has people focused on their macros and sneaking protein in wherever they can, which means even in dessert. Right now, TikTok is full of Ninja Creami recipes that involve protein powders.

I've been using the Ninja Creami and Ninja Slushi for years, and I also tested the buzzy new Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl. But in honor of National Ice Cream Day, I wanted to find the best ice cream maker for your countertop, too. So, I tested three buzzy models to find out if they're really worth it, and if the Ninja Creami is still king of the kitchen.

SEE ALSO: National Ice Cream Day 2026 deals: Score free food from Dairy Queen, Ben & Jerry's, Target, and more

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch soccer.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Goalie

• Green: World Cup arenas

• Blue: World Cup scorers

• Purple: The best of the best

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Prevent a Goal

• Green: Stadiums to Host World Cup Final

• Blue: World Cup Golden Ball Winners

• Purple: Golden___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #664 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Prevent a Goal: BLOCK, PARRY, SAVE, STOP

• Stadiums to Host World Cup Final: AZTECA, MARACANA, ROSE BOWL, SOCCER CITY

• World Cup Golden Ball Winners: FORLAN, MARADONA, MODRIC, ZIDANE

• Golden___: BALL, BOOT, GLOVE, GOAL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 19, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for July 19, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 19 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-1, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 19 Pips

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 19 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Millennials, the first computer generation, recall many a classroom lecture about the unreliability of Wikipedia. We were told to be wary of unverified forum posts. We were advised to seek out primary sources on the World Wide Web, and the place to start was Google. 

Now, as Gen Alpha enters AI-powered classrooms, can Google Search no longer be trusted?

A new report by child safety watchdog Common Sense Media concluded that Google's modernized, AI-powered Search poses an "unacceptable risk" to young Googlers. In fact, the report authors say, the generative AI search engine is so risky that students should stop using it completely until Google educators can turn the AI off.

SEE ALSO: Teens talking to Meta AI about suicide will trigger alert Google's AI Search as classroom threat 

Child safety advocates have been urging schools to ditch classroom technology for years. As generative AI embeds itself in educational products, those cries have gotten louder. But while it's easy to see the potential harm in introducing something like ChatGPT to young students, it may not be as obvious that a simple Google search exposes young learners to AI.

Google launched AI Mode for Search last year. Unlike AI Overviews' rollout, AI Mode was available to everyone, immediately, including education accounts. Both Common Sense Media and other experts Mashable spoke to said this was alarming, primarily because Google's AI Mode is powered by Gemini models — models that are age-gated in other Google experiences, including on Google's educational technology suite. 

Google Search is a tentpole product for the tech giant and an essential tool for both educators and students, Robbie Torney, senior director of AI programs at Common Sense Media, explained. "Google is an outsized player in both the search space and the education space."

The company helmed a 1:1 device movement that saw the introduction of personal devices, like Chromebooks, in schools across the country. Google Workspace for Education now powers administrative suites and classroom resources. The company later became a major evangelist for AI implementation, introducing, and then ultimately rescaling, Gemini for Education. Google now boasts millions of Workspace for Education, Chromebook, and other Google educational product users ranging from Kindergartners to post-grads.

By making generative AI fundamental to Google's products — to the point where many users don't even realize they're using it — Google has eroded years of trust, sources told Mashable.

Googling isn't so simple anymore

For one, researchers have found Google's AI Overviews are prone to repeating misinformation, an early product sticking point that has not yet been resolved by the tech giant. Much like existing problems with chatbots, sources told Mashable, the product's design suggests an air of authority that can easily confuse adults, let alone children.

In addition, Common Sense Media found that Google's AI tools readily completed homework assignments for minor users. Experts suggest that this combination of misleading design, varying responses, and the agreeable nature of chatbots (including AI Mode) may lead students to unknowingly cheat. At the bare minimum, they say, searching on Google may be making learning harder.

"They are infusing AI in developmentally inappropriate ways through Search," explained Amanda Bickerstaff, deputy director of AI for Education. The organization works with educational institutions to build out AI literacy programs and reduce the potentially negative impact of generative AI tools on children's learning. 

There is no reason why a 10-year-old, 13-year-old, or even 15-year-old should see an AI Overview or have AI Mode. - Amanda Bickerstaff, AI for Education

Bickerstaff called AI Mode a backdoor for students to access unsafe generative AI experiences. It's also complicating educators' ability to enshrine literacy skills in the next generation, Bickerstaff explained, replicating some of the worst parts of chatbot design right in a previously reliable information environment. 

"There is no reason why a 10-year-old, 13-year-old, or even 15-year-old should see an AI Overview or have AI Mode," said Bickerstaff. "When teaching AI literacy, the first step is to be intentional. These modes are the opposite. You don't go to a search engine to get a chatbot answer, you go to search for real things."

According to Common Sense Media's report, AI Overviews and Google's new Search chatbot AI Mode could also pose mental health and safety risks to children.

Google does not offer the option to disable only AI features while keeping Search accessible. That means children can still be exposed to generative AI while at school even when guardrails are in place, simply by doing their schoolwork. Parents can turn off Search entirely or block Google.com for the child accounts they manage, Google explains. School administrators could theoretically do the same for Workspace for Education accounts, bricking the Google Search domain for all users. Bickerstaff sees this as putting educators between a rock and a hard place. "What are you going to say? That kids can't search the web?"

In a statement to Mashable following the report's release, Google said Common Sense Media's stress testing was narrow and ambiguous, and not an "effective way to measure product safety and helpfulness." Common Sense Media did not test Workspace for Education accounts, only consumer accounts. However, Google expressed that the AI-powered Search experience is the same for all users, said Torney.

SEE ALSO: The fierce battle over AI in schools Could AI Search be a legal nightmare for schools?

Because of this, sources Mashable spoke to said that it may be time to cut ties with Google.

"Google’s AI Overview and AI Mode are undermining kids’ education, supplying them with dangerous disinformation, and putting their very lives at risk," said David Monahan, campaign director for child safety nonprofit Fairplay for Kids. "If Google is not even willing to disable AI features for students, schools should stop using Google products altogether."

Common Sense Media's report could be a startling wake-up call for school districts, said Anya Meksin, deputy director of Schools Beyond Screens, a national coalition pushing for school policies that limit tech use in classrooms. Schools Beyond Screens recently spearheaded new tech use policies at Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools, including a screen time ban for kindergarten and first grade classes. 

Both Fairplay and Schools Beyond Screens are leading calls for years-long moratoriums on Gen AI use in schools. Meksin explained that advocates have already sounded the alarm about AI Search and other integrated Google products, not just chatbots.

"We are shocked by the way Big Tech has colonized public education with their products," Meksin said. "We have to treat this as an emergency. Education is the foundation of our democracy, and they are knowingly disabling our children from being able to fight back against these companies in the future."

School districts, including LAUSD, have struggled to address the problems posed by the reliance on classroom tech, often in violation of their own burgeoning AI policies, she explained. 

"School districts are instantly in violation of any policies put in place because of the speed of the technology and the way AI is embedded," said Meksin. For example, LAUSD's new policy bans students under 13 years of age from using generative AI in school. But through products like Chromebooks and Google Search on school computers, students can still interact with AI Mode. 

We have to treat this as an emergency. - Anya Meksin, Schools Beyond Screens

Over the last 20 years, K-12 schools have spent billions to outfit their classrooms with educational technology. Meksin said she was told by several districts that it would be impossible to fully disable such expansive services, including Google products like Chromebooks.  

"We find this position to be completely laughable," Meksin said. "School districts are liable for exposing children to products known to cause severe and lasting harm." She believes educational institutions could enter the same legal hot water as social media and AI companies. 

Google and its parent company Alphabet recently faced its first wrongful death lawsuit after a user died by suicide following conversations with Gemini. YouTube, also owned by Alphabet, was found guilty of negligent platform design and subsequent mental health harm to minor users. Torney likened the rollout of Google's AI features to the introduction of YouTube to classrooms, which has also come under fire from child safety advocates.

Instead of opening themselves up to greater liability, Meksin believes school districts should push for change from Big Tech — starting with stronger controls for embedded generative AI features now available on school devices. "As the largest purchasers of these products, districts have power. If Google refuses to comply, districts must cease using these products and void these contracts."