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Following a series of blatantly false summaries of headlines and severe backlash from journalists and newsrooms, Apple has paused its AI-generated news summary push notifications...for now.

"With the latest beta software releases of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, Notification summaries for the News & Entertainment category will be temporarily unavailable," an Apple spokesperson told Mashable via email.

SEE ALSO: How to identify AI-generated text: 7 ways to tell if content was made by a bot

The Apple Intelligence feature, which was introduced in 2024, really kicked off with the release of iOS 18.2, and launched in the UK on Dec. 11, was supposed to sum up news headlines in short push alerts. These are delivered to Apple devices compatible with iOS 18.1 and later including the latest iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.

In December, BBC News accused Apple's AI of sending a false push notification attributed to the news outlet reporting that Luigi Mangione, arrested for the murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, had died by suicide. It was not Apple's only false BBC News headline summary, nor was it the only publisher represented by inaccurate Apple AI-generated news outlines.

Apple reportedly didn't respond to the BBC's complaint until January, when, as the news outlet reported, the company "said it was working to clarify that summaries were AI-generated."

In January, the National Union of Journalists and journalism body Reporters Without Borders publicly urged Apple to remove the generative AI feature, the latter criticising "the inability of AI systems to systematically publish quality information, even when it is based on journalistic sources."

On Thursday, an Apple spokesperson told the BBC the company was "working on improvements and will make them available in a future software update."

As MacRumors points out, Apple has updated the Notification Summaries feature in the Settings app with a warning, reading that the feature "may contain errors". Also, Notification Summaries that fall outside the News and Entertainment category will still appear, but in italics for now.

“This is truly one of the funniest and most unexpected stories of the young year so far.”

If you were worried at all about the state of the movie industry, then fear not: Donald Trump has a plan to make Hollywood great again.

In the Jimmy Kimmel Live! clip above, the host shares the incoming president's recent Truth Social post announcing that Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone will serve as his "special envoys" to the industry. All three men have previously endorsed or supported Trump. Gibson has faced a litany of allegations over his career, including anti-semitism, homophobia, and domestic violence, while Stallone has been accused of sexual assault.

"Wow, Braveheart, Rambo and the Midnight Cowboy: He summoned the three horsemen of the Apocalypto to save us. In other words Trump saw The Expendables 3 on his plane last night and was like, 'Hmm, I need those guys to help,'" says an unimpressed Kimmel. "And who better to be Trump's eyes and ears than 86-year-old Jon Voight?"

In just a matter of days, the lights will switch off on the app that has almost dominated, and certainly defined, the United States in the last five years. TikTok — the second most downloaded app in the country in 2024, and with 170 million active American users — is going to shut down in the U.S. following a law passed last year that requires Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, to either sell the app to a U.S. company or shut down operations. 

Despite several attempts to stall this, hopes of saving TikTok for American users is fast diminishing — and as they clamour to bid their final farewells on our For You Pages (FYPs), something we should be asking ourselves is: will this affect those of us living outside the U.S.?

From a tech standpoint, non-U.S. residents are totally unharmed; no lights are turning off for us, and it will feel like business as normal. But it is likely not a technological interruption we should be worried about. You will be far more affected by the sudden disappearance of new content from American users and creators if they have played an important part in your TikTok experience. If you speak English, it is almost certain that they have done, and as a content creator myself, I see it as a mass extinction event of Anglophone creativity and information. But before I bring up my personal theories, I’ll tell you what other people I trust have said first. 

I see it as a mass extinction event of Anglophone creativity and information.

Chris Stokel-Walker, journalist and author of TikTok Boom: China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media, believes it is worrying for non-U.S. users because of the precedent it sets. "Not only do we lose 170 million people posting on the app," he said, "but it demonstrates that the U.S. remains deeply uncomfortable with anyone but a Silicon Valley tech company dominating the social media space."

It is true that the ban, running under the legislation titled "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," has run on the grounds that the app poses "a national-security threat of immense depth and scale," according to the U.S. Justice Department. 

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

When President Donald Trump first tried to ban it in 2020 with an executive order (that was blocked by a judge and dropped), the order had said "this data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information − potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.”

But these fears have never quite been backed up. "There hasn’t been any concrete evidence presented by the U.S. government that the app is a national security risk at the level they claim," Stokel-Walker said. Many believe it is far more likely that many in the U.S. simply hated the taste of another country’s app rivalling Silicon Valley. Meta and Google, who stand to benefit immensely from the app being banned because it will bring attention and ad money to its TikTok rivals Reels and Shorts, spent millions lobbying government specifically about this legislation.

So, it isn’t good for any of us who like a diversified social media ecosystem that is decentralised from America, and from the overreach of big tech manipulation under Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk; theoretically, this legislation could affect us any time a good app is developed in a country the U.S. decides is an adversary. But for a lot of us, the direct and immediate impact will be cultural.

V Spehar, the American journalist and content creator known as @underthedesknews, told Mashable that “the American-based TikTok provides a lot of new music, trending sounds, access to the American music library. You’ll have an end to American first-person reporting and news the way you were used to.”

The ban, which is believed to affect any Bytedance tool, would also ultimately see an end to the Bytedance-owned editing tool Capcut in the U.S., which has turned many video novices to internet stars with its simple interface. Spehar thinks that this means American users will struggle to pivot to other platforms. "Even someone with millions of followers is used to using that," they said. "The reason why this is so catastrophic is that if the Washington Post closes, you can just pick up the New York Times. Users are losing all the editing tools that they rely on. There’ll be a big blackout because a new tool is such a learning curve."

SEE ALSO: Biden reportedly won't enforce the TikTok ban. This doesn't mean much.

From a content creator perspective, lots of us stand to lose a considerable amount of engagement. Depending on the kind of content I make, recent videos have had anything between a 5 percent and a 20 percent watch rate from the United States. Where will those views suddenly go now; will my content be seen by more viewers in other countries, or will its reach simply be cut, sorn off like a tree branch?

Steph Black, who is based in London and creates TikTok content about her work as an archeologist, wonders if the ban will generate more opportunities for non-U.S. content creators. "I do wonder if U.S. brands will completely do away with advertising on TikTok, or if they will be more interested in working with non-U.S. creators to sell on TikTok," she said. She can also remember how TikTok features would be rolled out first in the U.S. in the past before in Europe, such as the opportunity to get monetised. "I’d like to see more opportunities for non-U.S. creators."

But for creators with a big U.S. following — and brand partnerships — opportunities may dry up. Content creator Max Klymenko has a third of his audience on TikTok in the U.S. "The fact I won’t be able to reach them on TikTok means we have to find each other on other platforms," he said. "It’s easy to say you just go to other platforms — but modern social media doesn’t work like this. It’s feed-based. Whoever the creators you love are, they go on your feed, and they’re going to be the ones you watch."

"I think there is a narrative that it doesn’t matter for us, what’s the big deal, the world doesn’t revolve around the USA. I think it will matter a bunch."

More widely, he believes that YouTube Shorts will benefit from an uptick in activity, as it did in India following the TikTok ban there. "I think there is a narrative that it doesn’t matter for us, what’s the big deal, the world doesn’t revolve around the USA. I think it will matter a bunch. The U.S. is the market with, historically, a lot of content creation innovation. Some of the top creators in the world are American. It’s a huge market and community to use."

"Me, I work with some American brands. I think there will be concerns around the ability of foreign creators to reach an American audience. It’s no secret they’re one of the highest paying with big consumer purchasing power. I think the impact on non-American creators and users is actually going to be pretty big. I think it will change the platform.” 

Whether you are a user or a creator, it’s likely that a major part of your content experience on TikTok will change. For one thing, there won’t be another Renegade dance, girl dinner innovation, or Wes Anderson trend for a while; the vast majority of trends, neologisms, and content styles we consume and regenerate have all been gifted to us by American content creators. As the TikTok ban begins, the first thing we will lose isn’t so much content, but connection.

"I have seen more of the world through TikTok than Americans ever get to see," Spehar said wistfully. “And I’ve made relationships that I never would have been able to do through YouTube and Instagram algorithms. I’m going to miss a lot of those people. I pray we’ll be back.”

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, January 17, 2025:

AcrossOwner of a shop called The Bun Also Rises, most likely

• The answer is Baker.

Kind of oil served with bread

• The answer is Olive.

Throw in the ___

• The answer is Towel.

"Fine" dishware for a dinner party

• The answer is China.

Very quick

• The answer is Hasty.

DownBungle, as plastic surgery

• The answer is Botch.

___ State, nickname for Hawaii

• The answer is Aloha.

Fuzzy fruits or flightless birds

• The answer is Kiwis.

4 x 400-meter race, e.g.

• The answer is Event.

4 x 400-meter race, e.g.

• The answer is Relay.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

With the court signaling it will release a decision on Friday, lobbyists for the app pushed lawmakers to shift course.

Airlines have been increasingly outsourcing repair and upkeep work to other countries, but experts and consumer groups disagree about its impact on safety.

Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube are getting ready behind the scenes to welcome TikTok users, should the Chinese-owned app be banned from the United States.

Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube are getting ready behind the scenes to welcome TikTok users, should the Chinese-owned app be banned from the United States.

The Andromeda galaxy is a colossal marvel in our sky, hosting over 1 trillion stars.

Now, astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to capture hundreds of detailed images of our vast galactic neighbor, creating the largest-ever photomosaic of the galaxy. It took over 10 years to create.

"Photographing Andromeda was a herculean task because the galaxy is a much bigger target on the sky than the galaxies Hubble routinely observes, which are often billions of light-years away," NASA, which operates Hubble with the European Space Agency, explained. "The full mosaic was carried out under two Hubble programs. In total, it required over 1,000 Hubble orbits, spanning more than a decade."

SEE ALSO: Webb telescope just solved the 'universe-breaking problem'

The image below shows the complete mosaic. Beneath that is a selection of intriguing sights within the mosaic, labeled A through E:

• A: Star clusters in Andromeda, foreground stars in our Milky Way galaxy, and two background galaxies far beyond Andromeda (shown in yellowish-orange).

• B: A bright star cloud in Andromeda called NGC 206.

• C: A star-forming region in Andromeda with young blue stars.

• D: A satellite galaxy known as M32. It could be the leftover core of a galaxy that once collided with Andromeda, the European Space Agency explains.

• E: Dust lanes amid an enormous number of stars, which brilliantly light up the Andromeda galaxy.

The largest-ever photomosaic of the Andromeda galaxy. Credit: NASA / ESA / B. Williams (U. of Washington) Annotated details of the expansive Andromeda galaxy. Credit: NASA / ESA / B. Williams (U. of Washington)

Andromeda, at some 2.5 million light-years away, is relatively close in space terms (though that's still an enormous distance; a light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles). This cosmic proximity allows us to understand our own spiral galaxy, on which we occupy a spot on one of the spiral arms.

"Without Andromeda as a proxy for spiral galaxies in the universe at large, astronomers would know much less about the structure and evolution of our own Milky Way," NASA said. "That's because we are embedded inside the Milky Way. This is like trying to understand the layout of New York City by standing in the middle of Central Park."

Our galaxy, while not small, isn't nearly as big as Andromeda. We harbor some 100 to 400 billion stars. One day, however, the two galaxies may collide, forming a giant, egg-shaped elliptical galaxy. But that great merger won't happen for billions of years.

Lawrence Lamont’s One of Them Days is a feel-good buddy comedy just when we need it the most: in the middle of a gloomy January.

Dreux (Keke Palmer) is having one of those days when the universe seems to be conspiring against her. On the day of a big job interview, she learns that her longtime friend and roommate Alyssa (SZA) gave her good-for-nothing boyfriend their rent money believing he would do the right thing. Instead, he squandered their money on one of his hairbrained side hustles and skipped out to pursue another woman. Their merciless landlord threatens them with eviction if they can’t come up with the full amount by the end of the day. Now Dreux, a waitress with dreams of managing her own franchise, and Alyssa, a struggling artist with questionable judgment, must come up with the money and solve a few more problems along the way. 

The movie delivers a slew of silly hijinks and physical comedy with an equal amount of heart as the two mismatched characters lean on each other to get through a notoriously bad day. One of Them Days also serves as a love letter to Los Angeles — hitting even more powerfully given the recent wildfires — highlighting the neighborhoods where residents continue to dream big and work hard, far beyond the tourist spots. 

One of Them Days follows in the grand tradition of the hangout movie

One of Them Days feels like a throwback in the best way possible. It’s a hangout movie —  films in which well-meaning goofs just try to have a good time or fall in love — in the tradition of Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke, the Kid ‘n Play-led House Party, and the Wayans' Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. Lamont’s film even channels a bit of John Landis’ 1978 Animal House with its chaotic spirit, large ensemble, and updates on each of the characters at the end.

But perhaps the greatest thematic connection is to F. Gary Gray’s ‘90s comedy classic Friday, which centers on two friends who need to settle a debt before a short deadline, or they will die. The dynamic between Ice Cube and Chris Tucker gives Friday its emotional grounding while its many, many jokes and quips (including the line you've heard way too many times since, "Bye Felicia!") have kept the film alive in the pop culture.

One of Them Days involves two friends with a similar dynamic chasing after a goal, but Dreux and Alyssa go about it in a different way, attempting to use their entrepreneurial skills to come up with the money in just a few hours' time.  

One of Them Days is fresh and fun Credit: Courtesy Sony Pictures

Those earlier films have something else in common: They focused on men, with women playing supporting or bit parts, if they factored in the narrative at all. One of Them Days, then, breaks ground, delivering feel-good laughs with its jokes about women behaving badly, falling into hilarious shenanigans, and expressing their deep support for one another. (In so doing, it brings to mind the no-holds-barred camaraderie of Girls Trip, which also shook up the formula to great success, and the 1997 cult classic B.A.P.S., in which two friends head to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams and finance their salon-soul food business.) 

One of Them Days is produced by Insecure actor and writer Issa Rae, who has satirized social issues in previous works. The film continues the trend, tackling negligent landlords, gentrification, bad credit scores, and predatory payday loans. Writer Syreeta Singleton, who also wrote for Insecure and Rae’s comedy TV series Rap Sh!t, gives us a movie that tips its hat to the past while making it uniquely her own. Lamont, a fellow Rap Sh!t alum, sets the comedy tone of the movie with exaggerated camera work (think zooms and dramatic angles) and details like a countdown clock to emphasize the time slipping away for our heroes.

One of Them Days also shares a connection with another Issa Rae-related production, A Black Lady Sketch Show, in the way quirky characters are introduced in skit-like encounters before our heroines move on — or run away from — the strangers they meet.

Keke Palmer and SZA are a match made in movie heaven Credit: Anne Marie Fox

They tease each other, they support each other, they fight and make up. Like Issa and Molly in Insecure, Dreux and Alyssa go through the highs and lows of sticking together, and they help each other mature through this stressful, silly day. They’re so charming, it’s impossible not to root for Alyssa’s bad plans to work out and Dreux’s nonstop ambition. Singleton has written them to be witty and endearing if imperfect, making them pretty relatable in their struggles. Plus, Lamont makes them look amazing, even in ridiculous clothes and situations.

But the bulk of the credit belongs to the movie’s stars. Palmer is so incredibly charismatic, she commands the screen even when her character is embarrassing herself, like when she awkwardly loses her words in the presence of her crush. SZA brings a completely different presence to the film as an unflappable Internet Age artist who is almost calm to a fault yet doesn't have enough foresight to avoid sending a text message she will regret. Their delivery is spot-on; their reactions are outsized and boisterous. Together, they have incredible fun making the best out of terrible situations, like taking a pair of vintage Air Jordans off telephone wires to bankroll their rent by polishing up the old shoes and staging them with flowers; jumping into a fight to defend a friend; or surviving a medical emergency, then sprinting out of the back of an ambulance to avoid the pricey medical bill. 

The pair are joined by a sizable cast of offbeat characters, including an unlucky man named Lucky (played by legendary comedian Katt Williams). Janelle James of Abbott Elementary shows up briefly as a failed phlebotomist; Lil Rel Howery crashes the party as a weird, weepy shoe collector; Maude Apatow waltzes in as a bright-eyed symbol of gentrification named Bethany. There’s also Patrick Cage as Dreux’s dreamy love interest, Maniac; Joshua David Neal as Alyssa’s bad news boyfriend, Keshawn; and Aziza Scott’s fiery “Big Booty” Berniece as the villainous bully taking Dreux and Alyssa’s day from bad to worse.  

One of Them Days is a refreshing take on a well-worn comedy premise. With a résumé largely featuring music videos and, most recently, Rap Sh!t, Lamont has a cool directing style that results in scenes that are vibrant and sleek, full of high-octane needle drops to match. He and cinematographer Ava Berkofsky make the characters look like they’re popping off the screen through close-ups, action shots, and eye-catching costumes. There is always movement and motion, even if it’s as subtle as a side-eye or raised eyebrow. With that kinetic background, Palmer and SZA bring the heart and soul to a unique buddy comedy that feels fresh and timely.

One of Them Days is now in theaters.

Forget death and taxes. The one certainty in life is that when you hit middle age, teenagers will roll their eyes at you and find you woefully uncool. Even celebrities and rock stars share stories on talk shows about how their brood are comically unimpressed with them, because parents — arbiters of bedtime and screentime — are lame. But what these kids just don't understand (to paraphrase a Will Smith classic) is that we were cool once and have the potential to be cool again! Or at least this is the fantasy that plays out at the heart of Back in Action, a rousing action-comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. 

This Netflix original kicks off with Diaz and Foxx as a pair of sexy spies, transporting a digital key on a secret mission. But when a devious double-cross forces them to fake their deaths, they go into hiding to save not only their lives but also that of their baby, who Emily (Diaz) has just learned she's carrying. Cut to 15 years later, and she and Matt (Foxx) have settled into a cozy suburban life, where they have a big, lovely house and two teen children, who think they know everything, from how to sneak out with a fake ID to how to make the most out of their handheld tech. But when a surly threat to their daughter pitches Emily back into action hero mode, their cover is blown and this family of four must go on the run.

SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know about

Imagine the scene in Spy Kids where Juni and Carmen learn the truth about their parents' jobs, but for a whole movie, and the kids are just supporting characters. Truly, the core of Back in Action is watching two devoted parents reclaim their cool and their identities as more than mom and dad — and winning their kids' respect because of it.

Back in Action shows a lot of '90s love.  Credit: John Wilson / Netflix

The first act of Back in Action plays like a '90s rom-com with an espionage twist, like what if Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks did Sleepless in Skyfall? As couple-up spies Diaz and Foxx have a bright and cozy chemistry reminiscent of this splendid era of the genre, where the banter was bouncy and the soundtrack was determinedly old school. As such, Dean Martin's "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" plays as the jaunty backdrop to a hand-to-hand combat sequence that pits the pair against sneering mercenaries.

Of course, as both Diaz and Foxx (and by extension Emily and Matt) are firmly Gen X, there are also songs on the soundtrack that hit the '90s-ish nostalgia spot, like Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It." The latter gets a special moment in a family road trip singalong, where the parents revel in knowing every lusty word, while their kids look on in shock and embarrassment. And fret not, gang, Diaz may have taken a decade away from appearing in movies but her dance moves are just as we remembered from The Sweetest Thing — confident, dorky, and adorable. 

As the female lead, Diaz herself feels a bit of a throwback in the role, not only because of her time out of the public eye but also because Back in Action is exactly the kind of movie she's best in. The actor has always had a dazzling screen presence and comedy chops — made clear as early as 1994's Jim Carrey vehicle The Mask and 1997's My Best Friend's Wedding. But her gift for physical comedy expanded masterfully into action choreography in delightful movies like A Life Less Ordinary, Charlie's Angels, and Knight and Day. It's a pleasure to see her back in action, making the most of every cheeky close-up, ass-kicking witticism, and sharp turn from winsome smile to ferocious sneer. Foxx proves Diaz's perfectly paired partner, matching her high energy and ability to switch seamlessly from game goofiness into sleek spy chic. Together, they offer an action-comedy that cruises on charisma. 

Back in Action gives Gen X a fantasy of espionage action and parent-child acceptance.  Credit: John Wilson / Netflix

As Matt and Emily battle determined foes — including her very uppity English ex (Andrew Scott) — and make uneasy allies — like Emily's snooty mother (Glenn Close) and her dopey boytoy (Jamie Demetriou) —  their kids have a backseat view of all the action, being forced to see their parents beyond the bland boundaries of mom and dad. This is especially poignant for Alice (McKenna Roberts), whose teen angst has been souring her relationship with her mom. Given a newfound awareness of her mother's past struggles, Alice can see how she and Emily are alike, despite their differences. 

There's a tender tale of reconnecting across a generational divide here, and while it's admittedly a bit easy, that's part of its charm. Amid a slew of spectacular action scenes (that make me wish Netflix did proper theatrical releases), Back in Action offers a simple but satisfying thread about parents re-claiming who they are outside of their family obligations — without losing their connection to their kids. In a sweet way, Back in Action becomes a story about trust, as secrets are exposed and hard truths swallowed along with some tears.

Admittedly, this narrative gets a bit overshadowed in a stunt-stacked climax that involves a speedboat chase, hacking a dam, and the aforementioned McGuffin. But that's just to be expected from an espionage movie. And sure, there are plot holes in this movie — like why would a former MI6 spy have security cameras that record an army rolling in, but don't sound alarms? But it's hard to be too bothered when the whole thing is just such a blast overall. 

Don't overthink it. Turn on Back in Action, and allow the star power and nostalgia for the heyday of '90s rom-coms, the peak of Cameron Diaz fame, and the fun of all that wash over you. Or watch it with the kids, and maybe drop some hints on how hard you relate to Emily and Matt. Because sure, we might have Etsy shops and sourdough starters now, but back then? These kids don't even know. 

How to watch: Back in Action debuts on Netflix on Jan. 17.

TL;DR: Live stream Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.

The Charlotte Hornets head to United Center to face the Chicago Bulls in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Hornets are 9-28, which puts them in 14th place. The Bulls are 18-23, which puts them in 10th place.

The Hornets have lost four of their last five games, and are coming off a loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Bulls have lost three of their last five games, and are coming off back-to-back losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.

When is Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls?

Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls in the NBA starts at 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 17. This game takes place at United Center in Chicago.

How to watch Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls

You need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Hornets vs. Bulls basketball game.

Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro plan Get Deal

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network. 

Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get Deal

YouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.

Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get Deal

Sling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

How to watch Hornets vs. Bulls from anywhere in the world

If you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming app

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls in the NBA with ExpressVPN.

There's a delicious surprise in Night Call, a Brussels-set action movie that plays out over one brutal night shift. And it's just how plausible every moment feels. Forget high-flying superheroes, Force-wielding Jedis, or car thieves who defy the laws of physics. There's good fun to be had in such movies, for sure. But filmmaker Michiel Blanchart makes his directorial feature debut with a lean and brilliant thriller that is uniquely thrilling because of how devotedly grounded it is. 

The screenplay (written by Blanchart and Gilles Marchand) begins simply enough, following twentysomething Mady Bala (Jonathan Feltre) through the routine of his night job as a locksmith. He gets a call, checks for proof of ID, cracks the lock, and gets paid cash. Easy. That is, until a cute brunette who calls herself Claire (Natacha Krief) lures him into a heist. Next thing Mady knows, his routine is in the rearview mirror as he races to survive a night where he's enraged a ruthless gangster with a band of skinheads at his beck and call. To live, he'll need to get the girl — or at least the cash. 

Racing across Brussels, from its high-rise apartments to its bumping nightclubs, seedy brothels, and claustrophobic basements, Blanchart puts Mady through the wringer, and we get to be his captive audience. 

Night Call's violence hits harder because it feels real.  Mady (Jonathan Feltre) is caught in the middle of a protest in "Night Call." Credit: Mika Cotellon / Magnet Releasing

The first taste of action comes in the apartment Claire claimed was hers. Left alone, Mady silently takes in the living room's layout, the Nazi memorabilia prominently displayed, and the hulking stranger who has just found an intruder in his place. Before Mady can explain, he's attacked. And scrambling to fight back against a brute who would turn his face into a fire — with an assist from the lit stovetop — Mady has to think fast. He smashes a plate, turning its shards into a knife, perfect for a quick stab to the gut. 

While this might sound like a masterful improvisation of weaponry, Feltre's performance is one of terror and bewilderment. His limbs fly in defense powerfully, but not confidently. He's not Jason Bourne, conveniently trained to best any adversary. He's just a guy trying to get through the night. And this scramble makes all the violence inflicted by and on him hit like a gut punch. The stakes feel real as Mady wriggles away from the neo-Nazi on a rampage. And even as this scrappy locksmith bests him with a lucky blow to the neck, he's not ready for the fallout. Specifically, Mady gags at the sight of blood burbling from his fallen foe's neck. 

In one swift and brutal action sequence at the film's top, Blanchart keenly establishes the life-or-death stakes and the gritty reality of this action movie. The broader details of the gangsters and their crimes are kept smartly vague, as none of that matters in the urgency of Mady's dilemma. And it's absolutely enthralling to see this slim everyman in a bulky jacket, obscuring his ripped physique — as opposed to a jacked-up Wolverine — take on the hell that is the night ahead of him.

Night Call delivers exhilarating twists and superb performances.  Credit: Mika Cotellon / Magnet Releasing.

Not versed in how to commit murder, much less covering one up, Mady is soon in the hands of a scowling kingpin (French actor Romain Duris, The Beat That My Heart Skipped), who turns him over to two cronies assigned to the task of recovering the loot that clever Claire stole. No one cares that Mady was an unwitting accomplice. Reason and rationale are a luxury Mady is not granted, and so he must look for any opportunity to best his captors. 

Night Call veers from Mady being pushed around to him defiantly breaking free in ways small and large, changing his fortune with impulse or ingenuity. It's thrilling to see where his story will go next, because it's impossible to predict. Blanchart and Marchand reject action movie tropes by having their hero be a true underdog, who must rely not only on the kindness of strangers (or in this case, Black Lives Matter protesters) but also the femme fatale who set him up to survive. But even as Night Call turns into film-noir territory with Claire, the screenwriters refuse to keep her an easily evil figure. Instead, the film twists into emotionally intelligent terrain that makes its climax incredible in more ways than one. Not only does Night Call defy genre expectations, but it also plays to reality without feeling like a letdown. 

Credit: Mika Cotellon / Magnet Releasing

Props to an impeccable cast. Feltre is a riveting leady man, committing convincingly to the fight choreography without losing Mady's wide-eyed shock at his circumstances. Opposite him, Duris — whose previous movies range from Jacques Audiard's neo-noir Beat to rom-coms like Heartbreaker and the dreamy Mood Indigo — is harrowing as a snarling gangster. As a young tough, Jonas Bloquet is both intimidating and intriguing, while Natacha Krief as Claire is so deeply charming that it's easy to see how Mady fell for her ruse. All down the line, the performances in Night Call are distinctive, dark, grimy, and even sometimes grimly funny, making the underbelly of Brussels a place that's sinister but sensational. 

Combine these crackling performances and the savagely smart script with cinematographer Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe's smooth sensibility, which thoughtfully pushes and pulls audiences through the labyrinth that is Mady's mad night, and this movie is an absolute stunner. In the end, Blanchart's first film is as electrifying as it is surprising. An action movie that's daring, dark, and distinctly wild, Night Call is not to be missed. 

Night Call opens only in theaters Jan. 17. 

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What do you do when your dream is yanked out from under you? And, to make matters worse, the hand doing the yanking belongs to the colossal, omnipotent entity that is the U.S. government?

This could be the reality for the TikTok creators who’ve built entire careers on the app — a platform that has transformed what it means to be an influencer. For many, being a social media star is, in fact, a dream job — 57 percent of Gen Z say they want to be influencers.

But now, that dream, for some, is at risk of being abruptly snatched away. TikTok is facing a deadline of Jan. 19 — this Sunday — when it could be banned in the U.S. over concerns about its Chinese ownership.

As it stands, it appears the ban could at least be delayed. The Associated Press reported Thursday, citing an anonymous official, that President Joe Biden would not enforce the ban before he leaves office next week, effectively leaving the decision in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.

Folks in Trump’s orbit have already expressed opposition to the ban, indicating the administration could at least stall the ban process. But that still leaves content creators who’ve built followings – and income streams – on the app preparing as best they can for what’s next.

For creators like Brandon Edelman, known to hundreds of thousands on the app as the chaotic and entertaining Bran Flakezz, the looming deadline feels like an existential threat. What if everything they’ve built disappears in a flash?

"This ban is so irresponsible and reckless," Edelman told Mashable, emphasizing the countless people who rely on the app for their livelihoods.

"If this app is banned, I'll use it every single minute I have until it goes away,” Edelman said. "I’m living in delusion, I guess. I won’t stress about it until I open the app, and it won't open."

The reactions from creators are as varied as the content they produce: some are frantic, others are unfazed, but all are left navigating a sea of uncertainty. Scroll through TikTok, and you’ll see creators urging followers to find them elsewhere, emotional farewells, and some who are practically indifferent to the possibility of the app's demise in the U.S.

"There’s a range," said Michael Berkowitz, co-founder of the Greenlight Group, a talent agency representing digital creators. "Some creators are extremely concerned and in a bit of a panic. Others? Not concerned at all. They don’t think the ban is actually going to happen."

TikTok changed everything. But what if it disappears?

Here’s the bottom line: nobody knows if the ban will happen, and even if it does, it’s unclear what kind of impact it will have.

"I don’t think we’ll see a full ban — where TikTok just vanishes from the face of the Earth — being a reality," Doug Landers, co-founder of Greenlight Group, told Mashable.

Some reports have suggested that TikTok was preparing for a radical and unprecedented step: a full-scale shutdown in the U.S. This would block access entirely, with users attempting to open the app being met by a pop-up redirecting them to a website with details about the ban. The move would effectively lock users out of the platform, marking a dramatic escalation in the app's ongoing battle for survival.

In a less extreme scenario that had long been expected, TikTok could simply be removed from app stores. While current users would still have access, the app would likely begin to degrade over time due to a lack of updates and maintenance.

But now it appears the decision could be in Trump's hands, which might mean TikTok sticks around. Alternatively, TikTok could also be sold to someone like... well, Elon Musk, and keep running in the U.S. (Mashable reached out TikTok for comment and did not receive a response.)

Even with all the "what-ifs," the threat of TikTok’s disappearance feels very real to creators. Users are already flocking to other platforms, and creators are scrambling to direct their followers elsewhere. For creators, the looming shutdown represents another crisis in an industry defined by its volatility.

Credit: Mashable

Take Jordan Howlett, for example. You probably know him as @jordan_the_stallion8 — he’s the guy who went from chasing his pro baseball dreams to amassing nearly 14 million followers on TikTok. If you’ve scrolled your For You Page lately, you’ve likely seen him leaning into the camera and telling you to "come here" as he explains the latest viral moment.

"There was never a moment where I was like, 'Oh, I can do this for a living' because I come from a very traditional background where a 9-to-5 job was what stability truly meant," Howlett told Mashable.

But TikTok turned that notion on its head. "It has allowed me to wake up daily and figure out [how I can] express some kind of creativity," he said. The platform has given him a space to set goals and pursue them. "If I have a goal, I can try to achieve it."

For Howlett, that's meant collaborating with the likes of Kevin Hart, Donald Glover, Halle Berry, and Method Man — all thanks to his decision in 2020 to post up to eight videos a day as a creative outlet.

Or there’s Rebecca West-Remmey, half of the married duo behind Devour Power, a channel chronicling viral food mostly in the NYC era. For her and her husband, Greg Remmey, TikTok arrived long after they'd already built large followings on platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

Back in 2012, when "food porn" became a cultural catchphrase, they started posting mouthwatering videos of crispy, greasy, often over-the-top meals that made you hungry just watching them. After quitting their day jobs a decade ago, they became full-time creators, with TikTok becoming an increasingly important part of their income.

"It is a big platform for us, I'm not gonna lie," West-Remmey told Mashable. Since joining the platform in 2018, their account has amassed more than 4 million followers.

But even as TikTok’s rise has been meteoric for creators like her, the prospect of it disappearing doesn’t feel like the end of the world. In the world of digital media, nothing is certain. “Social media is the Wild West,” West-Remmey said. "You do not know what's going to happen. I don't know if Instagram is going to shut down tomorrow. There is a lot of uncertainty."

Instagram, YouTube, RedNote: Time to diversify

As the clock ticks down, creators are scrambling to take action. The basic steps are the same across the board: download your videos, alert followers where to find you next, and diversify your presence as much as possible.

But the situation looks different for everyone. For Devour Power, TikTok's possible disappearance won’t upend their entire business. A big chunk of their revenue comes from their media arm, which manages social media for dozens of restaurants. If TikTok vanishes, it simply means a change in strategy, not a collapse.

"Our restaurants are a little bit worried about TikTok being banned," West-Remmey said. "Our thought behind that is, if it is [banned], there are so many other directions that we can take that second platform space."

Other social media platforms, such as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, and even RedNote — a Chinese app gaining international traction just days before the proposed ban — offer alternatives. With the advantage of time and significant effort, Devour Power has successfully expanded its presence across multiple platforms.

The outlook is more uncertain for smaller creators or those who built their following on TikTok. Take Avery-Claire Nugent, for example. With roughly 80k followers, Nugent took off by posting about girls who "cluster" tiny, precious objects in their homes.

Still juggling her full-time fashion job in New York City, she's already shifted part of her following to the Girls Who Cluster Instagram page, which functions as the brand's HQ, and recently launched a YouTube channel where she shares vlog-style videos about her day-to-day life.

But for Nugent, the ban presents a potential opportunity to step back and reassess.

"I'm going to take some time to touch some grass for a little bit, to really, you know, chill out," she told Mashable. "And then we'll see how the strategy goes for the rest of social media."

For now, TikTok is a valuable financial supplement to her 9-to-5 e-commerce gig, even if she'd one day love to go full-time with social media and Girls Who Cluster.

However, the landscape looks drastically different for creators like Edelman. He left his corporate job two years ago, and in the first summer after quitting, he earned double his previous annual salary.

Credit: Mashable

Edelman quickly gained a following on TikTok because of his comedic content about Philly nightlife. He still cracks jokes about life in the city, but his range has expanded to include mental health, friendship, and, of course, the Eagles. For him, TikTok’s potential disappearance feels deeply personal.

"It's devastating," he said. "The amount of people who have found a voice and been able to tell their stories and have their lives changed...like myself, a 24-year-old gay guy from Philadelphia who was making $41,000 a year. My whole life transformed through this app."

Edelman isn’t overly concerned about his long-term future. He can pivot to Instagram, YouTube, his podcast, or whatever comes next. But losing TikTok would still be a major financial blow in the short term. Between TikTok's Creator Fund and brand partnerships, he estimates that TikTok accounts for about a third of his income — hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Creators who rely on TikTok Shop or affiliate links would be hit even harder.

But the real question looms larger: What happens to the smaller creators, the ones still building their careers on TikTok? Or to the behind-the-scenes teams — accountants, assistants, videographers — who depend on social media's booming ecosystem to make a living?

Still, if TikTok is banned, the ad money creators depend on will likely flow to other platforms.

"Influencer marketing is not going away, and marketing dollars are not going to stop flowing into the creator economy," Berkowitz said. "But if TikTok is banned, they'll certainly shift that spend to other platforms. Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat will probably benefit the most."

Berkowitz noted that Greenlight has been adding clauses to brand deals to allow advertisers to redirect their content to other platforms should TikTok vanish. They’ve worked closely with their clients — including creators like Howlett — to identify the platforms that will work best for their content.

The founders of Greenlight see TikTok’s rise as the dawn of a new kind of influencer: one that’s more relatable and more personal. That parasocial bond won’t disappear overnight.

"The creators who have a tight-knit community will be able to more successfully transition their followers onto other platforms," Berkowitz said.

So... What now?

In short, the clock could be ticking on the clock app, even if it may have just gotten an extension. To paraphrase a modern digital philosopher, no one is planning to log off. 

"If TikTok goes away, the passion I [feel] from doing those things — that doesn't go away," Howlett told Mashable. "I'm going to keep going until it's either not fun anymore or I found a different way to express [myself]... If TikTok is gone, it's not going to stop me [from] wanting to make videos."

When you're as big as Howlett — he's got 12 million followers on Instagram and 4 million on YouTube — the audience and income will likely follow. But what replaces TikTok? That's anyone’s guess. And in the world of viral content, it might not be just one app that takes its place. Things move fast.

Credit: Mashable

For West-Remmey, the rise and fall of platforms is a game they’re used to. In fact, after years of being an afterthought, Snapchat is now a major part of their strategy again.

"You can't have all your eggs in one basket," she said. "It's a lot of work to manage multiple platforms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's easy."

For creators who thrive on TikTok’s creative freedom, the idea of it disappearing is a hard pill to swallow. Nugent, whose "Girls Who Cluster" trend gained a devoted following on the app, will mourn the community TikTok cultivated.

"What I will miss the most is the people on TikTok," Nugent said. "Those are my OG girls; those are my girls who have given me everything I have today, all these opportunities."

Those girls, that community, landed Nugent in the pages of major magazines. It’s a bond that, for many creators, feels impossible to replace.

But this is the social media game. If your job is online, you’ve learned to pivot. Remember Vine? Remember Tumblr at its peak? Hell, remember Twitter? Ban or no ban, TikTok creators are already considering their next steps. For someone like Edelman, despite some jokes to the contrary, he's not planning on letting the doors that TikTok have opened close once again.

"I can support my parents now, who are retired. I can buy them a new oven next month because they won't buy it for themselves," he said. "I can take my mom and get her sneakers when her fucking big toe is hanging out the front because my parents are poor, for lack of a better word. I've been able to change their lives."

TikTok might soon be gone — but the void it leaves behind might be an opportunity for creators to shape the next big thing.

Severance has finally returned, with a Season 2 premiere that plunges us straight back into the unsettling world of Lumon Industries. And while it's great to be back, it's also downright freaky.

SEE ALSO: I went to the 'Severance' pop-up in Grand Central Station. It was wild.

That's because the season premiere, titled "Hello, Ms. Cobel," throws a lot at viewers. New characters, new Lumon perks, and new Severance mysteries enter the fray, each one eliciting a varying degree of "What the hell is going on?" from me. And you can bet that sentiment will only grow with every episode of Season 2.

From surprise throuple mentions to Lumon's embrace of stop-motion, here are the 15 most WTF moments from Severance Season 2, episode 1. Let's break them down — and maybe, just maybe, we'll find some answers along the way.

The Wellness Room is just... gone.

In an extended sequence in Severance's first-ever episode, Innie Mark (Adam Scott) walks through the fluorescent halls of Lumon's Severed Floor without a care in the world. The opening of "Hello, Ms. Cobel" echoes that moment by flipping it on its head. Now, in his first moments back at Lumon since the Innies' Season 1 escape, Mark runs helter-skelter through the halls. Gone is the purpose and routine of the Season 1 hallway walk: Here Mark backtracks and loses his way. The entire sequence, which Scott says took about five months to film, is a perfect, destabilizing reintroduction to the world of Severance, but it ends with a sobering reveal.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' food, ranked

Mark's destination throughout this mad dash is the Wellness Room, where Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) — whom he now knows is his Outie's wife, Gemma — used to work. But to Mark's horror, the Wellness Room is completely gone, and Ms. Casey is nowhere to be found. In retiring her to the foreboding Testing Floor, has Lumon made her disappear completely? And if they can lock her away, what's stopping them from doing the same to Mark and all of Lumon's other Innies?

Mark, look out! There's someone behind you!

As Mark takes in the now-gone Wellness Room, Severance goes full horror movie for a second. A mysterious suited figure appears in the hallway behind Mark, like the world's most professional stalker. They disappear just as quickly as they arrive, but their identity remains a mystery. It's not Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman), as he's wearing an entirely different outfit, and it's not one of Mark's new team members, since they're all in the Macrodata Refinement department. So, who is this new arrival on the Severed Floor? And why are they menacingly watching Mark from afar?

Mark has an entirely different team. Tramell Tillman, Alia Shawkat, Stefano Carannante, and Bob Balaban in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

When Mark finally arrives in MDR, he's greeted not by Helly (Britt Lower), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry), but by three entirely new coworkers. Mark W. (Bob Balaban), Gwendolyn Y. (Alia Shawkat), and Dario R. (Stefano Carannante) are transfers from other Lumon branches, and they're full of fascinating information about how Lumon operates elsewhere.

SEE ALSO: John Turturro shares fascinating Stanley Kubrick story on 'Severance' podcast

Gwendolyn and Mark W. (who straight up asks Mark to change his name) come from 5X, a newer branch that was shut down. Apparently its Perpetuity Wing had animatronic Eagans, so you know it's fancy. Meanwhile, Dario, presumably from an Italian branch, describes his former workplace as being "very poor." Their Eagans were brooms, and the employees didn't even have an elevator — just a rope. Another funny detail: Where Mark received a crystal head cube as a reward, it looks like Dario received a carved wooden head cube as a substitute. Come on, Lumon, do better!

Lumon's newest hire, Miss Huang, is a literal child. Sarah Bock in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Another new addition to the Severed Floor? Deputy Floor Manager Miss Huang (Sarah Bock), who is fully a teenager. What in the world is such a young person doing on the Severed Floor? Is she a Lumon experiment, born and raised in the building? Or is this just the worst possible way to earn community service hours for school?

Whatever Miss Huang's deal is, she makes the already-bizarre vibes at Lumon even stranger. Props to Bock for bringing such a disarming emptiness to a character viewers will be analyzing for weeks to come.

Mr. Milchick gives Mark the fakest newspaper of all time. Tramell Tillman in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Mr. Milchick catches Mark up on everything that's happened since the Innies escaped. In the past five months, he claims their Outies have become "the face of severance reform," leading to Lumon attempting to make amends. His proof? A clearly doctored newspaper. You're telling me with all its resources, Lumon can't properly Photoshop a fake parade photo? Or maybe they just underestimate the Innies' ability to spot a fake, in which case, that's just insulting. Either way, it's clear Mr. Milchick is lying about what's going on in the outside world. But what else is new at Lumon?

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1: Milchick's newspaper proves Lumon is lying about severance reform Severance brings throuples into the mix.

According to Mr. Milchick, Lumon fired Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) because she was romantically pursuing both Mark's Innie and Outie. (More lies!) Her goal? A throuple, a word that I never thought I'd hear on Severance. I'm not mad about it, though, nor have I stopped thinking about Tillman's line read. Seriously, he deserves an Emmy for his delivery of "throuple" alone.

Miss Huang isn't here to make friends. Sarah Bock in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

The red ball icebreaker game from Season 1 is back! But Miss Huang is not playing around. When Mark says he's lucky to have made four new friends that day, she steps in with a condescending, "That's nice, Mark. But I have to remind you that I'm a supervisor. Not a friend."

It's enough to make your skin crawl, as is Mark's extra long pause afterwards before amending his statement to "three new friends." Great work environment you're fostering here, Lumon!

SEE ALSO: Ben Stiller jokingly addresses his 'Severance' Season 1 cameo in the official 'Severance' podcast It's an Innie-only episode. Adam Scott in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

In a first for Severance, "Hello, Ms. Cobel" doesn't alternate between the Innie and Outie worlds. Instead, we only the Innies' perspective on life, and it is downright horrifying. Not only do we experience firsthand the information barrier between the Innies and the Outies, but we also experience the constant, mundane loop of their lives, which begin and end at the Lumon elevator.

Season 1 already highlighted that this is no way to live, but getting a better firsthand understanding of the Innies' experience hammers home just how miserable this existence is. I could barely handle it for one episode — how are they supposed to handle it for years at a time?

"Kier Pardons His Betrayers." Sarah Bock, Adam Scott, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, and Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news? Helly, Irving, and Dylan are back! The bad news? Lumon has installed a new painting outside the elevator, titled "Kier Pardons His Betrayers."

SEE ALSO: Ben Stiller, Adam Scott, and John Turturro revisit 'Severance's weirdest scene on the 'Severance' podcast

Lumon's no stranger to cursed paintings — I'll never forget how "Kier Taming the Four Tempers" foreshadowed the waffle party — but this one, with its half-likenesses of the MDR Innies, is especially WTF-inducing. I simply do not like how the "betrayers" are buried up to their shoulders in the ground, or how Kier is holding a bloody sword. If that painting was the first thing I saw after getting out of an elevator, I'd turn around and head back up, I tell you that much.

So, Mark basically murdered those other Innies, right?

The return of the core MDR group means the loss of Mark W., Gwendolyn, and Dario. But since Mark and Gwendolyn's branch shut down, that means they're permanently retired, right? And who knows what the future holds for Dario? Basically, it looks like this new trio of Innies has been offed, unless they come back in future episodes. After all, why bring in actors like Balaban if you're barely going to use them? (Unless, of course, this was Severance tricking us all along.)

For now, though, RIP to these new Innies. We hardly knew you, but you seemed fun.

SEE ALSO: Severance Season 1 Recap: Everything you need to remember before watching season 2 Severance presents: the greatest, strangest corporate video ever made.

The MDR Innies file into the Break Room, which they've now discovered is an actual torture-free room where can take breaks. Here, Mr. Milchick plays them a new orientation video that promises them that "Lumon is Listening." Words can't even begin to describe how much I adore this freaky stop-motion gem.

Over the course of the video, Severance treats us to stop-motion reenactments of key moments from Season 1. My personal favorite? When Irving's declaration of "Let's burn this place to the ground" causes his head to burst into raging flames, Heat Miser-style. (Second place goes to the Helly and Mark kiss, which prompts a valid "What the shit?" from Dylan.)

The entire video is full of fascinating details (for example, Lumon operates in 206 countries) and bananas storytelling, from the talking Lumon building to the infectious pronunciation of "pineapple BOBBING." Dylan is totally right that Lumon's promises of new perks are just a "massive-ass head game," but I'll be damned if they don't know how to put on a good show.

Why did Helly lie about what she saw outside Lumon? Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Severance follows up this confounding video with yet another weird twist: Helly lies to her coworkers about what she saw when she woke up in the outside world. Instead of telling everyone she's Helena Eagan, heir to Lumon, she concocts some story about leaving her "boring" apartment and telling her story to a "night gardener."

So, why in the world would Helly lie? Could she be so ashamed of her Outie identity that she doesn't want to share it with her friends? Could she be so afraid of the Eagans' retaliation that she decides to keep quiet? Or could she actually be Helena, posing as Helly to gather intel? Whatever the truth, you'd think Helly could come up with a better lie than one involving a night gardener, of all things.

Is Helly jealous of Gemma?

When Mark reveals his plans to break Gemma out of Lumon, Helly's reaction is... suspicious. She seems to downplay the situation and questions Innie Mark's allegiance to Gemma. After all, she's not really his wife, right?

But for Mark, it's not so simple. "We're the same-ish person," he says of Outie Mark. "So it's mushy."

I agree, Mark; it is mushy. With Innie and Outie Mark each having their own romantic interests, Severance is setting up for what might be the most complicated love triangle ever. (Or would this be more of a quadrangle?)

What will happen in the Outie Family Visitation Suite?

As incentive for trying to get Dylan to stay, Mr. Milchick reveals that he's planning to build an Outie Family Visitation Suite, where Dylan can meet his wife Gretchen. It's the perfect psychological button to press following Dylan's desire to see his family back in Season 1, and it works like a charm.

The implications of the visitation suite are massive, as they could be the one place where Innies and their Outies' acquaintances can communicate. Could any of the Innies sound the alarm on their plights from the suite?

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2: What is Cold Harbor?

For now, it's looking unlikely: Milchick only offers this privilege to Dylan, as all the other Innies are single and this perk could lead to jealousy down the line. But hold on, Mr. Milchick — being single doesn't mean the Innies don't have family ! What about Mark's sister Devon (Jen Tullock)? Why not just call it the Outie Significant Other Visitation Suite then?

What is Cold Harbor, and what does it have to do with Gemma?

"Hello, Ms. Cobel" ends with the MDR Innies back at work, refining their macrodata while still not knowing what it does. But wait! The last few seconds give us a small hint, revealing that Mark's file, labeled Cold Harbor, is somehow linked to Gemma. For her part, Gemma appears to be under some kind of observation, but as for why (or what is going on) we still don't know yet. But after such a strong start to Season 2, I can't wait to find out.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every week.