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TL;DR: Live stream Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town in the Premier League for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Fans can watch a number of festive Premier League fixtures for free this Christmas, including Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town.
Arsenal are fighting to keep pace with the league leaders, and have strung together some really encouraging results lately. Ipswich Town are battling to survive, but they still stand a chance in this festive encounter. This is the Premier League, after all.
If you want to watch Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town?Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town in the Premier League starts at 8:15 p.m. GMT on Dec. 27. This fixture takes place at the Emirates Stadium.
How to watch Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town for freeArsenal vs. Ipswich Town is available to live stream on Prime Video in the UK, but you don't need to be subscribed to Amazon Prime to watch this fixture. Instead, you can watch Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town (plus more Premier League fixtures) for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.
If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to watch the Premier League for free on Prime Video. This process is straightforward:
Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial (if you're not already a member)
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Watch Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town for free from anywhere in the world on Prime Video
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town on Prime Video without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Premier League fixtures before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Prime Video?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Prime Video, for a number of reasons:
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Stream Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town in the Premier League for free with ExpressVPN.
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.
Tweet may have been deletedEach 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.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers 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's The Mini crossword answers for December 27 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Morning meals
Green: A way to active something
Blue: Known to have pointy outgrowths
Purple: Surnames of famous actors
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Breakfast Sides
Green: Pushes, As A Button
Blue: They Have A Horn
Purple: Oscar-Winning Actors
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 #567 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayBreakfast Sides: BACON, GRITS, HASH, TOAST
Pushes, As A Button: CLICKS, HITS, PRESSES, TAPS
They Have A Horn: AFRICA, BUGLER, CAR, UNICORN
Oscar-Winning Actors: BRIDGES, IRONS, PHOENIX, WASHINGTON
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 27Are 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.
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.
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 today: Hints and answers for December 27 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's The Mini crossword answers for December 27 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A cultivated cereal crop.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no reoccurring letters
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.
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...
GRAIN.
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.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 27Reporting 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.
The upcoming FX series Alien: Earth from TV maestro Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) remains mostly shrouded in mystery, but an interesting tidbit just came into focus. Rebecca and Kevin Joelson, the producers behind the show's teaser trailer, recently shared images and video of how the clip came together.
The biggest surprise is that the trailer's deadly xenomorph was made via practical effects, not computer-generated images (CGI). In the clip on the Joelsons' website, an actor is festooned with the xeno's headpiece, which features sharp teeth and the alien's iconic inner jaw. The production team's work was seen in the teaser, which highlighted a reflection of Earth in the xeno's shiny dome and the tagline: "In 2120, Mother Earth is expecting."
The show is set two years before the events of Ridley Scott's beloved Alien and begins after a "mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth," according to FX. Adhering to the franchise formula of a strong woman who remains cool under pressure, Sydney Chandler plays the show's protagonist and one of the individuals who discovers the ship. Also starring Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, and Essie Davis, Alien: Earth premieres this summer on Hulu.
SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Romulus' review: Full of fan service (to a fault)Hawley, the creator and writer of Alien: Earth, told the Hollywood Reporter that his show mostly uses practical effects with "some CG." Fede Alvarez's theatrical Alien: Romulus from this year also ditched much of the CGI that was a big part of Ridley Scott's prequel films, especially 2017's Alien: Covenant. Though criticized for its use of a deep fake to recreate a character from the original Alien, Romulus was a critical and commercial hit, grossing more than $350 million at the international box office.
Alien: Earth, behind the scenes of the teaser Credit: Courtesy the JoelsonsNo, it wasn't just you. On the day after Christmas, ChatGPT stopped working for many.
OpenAI's flagship chatbot experienced major outages around 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, right as some of its users were theoretically wanting something to do after getting over the Christmas rush. According to Down Detector, tons of users reported that the site wasn't working for them in the early afternoon, though the reports started receding after half an hour or so. That said, at the time of writing, ChatGPT isn't working for me.
SEE ALSO: OpenAI now lets you call ChatGPT on your phone Yeah, it's busted. Credit: Screenshot: OpenAIThe outage manifested in different ways depending on how I tried to use ChatGPT. On mobile, the "send" button next to the text prompt entry field was simply grayed out and didn't do anything. On desktop, I could send prompts, but they would immediately be returned with an error message.
It just goes to show that OpenAI has some kinks to work out before it can attain its grand ambitions.
Apple has no plans whatsoever in making its own version of Google.
It's not clear if anyone even really wanted such a thing, but if they did, they got bad news this week. Reuters spotted a federal court declaration filed by Apple in D.C. on Monday, and MacRumors honed in on some interesting nuggets. In particular, Apple senior VP of services Eddy Cue laid out in clear terms why Apple isn't interested in creating its own search engine:
It would be very expensive
The recent and growing injection of AI into search has made the business more uncertain than ever
Apple doesn't want to sell targeted advertising, as it would conflict with its stated privacy policies
Apple simply doesn't have the people or infrastructure to pull it off
There's also another very sensible reason why Apple won't develop its own search engine: Google pays Apple a lot of money to make Google the default search engine on Apple's Safari browser. According to Cue, Google paid Apple roughly $20 billion just in 2022 for this arrangement. This partnership violates U.S. antitrust laws, according to the federal government. Apple filed the court declaration to request permission for Apple representatives to testify when the antitrust case begins in April.
So, in other words, all of those other reasons for not developing an Apple search engine are probably secondary to the fact that the tech behemoth currently benefits financially from the status quo.
If the thought of receiving radio signals from space conjures an image of Jodie Foster in the movie Contact, hunched over a computer console and listening for spaceship schematics beamed to Earth by intelligent beings from Vega, that’s, um, a decent first step toward understanding what scientists have in mind when they tune in to space’s radio signals. The reality is less cinematic, but that doesn’t make it boring.
Radio telescopes — most famously the ill-fated Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, but also peppered across deserts worldwide — are not really for detecting deliberate communications signals from aliens. That would be like saying the eyes on your head are for detecting rabid grizzly bears. That wouldn’t be a misuse, but it’s hardly a description of why they’re there.
SEE ALSO: Radio signals keep coming from deep space. Here's what they really are.In fact, radio telescopes really are a bit like the eyes on your head, in that they’re less listening, as the term "radio" suggests, and more seeing what’s sometimes called the "radio sky," meaning everything detectable in the broad spectrum of emissions given off by the cosmos itself from Earth’s vantage point — things like pulsar beacons, solar flares and their effects, and the universe's microwave background radiation. But the radio sky also includes signals from closer to home like space probes, and even the satellites orbiting around us.
In 2024, the radio receivers on and around the human homeworld captured a variety of fascinating emissions, some of which are mysterious, none of which are probably from space invaders, and all of which are more interesting than fiction. Here are five of the most intriguing signals of 2024:
A mysteriously slow pulsePicked up by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope, this signal known as ASKAP J193505.1+214841.0 was spotted before this year, but the team that found it published its findings in June 2024. This is a deeply puzzling radio signal in that it repeats almost hourly — every 53.8 minutes to be more precise. That’s way too slow to be anything astronomers currently understand.
The gap between ASKAP J193505.1+214841.0 emissions is too slow to be a pulsar, since pulsars emanate from neutron stars that are rotating fast — literally achieving drill bit-like RPMs. The length of this newly discovered gap has left scientists baffled so far, but every new discovery about nature starts off as the discovery of something that should be "impossible."
A powerful, faraway burstImagine "staring" up at the radio sky (we’re speaking figuratively here). To a radio stargazer, the radio wave bursts known as fast radio bursts (FRBs) might appear like quick blinding flashes that momentarily drown out all other signals before quickly disappearing. FRB 20220610A is one such powerful radio wave burst — one that happens to have traveled through space for 8 billion years before being detected. That’s old; the Big Bang was 13.8 billion years ago.
Not only is FRB 20220610A — also detected by ASKAP, this time with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope — one of the most distant FRBs ever detected, but it’s also one of the "brightest" (actually most energetic) radio signal bursts ever picked up by humanity’s receivers. The source may have been a place in space with "as many as seven galaxies on a possible path to merging," according to a NASA blog post about the discovery.
Radio pollution from Elon MuskResearchers in the recent past have already complained about problematic signals given off by the over 6,000 SpaceX-operated Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth, beaming data down to internet users here on Earth’s surface. The signal given off by the satellites represents unwanted noise to certain instruments attempting to observe the radio sky. However, researchers at the Netherlands' LOFAR observatory discovered in 2024 that the brand new V2-mini line of satellites emit up to 32 times more unwanted noise than earlier Starlink models.
Starlink noise is obscuring astronomers' observations of certain low frequency signals needed for the study of exoplanets, black holes, and ancient cosmic phenomena. It’s not unheard of for the law to step in and protect radio telescopes from such noise. Radio quiet zones exist for their benefit, but these zones are policed for things like interference from nearby mobile phones, and have nothing to say about objects launched into space. Satellite-based radio emissions are an unregulated frontier, and Starlink has tossed about 6,000 satellites into that regulatory void. Thanks as usual, Elon!
Another FRB with important clues for scientistsAnother FRB is shedding light on the mysterious origins of massive radio signal bursts in 2024. This is a fresh finding from the study of phenomena called magnetars — in this case magnetar SGR 1935+2154, which actually shot out its intriguing signal back in 2020. After pinpointing the source of magnetar SGR 1935+2154, the team at Caltech’s Deep Synoptic Array-110 (DSA-110) now says such signals come from neutron stars in massive, star-forming galaxies that are rich in metals. This finding significantly narrows the possibilities for finding neutron stars with FRB-creating attributes, meaning our understanding of where these extreme events occur is becoming more precise.
Have you ever caught yourself scrolling aimlessly on a dating app, rejecting profiles for reasons you can’t articulate? Well, maybe it’s a ‘me’ problem, rather than a ‘you’ problem.
I’m someone who has always struggled with emotional intimacy and showing vulnerability. As a guy in my late 30s who’s done OK in my London PR career, I have a strong desire to be independent and protect the life I’ve created for myself, at times fearing being taken advantage of.
For those of you who have read Attached by Amir Levine, I’m ticking every number on the avoidant attachment style bingo card. Avoiding closeness? Tick. Difficulty trusting others? Tick. Almost too independent? Triple tick.
I was a cast member on season one of the Netflix show Love is Blind UK, which taught me a lot about how I approach romantic relationships, and I’ve since become an ambassador for Bumble. I speak on panels and podcasts and create content on my Instagram page all about different dating and relationship dynamics.
While this article isn’t meant to be a self-help guide extolling the benefits of talking therapy, here’s what I’ve learnt: the way you use dating apps can reflect how you approach relationships as a whole.
How avoidant attachers scroll on dating appsFor the newbies in the room, avoidants often crave connection but find real intimacy challenging. It’s a tug-of-war between wanting love and fearing vulnerability.
Psychotherapist Louise Whitnall, who I worked with after the show was released last summer, says "people with avoidant attachment styles often come from backgrounds where their caregivers were not emotionally attuned to their needs or were emotionally distant for various reasons," which is pretty much bang on when it comes to my childhood.
She also explains that "when a relationship reaches the point where genuine intimacy is required, avoidantly attached people may abruptly end or leave the relationship" — which also aligns with my past behaviour.
When it came to dating and using apps, my avoidant tendencies would often lead me to prioritise physical appearance, often spending time endlessly scrolling without really engaging with anyone properly. In some cases I’d hesitate to move the conversation forward, self-sabotaging as a way of protecting myself in case they didn’t like me.
It wasn’t until I started therapy in my early 30s that I began to understand how my avoidant tendencies were sabotaging my dating life and that I needed to make a change in how I was using dating apps.
SEE ALSO: The only dating apps worth downloading in December 2024 The problem with scrolling unintentionallyFor years, I swiped with no clear intention. I’d reject people based on minor details like their choice of hobbies, the way they wrote their bio, or even where their pictures were taken. It wasn’t that these profiles were bad, it was that I was avoiding the discomfort of connection.
Because when you scroll without substance, you risk falling into two traps.
The first is validation seeking. Each match becomes a hit of dopamine, a momentary boost that confirms you’re desirable. But, as with any short-term dopamine hit, it’s fleeting and short-lived. And you keep coming back for more, which isn’t ideal in the dating game.
The second trap is avoiding vulnerability. It’s easy to keep conversations surface-level, giving you the illusion of connection without requiring you to open up in a meaningful way.
But what I’ve realised is, the deeper relationships we truly desire require us to take risks and engage meaningfully.
SEE ALSO: What is attachment theory and how does it impact sex and relationships? Recognising your own swiping patternsOne of my biggest lightbulb moments was realising that my behaviour on dating apps wasn’t separate from how I acted in real life, it was a direct extension of it. The judgments I’d make seeing someone’s pictures on a screen would often directly reflect how I could be judgemental in the real world.
If you think you might be self-sabotaging on dating apps, ask yourself these questions:
Do you swipe without reading bios or looking at photos for more than a second?
Do you find reasons to dismiss people quickly (e.g. "They’re not my type," "That hobby is weird.")
Do you match with people but hesitate to message them or ghost when things start to feel real?
Do you feel like your matches are more of a ‘score’ and that the more you get the better you feel?
If the answers to these are yes, then it’s likely you’re in the self-sabotaging cycle. These patterns might feel like they’re protecting you, but in reality, they’re keeping you stuck.
The answer isn’t just to "try harder" on the apps, it starts with looking inward. And dare I say it, applying some self-reflection. How to date with intentionSo, how do you move from scrolling without substance to dating intentionally?
The answer isn’t just to "try harder" on the apps, it starts with looking inward. And dare I say it, applying some self-reflection.
Here’s my five-step programme to avoid, er, avoidance.
Invest in Yourself First:
Before you dive into dating, spend time understanding what you want in a partner — and why you might be avoiding connection. This bit is hard and might require some time out of dating. Journaling, therapy, and being more mindful about your behaviour can all help.
Set clear intentions:
What are you looking for in a relationship? Be clear in what you’re after. Bumble’s 2025 dating trends research shows that the majority of women place value on stability, and emotional consistency. There is nothing worse than someone who comes in with all the promises in the world who can’t deliver against them. If you’re just looking for something casual, that’s OK, just say it — dating apps literally give you an option to signpost what your dating intentions are.
Put time into your profile:
Instead of listing generic interests, use your bio to share what matters most to you. Show your personality. Think about how your best friend would describe you. And invest time into it – this is more important than the swiping bit, and you’ll get better quality, more relevant matches if you commit to this. Finally, show a bit of vulnerability and openness. That’s what makes us human, right?
Be open-minded about criteria:
A big one. Physical attraction is important, but don’t let superficial preferences keep you from meeting someone amazing. Swipe slower, read bios carefully, and give people a chance to surprise you. Separate your negotiables from your non-negotiables – will that inch of height really make the difference when you’re walking down the aisle with your dream partner? Size doesn’t always matter.
Engage meaningfully:
Once you match, commit to starting real conversations. Focus on a few quality matches and maybe consider pausing the swiping to dedicate time to a handful of people. Ask questions that go beyond small talk and really dive deep into who they are – if that scares them off, they’re probably not right for you anyway.
Changing how you use dating apps won’t just improve your experience — it can reshape how you approach relationships as a whole.
I’ve tried to be more open minded about my criteria, and I’m in the early stages of a relationship with somebody incredible who has made me completely reframe what I thought I wanted from a partner.Speaking from experience, I’ve tried to be more open minded about my criteria, and I’m in the early stages of a relationship with somebody incredible who has made me completely reframe what I thought I wanted from a partner.
One of the biggest shifts for me was embracing the concept of satisficing — choosing a partner who meets my core needs and committing to them wholeheartedly, rather than endlessly chasing an unattainable ideal of perfection.
Satisficing is about letting go of the pressure to find "the one" who checks every box and instead focusing on someone who is good enough in the ways that truly matter.
It’s not about settling, it’s a mindset shift, recognizing that relationships thrive not because someone fits a fantasy, but because both people invest in each other and grow together.
What I’ve come to realize is that love isn’t about meeting a checklist; it’s about showing up, committing, and nurturing something meaningful.
Dating apps aren’t the enemy here. In fact, they can be a great tool when used mindfully. Features like Bumble’s profile prompts encourage thoughtful engagement and move you away from more ‘shallow’, validation-chasing criteria.
The person I’m with now doesn’t check every box I thought I needed, and if I’m being totally honest, the old version of me might’ve written them off. But, by leaning into them and letting go of ‘perfect’, they’ve opened my eyes to a whole number of other qualities I didn’t even know existed. We’ve had some challenging moments where we’ve clashed on different perspectives, but we’ve both tried to listen to each other’s points of view rather than trying to find someone else with the same opinion.
So, next time you catch yourself looking for a match, pause and ask yourself, what am I really looking for? The answer might surprise you.
Squid Game Season 2 may have ended on a brutal cliffhanger, but fret not! The show's third and final season is confirmed for a 2025 release — and the Season 2 finale even includes a post-credits scene to hint at what's coming next.
SEE ALSO: 'Squid Game' Season 2 is ruined by its latest twist: Full season reviewAfter Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) rebellion against the games fails, Squid Game moves to a mysterious look at Season 3. In the sneak peek, three players — 096, 100, and 353, none of whom are in the core cast of the season — walk into a new game room. There, they come across a familiar face: Young-hee, the giant animatronic doll from the "Red Light, Green Light" game.
But Young-hee is not alone. As if one scary doll wasn't enough, we now have two scary dolls to contend with! Young-hee is facing another massive animatronic doll, this one a little boy in a cap. Who is he, and how does he figure into Season 3? Luckily, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has already given us the answer.
Who is the little boy doll in the Squid Game Season 2 finale? Young-hee the doll in "Squid Game." Credit: NetflixThe answer comes from a letter Hwang wrote to fans all the way back in June 2022, as part of Squid Game's renewal announcement. In it, he teases the return of Gi-hun, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), and even the suit-wearing recruiter (Gong Yoo). However, the most interesting tidbit comes at the very end of the letter.
"You’ll also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend, Cheol-su," Hwang wrote.
Since there are no other animatronic dolls on the scene for Young-hee to hang out with, it's pretty clear that the doll we meet in Season 2's post-credits scene is Cheol-su.
(If you think it's confusing that Hwang would tease Cheol-su in a Season 2 announcement, only for him to barely appear in the season, you'd be right! According to Entertainment Weekly, Hwang originally envisioned Seasons 2 and 3 of Squid Game as one long season. The split must have come after the writing of the letter, which is why Cheol-su hasn't gotten his moment in the spotlight... yet.)
So now that we know what the deal with Cheol-su is, the real question becomes: What twisted game are he and Young-hee going to force our players into?
The post-credits scene shows a train signal flashing from red to green, which could imply that this game will be another version of "Red Light, Green Light." The train angle suggests a twist, though. Maybe the surviving players will have to play out some real-life trolley problems. The horror!
A little over an hour into Babygirl, something magical happens.
SEE ALSO: 'Babygirl' review: Nicole Kidman to 'Challengers': Hold my beerCEO Romy (Nicole Kidman) and intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson) meet in an opulent hotel room to rekindle their BDSM-tinged affair. Right as they reconnect — with Samuel finally calling Romy his "babygirl," no less — you hear them. The telltale snare drums and synths of George Michael's "Father Figure," ushering us into a montage where Romy and Samuel explore their sexual boundaries, complete with a shirtless dance scene from Samuel.
It's a needle drop that is at once sensual and playful, as Romy and Samuel search for the "something special, something sacred" Michael sings about wanting in the song. It's also just one of many reasons Babygirl is a feast for the ears. Immaculate needle drops and the growling wolves and operatic vocals of Cristobal Tapia de Veer's (The White Lotus) score prove to be the perfect accompaniment to Romy and Samuel's exploration. However, Babygirl's soundscape also charts Romy's own journey of self-discovery, following her from her initial repression and shame about her desires to being unafraid to share what she wants.
To learn more, Mashable spoke with music supervisor Meghan Currier (Past Lives) and de Veer about their work on the film, including why "Father Figure" is Babygirl's anthem, and how Nicole Kidman's voice ended up on the soundtrack in an unexpected way.
"Father Figure" by George Michael is Babygirl's musical centerpiece. Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in "Babygirl." Credit: A24"Father Figure" was written into the first draft of Babygirl's script that Currier received from writer/director Halina Reijn. "It was always in her mind," Currier told Mashable over Zoom. "She was like, 'As I was writing this script, I played this constantly.'"
(Outside of the song, the word "fatherly" does pop up a few times in the Babygirl screenplay, twice being used to describe Samuel's tone with Romy.)
Because of Reijn's connection to "Father Figure," Currier knew there was no alternative song for the scene and made it a priority to secure it. She also used it to build a musical mood board for Babygirl, which included gabber dance music for the film's rave scene and Christmas songs to match the film's time period as well. While these help flesh out the music of Babygirl's wider world, "Father Figure" remained the guiding sound for Romy and Samuel's relationship. It led Currier to use INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart" in the film as well.
SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2024, and where to watch them"Almost in a generational context between Romy's character and Samuel's character, [Reijn and I] felt that leaning into some of these timeless songs that were created in the '80s felt really right," Currier said. "INXS also emerged from that same root."
"Never Tear Us Apart" plays during the first montage of Romy and Samuel's affair, speaking to the early days of their relationship. "Even though it's a beautiful love song, there's a darkness that cuts through it as well, and I think that really underscores the naughtiness of what they're engaging in," Currier explained. "At the same time, we see them figuring out the roles of the game, so to speak, so there is this push-and-pull quality sonically that beautifully takes us through that montage of them figuring out their roles."
By the time we get to the "Father Figure" montage, Samuel and Romy's relationship has shifted. Now they have a better sense of their roles in their sexual escapades. But there's also more of a willingness to be vulnerable with one another, highlighted in George Michael's lyrics about wanting to understand and be there for his lover. To paraphrase "Father Figure," Romy and Samuel can finally "be bold and naked" at each other's sides.
"The song has a much more grounded, soft quality to it that really supports what we're seeing in the dynamics of the two in this beautiful hotel room," Currier said. "It feels more cocooned and safe."
Babygirl's score tells a "werewolf" story. Harris Dickinson and Nicole Kidman in "Babygirl." Credit: A24In the time between the "Never Tear Us Apart" montage and the "Father Figure" montage, Romy has grown to further embrace and understand her own desires, yet she still finds it difficult to verbalize what she wants, something Babygirl mirrors in de Veer's score.
De Veer plays with two main themes throughout. The first, titled "Mommy's Dollhouse," is our gateway into Romy's manicured, polished world. Strings, operatic vocals, and a lilting piano guide us through Romy's seemingly picture-perfect life – yet thumping drums hint at an underlying darkness and stress within. That inner conflict also comes through in the theme's piano line.
"I wrote this with my partner, Kim [Neundorf]. She was playing the right hand, which is this waltz-y melody, and I was playing the left hand. In my head, I was playing a military march," de Veer explained to Mashable over Zoom. "A waltz would be in three time, while what I'm playing is in four time. So there's kind of a fight going on. There's two things going on, which is unusual for a waltz, and I like the fact that there is something militaristic about her professional life."
The "militaristic" nature of "Mommy's Dollhouse" couldn't be farther from de Veer's second theme, "Wolves." Here, distorted vocals, animalistic breathing, and growling wolves blur together. It's part survival instinct, part distilled desire. For de Veer, the emphasis on the wolf sounds is also representative of Romy's personal transformation.
"There's almost a werewolf situation going on in this movie," de Veer said. "The theme transforms throughout until it becomes this kind of atonal music. It's rhythm, it's pulse — that's pretty much it."
Somewhere among the layers of rhythm and pulse that represent Romy's desire lies some of Kidman's own voice. In one iteration of "Wolves," de Veer samples a surprised noise Kidman made when she almost tripped on set during one of the dailies de Veer saw. (This isn't the first time de Veer has sampled Kidman's voice in his work. During his time in Canadian band One Ton, he sampled part of Kidman's argument with Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut.)
"This 'woo' sound [from Kidman] was spontaneous, so I took that," de Veer said. "I pretty much used anything I had."
While "Wolves" and "Mommy's Dollhouse" represent the two very different sides of Romy — her hidden desires and her outward perfectionism — de Veer manages to meld them together in the film's final scene, when Romy's husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas), helps bring her fantasies to life. The organization and harmony of "Mommy's Dollhouse" mix with the primal, animalistic sounds of "Wolves," until Romy gets exactly what she wants.
As de Veer put it, "It feels like an explosion."
An age of discovery is upon us.
Earth is an ocean planet, with over 70 percent of its surface covered in seas. With deep-sea robots, scientists regularly reveal new insights into the most mysterious realms of these expansive waters. Many alien ecosystems dwell in previously unknown canyons or cling to submerged mountains.
In 2024, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, an ocean exploration group that uses a robot capable of probing depths down to 14,760 feet (4,500 meters), embarked on a 55-day expedition that exemplifies the wild sightings found at these depths. Their remotely operated vehicle (ROV), SuBastian, spotted a colossal meeting or migration of crabs, a shimmering, psychedelic marine worm, life flourishing around deep methane seeps, and possibly 60 new species.
"Every time we put the ROV down with its 4K cameras onboard, we see some amazing biodiversity," Jyotika Virmani, an oceanographer and executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, told Mashable.
"It was just one thing after another," she added.
SEE ALSO: Scientists witness stunning, unprecedented carnage in the oceanThe view below shows the impressive, uncountable amassing of crabs during Schmidt's recent Chile Margin expedition. "Yesterday, we came across a crazy conflagration of crabs 400 meters down. Migration route? Mating season?" Jeffrey Marlow, a biologist from Boston University and chief scientist of the trip, posted online.
Submersibles crewed by biologists can certainly perform unique science, but ROVs have exploration benefits. Unlike people, they don't need oxygen, and can stay down for a long time. "We can operate it for two days if we need to," Virmani said. It's relatively easy to try out new technologies aboard these robots, and the ROV can also collect and bring samples back to the surface.
Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deletedBelow, you'll find the otherworldly scenes captured by the Schmidt Ocean Institute and other deep sea explorers in 2024.
Footage of extremely ancient deep sea creaturesA deep sea mission, undertaken by the Ocean Exploration Trust aboard their 223-foot vessel (E/V) Nautilus, spotted four nautilus individuals. Creatures similar to these modern-day nautiloids — swimming mollusks residing in large shells — have been on Earth for some 500 million years, evolving much earlier than the dinosaurs.
But the creatures aren't easy to find. The Ocean Trust explorers have endeavored into the deep sea for 15 years and taken over 1,000 dives with their remotely operated vehicle. But these are the first nautiloids they've spotted.
"It's finally happened," a member of the exploration team said at the beginning of the footage, shown in the video below. The nautiloids were swimming in a south Pacific Ocean channel off Palau.
Squid with a huge brood of eggsDuring their 55-day voyage through the Chile Margin, the Schmidt Ocean Institute serendipitously spotted a mother black-eyed squid clutching a large brood of eggs. Gonatus squids can brood up to 3,000 eggs at a time.
"It's not often you get to see that," Virmani said.
Tweet may have been deleted Octopuses punching fishThe ocean exploration group OceanX captured footage of octopuses punching fish in the Red Sea. OceanX often explores the deep ocean, but this scene is from shallower depths.
"The octopuses appeared to punch the fish to enforce social order and keep the hunting group moving along," OceanX explained in their video, below. "Researchers theorize that the octopuses hunt with the fish to find prey more easily, and the fish hunt with the octopuses to root out prey hiding in crevices."
Tweet may have been deleted Discovery of the "mystery mollusc"Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute identified an intriguing new deep sea species off California. It's see-through, can glow, and nabs prey with a large hood. At one point while filming, researchers watched it detach one of its finger-like appendages, likely as a decoy for a predator. The glowing appendage then floated away.
"When we first filmed it glowing with the ROV, everyone in the control room let out a loud 'Oooooh!' at the same time. We were all enchanted by the sight," Steven Haddock, a senior scientist at the institute, said in a statement.
Below, you can view brilliant footage of the animal, which biologists have dubbed the "mystery mollusc." It now also has a scientific name, Bathydevius caudactylus, and after years of observation and genetic testing, scientists have concluded it's a species of nudibranch, more popularly known as sea slugs.
Wild deep sea squid sightingA baited robotic lander lured a magnapinna — a rarely seen bigfin squid — and allowed researchers from Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre and Inkfish to film this cryptic footage. The squid was observed in the Tonga Trench, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
"Exceptional" footage of two deep sea critters"While diving on an unnamed seamount west of Babeldaob near the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, ROV Hercules happened upon two gorgeous deep sea creatures," writes the Ocean Exploration Trust.
Seen first is a Chaunacops, an anglerfish with a large lure. Next is a clear view of a dumbo octopus, named for its ear-like fins.
Shimmering creature in the remote oceanWhile investigating the little-explored Chilean coast — with seeps and vents emitting nutrients into the water — the Schmidt Ocean Institute spotted a curious, almost alien-looking species: a shimmering species of polychaete crawling on the seafloor. It's a psychedelic marine worm.
You can see this slow-moving creature's sparkling bristles, or chaetae, in the video below.
Tweet may have been deletedPolychaetes are extremely diverse organisms.
"The visual variety among the more than 10,000 described species means a polychaete enthusiast is never bored," Karen Osborn, the curator of Marine Invertebrates at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, explains. "They come in every imaginable color and pattern, from completely transparent to iridescent to candy-striped."
Predator discovery at 26,000 feet down The newly discovered deep sea predator, Dulcibella camanchaca. Credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionDeep Sea biologists found a new animal some 26,000 feet (7,902 meters) underwater in the ocean's "hadal zone," named for the Greek god of the underworld, Hades. These researchers lowered baited traps into the Atacama Trench off of Chile, and brought up four individuals of a species now called Dulcibella camanchaca.
"Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator that we named after 'darkness' in the languages of the peoples from the Andes region to signify the deep, dark ocean from where it predates," Johanna Weston, a hadal ecologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who coauthored the discovery, said in a statement.
In the hadal zone, the deepest ocean realm, many critters depend on food sinking down from the more productive waters above. But Dulcibella camanchaca isn't a scavenger. The four-centimeter (1.5-inch) crustacean (an arthropod with a hard shell like a crab) captures smaller hadal crustaceans.
Deep sea exploration does much more than illuminate wonder.
Scientists want to shine a light — literally and figuratively — on what's down there. The implications of knowing are incalculable, particularly as deep sea mineral prospectors prepare to run tank-like industrial equipment across parts of the seafloor. For example, research expeditions have found that ocean life carries great potential for novel medicines. "Systematic searches for new drugs have shown that marine invertebrates produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of terrestrial organisms," notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"There's life down there that has the potential to provide and has provided us with medicines," Virmani said.
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TL;DR: For only $24.97, grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 and level up your productivity.
Looking for a smarter, budget-friendly way to upgrade your productivity in 2025? For just $24.97 (reg. $229), you can own Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 — a lifetime license that includes many of the tools you need to work smarter.
Microsoft Office 2019 is trusted by millions for its powerful features and user-friendly design. While it’s not the newest version, it offers incredible value for cost-conscious professionals, freelancers on a budget, and small businesses. For users who don’t need the latest cloud-based features, this is a terrific option.
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TL;DR: This wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adapter brings streaming apps from your phone to your car for $84.97 (reg. $149).
Cables are so last decade. It's about to be 2025 — if your car setup still involves wrangling cords to connect your phone, it’s time for a serious upgrade. This wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adapter is here to simplify your ride and make every drive feel a little more futuristic, on sale for 43% off at $84.97.
In just seconds, you can connect your phone to your car without the hassle of plugging it in. This handy adapter is designed to be compatible with over 800 car models and adds wireless CarPlay or Android Auto functionality to its system, so you can easily access maps, music, messages, and more, all hands-free.
This device also supports popular streaming apps. From listening to podcasts to playing your favorite playlists, you’ve got everything you need to keep road trips, commutes, or errand runs more entertaining. It also plays regular video streaming through your car's screen, but of course should only be enjoyed by your passengers while you're driving.
Setup is as easy as it gets. Just plug the adapter into your car’s USB or USB-C port, pair it with your phone, and you’re ready to roll. It’s compatible with most vehicles and phones, so you can enjoy a streamlined driving experience without worrying about compatibility issues.
Say goodbye to the spaghetti mess of cables and hello to a smarter, wire-free way to drive.
For $84.97, this wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adapter is an affordable way to add modern functionality to your car.
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TL;DR: Score a refurbished 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 chip on sale for $514.99 (reg. $1,499) — dependable and affordable.
Finding a computer that balances speed, reliability, and portability doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. If you’ve been on the hunt for a solid laptop to handle workdays, weekend streaming binges, and everything in between, this deal on the 2020 MacBook Air for $514.99 might just end your search.
At the heart of this MacBook Air is the Apple M1 chip, which revolutionized the performance game with its incredible speed and efficiency. Whether you’re multitasking across multiple tabs or editing photos for that side hustle, this MacBook Air handles it all without breaking a sweat. Plus, its fanless design keeps things quiet — perfect for working in cafes or late-night study sessions.
The 13.3-inch Retina display ensures everything looks crisp and vibrant, whether you’re binge-watching your favorite shows or poring over detailed spreadsheets. And with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, you’ve got enough power and storage for your essential apps, files, and more.
This refurbished model not only performs like new (and has an "A" refurbished rating, meaning it's near-mint) but also gives you the satisfaction of making an eco-conscious tech choice.
Plus, its compact build and lightweight design make it ideal for carrying from home to office — or wherever your day takes you.
Ready to upgrade without breaking the bank? This refurbished 2020 Apple MacBook Air with the M1 chip is available now at 65% off for $514.99.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Mining for hidden gems on Netflix? We've got you covered.
Whether you've been scrolling for ten minutes or ten hours, finding the right Netflix show can be tricky. You'll pass up something perfect for you because you don't recognize the title, watch something you hate because it had a cool thumbnail, then panic and give up.
So, we at Mashable put our heads together to find a whole bunch of shows you're probably scrolling past but will definitely love. Because we've had this problem too.
Listed in no particular order, here are 25 of the most underrated Netflix TV shows streaming now.
1. The OA Credit: NetflixIf you're not already firmly aboard The OA train, it's best we not spoil the mystery.
What we can say: A young woman named Prairie Johnson (played by series creator Brit Marling) reappears after having been missing for seven years. When she disappeared, she was blind. Now, she can see. Oh, and she's insisting she's an angel.
Perfect for fans of science fiction, great acting, and good TV. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The OA is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Santa Clarita DietSanta Clarita Diet was too good for this world. Canceled after just three seasons, Victor Fresco's pitch-perfect narrative of a suburban mom mutating into the undead hooked us from the start. Leads Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant's sparky chemistry remained believable, grounding their world of parenting, real estate, and murder in an emotional bedrock worth killing for. — A.F.
How to watch: Santa Clarita Diet is now streaming on Netflix.
3. The End of the F***ing WorldSomewhere between a Wes Anderson movie and a PSA for staying in school, The End of the F***ing World masters the teen road trip. Starring Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden as star-crossed somethings James and Alyssa, this two-season romp blends humor, heart, and a classic rock soundtrack to punchy effect. As dark as it is touching, this show was one of a kind. — A.F.
How to watch: The End of the F***ing World is now streaming on Netflix.
4. Sense8Science fiction has the power to break storytelling boundaries whenever and however its creators see fit. Sense8 did that in all the ways that matter.
This diverse, LGBTQ-inclusive story of "sensates" (people emotionally and psychologically linked to one another) reimagined the boundaries of human connection and made countless viewers feel seen. With just two seasons, fans could never get enough of Sense8, but at least Netflix made good on that finale — delivering a lasting legacy to streaming-kind. — A.F.
How to watch: Sense8 is now streaming on Netflix.
5. Copenhagen Cowboy Credit: NetflixDirector Nicolas Winding Refn made a big name for himself on the big screen, turning Tom Hardy and Ryan Gosling into icons with films like Bronson and Drive. But his small-screen streaming work has continually slipped through the cracks, starting with Amazon's magnificently trippy Too Old To Die Young in 2019 and continuing on to this year's also, whaddya know, magnificently trippy Copenhagen Cowboy.
Perhaps the longform slow-burn surrealism is too much for some, but it's just right for us. Across six chapters, Cowboy tells the story of Miu (newcomer Angela Bundalovic) who gets dragged into a Danish underworld of criminals and perverts due to her ability to give off good luck to whomever asks favors of her. She is a heroine of little talk and much action — so basically every other protagonist in a Refn project. She and Gosling's character in Drive would find lots to not talk about! It's stylish psychosis, a hallucinogenic delight. – Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Copenhagen Cowboy is now streaming on Netflix.
6. EasyFans of Joe Swanberg and his "mumblecore" stylings can rejoice in Easy.
An anthology series examining intimacy in modern Chicago, this three-season masterpiece explored love, loss, and change with immeasurable kindness. For each mistake there was forgiveness. For every heartbreak, the hope of something new.
Appearances by Marc Maron, Elizabeth Reaser, Jake Johnson, Aya Cash, Hannibal Buress, and more make Easy a must-watch series for any indie film fan. — A.F.
How to watch: Easy is now streaming on Netflix.
7. AggretsukoWho doesn't want to watch a cartoon red panda find herself against all odds? Pressured by an unforgiving job and disappointing dating prospects, Aggretsuko does her best to find the life she wants by secretly singing death metal karaoke at night. It's delightful. Try five minutes. You'll get it. — A.F.
How to watch: Aggretsuko is now streaming on Netflix.
8. Derry GirlsSet against the tumultuous Northern Ireland conflict of the late '90s, this coming-of-age tale is surprisingly hysterical. Centered on four Catholic school girls and one English bloke named James, Derry Girls is a sitcom in the truest sense of the genre, finding humor in a reality rife with conflict and fear. What's more, the series paints a moving portrait of friendship untethered by time or place, making it a standout representation of camaraderie and growth. — A.F.
How to watch: Derry Girls is now streaming on Netflix.
9. Raising Dion Credit: NetflixA serialized take on Dennis Liu's comic of the same name, Raising Dion follows mother and son Nicole (Alisha Wainwright) and Dion (Ja'Siah Young) as they cope with the death of Dion's father, Mark (Michael B. Jordan). When it is revealed that Dion has otherworldly abilities, Nicole must do everything she can to protect her son from himself — and the world. — A.F.
How to watch: Raising Dion is now streaming on Netflix
10. Archive 81Prepare yourself beforehand, because Netflix canceled this show after its first season and the climax leaves an awful lot hanging in the air, so you’re going to be frustrated by the lack of resolution. However, this horror series is both inventive and terrifying, with two timelines — one involving a video archivist in the present (Mamoudou Athie) and one involving a young woman (Dina Shihabi) recording her search for her birth mother in the past — overlapping in increasingly unsettling ways.
Even the unfinished question mark at its end hasn’t kept these fine eight episodes which we did get (some of which were directed by current indie It Boys Justin Moorhead and Aaron Benson of The Endless and Something in the Dirt fame) from continually creeping up on me at night. In the dark. In the night. – J.A.
How to watch: Archive 81 is now streaming on Netflix.
11. A Series of Unfortunate EventsIt's no secret Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events books are great. But why their Neil Patrick Harris-led TV adaptation never got the following it deserved remains a mystery.
Whether every page came to life the way you'd imagined or not, there's no denying Netflix's take on the tale of the Baudelaire orphans was riveting. From "The Bad Beginning" to "The End," creators Mark Hudis and Barry Sonnenfeld brought every corner of this fantastical world to life with care and precision. The visuals? Spectacular. The cast? Perfect. The ankle? Tattooed. With an eye. — A.F.
How to watch: A Series of Unfortunate Events is now streaming on Netflix.
12. The Get DownThe Get Down was ahead of its time. A musical drama from co-creators Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis, this single season spectacular released to underwhelmed audiences in 2016 who dismissed it as more style than substance. Today, it's got "Emmy winner" written all over it.
Soulful performances by Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Herizen Guardiola, and an outstanding supporting cast transform this historic look at late '70s hip-hop culture into a visceral experience. The scope of the characters' imaginations is only outpaced by the ambition of the series' creators. Worth a revisit if you passed it up the first time. Worth a rewatch if you didn't. — A.F.
How to watch: The Get Down is now streaming on Netflix.
13. Everything Sucks!Ben York Jones and Michael Mohan's send-up of '90s high schoolers had just one season, but its memory lives on in our queues. Set in the aptly-named Boring High School, the interlocking dramas between the A/V and drama clubs was cringe-worthy, sweet, and entertaining.
Fans of Euphoria look out for a stellar performance by Sydney Sweeney, alongside series leads Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Peyton Kennedy, Quinn Liebling, and Elijah Stevenson. — A.F.
How to watch: Everything Sucks! is now streaming on Netflix.
14. Tuca & Bertie, Season 1 Credit: NetflixAn easy and breezy binge made up of just 10 episodes, Tuca & Bertie Season 1 is among Netflix's best offerings. Hilarious-yet-heart-wrenching, topical-yet-timeless, this story of thirtysomething birdies finding themselves is faultless. Voice performances by Ali Wong, Tiffany Haddish, and Steven Yeun shine through unique visuals that expand animated comedy for the better.
It's hard to imagine a show as magnetic as this one getting canceled after just one season. And yet, Netflix made that mistake. Thankfully Adult Swim picked it up and made two more seasons… before canceling it again in November of 2022. — A. F.
How to watch: Tuca & Bertie is now streaming on Netflix.
15. Neo YokioCreated by Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, Neo Yokio tackles social stratification through the lens of an absurd pink-haired dude named Kaz Kaan. Combining surreal styling with deadpan humor, this animated series looks at "the greatest city in the world." If it's for you, you'll know. — A.F.
How to watch: Neo Yokio is now streaming on Netflix.
16. Kipo and the Age of WonderbeastsIn Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, the end of the world isn't all bad news. In fact, as protagonist Kipo Oak figures out, it's a chance to build something that's even better than what came before. Follow Kipo and her friends as they journey through a vibrant post-apocalyptic landscape, complete with mutant animals ("mutes") like Timbercats and Megabunnies, and do their best to unite mutes and humankind. This show is inventive, heartfelt, and accompanied by a truly groovy soundtrack…What more could you ask for? — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is now streaming on Netflix.
17. Alias GraceBefore there was Women Talking, there was this six-part adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1996 novel also from actress-turned-writer Sarah Polley, and which covers a lot of the same territory – namely, how women in history have managed to survive under the weight of a culture that seeks to subjugate them at every turn.
Grace, like Women Talking, tells a true story – this one of a 19th-century maid turned murderess (played by a terrific Sarah Gadon) who is interviewed about her life and eventual crime by a psychiatrist (Edward Holcroft). Directed not by Polley but by the exceptionally underrated Mary Harron (American Psycho), this series aches with implication, sadness, and devastating insight. – J.A.
How to watch: Alias Grace is now streaming on Netflix.
18. Blown Away Credit: NetflixFollow me: Competitive. Glassblowing.
In the back-breaking world of glass arts, the stakes couldn't be higher. One wrong move and an award-winning masterpiece can become worthless shards in seconds. For the competitors in Blown Away, the pressure is on to nail weekly challenges and progress closer to the coveted title of "Best in Glass." There's screaming, there's crying, there's a whole bunch of people casually saying "glory hole," all next to a 2,000-degree furnace.* — A.F.
How to watch: Blown Away is now streaming on Netflix.
19. Brand New Cherry FlavorThis series already feels ahead of its time, and not just because it had the foresight to cast Manny Jacinto before he became MANNY JACINTO. Weird and wacky and sexy and dark and full of witchy Catherine Keener making people puke up baby kittens, Brand New Cherry Flavor came to us from the stellar team of Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion, who also made the also vastly underrated SyFy series Channel Zero.
It tells the story of a young filmmaker named Lisa (Rosa Salazar from Alita: Battle Angel) who goes to Hollywood with big dreams and instead…she starts to puke up baby kittens. And then there are the zombies. Like Heathers made by David Lynch or a sillier Starry Eyes, these eight episodes will have you simultaneously cackling with laughter and coughing up bile — and yes, that’s a most heartfelt recommendation. – J.A.
How to watch: Brand New Cherry Flavor is now streaming on Netflix.
20. The SerpentYour mileage may vary depending on how true crimed-out you are, but this eight-episode series from 2021 dramatizing the case of serial killer Charles Sobhraj (played with equal doses of chill and charm by the great Tahar Rahim) is one of the best there are. Set mainly in Thailand in the 1970s, Sobhraj would trap foreign backpackers at his hotel by stealing their money and passports, and then murder them in the jungle. That setting alone makes the show stand apart.
But it's in the performances where The Serpent really shines. Rahim is stellar per usual (well, Madame Web excepted) but Jenna Coleman as Sobhraj's good-time girlfriend turning a blind eye and Billy Howle as the Dutch diplomat on the two's trail also drop ace turns. And future House of the Dragon star Fabien Frankel as a wayward Frenchman who falls under Sobhraj's terrifying spell almost steals the whole thing; the perverse relationship between the two men gifts The Serpent its sickening pull. — J.A.
How to watch: The Serpent is now streaming on Netflix.
21. Cunk On EarthIt'd be a stretch to call comedian Diane Morgan's character of Philomena Cunk "underrated" inside of the UK, where she's been tickling the British populace pink with her daft proclamations for over a decade, and even gotten a BAFTA nomination for her trouble. But I won't stop until Morgan can be safely proclaimed a comedy legend here in the U.S. too, as this five-episode miracle of a program has become my go-to for a pick-me-up whenever needed. (And lo, has it been needed lately.)
Cunk On Earth follows the investigative reporting of one Philomena Cunk, who is resolutely ill-informed about everything but even more self-assured in her misbegotten information than that, as she takes us through her one-woman tour of human history. Befuddling real-life experts with moronic questions and assertions, Cunk kicks it off with the Big Bang and works her unwieldy way across the centuries from there, tearing a hole through space-time one riotously dumb proclamation after another. It's the funniest anti-history lesson ever crafted, Monty Python be damned. (And a new special, Cunk On Life, is dropping Jan. 2!) — J.A.
How to watch: Cunk On Earth is now streaming on Netflix.
22. WanderlustIf you find yourself struck by a sudden thirst for Toni Collette — it happens to us all — I recommend you fire up the Netflix machine, for the streamer is keeping her booked and busy. Amongst the many pickings is this seriously under-appreciated six-episode 2018 series from British playwright Nick Payne.
A showcase for Collette's ever-adaptable skills, Wanderlust sees her playing a couples therapist named Joy whose own marriage is on the rocks. So she and her husband (Steven Mackintosh) decide they'll be helped by trying out an open relationship, which… Well, it's complicated. The series keeps a refreshingly open mind though, showing both the bad and the good of their arrangement. And there's a banger of an episode where Collette and her own therapist (Zawe Ashton) dig deep down into Joy's personal troubles. — J.A.
How to watch: Wanderlust is now streaming on Netflix.
23. Girls5eva Credit: NetflixThis poor, perfect show about a post-prime pop group got tossed around like yesterday's laundry, but lord, did it not deserve it. Starting on Peacock and then transferring to Netflix for its third season, Girls5eva at least managed to gift us 22 exquisite and hilarious episodes before it was canned due to its eternally low ratings. And you should go discover them right now, because it doesn't get any funnier. And the showrunners (including several Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock people) were wise enough to see its ending coming, so the show has a proper enough send-off and you won't be left hanging.
SEE ALSO: 'Girls5eva' interview: Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, and Paula Pell break down their Season 3 character arcsStarring Broadway's Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sara Bareilles alongside comedians Paula Pell and Busy Philipps as the titular Y2K-era one-hit-wonder girl group, the show watched the foursome (minus one member who died before the series begins) reunite and try to recapture a whisper of their former fame. It's a series of hilarious humiliations from there; viciously smart about pop culture's disposal of women above a certain age, Girls5eva nevertheless keeps itself ruthlessly feel-good. And you'll be humming those ridiculously over-the-top original songs that end every episode ("B.P.E." 4eva!) for the rest of your days. — J.A.
How to watch: Girls5eva is now streaming on Netflix.
24. The TerrorAlthough AMC produced two seasons of The Terror (with a third starring Dan Stevens supposedly landing in 2025), Netflix only has the first one. But the first season of this anthology series is plenty enough for me, since it stands as a 10-episode horror master class. Created by screenwriter David Kajganich (Bones and All, 2018's Suspiria), the first season is based on Dan Simmons' novel about an 1840s Arctic expedition that goes terribly horribly wrong for two ships and their seamen.
Starring a who's-who of character actors including Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, and Ciarán Hinds — and with several episodes directed by All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave director Edward Berger — it's a swift descent into madness for the shipmates as food and sanity runs low in the ice fields. And that's all before something unspeakable starts stalking them. Fiercely acted and thrumming with perfectly calibrated tension, The Terror is legitimately one of the greatest pieces of horror fiction to come out of recent times. So wrap yourself tight in your Snuggie and hold on for dear life. — J.A.
How to watch: The Terror is now streaming on Netflix.
25. CrashingA couple of years ago in an immediately post-Fleabag world, I'd have made the case that going back to discover the 2016 comedy series Crashing from the UK's Channel Four was your opportunity to see creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge before she broke out big. And that's still a big plus obviously! But here in a post-Bridgerton and post-Wicked world, Crashing has become doubly important because it's your chance to sneak back and see actor Jonathan Bailey as just a wee twinkling, adorably horned-up in every frame.
Crashing sees Waller-Bridge playing Lulu, a lost young soul who moves to London to meet back up with her childhood best friend, Anthony (Damien Molony). Anthony lives there in an abandoned hospital as a property guardian alongside several of his friends, and the series follows along and gapes in awe at the gang's messily intertwined sex and love lives. Also there for that ride is Sam (Bailey), a womanizer who's on his own little side quest of self-discovery — primarily, that he's hot to trot for his gay male friend Fred (Amit Shah). As with anything Waller-Bridge's had a hand in, Crashing weaves a brutally funny tale of fuck-uppery. — J.A.
How to watch: Crashing is now streaming on Netflix.
Asterisks (*) indicate the entry description comes from a previous Mashable streaming list.
UPDATE: Dec. 19, 2024, 12:47 p.m. EST This list was first published on Feb. 23, 2020. It has been updated to reflect the latest streaming options.
During Squid Game Season 2's Mingle game, contestants stand on a rotating platform as an unsettling children's song plays. "Round and round, round and round," children sing. "Let's go around in circles and dance."
SEE ALSO: The 21 best TV shows of 2024, and where to stream themThe song may be an apt way to kick off one of Squid Game's many deadly children's games, but it also proves a pretty accurate description of the viewing experience of Season 2. Despite all the hype — three years of it — for the return of Netflix's biggest series ever, Squid Game Season 2 is frustratingly recursive, characterized not by Season 1's propulsive do-or-die stakes, but instead by repetitive, borderline uninspired storytelling.
That problem of repetition hangs over the whole season, but nowhere more so than in the return of Squid Game's voting mechanic, which takes on a larger role this season (much to the show's detriment).
What is Squid Game Season 2's voting mechanic, and why doesn't it work? The players of "Squid Game" Season 2. Credit: No Ju-han / NetflixIn Season 1 of Squid Game, once the players experience the horrors of Red Light, Green Light, they are offered a choice. If the majority of them vote to end the games, they can all go home. They do (by one vote). Yet when the players re-enter the real world and are confronted once again by the full weight of their debt, most of them choose to return to the games for the slim chance that they might be able to win a life-saving amount of money.
When Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) returns to the games in Season 2, he experiences the post-Red Light, Green Light vote again. Only this time, things are different. Now, players get the choice to end the games between every challenge. If they do choose to leave, they get to split the current prize pot, which goes up with every death.
This change to the games' voting mechanic is a fascinating twist. It tests whether players are willing to survive and walk away with a comparatively smaller (but still significant) amount of money, or if they'd rather risk their own lives and those of the people around them for a shot at more money in the next round. "One more game," they tell themselves, calling to mind the gambling addictions that landed them in debt.
SEE ALSO: The 21 best TV episodes of 2024, and where to stream themThe extra voting also further stokes tensions between those who wish to leave and those who wish to continue. Finally, it serves as a message from the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) to Gi-hun: Despite Gi-hun's attempted heroics, there will always be people who will choose to play at the cost of others. That's part of why the Front Man and the other people who run the games view players as "roaches," even though they're disregarding the injustices of the capitalist system that put them there in the first place.
With all this nuance in mind, the repeated voting works in theory. But in practice, it falls flat. There are three voting scenes in Season 2, and each drags more than the last. After all, there are only so many ways you can make people lining up to push a button interesting. Not to mention that after every vote, people have to apologize or explain themselves. These scenes feel so much like RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars contestants justifying whose lipstick they pulled that you might wonder whether you turned on the reality show Squid Game: The Challenge instead.
Squid Game tries to play with its own formula by having "shocking" switch-ups in who votes for what. It's an easy way to chart where people stand on the games, but it's tough to focus on the personal arcs of people choosing to leave or stay when the outcome is so obvious. The meat of Squid Game is the games themselves, so we know going into each vote that there's no way it's going to pass. By design, the show has to stay in this hellish playground.
Really, the repeated voting only gives us the illusion of difference, just as it gives players like Gi-hun the illusion of escape. What could have been an interesting game mechanic becomes dreaded padding in an already frustrating season. So by the time the third vote results in a tie, I'm less intrigued by what will happen next and more horrified at the promise of yet another voting sequence. (At least the series avoids round four thanks to Gi-hun's finale rebellion.)
Squid Game Season 2 is just like its voting mechanic: dull and repetitive. Choi Seung-hyun in "Squid Game." Credit: No Ju-han / NetflixSquid Game's overemphasis on voting is just one symptom of Season 2's overarching problem: Recycling Season 1 plot points with twists that run themselves into the ground.
Let's start with an obvious one. Once again, the games' player 001 is a plant from the people controlling the games. This time around, it's none other than Front Man Hwang In-ho, who's snuck into the games to watch over Gi-hun, and who ends up becoming one of his closest allies. All the better to break his spirit once he finds out his true identity! The only problem is, Gi-hun doesn't learn who 001 really is this season, so we lose the feeling of brutal catharsis we got with the Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su) reveal from Season 1.
SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2024, and where to watch them(That detail is just one of many unsatisfying arcs Squid Game leaves dangling at the end of Season 2. No wonder, given that creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Entertainment Weekly that he originally envisioned Seasons 2 and 3 as one story.)
Elsewhere, Squid Game looks to add a new perspective with the character of Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young), a North Korean defector — like Season 1's Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) — who's become a soldier in the games. What could have been an illuminating look into what pushes someone to take that role quickly becomes a remix of the organ-harvesting plot from Season 1, with very little thought given to No-eul's inner conflict once she recognizes someone she knows from the outside in the games.
Even the games themselves become rote. The Six-legged Pentathlon is a mishmash of too many games, to the point that watching it becomes a slog. Mingle overstays its welcome after a few rounds. It feels like you're watching Squid Game beat itself into the ground. Add in the overlong subplot of Detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) puttering around, lost, on a boat, and that becomes doubly true. We're going round and round, dancing in circles, with not much to show for it.
Squid Game Season 2 is a step down — but that's not solely its fault. Park Gyu-young in "Squid Game." Credit: No Ju-han / NetflixWhen Squid Game Season 1 first hit, it felt like a fresh take on the "death game" genre. It spoke directly to anxieties about debt and inequality that spring from living under late-stage capitalism. Plus, the children's game elements offered a fiendish aesthetic twist, complete with pastel playgrounds and the now-iconic shape masks the soldiers wear.
Since then, though, the concept of Squid Game has been done to death. Beyond Netflix's ill-advised reality spin-off, YouTuber MrBeast recreated the games for his channel in 2021, then basically ripped them off again for his Beast Games game show. Meanwhile, Netflix has continued to release countless tie-in products, a mobile game, and even a real-life experience. Squid Game mania and a long wait time between seasons has only increased expectations, but it's also diluted what once felt special. Season 2 further dilutes Squid Game, even ending with a generic gunfight that's miles removed from the claustrophobic, almost intimate stakes of Season 1.
With every effort to dial up an element from Season 1, be it the voting mechanic or the Front Man's role, Squid Game Season 2 weakens its own mystique and appeal. It's proof that too much of a good thing can absolutely ruin a show's momentum, and that sometimes, some great series just don't need a second season.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintTo push.
SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for December 26 Hurdle Word 1 answerSHOVE
Hurdle Word 2 hintA jam.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 26 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerJELLY
Hurdle Word 3 hintA popular Colorado ski resort town.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 26 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 26, 2024 Hurdle Word 3 answerASPEN
Hurdle Word 4 hintA raid.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 26 Hurdle Word 4 answerFORAY
Final Hurdle hintA Jewish scholar.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerRABBI
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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