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Black Mirror has returned with Season 7, and fans of mind-bending science fiction have plenty of reasons to rejoice. Series creator Charlie Brooker delivered six new episodes featuring stars like Will Poulter, Awkwafina, Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cristin Milioti, Chris O'Dowd, Emma Corrin, Jimmi Simpson, and Issa Rae.

Moreover, this season boasts new tech tales that are humorous, and equal parts heart-warming and heart-wrenching, as well as two sequel episodes that play off previous fan favorites, "Bandersnatch" and "USS Callister." But before you dive into all this twisted goodness, we have a warning: DO NOT START WITH "COMMON PEOPLE."

Yes, it's tempting to start with "Common People," as it's the first episode of Season 7. It is the one Netflix will prompt you to play first. However, Black Mirror is an anthology series. So, with the exception of the rare sequel episode, you can really watch them in whatever you so choose without much consequence. But if you start with "Common People," the staff at Mashable suspects there will be a consequence, because it's hit several of us already.

Slight spoilers ahead.

What's Black Mirror's "Common People" about? Rashida Jones plays a teacher in "Common People." Credit: Netflix

Netflix dropped the official loglines for Season 7 on Tudum back in March. Here's the synopsis for "Common People."

When a medical emergency leaves schoolteacher Amanda fighting for her life, desperate husband Mike signs her up for Rivermind, a high-tech system that will keep her alive — but at a cost.

Out the gate, a married couple facing a life-or-death decision is teased. And tech is often the launchpad for tales of tragedy in Black Mirror. So, you might think you know what you're in for. But you'd be wrong.

SEE ALSO: Every 'Black Mirror' episode ever, ranked by overall dread

Rashida Jones and Chris O'Dowd star as a married couple, teacher Amanda and welder Mike, whose lives are simple but happy. That is, until she collapses in her classroom. But shortly after a bleak prognosis is delivered, a sales rep for Rivermind (Tracee Ellis Ross) appears to save the day.

For just $300 a month, this middle-class couple can prolong Amanda's life, repairing her broken brain through a subscription service called Rivermind. Within this premise, screenwriters Charlie Brooker and Bisha K. Ali combine the horror of America's healthcare system and the unstoppable rising costs of streaming services to create an all-new nightmare. You think tiered insurance is bad? Rivermind's ever-shifting terms of use and skyrocketing costs paint a not-so-distant future that feels soul-scorchingly plausible.

One moment, Amanda is fine. The next, she either blacks out or begins spouting a paid advertisement without her consent. To get a better experience, she'll need to upgrade from Rivermind Common to Rivermind Plus. Sound familiar?

Sure, there are plenty of bleak episodes of Black Mirror that predict a future not too different from where we are now, and many are absolutely harrowing. But "Common People" is so devastating in its potential that it's hard to watch without being overwhelmed with dread. And that makes it hard to carry on into the next episode, "Bête Noire."

Even those on the Mashable Entertainment Team who pride themselves on watching totally twisted TV and movies were winded by "Common People."

On one hand, cheers to the writers and director Ally Pankiw (I Used to Be Funny) for so effectively weaving sci-fi tech, pathos, and dystopian horror into one walloping episode. On the other hand, if you're already scared of what the future might bring, "Common People" might be too much for you — and certainly too much to kick off Season 7's watch.

What order should you watch Black Mirror Season 7 in? Rashida Jones and Chris O'Dowd look concerned. Credit: Netflix

Truly choose your own adventure, or pick your poison. But here's what we'd recommend:

Start with "Bête Noire," a deeply Black Mirror premise full of twists and turns, with a doozy of an ending.

Move into "Plaything," which offers a compelling crime story that plays even better than Season 6's "Loch Henry."

For something more enchanting, turn on "Hotel Reverie," which stars Issa Rae and Emma Corrin in a tale of Hollywood romance.

If you're ready for some heartache, move into the Paul Giamatti-starring stunner, "Eulogy." You'll cry, but it'll be a good cry.

Now, we'd recommend "Common People." You've built your base, re-familiarizing yourself with the signature blend of agony, ecstasy, and mindfuckery that is Black Mirror. Brace yourself, and dive in if you dare.

Finish up with “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” maybe after revisiting its prequel episode from Season 6. Reuniting much of the crew from the titular ship, this 90-minute episode is funny, freaky, and a great climax to another astonishing season.

Then, we'd advise a screen break. Have you hydrated today? Maybe go for a mental health walk. But at the very least, shove the phone away and give your brain and heart some time to recover!

How to watch: Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each one!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand-new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for epic action, wild comedy, sci-fi adventure, cannibalistic drama, or a Pedro Pascal fix, we've got something just for you.

Here's what's new on streaming, from worst to best.

9. The Handmaid's Tale, Season 6

The Handmaid's Tale kicked off its sixth and final season with a three-episode premiere and a promise of all-out revolt. June (Elisabeth Moss), Moira (Samira Wiley), and Luke (O-T Fagbenle) are drawn back into the Mayday rebellion in the hopes of toppling Gilead and saving Hannah (Jordana Blake), while Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) returns to her totalitarian roots and hopes to claim power within Gilead. Will revolution bring her and the rest of the Commanders to their knees? Or will dystopian dread prevail? — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Max Minghella, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ever Carradine, Sam Jaeger, and Josh Charles

How to watch: The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes every Tuesday.

8.  Your Friends & Neighbors, Season 1

Jon Hamm turns to a life of crime in Apple TV+'s Your Friends and Neighbors. Hamm plays Andrew "Coop" Cooper, a disgraced hedge fund manager whose firing leaves him totally broke. To keep up appearances in his wealthy community of Westmont Village, Coop resorts to stealing from his affluent neighbors, only to find himself learning their best-kept secrets along the way.

An intriguing look into the lives and ennui of the filthy rich, Your Friends and Neighbors is buoyed by Hamm's lead performance — his first on TV since the end of Mad Men. Suave and just barely covering up deep existential dread, Hamm (and Coop's wry voiceover) will hook you pretty fast. — B.E.

Starring: Jon Hamm. Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee, Mark Tallman, Lena Hall, Aimee Carrero, Eunice Bae, Isabel Gravitt, and Donovan Colan

How to watch: Your Friends & Neighbors begins streaming on Apple TV+ on April 11.

7. Hacks, Season 4

Fresh off its Emmy–winning third season, Hacks returns for Season 4 — and the tension between Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) has never been higher. The Season 3 finale saw the pair betray each other in different ways: Deborah passed Ava up for the head writer job at her new late night show, then Ava blackmailed her way into the job, using as leverage Deborah's secret affair with network head Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn). 

In the Season 4 premiere, the duo are understandably at each other's throats, with Smart and Einbinder once again firing on all cylinders. Prepare for more of their electrifying dynamic, as well as a healthy dose of show business satire. — B.E.

Starring: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Megan Stalter, Paul W. Downs, Rose Abdoo, and Mark Indelicato

How to watch: Hacks Season 4 premieres on Max on April 10.

6. G20

What if Air Force One starred Viola Davis? That feels like the pitch for this enticing action movie G20, in which the Academy Award–winning actress stars as an American president who uses her right to bear arms (and bare arms) to fight back terrorists who invade the G20 summit of world leaders in Cape Town, South Africa. But it's not just about keeping her allies in politics safe. This president is also one tough mother, battling not only for the future but also her husband and two teen children.

The buzz around director Patricia Riggen's latest is good. But even if it wasn't, you had us at Viola Davis action movie. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Antony Starr, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Clark Gregg

How to watch: G20 is now on Prime Video.

5. ​​Novocaine

Everyman Nathan Caine's (Jack Quaid) inability to feel pain turns him into an unlikely superhero in the action comedy Novocaine. A mild-mannered, antisocial assistant bank manager, Nathan springs into action when robbers take his new crush, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), hostage. He may not know how to fight, but he can take a punch (or a stab, or a gunshot) like nobody else, simply because he can't feel it. What comes next is a damn good time, complete with hilarious action sequences and a knockout performance from Quaid.

As I wrote in my review, "While I don't actively wish harm on movie protagonists, I will say that thanks to Quaid, it's never been more fun watching someone get hurt." — B.E.

Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, and Jacob Batalon

How to watch: Novocaine is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

4. Yellowjackets, Season 3 finale

Buzz buzz, Yellowjackets fans! The Season 3 finale is upon us, hopefully bringing answers to some of the show's many mysteries. Who killed Lottie Matthews (Simone Kessell)? What will the remaining adult Yellowjackets do to Melissa (Hilary Swank)? Will the teen Yellowjackets find a way out of the wilderness? And perhaps most importantly, will we ever find out who Pit Girl is? After a fairly frustrating season, we at least deserve some closure. — B.E.

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Warren Kole, Christina Ricci, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Kevin Alves, Simone Kessell, Hilary Swank, and Sarah Desjardins

How to watch: The Yellowjackets Season 3 finale premieres on Paramount+ with the Showtime plan on April 11.

4. Game Changer, Season 7

Get ready for a game changer! The game show that changes every episode returns to Dropout for its seventh season, with new sets, new contestants, and of course, new rules. 

SEE ALSO: Inside 'Game Changer,' the internet's favorite game show

The season premiere gives contestants Vic Michaelis, Lou Wilson, and Jacob Wysocki one year to complete a variety of outrageous tasks, and the results are nothing short of jaw-dropping. From magic tricks to jet skis, you won't believe what these comedians have accomplished. The only way to witness such silly greatness for yourself is by tuning in, so get to watching! — B.E.

Starring: Sam Reich, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Vic Michaelis, Lisa Gilroy, Lou Wilson, Jacob Wysocki, Oscar Montoya, and more

How to watch: Game Changer is now streaming on Dropout, with a new episode every Tuesday at 7 pm ET.

3. Doctor Who, Season 2

Doctor Who returns with the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and a brand-new companion named Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu). Together they'll cruise through time and space seeking thrills and fresh adventures, and finding wild alien creatures and enchanting co-stars like Alan Cumming.

Season 2 (or Season 15 or Season 41, depending on how you're counting) kicks off this Saturday with "Robot Revolution," which pitches Belinda onto a far-flung star where robots have enslaved the human population. There, she'll meet the Doctor, who is already hatching a plan for freedom, and is always happy to make a new friend. Whether you're an established Whovian or curious what all the fuss is about, this premiere episode is sure to welcome you into the Doctor's TARDIS, which always has room for new passengers on the inside. — K.P.

Starring: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Anita Dobson, and Alan Cumming

How to watch: Doctor Who Season 2 premieres April 12 on BBC and Disney+.

2. Black Mirror, Season 7

Series creator Charlie Brooker brings Black Mirror fans six new episodes to terrify, tantalize, and traumatize us.

Mashable will be your guide through Season 7 of Black Mirror, offering explainers, deep dives into Easter eggs, and even a warning about what order to watch these new eps in.

Whether you're craving bittersweet tales of love and tech, a rollicking space adventure through an online MMRPG, or an episode so bleak it might well take your breath away, Black Mirror has got you covered. Please binge responsibly. — K.P.

Starring: Will Poulter, Awkwafina, Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cristin Milioti, Chris O'Dowd, Emma Corrin, Jimmi Simpson, and Issa Rae

How to watch: Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

1. The Last of Us, Season 2

Grab your tissues, because The Last of Us is finally back. And if you thought Season 1 left you an emotional wreck, just wait.

The Last of Us Season 2 picks up five years after the end of Season 1, when Joel (Pedro Pascal) made a brutal but necessary, choice to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Now living in Jackson, Wyoming, the formerly inseparable duo are no longer on speaking terms. What led them to this point, and how has Joel's decision affected their relationship? These are the main questions The Last of Us will tease out over the course of its heartbreaking Season 2, which also introduces new threats in former Firefly Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), factions like the Washington Liberation Front and the Seraphites, and more terrifying Infected.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2 review: Joel and Ellie's return devastates and infuriates

Unsurprisingly, The Last of Us Season 2 proves just as heartbreaking as Season 1, especially thanks to stellar return performances by Pascal and Ramsey. Yet for all the exquisitely wrought emotional tension between the two, The Last of Us throws in unsatisfying world-building elements that simply won't gel until Season 3. The end result is both moving and frustrating. As I wrote in my review, "So much of this season is spectacular, from Joel and Ellie's wrenching relationship to a snowy Clicker battle that calls to mind Game of Thrones' 'Hardhome.' But ultimately, it's just one half of a great story — is that enough?" — B.E.

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Young Mazino, Isabela Merced, Tati Gabrielle, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Wright, Joe Pantoliano, and Alanna Ubach

How to watch: The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on HBO and Max on April 13.

* denotes that this blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list.

Save $100: As of April 10, the Dyson V11 cordless vacuum is on sale for $469.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of about 18% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V11 $469.99 at Amazon
$569.99 Save $100 Get Deal

If you missed out on the bargains during Amazon's recent Big Spring Sale, don't worry, all hope is not lost. Some discounts have remained, including this one on the Dyson V11 cordless vacuum. Yep, 10 days after the sale ended, and you can still save $100 on this impressive vacuum. As of April 10, it is priced at $469.99.

It's a great vacuum too, boasting three different power modes: Auto mode for everyday cleaning tasks — to balance power and run time to make the most of your battery life; Eco mode for maximum run time; and Boost mode for intensive spot cleaning. It can even be converted into a handheld vacuum, perfect for cleaning the car or any upholstery. This model also benefits from an LCD screen that shows power mode, battery life, and maintenance alerts.

You can expect up to 60 minutes of run time before it needs to be charged. And if you have pets, you'll really love the hair screw tool. This one is great for sucking up pet hair, and the anti-tangle conical brush bar can remove stubborn hairs from pet beds, car seats, stairs, and more tricky spots.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

SAVE $4.05: As of April 10, the Apple AirTag is on sale at Amazon for $24.95. This deal saves you 14% on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag $24.95 at Amazon
$29 Save $4.05 Get Deal

The Apple AirTag is back on sale at Amazon, and if you misplace things a lot, you need to hear more about it. These little tracking devices can be attached to almost anything: keys, luggage, passport, anything you find yourself frequently misplacing. And as of April 10, this Apple AirTag is reduced to just $24.95.

The setup for these couldn't be easier. Just attach it to your item of choice and track it in the Find My app. It even has a small built-in speaker, so you can trigger a sound from the Find My app on your Apple device, making it easier to find the AirTag if it's nearby but out of sight.

According to Apple, all AirTags are designed to have a one-year battery life, and that's with regular use. They use a standard CR2032 coin cell battery, which is user-replaceable. When the battery is running low, you’ll receive a notification on your iPhone, giving you plenty of time to replace it. So with this four-pack bundle, you'll always have active tracking.

It also has an IP67 water resistance rating, meaning it can cope with a maximum depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes. But let's hope your phone doesn't end up underwater...

Head to Amazon now to grab this deal.

Samsung's Ballie, a ball-shaped robot that the company's been working on for five years, is finally coming to market.

The company originally announced Ballie in 2020, and displayed a redesigned version during CES 2024.

Now, the home AI companion robot – as Samsung calls it – is actually becoming a real product. It will be able to move around the house, and engage in "natural, conversational interactions" to help you out with stuff like setting reminders, greeting people at the door, and telling you you look beautiful (or recommend a different shirt). Ballie can hear and see you, as well as move around the house freely, though most technical details are absent from Samsung's announcement.

What we do know, however, is that the robot will get its AI capabilities from Google Gemini. So, if you tell Ballie, "I feel tired today," the robot should be able to provide advice on how to improve your energy levels, optimize your sleeping environment, and the like.

For an idea of how smart the robot will be, you can probably just pick up a Samsung Galaxy S24 device (or later), as those phones use Gemini for AI smarts as well.

SEE ALSO: Samsung smart glasses with touchless controls nearly ready, report says

Samsung has a promo page for Ballie, with a couple of videos. One video shows Ballie projecting an interactive video on a wall, so the robot will probably have a built-in projector. The company does warn that the video is for illustrative purposes only, and that certain features and functionalities may differ from the actual product.

Ballie will launch in the United States and Korea "this summer." There's no word on the price, but you can pre-register to purchase one when it becomes available.

OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman have counter-sued its co-founder turned competitor Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of unfair and fraudulent business practices. Specifically, ChatGPT's owners claim that Musk's $97.375 billion offer to buy it out in February was a "sham bid" deliberately intended to impede OpenAI's efforts to raise funding.

"Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk's more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls [X], a pretextual demand for corporate records, harassing legal claims, and a sham bid for OpenAI's assets, Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI," read the lawsuit.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk says he'll stop trying to buy OpenAI if it stays a nonprofit

Filed to a California district court on Wednesday, OpenAI's countersuit alleges that Musk's offer to purchase the AI organisation for $97.375 billion was not genuine, and was in fact orchestrated to gain an unfair business advantage. Though Musk was one of OpenAI's founders, he has since left and founded competitor xAI.

"Musk has engaged in these efforts to slow OpenAI’s progress and impair its ability to compete effectively in an increasingly crowded field, but also to seize and maintain for xAI an unearned edge designed to impair competition more broadly for the sole benefit of Musk’s xAI, at the expense of the public interest," alleges OpenAI.

In support of its claims, OpenAI argues that there was no evidence of available funding to back Musk's proposed $97.375 billion purchase price, and that there appeared to be no basis for the number he'd landed upon "other than a comedic reference to Musk's favorite sci-fi series." 

As such, OpenAI alleges that Musk's actions were "intentionally… designed to disrupt [OpenAI's] economic relationships and did in fact disrupt those relationships," stating that its dealings with current and potential investors became "more costly and burdensome" due to Musk's public acquisition offer. It also noted that the "threat" of a Musk takeover had OpenAI employees considering the prospect of "chaos and arbitrary employment action," having seen his handling of Twitter (now X) after acquiring it in 2022.

"Without limitation, the bid complicated the process for undertaking any corporate reorganization, and may ultimately raise [OpenAI's] cost of capital," the countersuit claimed.

OpenAI is requesting damages, as well as a permanent injunction preventing Musk from further interfering with its business relationships.

"[T]he risk of future, irreparable harm is acute, in light of [Musk's] years-long pattern of abusive conduct, involving, among other things… filing and withdrawing legal claims for purposes of harassing [OpenAI] and orchestrating a sham bid to purportedly acquire [OpenAI's] assets," read the filing. "Every phase of Musk's campaign has been designed to force OpenAI to divert resources, expend money, or both."

Elon Musk vs. OpenAI

Musk has made no secret of his objection to OpenAI's transition from a non-profit into a for-profit company, or its decision not to release its artificial general intelligence as open source. The billionaire initially sued OpenAI last March, claiming that the changes amounted to a breach of contract, and attempting to force the organisation back into a non-profit model. According to Musk, there had been a "Founding Agreement" that OpenAI's technology would be open source "for the benefit of humanity."

In response, OpenAI alleged that no such founding agreement existed, producing emails which appeared to demonstrate that Musk was aware of its plans to become a for-profit organisation. Musk had reportedly even attempted to take ownership of OpenAI himself, offering to solve their funding issues in exchange for complete control. (They declined, and in 2018 Musk left the organisation.) The billionaire subsequently dropped his lawsuit without explanation in June, just one day before a judge was set to hear OpenAI's request for dismissal. 

Musk's beef wasn't over though, and in August he filed a new lawsuit his lawyer called "much more forceful." This time Musk claimed he was "manipulated" into co-founding OpenAI, though his arguments were otherwise rather similar to those in his previously dropped suit.

"Elon’s nonstop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit," OpenAI's official X account posted on Wednesday. "Elon’s never been about the mission. He’s always had his own agenda. He tried to seize control of OpenAI and merge it with Tesla as a for-profit — his own emails prove it. When he didn’t get his way, he stormed off."

Though OpenAI did state that Musk is "undoubtedly one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time," it also called his behaviour "just history on repeat — Elon being all about Elon."

Musk's response has been to resort to name-calling, posting, "Scam Altman is at it again."

OpenAI didn't specify exactly which fictional series it suspected Musk was referencing with his $97.375 billion acquisition offer. However, it wouldn't be the first time Musk appeared to make business decisions based on joke numbers. The X owner previously fell afoul of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2018 when he posted that he was "considering taking Tesla private at $420" and had "funding secured." This number is popularly associated with marijuana use, though Musk later claimed his post wasn't a joke when called to testify about it in court. Tesla currently remains a publicly traded company.

It also wouldn't be the first time Musk has made an acquisition offer of questionable authenticity. In 2022 the billionaire infamously offered to purchase Twitter for significantly more than its value at the time. Musk then attempted to back out of the pretty awful business deal after Twitter accepted, but was eventually forced to go through with it after Twitter sued. The company's value subsequently plummeted under his leadership, falling by nearly 80 percent in just two years.

Black Mirror Season 7 positions the stunning "Hotel Reverie" as the spiritual successor to Season 3's "San Junipero," with both episodes featuring queer love stories that play out in simulations of different eras.

The 1980s-themed "San Junipero" sees sparks fly between Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis), two elderly women who are able to live as their younger selves again in the titular simulated beach resort town.

SEE ALSO: 'Black Mirror' Season 7: 'Hotel Reverie,' explained

Meanwhile, "Hotel Reverie" takes its cues from classic Hollywood romances, sending actor Brandy Friday into a simulated remake of the film Hotel Reverie. There, she falls for an AI construct of the film's main character, heiress Clara Ryce-Lechere (Emma Corrin). Due to Brandy's presence and some technical mishaps, Clara learns that she isn't real, and that she was played by the troubled, closeted actor Dorothy Chambers. The realization emboldens her to chase her own happiness, and she and Brandy go on to have their own classic romance. Unfortunately, it's cut short by tragedy. First, the simulation resets to a moment before Clara's discoveries; then, Clara is shot by police in a deviation from Hotel Reverie's original final scene.

Still, "Hotel Reverie" tries to fashion a "San Junipero"-style happy ending in its last moments. Brandy receives a package from Redream, the people behind the Hotel Reverie remake. Inside is a drive containing a simulation of one of Dorothy's old screen tests, during which she comments that she foolishly keeps waiting for the prop phone to ring. But ring it does thanks to the other part of Brandy's package: a phone that can call this construct of Dorothy. The two begin a new conversation as the episode ends, their reconnection clearly meant to be a hopeful, if bittersweet, nod to the love Brandy and Clara shared.

But as soft piano music closed out my first viewing of "Hotel Reverie," my reaction was not one of hope, but of worry. Because as much as Black Mirror plays this ending as a happy one (and by Black Mirror standards, I guess it is), it's actually far from it.

"Hotel Reverie"s ending is haunting, not happy. Issa Rae and Emma Corrin in "Black Mirror." Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

The AI construct of Clara whom Brandy meets in Hotel Reverie finds self-awareness over the course of the episode. Even after being reset, she still recalls a major turning point in her journey: Brandy mistakenly calling her Dorothy. That moment is enough to send Clara down her own path with her own agency, even if it ends in death.

But the Dorothy construct Brandy receives isn't the same one she fell in love with, nor does she have the same agency that Clara did. Yes, Brandy could tell her the true nature of their connection over the phone, but what would happen next? Clara would realize she's trapped. And with Brandy unable to enter the simulation beyond the phone, there's simply no way for them to exist in the same reality again.

SEE ALSO: 'USS Callister: Into Infinity' ending explained: What happens to the crew?

It's a fact that's both heartbreaking and sinister. Dorothy is presumably confined to the screen test room, as Redream likely wouldn't create an entire (and expensive) simulated world for her to inhabit. Meanwhile, Brandy can continue to exist in the real world and go about her day-to-day life. Yet with her loved one confined to a simulation and always just out of reach, how long until she loses hope? (One could even liken the human-AI disconnect to Season 2's downright depressing "Be Right Back.") The arrangement is enough to drive either mad.

Compare this skewed final power dynamic to "San Junipero," which ends with Kelly and Yorkie as equals in death in the simulation, their consciousnesses plugged in next to each other. By contrast, one half of the Brandy-Dorothy pairing will always be in a simulation, and therefore at a disadvantage.

Dorothy tells Brandy over the phone that she has "all the time in the world" to talk to her, but she doesn't realize just how true that is. Her entire world is this phone call; she exists only to be called and spoken to. In an attempt at a romantic gesture, Redream has instead commodified Brandy and Clara's love (not unlike what they did with Hotel Reverie Reborn) and turned Dorothy into what is essentially a conversation bot.

Elsewhere, Brandy laments being put in a box at the start of the episode, but that's ultimately just what Redream has done to Dorothy. To paraphrase Hotel Reverie's iconic final line, they've shipped her off to be Brandy's forevermore — and that's a haunting thought.

Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Plenty of TV dramas dive into twisted tales of murder, but none do it quite like Black Mirror. Killers in this sci-fi thriller anthology come in unexpected forms, like a ruthless architect on a rampage ("Crocodile"), a heartbroken ex on a holiday visit ("White Christmas"), or a swarm of electronic bees compelled by social media ("Hated in the Nation").

Now, following up on the true crime commentary in Season 6's "Loch Henry," Season 7 offers "Plaything," a story about a ranting gamer who is tied to a decades-old cold case. 

While the tech on display in this episode is so advanced it might well make contemporary gamers drool or shudder, the murder at the story's core is cryptically familiar. There are a couple of clues amid the mystery that suggest the episode's rambling protagonist, Cameron Paul Walker (Peter Capaldi), is inspired by the late convicted killer and star of The Jinx, Robert Durst. 

What is "Plaything" about?  Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Set in near-future London, Plaything follows the criminal investigation into reclusive gamer Cameron. In the beginning of the episode, he is played by 66-year-old Capaldi, who wears grubby clothes, glasses, and a long, ratty gray wig. His appearance as he's dragged into a police interrogation room suggests Cameron hasn't been caring well for himself. But he has been caring for someone... or something. 

Let's flash back to 1994, where young Cameron (Lewis Gribben), a socially awkward video game reporter for PC Zone magazine, is assigned to review the latest creation of "genius programmer" Colin Ritman (Will Poulter).

Bandersnatch fans will remember that Colin was a character in that choose-your-adventure Black Mirror holiday special, which allowed viewers to make choices for the protagonist, leading to different endings. In some of those paths, Colin seemed to die back in 1984 — and in one ending Mohan Thakur (Asim Chaudhry) does. "Plaything" is set in a timeline of Bandersnatch in which neither is dead, and Colin "went fucking gaga" (per Cameron's boss). 

SEE ALSO: 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' marks the dawn of a new era in television

When these fellow gamers meet, Colin offers to show Cameron something that is not a video game. "There is not a single line of code in this that can be thought of as a game in the traditional sense," he tells the reporter. Colin is looking not to create another killing game (like DOOM, the first-person shooter Cameron plays earlier in the ep). "We have to create software that elevates us, improves us as human beings," he preaches before introducing Thronglets. 

Behold: a computer screen on which a green forest is bustling with little yellow pixelated creatures. "You're looking at the first lifeforms in history whose biology is entirely digital," Colin explains. The point of Thronglets is to care for them, hatch them, feed them, nurture them, and they'll replicate, even speak to you in their own language. Before long, Cameron becomes so obsessed with the Throng that he is isolated from the human world and even turns to murder. 

Why does Cameron kill Lump?  Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

In 1994, young Cameron's understanding of the Throng grows because of "Lump," a scruffy friend whose real name modern-day Cameron can no longer recall. Lump is a drug dealer who supplies Cameron with LSD. While tripping, Cameron not only feels less anxious but also can understand the Throng's language. In the future timeline, he swears to interrogating officers Kano (James Nelson-Joyce) and Minter (Michele Austin) that the Throng were asking him to upgrade his computer for them. Cutaways to his current apartment reveals he's turned the place into an electronic shrine, intended to nurture the Throng. 

But back in 1994, an intoxicated Lump stumbles onto the unguarded Throng while Cameron is out. His impulse is not to nurture them but squish them with pixelated rocks and set them on fire. The Throng scream and bleed, and Lump laughs. For this, he will pay with blood — his own.

In a fit of rage (and perhaps LSD), Cameron attacks Lump after seeing his digital utopia on fire. Through a webcam, the Throng witness him beat and throttle Lump to death. From there, Cameron will get rid of the body. And for decades, he will get away with murder.

What does "Plaything" have to do with Robert Durst?  Credit: Nick Wall/Netflix

Cameron disposes of Lump's body by dismembering it, then discarding it in the woods in a suitcase. The aggressive cop, Kano, shows Cameron a photo of the recovered corpse, and scolds, "No hands, no head, no identifying marks." 

The circumstances of this death and the disposal of the body are reminiscent of the Morris Black case, which was explored in the 2015 true crime mini-series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

On Sept. 30, 2001, in Galveston Bay, Texas, a call came into police, reporting a man's headless torso floating near the shore. It was wrapped in a black garbage bag. Police on the scene would recover more bags containing human limbs. The body was identified as 71-year-old local Morris Black, though his head was never recovered. 

After a complicated criminal investigation explored in The Jinx and its 2024 sequel The Jinx: Part Two, it was eventually determined that Black's reclusive neighbor Robert Durst, who was also a suspect in the 1982 disappearance of his wife, had dismembered Black's body and disposed of it in the water. Durst would claim he didn't kill Black, but had gotten rid of the body so as not to be bothered by authorities who already suspected him of murdering his wife Kathie. According to Durst, Black pulled a gun and accidentally shot himself as they struggled over it.

Admittedly, Cameron and Lump's story is only superficially similar, involving "kind of friends" fighting, leading to murder, and dismemberment. But the biggest connection between Cameron and Durst is how as old, gray-haired, muttering men, they both got caught because of a ridiculous shoplifting attempt. 

At the beginning of "Plaything," Cameron walks into a liquor store, grabs a bottle, and tries to run out. The door has auto-locked, so he sits and waits for the cops to arrive. When they do, a mandatory DNA swab is conducted, which ties him to the bloody suitcase found in 1994. 

This was basically how Durst was caught as well. On November 30, two months after the body had been discovered and a month and a half after he'd jumped bail in connection with the case, Durst was on the run when he went into a Wegmans supermarket in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and attempted to shoplift a chicken sandwich. The misdemeanor arrest led to major charges as the police became aware of his connection to the Black case. 

The Jinx and its sequel delve into all the details of Durst's bizarre criminal life. But for all the questions the miniseries do address, no one can answer why Durst shoplifted a sandwich when he had $500 in his possession. Cameron, on the other hand, meant to get caught. 

Why did Cameron shoplift?  Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Of his arrest for shoplifting, Cameron tells Kano, "I did it deliberately, so you'd bring me in here and I could deliver the message." Cameron declares himself the Throng's messenger, chosen to share with the wider world the "symbiotic co-existence" he has developed with the digital lifeforms. 

After Lump's murder, Cameron effectively lost his only human friend, and so devotes himself entirely to the Throng. Not only does he give them everything they've asked for, but he also offers his literal brain to them, creating a port they can plug into. He tells the cops, "Now, I'm free from fear. I've no thirst for conflict. No more petty jealousies or red mists. I'm part of a collective whole." 

For the whole of the episode, Cameron speaks about humans' inescapable predilection for violence, in video games and in life. "In caveman times, you had to be violent to survive," he explains. "But now the only way we are going to make it as a species is if we cooperate. We know that. But we can't do it, can we?" 

To him, the solution to fix the flaws of mankind is to give ourselves over to the Throng. But Cameron didn't get arrested to give a peaceful explanation that might be shared worldwide. He came for conquest. 

What is Cameron doodling?  Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

As soon as Cameron is handed over to the interrogating Kino, arresting Officer Best (Ami Tredrea) notes that Cameron got annoyed when she wouldn't look at the drawing he'd made. During the police interrogation, he repeatedly asks for a pen and paper. When gentle Minter finally obliges, Cameron draws with intense focus. What he draws looks like a QR code, and as he points it to the surveillance camera in the station, it connects back to the Throng. 

Cameron grows giddy as he monologues, "This will grant the Throng infinitely more processing capabilities, prompting an immediate singularity event. The Throng will instantly adapt their essence into a signal transmissible to the human mind. And you won't need drugs or surgery. You'll merely have to hear it to absorb it." 

Kano responds with violence, punching Cameron, as the ranting suspect promises, "I swear everything will be so much better." Then, the screeching signal reverberates throughout the station.

There is no escaping the Throng. Humans eyes go white as they are upgraded. The episode ends with a bloodied Cameron holding out his hand to the man who attacked him, presumably welcoming Kano into the Thronglet.

What does the end of "Plaything" mean for Black Mirror? Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Well, it'd be a hell of a way for Brooker to end his series. No season 8 has yet been announced. So while it's the second-to-last episode of Season 7, might "Plaything" be seen as Black Mirror's finale? I doubt it. 

For one thing, who is to say all human minds will work as well with the Throng as Cameron's? He needed lots of LSD and years of experimenting and exposure to connect with the Throng. And for all his monologuing, he hasn't mentioned any human testing outside himself. So, could this be a circumstance that leads to a sequel episode where it's man versus Throng? With this season offering two sequel episodes, it seems a possibility. 

Yet even if the Throng does successively take over mankind and thereby crush any conflict from there on out, that wouldn't be enough to stop Black Mirror. 

Sure, recurring tech and characters (like the cookies and Colin) have long suggested the episodes of Black Mirror exist within the same narrative universe. However, Bandersnatch allowed audiences to create their own Black Mirror story, leaving that film unclear on its canon. So what does it mean if Bandersnatch's Colin is back and kicking 10 years after the events of that episode? His fate changed depending on the user's decisions. Notably, both Bandersnatch and "Plaything" were written by Brooker and directed by David Slade, suggesting there's an agreed-upon canon between these two collaborators. So, are they confirming that it's canon that Colin survived his brush with programmer Stefan Butler? Or that there is a a Black Mirror multiverse?

If it's the latter, that means this Season 7 episode could have its apocalyptic ending without impacting the series moving forward. (Sort of a variant on Season 6's Red Mirror episode, "Demon 79.")

Until a new season is announced — or Brooker himself offers some clarity — what the ending of "Plaything" means is all up to the human viewing it. 

How to watch: Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Two-time Academy Award–nominee Paul Giamatti joins Black Mirror, playing true to his Sideways niche as a compelling curmudgeon in "Eulogy."

The fifth episode of Season 7 centers on a lonely old man named Phillip Connarty (Giamatti), who is contacted by a company called Eulogy to alert him that 1) Someone he knows has died, and 2) His memories could be valuable to the next of kin for "an immersive memorial" at the funeral. 

SEE ALSO: 'Black Mirror' Season 7 trailer reveals the unsettling plots of each new episode

The male voice on the phone to Philip's quiet, cluttered, seaside home says, "You won't have to write anything. The Eulogy system curates your recollections and uploads them for the memorial." 

Philip is resistant. But before he can tell Eulogy to get lost, a drone appears dropping off all the equipment, including a guide disc, that he'll need to revisit his hazy, bohemian twenties in a Brooklyn artists' co-op called "The Coop." That was when he knew and loved Carol Royce (née Hartman). But as the system guides Philip to use physical prompts — like photographs — to surface memories, what is uncovered is jealousy, misunderstanding, and heartbreak. 

Who is Phillip's guide through Eulogy? Patsy Ferran plays a virtual guide in Black Mirror "Eulogy." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Phillip's guide through the Eulogy process is a pleasant English-sounding avatar (Patsy Ferran), who initially is cajoling, even as the gruff American resists every step. But as the story of Phillip and Carol unfolds, the avatar's tone gets sharper. The more Phillip snarls about times he felt Carol let him down, the less understanding the guide is of him. She begins to push Phillip to consider Carol's perspective. Did she want to switch from playing cello to keyboard to play in his band? Did she desire to spend Halloween with some Beetlejuiced creep who was not her boyfriend? And most, pressing of all, why did she leave him once he proposed marriage? 

Why is the Eulogy avatar so invested in this decades-old breakup? It's because the guide is modeled after Carol's surviving daughter, Kelly Royce. 

Is Kelly Phillip's daughter?  Paul Giamatti looks into the past in "Eulogy." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

The virtual assistant is a cookie, a digital replication of a human's consciousness used as a super-advanced — but arguably unethical — version of AI in a variety of ways: household monitor ("White Christmas"), robo bestie ("Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too"), and torture device ("White Christmas" and "Black Museum"). Here, the cookie is used to guide mourners through their memories of Kelly's mother, Carol.

Cookie Kelly's identity wasn't supposed to be a mystery. But impatient Phillip opted to skip the introduction, which included who he was talking to. More than simply an AI assistant, she's a reflection of the daughter of Phillip's long-lost love. Even when Kelly goes from being a voice in Phillip's head to a full-bodied companion in his mind as he tours through old memories, her face doesn't ring any bells. He's never met her, and he has put great effort into eradicating the memory of her mother's face. While Phillip may be oblivious, Black Mirror fans might suspect there's more to Kelly's appearance than meets the eye. But the real twist of this episode is that Kelly is not Phillip's daughter, though she could have been — albeit not biologically.

SEE ALSO: Black Mirror season 7 is coming — 5 things the internet is saying about its return

For decades, Phillip's recollection of Carol has festered with resentment, so he's long missed some telling clues dropped in their last night together. He recalls the fancy restaurant, the champagne he ordered, and how she didn't drink a sip. He remembers she'd put on weight. But even after Carol ran away from his marriage proposal, Phillip didn't put together the clues that she was pregnant. The baby wasn't his. As Kelly's cookie reveals, Carol had a one-night stand as revenge for Phillip's affair with Emma. The biological dad was never a big figure in Kelly's life. But Phillip could have been, if only he'd found the note.  

In a very Sleepless in Seattle move, Carol left a note at the hotel, spilling these secrets and offering Phillip one more chance to reconnect the following day at the stage door. But in his raging sense of rejection, he trashed the hotel room and overlooked the note with her nickname for him on it, "Philly." 

What are the clues to Cookie Kelly's identity?  Paul Giamatti in a rock show in "Eulogy." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

The first comes on the phone call. The man on the phone is from the UK and his voice is British. At first, the guide (Ferran) being British may not mean anything beyond it being the default setting of the UK-based company's app. However, the caller also mentions the service has been employed by Carol's daughter, Kelly Royce. And as Eulogy is meant to help the grieving remember the departed, it'd make sense in the world of Black Mirror for that virtual guide to be modeled after someone close to the recently deceased. 

When Phillip talks about the first time he met Carol, he makes a snide remark about her "character," noting that she never mentioned she was engaged when they met. While Kelly doesn't say anything, her face gets pinched with displeasure at the remark. This suggests she knows Carol. 

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about 'Black Mirror' Season 6

When Phillip talks about his band The Head, the guide gets irritable, as he is dismissive about Carol's preference for the cello to the keyboard. He blames Carol for the band's failure, noting that her "heart wasn't in it."

The guide responds, "Maybe you should have let her play cello," adding, "The cello was important to her. She played it her whole life, taught her daughter to play it." That's an interesting and very specific fact! But Phillip is so aggravated he blows past it with an insult, asking if she was coded to be "mildly annoying."

Here comes another clue. She says, "I wasn't really coded, more generated." Phillip interrupts with another insult: "generated from some digital asshole." She looks hurt. After his abrupt apology, they move on together. Things only get more heated.

With Carol not around to channel his anger at, Phillip takes it out on Cookie Kelly, who gives it right back. "What did she do that was so awful," the guide demands, "so heinous that you became this wounded dog?" This leads to the story of Phillip's fateful trip to London to visit Carol. As he furiously recalls the night he proposed and Carol ran, the guide presses him on what it meant that Carol wouldn't drink the champagne. Then she says, "She was pregnant with me. Kelly Royce's daughter. The one she taught to play cello."

Cookie Kelly goes on to explain that she's a "disposable avatar, a temp guide, an echo really. I'm programmed with her thoughts and opinions, so I can decide what she'd like to include [in the memorial] without her having to be exposed to everything herself. Which as you can imagine, might be upsetting."

"Crocodile" tech finds better use.  Andrea Riseborough in "Black Mirror," "Crocodile." Credit: Arnaldur Halidorsson / Netflix

In Crocodile (Season 4, episode 3), the computer interface is a "memory dredger" or "corroborator," placed on a user's temple, which allows an outsider — in that case, a claims adjuster for Realm Insurance — to view the memories of the subject. In the episode, a collection of memories from various witnesses is used to build evidence of what really happened. While looking into a car collision claim, one investigator accidentally stumbles across a murder cover-up, a discovery that proves fatal for her and her family.

In "Eulogy," similar tech allows Phillip to revisit his bohemian youth. Through Eulogy's system, he is able to stroll back into the old apartment building where he and fellow artists flopped, created, and partied. He's able to return to the rooftop where he first met Carol. But as he's destroyed her face in every photo — in a very dramatic breakup move — he can no longer access what her face looks like. 

The end of "Eulogy," is surprisingly sweet and even upbeat for Black Mirror. Through Kelly's coaching and Eulogy's software, Phillip is able to recover one precious memory in full. Playing a cassette tape Carol made for him, he remembers standing in the hall of the apartment building, listening to Carol play the cello she loved so much. He steps into the photo, and takes the place of his younger self. This time, he can see the face lost to resentment. And there she is, glorious and shining. But in the episode, this rediscovery plays intercut with his arrival at the funeral all the way in London. There, he sees the real Kelly. Who doesn't know much of him at all, but plays the cello in memory of her mom. She looks up, and seems to nod to him at the back of the church.

What does the end of "Eulogy" mean? Paul Giamatti goes to Carol's funeral in Black Mirror's "Eulogy." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

That's up to the eye of the beholder. Has Eulogy changed Phillip's view of Carol enough that he can reach out to Kelly? Sure, the wounds aren't healed. But by the end, he's able and willing to see Carol's face again. He recognizes that the troubles in their relationship were not all on her. And he yearns to say goodbye, enough that he flies internationally to go to her funeral. But is that all? Could it be that his time in his own mind with the virtual Kelly has him hopeful that it's not too late to be her dad? I think so. 

One of the most optimistic episodes of Black Mirror, "Eulogy" shows how grief can be a bear, but can also bring people together. Sure, this Kelly won't have had the heart-to-heart talks that Phillip had with her cookie. But that means he might have a second chance to be a bit more tender this time. A second chance to make a first impression, and a second chance to be the dad he might have been. 

How to watch: Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Black Mirror Season 7 takes some cues from Old Hollywood romance in "Hotel Reverie," an episode that combines classic films like Casablanca and Brief Encounter with fictional AI moviemaking tech.

Issa Rae stars as A-list actor Brandy Friday, who's signed on to star in a remake of the vintage British film Hotel Reverie. There's just one catch: This isn't a normal movie shoot. Instead, thanks to a new system called Redream, Brandy's consciousness will be projected into Hotel Reverie. There, she'll replace the male lead, the dashing Dr. Alex Palmer, and act against AI constructs of the film's characters in real time.

SEE ALSO: Every 'Black Mirror' episode ever, ranked by overall dread

Among these constructs is heiress Clara Ryce-Lechere (Emma Corrin), played by late actor Dorothy Chambers. Brandy's first interactions with Clara don't go as planned, leading her and director Kimmy (Awkwafina) to scramble to stay on Hotel Reverie's narrative track. But it's too late: Brandy's presence —and her mistakenly referring to Clara as Dorothy — alters something in Clara. As she becomes self-aware, and as a technical mishap halts production, she and Brandy embark on a love story of their own.

So how does their romance shake out, and what does Black Mirror have to say about the use of AI in filmmaking? Let's check into "Hotel Reverie" and break it down.

What happens to Clara/Dorothy in "Hotel Reverie"? Emma Corrin in "Black Mirror." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Brandy manages to stick to the script until a disastrous piano-playing sequence cools any attraction between her and Clara. From there, she has to improvise in order to win Clara back. That leads to the biggest divergence from the original film's plot: She calls Clara "Dorothy."

The mistake actually intrigues Clara, even after Brandy backtracks and tells Clara that she simply reminds her of a troubled acquaintance named Dorothy. Both Clara and Dorothy appear to have everything, Brandy tells her. But their envious surface was covering up a deeper sorrow.

The message strikes a deep chord with Clara. "What's true of [Dorothy] is also true of me," Clara says. "You know, it's silly, but sometimes a sense of such wretchedness seizes me, as though I'm connected to some fathomless sorrow reaching through time. Perhaps I was a tragic figure in some other life."

Clara's sentiments aren't just romantic melancholy. They're fragments of the real-life Dorothy's psyche leaking through the data. According to the Redream team, the AI construct drew from Dorothy Chambers' performance, which she in turn based heavily on her own life. So when Clara heard Dorothy's name, she connected to the echoes of Dorothy that are running through her AI's data set.

SEE ALSO: 'USS Callister: Into Infinity' ending explained: What happens to the crew?

"She's grown a dimension," programmer Jack (Charlie Hiscock) explains.

Hearing Dorothy's name and subsequently growing a dimension gives Clara extra agency. She goes off-script and touches Brandy's hand in the hotel garden. The next day, she invites Brandy-as-Alex on their sightseeing tour of Cairo, when in the original Hotel Reverie, it's Alex who offers the invite first.

The "Dorothy" mishap is the first step on Clara's journey to self-determination, but she makes an even bigger leap when Jack spills his drink on one of Redream's computers (manufactured by TCKR, which also appears in Black Mirror episodes like "San Junipero," "Playtest," and more). The accident freezes all the AI constructs in Hotel Reverie except for Clara, whose extra dimension has pushed her from unaware construct into something more. After Brandy tells her the truth, Clara leaves the hotel and breaches the fringe of Redream's simulation, stepping into a dark void where she's exposed to the program's full data pool, which includes Dorothy's life.

Clara speedruns Dorothy's life — which is also hers — in a matter of seconds. She sees everything from tabloid rumors about a romance with her costar Ralph Redwell (Enzo Cilenti) to her real love for one of the women who worked on Hotel Reverie. She even witnesses Dorothy's death.

The revelations about Dorothy and about her own life not being real are the final steps to Clara gaining full agency. As the world remains frozen around her and Brandy, she steps up to the empty hotel bar's empty piano — a sight that movie Clara said brought her nothing but sorrow — and begins to play for herself.

How does Brandy and Clara's love story end in "Hotel Reverie"? Issa Rae and Emma Corrin in "Black Mirror." Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

The piano isn't the only way Clara begins to reclaim her happiness and embrace her autonomy. She and Brandy, who can't leave Hotel Reverie until the end credits roll, also begin a whirlwind romance in the frozen movie. (The "San Junipero" vibes are strong here, not just because of the queer romance but also because of the simulated period piece setting.) One second in the real world translates to several hours in the movie world, so by the time the Redream team finally fix the system, Brandy and Clara have already confessed their love for one another.

But it's too late for the happy couple: Kimmy resets the film to moments after Brandy and Clara's first kiss, meaning Clara won't remember anything that happened after the world froze — including the truth about Dorothy and her relationship with Brandy. Still, Brandy, unsatisfied with both her personal and professional lives in the real world, hopes to stay in Hotel Reverie with Clara until they can rekindle their longterm romance in earnest, even though it would mean Brandy's death in the outside world.

However, Brandy will never get the chance to try. Through some narrative finagling, the Redream team and Brandy manage to fix a major plot hole that would have resulted in Alex's death at the end of the film. They should be home free until the credits, apart from one thing: Clara becomes a wild card, shooting her in-film husband and the police inspector in the hopes of saving herself and Brandy. Her actions result in her tragic death, and as Brandy weeps over her corpse, she says the iconic line that triggers the end credits: "I'll be yours forevermore."

Some time later, Hotel Reverie Reborn becomes a bonafide hit on the streaming service Streamberry (the Netflix parody first introduced in "Joan Is Awful"). Yet Brandy is still mourning a very real relationship.

Enter Redream, who send Brandy a mysterious package. In it, she finds a drive that plays footage from Dorothy's screen test that she'd watched at the start of the episode. The screen test sees Dorothy acting out a conversation into a phone, but the actor keeps talking about how she's waiting for the phone to ring, even if it isn't connected.

But what if it was? That's the second part of Redream's gift: a phone that hooks into the drive and allows Brandy to call this AI simulacrum of Dorothy. The two hit it off, and the episode ends with Dorothy telling Brandy that she has "all the time in the world" to talk to her, an echo of Hotel Reverie's closing, "I'll be yours forevermore."

It's a bittersweet ending, and definitely among Black Mirror's more hopeful offerings. But there's a slightly sinister undercurrent to it, too: This construct of Dorothy is separate from the Clara construct who became self-aware. She lacks the agency her predecessor had, and while Brandy could tell her the truth about who she really is and why they're talking, would that truly free Dorothy, or just make her yearn for escape from being what is essentially a conversation bot? Right now, she exists solely to talk to Brandy, and that doesn't seem like the most fulfilling start to a relationship for either party.

What does "Hotel Reverie" have to say about AI and Hollywood? Issa Rae in "Black Mirror." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Based on its concept alone, "Hotel Reverie" seems poised to tackle the never-ending stream of reboots and remakes plaguing Hollywood, along with fears of AI replacing artists. Using AI to resurrect deceased performers has been a hot-button topic in Hollywood in past years, with movies like Alien: Romulus ill-advisedly bringing back late actors for posthumous performances. Elsewhere, director Joe Russo's (of the Russo brothers) comments about AI soon being able to make 90-minute films call to mind Redream's entire project: using AI to quickly regurgitate art that has already been made.

Despite this modern relevance, "Hotel Reverie" doesn't explicitly dive too much deeper into the ethics of Redream's project, choosing instead to focus on a technologically driven romance. (Besides, "Joan Is Awful" already tackles these kinds of issues pretty head-on.) Still, there is a cynicism to how Redream approaches its remakes: Just swap out one star and follow everything else to the letter. Even when Brandy is cast, there's no effort to reshape the story as a queer romance, and they simply hand-wave any conversations around race. Then, during the shooting process, story beats are treated as objectives ("exposition delivered," "backstory deployed") instead of meaningful moments to build to. It's storytelling by numbers in the hopes of making a quick buck.

It's telling, then, that the moments of Hotel Reverie Reborn that most make the Redream team focus are those that deviate from the story, including Brandy and Clara's conversation about Dorothy and Clara's death, which leaves no dry eye in the house. These moments, with real feeling and passion behind them, are the true art (even if there's still an exploitative aspect to how they were captured). Hey, maybe it's these deviations that made Hotel Reverie Reborn such a hit on Streamberry.

Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Bête Noire is a long way from the bleakest episode of Black Mirror Season 7, but its twist — or at least the sci-fi element of the episode — is probably one of the trickiest to get your head around.

The bulk of the episode plays out like a drama/mystery, only for the last 10 minutes to go impressively off the rails. So what happens at the ending of Bête Noire, and how does the device that Verity (Rosy McEwen) uses to alter reality actually work? We've done our best to break it down below.

SEE ALSO: 'Black Mirror' Season 7 trailer reveals the unsettling plots of each new episode What's Bête Noire about? Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Maria (Siena Kelly) is cheerfully excelling at her confectionary company job when her world is (literally) rattled by the arrival of former schoolmate Verity. There seems to be some tension between the two of them, with Maria trying to sabotage her getting the job and telling colleagues there were rumours about her at school. The problem? Maria herself was involved in spreading said rumours, making Verity's life a misery in the process.

While Verity quickly settles in at her new workplace, Maria gets increasingly confused. First she finds herself misremembering the names of places, and then she sends an email to Verity in which she swears she wrote one thing, but is proven to have written something else. Eventually she comes to believe that Verity is responsible for her mistakes, and that she's somehow able to change reality without anyone else knowing.

What happens at the end of Bête Noire?

After getting fired from her job, Maria follows Verity back to an impressively massive house that has a room filled with computers on the ground floor. She steals Verity's necklace, which she believes is the device she's using to change reality, and then confronts her former schoolmate. Verity, however, is not worried.

"It's just a remote," she says. "It connects to the quantum compiler downstairs. That's what changes reality."

Maria continues hopelessly brandishing her useless necklace/remote until Verity gives a more detailed – albeit equally confusing – explanation.

"Technically, it's not really changing anything; it just retunes our corporeal frequency to one of the parallel realities where whatever I've said has always been true," she says. "There's infinite timelines, so I just pick the one where you're the only one that knows what's going on. So you feel really... special."

In simple terms, Verity is saying that there are an infinite number of universes, where every imaginable combination of possibilities has taken place. Her remote allows her to communicate with the quantum compiler she's built, dictating the reality she wants. The compiler then places her in a parallel universe where what she's said is true, and Maria is the only person that's aware things have changed.

Still confused? So is Maria. But as Verity puts it: "I don't care if you understand it. I'm doing it to hurt you."

Why does Maria kill Verity?

Correctly ascertaining that she's completely powerless and that Verity's quantum compiler makes her close to a god, Maria does the only thing she can: She shoots Verity in the head, and then uses her remote to tell the quantum compiler that she's the new boss.

"The pendant works for me, the pendant works for me!" Maria yells into it, before quickly issuing another instruction to get the police to stand down. "She shot herself. It wasn't me. You saw the whole thing."

Against all odds, Maria's plan works. She finishes the episode in the same position of power that Verity had previously, making herself the new "Empress of the Universe." The last shot shows her standing on a plinth on what looks like an alien planet, surrounded by loyal subjects calling out "Hail, Maria!" in unison.

So... a happy ending?

Black Mirror Season 7 is streaming now on Netflix.

Black Mirror Season 7's "USS Callister: Into Infinity" is full of sci-fi space battles and clone-centric plot twists. But perhaps most importantly, it reminds us of a quintessential Black Mirror bop.

SEE ALSO: 'USS Callister: Into Infinity' ending explained: What happens to the crew?

No, I'm not talking about Irma Thomas' "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)," which first popped up in Season 1's "Fifteen Million Merits" and has since shown up in several other episodes (including Season 7's "Common People"). Instead, I'm talking about fictional pop star Ashley O's (Miley Cyrus) smash hit "On a Roll," from Season 5's "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too."

The Black Mirror earworm is a danceable riff on Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole," transforming Trent Reznor's dark lyrics into a manufactured, tongue-in-cheek pop tune. The lyric "head like a hole," for instance, simply becomes the rallying cry "hey, yeah whoa-ho."

On top of being a banger, "On A Roll" has a brief cameo in "USS Callister" sequel "USS Callister: Into Infinity." It comes during one of Nanette (Cristin Milioti) and Nate's (Osy Ikhile) missions to rob an Infinity player.

This time, their target is Pixie Bunkin (Iolanthe), who's rocking out to "On A Roll" while setting up supplies in Infinity. You can only catch the slightest strains of it through her headphones, but it's enough to get you dancing. It's also enough to get the song stuck in your head, but who am I to complain? Anything to be on a roll again.

Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Black Mirror has always used Easter eggs to link its many episodes, but in Season 7, it delivers the show's first direct sequel.

Season 7, episode 6, "USS Callister: Into Infinity," is a direct follow-up to Season 4 opener "USS Callister." It follows the crew of the ship USS Callister — all made up of digital clones of real people — after their escape into the video game Infinity from Robert Daly's (Jesse Plemons) private gaming universe.

SEE ALSO: 'USS Callister: Into Infinity' ending explained: What happens to the crew?

It's been more than seven years since "USS Callister" first aired, so with all that time (and so many other Black Mirror episodes) between its release and now, you may wonder, "Do I need to revisit the original episode before diving into the sequel?"

My frank answer: Only if you really want to! "USS Callister" is a Black Mirror standout thanks to its clever combination of the show's usual technological warnings and Star Trek pastiche, so it's worth a watch on those merits alone. But if you'd only be checking back in for a plot catch-up, don't worry. "USS Callister: Into Infinity" has you covered.

The episode comes with a "previously on" segment — an unusual sight for an anthology like Black Mirror! — that catches you right back up on the crew of the USS Callister, their real-world counterparts, and the ins and outs of the world of Infinity. Trust us, you won't get lost in space.

"USS Callister: Into Infinity" also incorporates minor flashbacks of footage from "USS Callister" into the episode itself, either in dream sequences, memories, or just as a quick way to refresh you on certain specifics. With all these reminders, it's a breeze to jump right back onto the bridge of the USS Callister.

Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Black Mirror Season 7 blasts back into the world of "USS Callister" with its first-ever sequel episode, "USS Callister: Into Infinity."

The original "USS Callister," which opened Black Mirror Season 4, introduced Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), the sadistic creator of the immersive space-set game Infinity. Robert created his own personal Infinity universe themed after the TV show Space Fleet (aka Black Mirror's take on Star Trek). He then populated said universe with in-game clones of his coworkers, whom he tortured and mutilated at will.

SEE ALSO: 'Black Mirror' Season 7 trailer reveals the unsettling plots of each new episode

Unlike most Black Mirror episodes, "USS Callister" has a pretty happy ending. Robert's coworkers, led by programmer Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti), manage to escape into the wider game of Infinity, leaving Robert to die in his own deleted universe. (Which means he dies in the real world as well.)

Yet as "USS Callister: Into Infinity" reveals, life out in Infinity isn't a walk in the park. Infinity has 30 million players, all looking for Star Wars-style space battles and some good old-fashioned shoot-'em-up gaming. But while Infinity's players can always respawn if they die, the crew of the USS Callister can't. For them, this is it — and they need to find a way out.

By the end of the episode, they do! Kind of. Let's break down the crew's plan, their final fate, and how multiple characters returned from the dead to help them out.

What is the Heart of Infinity? Billy Magnussen, Osy Ikhile, Cristin Milioti, Milanka Brooks, and Paul G. Raymond in "Black Mirror." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

After months of scavenging and robbing Infinity players to survive, Nanette and the rest of the USS Callister crew — Nate (Osy Ikhile), Elena (Milanka Brooks), Kabir (Paul G. Raymond), and Karl (Billy Magnussen) — decide they need to change tactics. If they can somehow create their own personal universe, just like Robert did, they can seal themselves off from Infinity and have a free existence out in space.

To create that universe, they'd have to access the source code, represented by an awe-inspiring spinning structure known as the Heart of Infinity. There's just one problem: Only two people can access the Heart of Infinity. Robert Daly, who's dead in both the real world and the game, and James Walton (Jimmi Simpson), whose real self is alive, but whose game self burnt up while fixing the USS Callister's thrusters during the escape from Robert. Or did he?

James Walton is still alive in "USS Callister: Into Infinity." Jimmi Simpson and Cristin Milioti in "Black Mirror." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Karl reveals that Walton has a room on the USS Callister, which should be impossible. When the ship reset after leaving Robert's universe, it spawned rooms for every living player. Walton was nothing but a space crisp by the end of "USS Callister," so how could he get a room?

Nanette and Kabir reason that if any of Walton's disintegrated little bits made it through the wormhole with the ship, that would be enough to make him respawn as a new player in Infinity. New players don't spawn onboard the ship, though: They respawn on a new planet.

The crew tracks Walton's planet down, but they aren't the only ones looking for him. In the real world, reports of rogue Infinity players without player tags have created concern within the Infinity offices. Walton, in particular, is feeling the pressure, especially when a reporter from the New York Times reveals that an illegal DNA digital cloner was found on Robert's personal desk. If clones are in Infinity, then the whole company is implicated in a major crime.

Realizing the rogues are none other than their clones, Nanette and Walton jump into Infinity and meet up with their in-game selves. That's right, we're getting a clone face-off!

While real-world Nanette wants to help free the clones by getting them into the Heart of Infinity, real-world Walton opts for a more murderous form of cover-up. He kills Karl and tries to kill the rest of the crew. No clones means no evidence, right?

Murder is already bad enough, but there's a more sinister edge to Walton's actions. He doesn't even think he's doing anything wrong, because he doesn't see the in-game clones as humans, despite their full sentience. (To be fair, real-world Walton barely sees anyone as a human. He treats poor Nate like he's a human coffee machine!)

Once again, Black Mirror is raising questions around digital consciousness, but "USS Callister" doesn't dwell on that philosophical conundrum too much. Instead, it throws major new plot twists at us. First, real-world Nanette gets hit by a car while fleeing Walton, sending her to St. Juniper Hospital (Easter egg alert!) and setting Walton up to exterminate the clones.

Meanwhile, in-game Walton reveals why his real-world counterpart is so against the crew reaching the Heart of Infinity. It's not because he doesn't want them to escape into their own private universe. It's because a digital clone of Robert is in the Heart of Infinity, building the game.

"USS Callister" brings Robert Daly back as a digital clone.

Walton recounts the early stages of Infinity's development to the rest of the USS Callister crew. He wanted to expand the game's universe faster than Robert could work. "There's only one of me," Robert tells him.

But what if there wasn't?

Turns out Walton was one of the earlier investors in the DNA digital cloner that Robert was using. The machine originally came from the porn industry, meant to be a way to create a sentient, virtual sexual partner. Thankfully considered a human rights violation, the technology was outlawed before it went to production. But Walton kept a copy and used it to clone Robert into the game so he could work on it nonstop from within.

That's what's in the Heart of Infinity: not the game's source code, but a clone of Robert with godlike powers.

Nanette enters the Heart of Infinity in order to ask Robert to send her and the crew to a universe of their own. At first glance, this Robert is a far cry from the vicious, vengeful man we came to know in "USS Callister." He's reserved, especially after eons without human contact, but willing to help Nanette after she tells him what the original Robert did.

"I'm so disappointed in myself," he tells her after listening to Nanette's story. "What you described does not sound like me. I'm a nice guy."

With those last four words — a hallmark of a toxic man who believes women owe him something for his niceness — the alarm bells start blaring. Robert works on setting up the separate universe for the clones, but it's clear something is off.

For Nanette, the trauma of her time under Robert's command lingers. She hastily appeases Robert's clone after revealing she hasn't watched Space Fleet, then listens to him compare her situation to several of the show's episodes with a forced smile plastered on her face. This version of Robert might not understand the skewed power dynamic that comes with his control over the game, but Nanette certainly does.

Robert's clone succumbs to Robert's old ways.

Outside the Heart of Infinity, real-world Walton manages to send an in-game party invitation to anyone the USS Callister crew has ever robbed. As that battle rages overhead, Nanette continues her tense visit with Robert.

He offers her a choice. Following the car accident, her body in the outside world is braindead and hooked up to a cerebral monitor. Robert could send her consciousness through that, granting her her body and life back. That would wipe out the USS Callister and everyone on it, though. Should she save herself, or save the crew?

Nanette chooses the crew, at which point Robert reveals it was all a test, just like in the Space Fleet episode "Quandary at Outpost 5." He can actually create the pocket universe and send Nanette back to her body.

"You said you couldn't do that," Nanette says.

"I know," he replies. "I had to pretend I couldn't so we could role-play the whole Space Fleet thing."

And there it is: Nanette may just be in Robert's garage, and she may not be wearing a Space Fleet uniform, but she is once again trapped, forced to play out his Space Fleet fantasy.

The situation only worsens from there, when Robert says he'll be copying the crew into the new universe instead of cutting them from Infinity entirely. That means the Infinity set of the clones is doomed to be hunted and killed — all except for Nanette. Robert intends to keep her copy for himself. He says he won't hurt her, but Nanette — and anyone who watched "USS Callister" — knows that isn't true. In fact, Robert goes right ahead and proves it when he removes Nanette's mouth in an effort to get her to be quiet, a chilling parallel to her first punishment at Robert's hands in the original episode. Clone Robert doesn't seem to understand the full scope of his powers, but that doesn't stop him from harming Nanette, either.

This time, though, Nanette gets the upper hand, killing Robert's clone with the Bargradian cutlass he'd shown off earlier in the episode. But with Robert's clone gone, Infinity stops working and begins to delete itself permanently.

What happens to the USS Callister crew after Infinity is deleted? Osy Ikhile in "Black Mirror." Credit: Nick Wall / Netflix

Nanette manages to find the hard drive Robert told her would save everyone and insert it into his "retro shit" computer. Just in time, too: Infinity, even all its backups, deletes itself permanently.

Nanette wakes up in the hospital, but she's not alone. Without any Infinity, the USS Callister crew hasn't been transported to a separate universe. Instead, they're in Nanette's head, able to see through her eyes (the set-up is very reminiscent of the Inside Out control room) and talk to her through her phone.

"USS Callister: Into Infinity" flashes forward a couple of months. Walton has been arrested, and Nanette and the rest of the surviving crew have worked out a system: They close their eyes when she changes, goes to the bathroom, or hooks up with anyone. In return, she lets them watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta through her eyes. Oh, and she's apparently working on ways to extract them from her head, although it doesn't seem like she's working too hard on it.

So there you have it. The crew of the USS Callister finally manage to escape Infinity, only to find themselves in a strange new living situation. Like with "USS Callister," the ending of "USS Callister: Into Infinity" is among Black Mirror's lightest. Being trapped in someone's brain — or having four roommates living in your brain — seems like it could become a nightmare, fast. But that's a story for another sequel episode.

Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

Yep, we're going to need a while to recover from that one.

Black Mirror Season 7 starts off on an impressively depressing note with "Common People", a story about a woman forced to use a subscription service to stay alive.

But what exactly happens at the end? Why did Mike (Chris O'Dowd) do what he did, and what was he planning to do next? Let's unpack.

SEE ALSO: 20 of the most WTF quotes from Season 6 of 'Black Mirror.' You'll cry — and laugh. What is Black Mirror episode "Common People" about?

After schoolteacher Amanda (Rashida Jones) is diagnosed with a brain tumour, her husband Mike signs her up to an experimental procedure called Rivermind in order to keep her alive.

"We take an imprint of the affected part of her neural structure and we clone it on to our mainframe," explains sales rep Gaynor (Tracee Ellis Ross). "So basically...we make a backup of part of her brain onto our computer."

The catch? While the surgery is free, there's a monthly subscription fee to keep Amanda's brain active that the couple can barely afford. She increasingly needs to sleep for longer at night (the company essentially uses Amanda's brain to power their own servers, putting her in "sleep mode" instead of actually letting her rest). As this is one of those episodes where things just keep getting worse and worse, Amanda's geographical freedom then vanishes, when she's unable to go beyond her tier's allowed signal, and there's the eventual addition of ads played directly through Amanda, with opting out of them only available by upgrading to additional, more expensive Rivermind tiers.

Soon Amanda's job is at risk due to her randomly blurting out commercials at school children, and Mike decides to sign up to a seedy website called "Dum Dummies", where internet strangers pay money to watch people hurt themselves on camera.

And as grim as all that is, it only gets worse in the final act...

Rivermind is able to help, but there are catches. Credit: Netflix What happens at the end of "Common People"?

Things reach breaking point when Mike loses his job after a violent altercation. No longer able to afford Rivermind+, the more expensive service that stops Amanda from playing ads and sleeping for 16 hours a day, they head back to the company to appeal for help — and are turned away.

One year later, Mike and Amanda celebrate their anniversary with a 30-minute booster for Rivermind Lux — an advanced tier of the service that allows users to upgrade different emotions and experiences by tapping into the Rivermind cloud. With her serenity levels turned up to the max, Amanda tells Mike, "I think it's time."

Laying her down on the bed, he tells her that he loves her — and then suffocates her with a pillow as she delivers a final advertisement. The episode's last shot shows Mike going into the spare bedroom with a scalpel in his hand. In the background his computer is still open on the Dum Dummies website.

What is Mike planning to do at the end?

While some Black Mirror episodes end with major twists or reveals, "Common People" follows something of a downward spiral structure. Things start off well, get steadily worse, and then — just when you think they can't possibly get any worse — they somehow do!

The final sequence of the episode shows us Mike and Amanda at rock bottom. They feel as though they've run out of options — neither of them have jobs, and their only means of paying to keep Amanda alive is by Mike finding increasingly worse ways to hurt himself for the entertainment of internet strangers.

With Amanda dead, the implication of the final shot seems to be that Mike is planning to die by suicide — and given that the computer is still open in the background, it's hinted that the violence will be livestreamed.

Black Mirror Season 7 is streaming now on Netflix.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.

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Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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 Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Not a catch in football

• Green: Positions on the gridiron

• Blue: Major American golf tournament champs

• Purple: Same first word

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

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

• Yellow: Lose control of the ball

• Green: Football positions, abbreviated

• Blue: Masters winners

• Purple: Triple _________

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #199 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Lose control of the ball - BOBBLE, FUMBLE, JUGGLE, MUFF

• Football positions, abbreviated - CB, DT, P, WR

• Masters winners - COUPLES, PLAYER, RAHM, WOODS

• Triple _________ - A,CROWN, DOUBLE, PLAY

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.

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

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

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

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 10 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 10 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: What's the buzz?

The words are part of an insect.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are make up a bug that buzzes.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Bumblebee.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for April 10

• Antennae

• Thorax

• Wings

• Abdomen

• Tongue

• Stinger

• Bumblebee

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

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

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

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 10 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Cheery, bright hues

• Green: Stockpile

• Blue: Scrooge

• Purple: You might hear these south of the border

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: Shades of yellow

• Green: Supply

• Blue: Anti-spirit of Christmas

• Purple: Spanish words

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 #669 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Shades of yellow: CANARY, GOLD, LEMON, MUSTARD

• Supply: MINE, RESERVE, STORE, WELL

• Anti-spirit of Christmas: BAH, COAL, GRINCH, NAUGHTY

• Spanish words: ELLA, GUSTO, MAYO, SOY

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 April 10

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

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

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

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 April 10 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 April 10, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

High-speed.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.

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...

TURBO.

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 April 10

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

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

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