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'House of the Dragon' Season 2: Which Houses are Team Green and Team Black so far?

Mashable - Sun, 06/16/2024 - 22:00

House of the Dragon Season 2 is now underway, "war is inevitable," and the various Houses are picking a side: Team Green or Team Black.

How exactly are the teams shaping up so far? Season 1 ended with envoys going out to various major Houses in Westeros to try and shore up allegiances, but the first episode of Season 2 has given us a clearer understanding of how things are shaking out.

It's fairly brief, but the Small Council meeting that happens early in the episode tells us most of what we need to know.

SEE ALSO: Who deserves the Iron Throne in 'House of the Dragon': Team Black or Team Green? What information do we get from the Small Council meeting?

"Our letters to the Vale and to the North continue to go unanswered."

That's how Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) kicks things off, making it clear that House Stark and House Arryn aren't likely to declare for Team Green. We pretty much knew this already, of course: The start of Season 2 shows Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) shoring up an alliance with the Starks, and House Arryn is directly related to Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) through her mother Queen Aemma (her cousin was Lady Jeyne Arryn).

Team Green is having better results with House Baratheon and the Lannisters, though. "The Stormlands should be ours after the Prince Aemond's marriage pact to the Lady Floris Baratheon," declares Hightower. "My brother is raising the strength of the West," says Master of Coin Tywin Lannister.

The big question mark? The Riverlands. "Fat old Lord Tully will either raise my banner or see his burned," says Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), while his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) makes it clear that the Riverlands — and Harrenhal within it — will be key to winning the war.

Is Team Green or Team Black winning more allies so far?

So far, based on that Small Council meeting, it seems fairly even. Team Green has the Baratheons and the Lannisters, whereas Team Black has the Starks and the Arryns.

The main battleground in the short-term, it seems, will be the Riverlands. Perhaps whoever convinces Lord Tully to side with them will win a key advantage when the battle heats up.

House of the Dragon Season 2 airs weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

The new 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 intro shows the history of House Targaryen

Mashable - Sun, 06/16/2024 - 22:00

House of the Dragon switches things up in Season 2, debuting a brand-new opening credits sequence right out of the gate.

The new titles take the form of a tapestry spelling out the history of House Targaryen, from the Doom of Valyria all the way to events of House of the Dragon Season 1. The first season's credits took a somewhat similar approach, using gears, blood, and a backdrop of Old Valyria to take us through the Targaryen family tree. While these credits tied into the show's focus on bloodlines and succession, they were also dimly lit, with barely legible symbols representing each member of House Targaryen. Because of this, the tapestry in Season 2 is already a step up — plus, it's just as thematic as its predecessor!

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 review: A tragedy written in fire and blood

The tapestry imagery has its roots in episode 7 of the House of the Dragon Season 1, when Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) utters the following strange prophecy: "Hand turns loom; spool of green, spool of black; dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread." It's a clever bit of foreshadowing to the Dance of the Dragons (the name for the royal succession civil war between between Aegon II and Rhaenyra), as well as a nod to Helaena's prophetic dreams. But the references to looms, spools, and weaving also play into the idea that House of the Dragon's story will one day be viewed as history, a concept rendered literal in the new Season 2 opening credits.

From great conquests to times of prosperity, this title sequence is filled to the brim with details from House Targaryen's past, all drawn from George R.R. Martin's Targaryen history Fire and Blood. Let's break down what each section of this massive tapestry means — and why it matters.

The Doom of Valyria

House of the Dragon's new titles open with foreboding images of erupting volcanoes, dying dragons, and a city on fire that looks just like King Viserys' (Paddy Considine) Old Valyria model from Season 1. That can only mean one thing: This is the Doom of Valyria, the cataclysmic event that wiped almost all the dragonriders from the face of the earth.

SEE ALSO: How 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is different from George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood'

The only dragonriding family to survive was, of course, House Targaryen. That's because 12 years before the Doom even happened, Daenys Targaryen — a dreamer like Helaena and Aegon the Conqueror — told her father Lord Aenar Targaryen of a vision she'd had of the end of Valyria. He heeded her warning and moved the family to Dragonstone. Basically, the Doom and its destruction of all the other dragonriders is why the Targaryens are in Westeros in the first place. It's also why their connection to dragons is so rare and gives them so much power.

Aegon's Conquest

Next up on our House Targaryen history lesson is Aegon the Conqueror's invasion of Westeros, which takes place about a century after the Doom. The opening credits tapestry shows us Aegon as well as his two sisters/wives Rhaenys and Visenya flying on their dragons. While Aegon's Balerion and Rhaenys's Meraxes are gone by the time House of the Dragon rolls around, Visenya's Vhagar is still very much around. At the start of Season 2, her rider is Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell).

The credits continue Aegon's Conquest with an image of Vhagar and Balerion breathing fire over a castle and crowds of dying soldiers, which collapses several key battles into one tableau. The castle is Harrenhal, which, despite being considered impenetrable, proved no match for Balerion's fire. Meanwhile, the hordes of charred corpses represent the casualties in the Field of Fire, a massive battle during which the three Targaryen armies laid waste to the hosts of House Lannister and House Gardener. If you look closely in the credits, you can make out the sigils of both Houses — a hand for the Gardeners, a lion for the Lannisters — on shields on the battlefield.

SEE ALSO: Did you catch this prophecy in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2, episode 1?

In the face of the sheer might of dragons (think of them as the nukes of Westeros), it's no surprise the Great Houses bent the knee to Aegon. The opening credits represent these pledges of fealty with kneeling figures decked out in the colors and sigils of some familiar families: the blue and white falcon and moon of House Arryn; the black and white direwolf of House Stark; and the silver, orange, and blue trout of House Tully. In a bit of history repeating, all three Houses could be players in Season 2 as well, as Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) will seek their allegiance in the war to come.

Maegor the Cruel

Aegon the Conqueror was a tough act to follow, and neither of his sons quite lived up to his name during their successive reigns. Aenys I was viewed as indecisive and weak, while Maegor I, aka Maegor the Cruel, was a total tyrant. We're talking executions, kinslaying, and tons and tons of burning. He also oversaw the completion of the Red Keep, after which he had everyone who worked on it beheaded in order to keep its secrets. Overall, not a great dude!

Maegor did go out in memorable fashion though, earning him a spot in House of the Dragon's new title sequence. We pan down from the Red Keep to see him seated on the Iron Throne, impaled through the neck by one of the throne's swords and with his wrists cut. Fire and Blood keeps whether Maegor died by suicide or murder ambiguous. However, the death sets a pattern of Targaryen Kings being hurt or killed by the very Iron Throne they rule from. Remember how Viserys kept getting cuts from sitting on the Iron Throne? Turns out deadly furniture is a leading cause of death among Westerosi monarchs.

Jaehaerys and Alysanne

Where Maegor was a tyrant, his successor and nephew Jaehaerys I came to be known as the "Conciliator." His reign of 55 years is the longest in Targaryen history, which certainly merits him a section of the Targaryen tapestry.

The House of the Dragon credits show Jaehaerys alongside his sister/wife Alysanne, as well as an image of a pot of gold and a seven-pointed star, representing the Faith of the Seven. The former points to Westeros's prosperity during his reign, and the latter to how Jaehaerys mended the contentious divide between the crown and the Faith that started during Aenys's reign. They don't call him the Conciliator for nothing!

The Great Council

After showing Jaehaerys and Alysanne, the House of the Dragon opening credits dive into territory we've already covered in Season 1. First up is the Great Council of Harrenhal, where Jaehaerys and the lords of the Seven Kingdoms chose his successor from a crop of 14 possible heirs.

Viserys ended up on the throne, with the Council passing over Jaehaerys's granddaughter Rhaenys (Eve Best). The decision set a precedent for women not being permitted to rule, leading to Viserys' initial hesitation about making Rhaenyra his heir. Imagine all the mess we could have saved had the Council just gone with Rhaenys.

The Greens and the Blacks

Next, House of the Dragon's new opening credits jump right into the conflict between Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). We see Alicent standing at one end of a banquet hall, resplendent in a green gown that calls back to her fashionable power move at Rhaenyra's wedding. (Also, notice how the torches flanking her resemble House Hightower's fiery sigil). On the other end of the hall is Rhaenyra, equally glorious in a black dress.

The banquet tables on opposite side of the hall lay out the members of Team Green and Team Black. On Team Green, we see Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), Aemond, Aegon II, and Helaena. Notice how Helaena wears gold instead of green, distancing her from the rest of her family. On Team Black, we see Daemon (Matt Smith), Rhaenys, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), and Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi).

SEE ALSO: Who deserves the Iron Throne in 'House of the Dragon': Team Black or Team Green? Rhaenyra and Aegon on their separate thrones

In the richest tableau these credits have to offer, Aegon II and Rhaenyra take their places as dueling rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon sits atop the Iron Throne, while Rhaenyra sits on the throne at Dragonstone.

The two are surrounded by a frame of red and gold — a nod to House Targaryen's colors and house words, "fire and blood." Hands emerge from beneath both of their thrones to send messages to prospective allies. Ravens flock from the green hand under Aegon II, representing Otto's diplomatic tactics at the start of the war. As we see in the Season 2 premiere, this approach already chafes the war-ready Aegon.

Aegon and Otto's green hand and ravens contrast with the black hand and dragons extending from Rhaenyra's section of the tapestry. Of the several dragons at Rhaenyra's disposal, only three are pictured here. The smaller ones resemble Jacaerys' Vermax and Lucerys' Arrax, corresponding to the young princes' missions to secure allies in the Season 1 finale. The longer red dragon is likely Daemon's dragon Caraxes.

Rounding out this tapestry is a border of sigils framing Rhaenyra and Aegon. Based on placement, we can tell which of the Great Houses have declared for which side. Of the major Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon players, Houses Lannister, Baratheon, and Hightower are on Team Green, while Houses Arryn, Stark, Tully, and Velaryon are on Team Black.

Lucerys Velaryon's death

It's only fitting that these new credits close with the tragedy that closed out Season 1: the death of Rhaenyra's son Lucerys. Here, we see the intertwined figures of Aemond, Vhagar, Arrax, and Lucerys, reminding us all of one of the first casualties of the Dance of the Dragons.

From here, the now-blank tapestry unfolds towards the ominous silhouette of the Iron Throne. The message is clear: For the past minute and a half, we've witnessed centuries' worth of bloody battles and the devastating power of dragons, all unleashed in the name of ruling Westeros. And with the schism between Rhaenyra and Aegon, these events — mostly tragedies — won't be stopping anytime soon. The Targaryen history is still being written; the tapestry is far from done.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

'House of the Dragon' Season 2, episode 1: What exactly is Larys Strong planning?

Mashable - Sun, 06/16/2024 - 22:00

Well. A lot happened in House of the Dragon Season 2, episode 1. But while plenty of the key players were out there making rash decisions and acting on impulse, some of the Red Keep's biggest snakes were just getting started.

Enter Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), murderer of family members, feet fan, and budding Littlefinger. The royal court's Lord Confessor didn't have too much to do in the new season's first outing — at least not yet — but there was one key conversation that made us think he's up to no good again.

So what did Larys say, and what might it mean for his future intentions?

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 review: A tragedy written in fire and blood What did Larys Strong say to King Aegon?

Midway through the episode there's a sequence where the newly crowned King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is holding court in the Great Hall, hearing various requests from the "small folk" while his grandfather and Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) gives him advice. Larys, meanwhile, watches from the side of the hall — and when Aegon is finished, he pulls the young king aside for a quiet word. Here's the exchange that takes place between them, in full:

Larys Strong: "'Tis the Hand's want to keep a firm grip on things. He controlled your father the same way. Viserys had a certain reputation of being pliable."

Aegon Targaryen: "I am aware."

LS: "I would think, as we find ourselves standing in a hair's breadth of war, that you would wish to be viewed differently."

AT: "How?"

LS: "Otto Hightower was your father's hand, your grace."

So...what's he up to?

They see me lurkin'... Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO What is Larys Strong planning?

Larys' main goal from the start of House of the Dragon seems to have been similar to Littlefinger's goal in Game of Thrones: his own ascension. In Season 1, Larys ingratiates himself with Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and arranges for the murder of his own brother and father in order to inherit the "Lord" title for himself. The Red Keep's chief information extractor (by whatever means necessary), he likes to be as close to power as possible, and have the ear of the higher-ups.

King Aegon II, it seems, it his new target. But as Larys observes in the throne room, Aegon is currently under the thumb of his grandfather, Otto Hightower. Larys has played carefully around Otto, even undermining Alicent at times with him. Our guess is that Larys is trying to manipulate Aegon into getting rid of Otto so that he can make more room for himself on the Small Council.

With Otto out of the way, Larys would likely have an even greater influence over the king.

House of the Dragon Season 2 airs weekly on Sunday's at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

How 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is different from George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood'

Mashable - Sun, 06/16/2024 - 22:00

House of the Dragon Season 2 has flown back onto our screens, bringing with it plenty of dragons, Targaryen family drama, and changes from its source material, George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood.

Several of these changes build on those in Season 1. Largest among them is the simple fact that House of the Dragon is a narrative TV show, while Fire & Blood is presented as a historical account. The difference in form means that Fire & Blood operates on a larger timescale, spanning centuries, while House of the Dragon can dive deeper into certain scenes and character moments or flesh out "historical" ambiguities.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 review: A tragedy written in fire and blood

An example of that fleshing out is the relationship between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), whose fraught dynamic in the show benefits from the extra layers of seeing them grow up together before becoming bitter enemies. That strong adaptation choice is one of many that carries into Season 2, but there are plenty new deviations from Fire & Blood on the way. Which ones work and add depth to the story of the Dance of the Dragons? Which ones are less successful? Let's break it down.

Here are all the biggest differences between House of the Dragon Season 2 and Fire & Blood.

Episode one: We're back at the Wall! Harry Collett and Tom Taylor in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO

House of the Dragon Season 2 opens with shots of snowy forests and the familiar sounds of Ramin Djawadi's Winterfell theme, which can only mean one thing for House Stark fans: We're so back.

After spending the first season mostly in and around Dragonstone and King's Landing, it's a delight to revisit the northernmost reaches of Westeros. Rhaenyra's eldest son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) flew up there in the Season 1 finale to treat with Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell (Tom Taylor), and by the time we catch up with them at the beginning of Season 2, it seems like they've become good pals. They're taking a field trip up the Wall, bantering about the time Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror, and discussing how the North can aid Rhaenyra in her war efforts.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2's Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects

House of the Dragon skips over quite a bit of material to get to Jace and Cregan's allyship. In classic Fire & Blood fashion, there are several conflicting accounts of Jace's time in Winterfell in Martin's work. Of his many historical "sources," Grand Maester Munkun writes in his True Telling that the two became inseparable and swore a blood oath of brotherhood, while Septon Eustace claims that Jace badgered Cregan about converting to the Faith of the Seven. The most scandalous of all the accounts belongs, naturally, to court jester Mushroom, who says Jace fell in love with and married a bastard named Sara Snow, even though he was betrothed to his cousin Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell). With only eight episodes in this season, House of the Dragon likely didn't have the time to get into all this potential Northern drama. We've got the Dance of the Dragons to kick off, people! Still, you can bet we haven't seen the last of Cregan Stark.

Episode one: Alicent Hightower and Criston Cole's torrid affair. Olivia Cooke in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO

In a move I didn't see coming (and that certainly isn't in Fire & Blood), Dowager Queen Alicent and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) are getting it on. Based on Alicent's assertion that they shouldn't hook up again (as if that's going to work), we can assume this affair has been going on for a while. So, when did this tryst begin? When did Cole come back around on the whole "breaking his Kingsguard oath of chastity" thing? When did Alicent decide, "Eh, screw it," and start doing exactly what she hated Rhaenyra for doing?

SEE ALSO: The new 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 intro shows the history of House Targaryen

Alicent and Criston's hypocrisy here doesn't bother me, as it's totally in keeping with their overly righteous characters. And it just makes sense that something would happen between these two. They're basically joined at the hip, and their joint animosity towards Rhaenyra adds a sweet psychosexual twist. Plus, as Alicent reckons with the increasingly unpredictable men in her circle, like her sons Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), it also makes sense that she'd try to reclaim her power elsewhere.

What does bother me about this change is that Criston is having sex at all. He doesn't deserve it. No nice things for Criston, please!

Episode one: Let's talk about Blood and Cheese. Phia Saban in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO

In what is undoubtedly one of the darkest scenes ever featured in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, two assassins — known simply as Blood (Sam C. Wilson) and Cheese (Mark Stobbart) — sneak into the Red Keep and murder Aegon and Helaena's (Phia Saban) infant son Jaehaerys. The monstrous act comes at the behest of Daemon (Matt Smith), who seeks "a son for a son" in retribution for the death of Lucerys (Elliot Grihault).

SEE ALSO: Did you catch this prophecy in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2, episode 1?

In the book, Blood and Cheese force Helaena to choose which of her sons she wants them to kill. When volunteering herself doesn't work, she chooses her youngest, Maelor, as Jaehaerys is heir to the Iron Throne. In a nasty twist, Blood and Cheese kill Jaehaerys instead — and tell Maelor that his mother wants him dead.

Things play out a little differently in House of the Dragon, although the final outcome is the same: Jaehaerys dies, and Helaena is traumatized for life. First off, Blood and Cheese's original target in the show is Aemond. That change already complicates the blame of Jaehaerys's death. It lets Daemon off the hook a little for bankrolling child murder, just as Vhagar's unauthorized chomping in the Season 1 finale means Aemond technically didn't murder Lucerys. But technicalities don't matter when children are dead.

Instead of finding Aemond, Blood and Cheese stumble upon Helaena and the twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. (Maelor is cut from the show entirely.) They make a snap judgment that one Targaryen son is as good as another and make Helaena tell them which of her children is Jaehaerys. She points him out, but there's a brief moment in which Blood thinks she's trying to double-cross them. After all, why would she give up the heir to the throne so easily? Surely she's actually pointing to Jaehaera. Cheese calls her bluff though and correctly surmises that she's actually singled out her son. With that, Jaehaerys becomes another victim in the Dance of the Dragons.

This version of the Blood and Cheese scene nods a bit to the book version, with Helaena still having to make an impossible choice and there being trickery involved. However, there's an extra layer of tragedy here. Based on a rat-centric statement towards the beginning of the episode, Helaena likely foresaw the arrival of Blood and Cheese in a prophetic dream. That means she's had quite a bit of time to think about this moment, and maybe even prepare for it. Her attempt to throw Blood and Cheese off of Jaehaerys's scent was her last-ditch effort to stop the inevitable. In failing, her action turns a horrifying scene into something even sadder.

We'll be updating this article as House of the Dragon Season 2 continues airing, so check back weekly for more differences between the show and Fire & Blood.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

Did you catch this prophecy in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2, episode 1?

Mashable - Sun, 06/16/2024 - 22:00

The ending of House of the Dragon's Season 2 premiere features one of the most heinous things to ever happen on the series, Game of Thrones included.

In a sequence already infamous to readers of George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) hopes to avenge the death of Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) by claiming "a son for a son." He enlists the help of two unlikely assassins: a member of the Gold Cloaks (Sam C. Wilson) and a ratcatcher (Mark Stobbart). We never learn their names, but history will remember them as Blood and Cheese.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 review: A tragedy written in fire and blood

Once the pair arrive in the Red Keep, they threaten Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) and force her to point out which of her two infant twins is her son — and the heir to the Iron Throne — Jaehaerys. After some debate over whether Helaena is tricking them, Blood and Cheese behead Jaehaerys in his crib, while the distraught Queen flees with her daughter Jaehaera.

The scene plays out somewhat differently from Fire & Blood, but the effect is still the same: abject horror. Like Lucerys, the loss of Jaehaerys is that of an innocent caught in the crossfire between Team Green and Team Black. Even worse is the way Blood and Cheese force Helaena — another innocent in this war — to participate in and witness the murder of her child. But one of the the most chilling details of all in this situation is the fact that Helaena likely knew this threat was coming.

House of the Dragon has established that Helaena is a dreamer, a member of the Targaryen family who experiences prophetic dreams. In Season 1, she prophesied that Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) would lose his eye, and that Rhaenys (Eve Best) and her dragon Meleys would break out from under the Dragonpit. However, no one pays her any attention, mistaking her prophesies for meaningless ramblings.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2's Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects

That dismissal of Helaena's words comes again in Season 2, episode 1, when she tells her husband/brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) that she's afraid. He thinks she's talking about the threat of Team Black and their many dragons, but Helaena is quick to clarify: "Not the dragons. The rats."

Helaena's servants and Aegon dismiss her comment, but of course, Helaena was right again. The rats did come for her, with ratcatcher Cheese finding her first and putting a knife to her neck. Plus, like rats, Blood and Cheese sneak through the Red Keep via the sewer system and secret tunnels.

House of the Dragon keeps the rat motif up throughout the Season 2 premiere, allowing Helaena's fear of rats to sink into the audience as well. Multiple times throughout the Blood and Cheese sequence, we see rats scurrying through the Red Keep. Even earlier than that, we catch glimpses of ratcatchers working in the castle's hallways. For example, if you watch closely during the scene in which Aegon hears his subject's petitions, you'll spy a ratcatcher walking past the doors leading into the throne room.

At the first mention of rats, every book reader would have steeled themselves for Blood and Cheese. But even if you weren't familiar with Martin's source material, Helaena's comments and the repeated images of rats and ratcatchers conditioned viewers to take notice of them, building tension to the episode's brutal ending. Now imagine how Helaena felt, dreaming this assassination she knew would come to pass, with nobody listening to her. Her being a dreamer makes the murder of Jaehaerys and the lead-up to it even more tragic.

If only Aegon had paid as close attention to Helaena and the rats as we did, maybe the latest atrocity in the Dance of the Dragons could have been averted.

House of the Dragon Season 2 airs Sundays on HBO and Max at 9 p.m. ET.

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for June 17

Mashable - Sun, 06/16/2024 - 21:00

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 June 17's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Drop off delivery

  • Green: Fashion chemicals

  • Blue: Stuck with a problem

  • Purple: Things measured by the ° sign

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Deliver, as a Package

  • Green: Kinds of Lip Makeup

  • Blue: Predicament

  • Purple: Measured in Degrees

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 Connections #372 is...

What is the answer to Connections today
  • Deliver, as a Package: MAIL, POST, SEND, SHIP

  • Kinds of Lip Makeup: BALM, GLOSS, LINER, STAIN

  • Predicament: CORNER, FIX, HOLE, SPOT

  • Measured in Degrees: ANGLE, CRIME, EDUCATION, TEMPERATURE

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

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