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Mashable is a leading source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 25 million monthly unique visitors and 10 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.
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Updated: 24 min 2 sec ago

The best Memorial Day TV deals from TCL, Samsung, Sony: Get a 65-inch TV for $299

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:10
The best Memorial Day TV deals at a glance: Best Amazon Fire TV deal Amazon Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series 4K UHD TV 359.99 (save $100 at Amazon) Get Deal BEST 43-INCH TV DEAL Samsung 43-inch The Frame QLED 4K TV $747.99 (save $250) Get Deal Best TCL TV Deal TCL 65-Inch Class S5 UHD 4K LED Smart TV 379.99 (save $70) Get Deal BEST 55-INCH TV DEAL TCL 55-Inch QM6K QLED 4K TV $498 (save $301.99) Get Deal BEST 65-INCH TV DEAL Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 OLED 4K TV $1,498 (save $200) Get Deal BEST 75-INCH+ TV DEAL LG 77-inch C4 OLED evo 4K TV $1,876.99 (save $320) Get Deal Best QLED TV deal TCL 65-Inch Class Q65 QLED 4K Fire TV 399.99 (save $150) Get Deal

Memorial Day tends to be a huge day of deals for mattresses and home goods, but those are certainly not the only categories seeing major discounts. TVs of all shapes and sizes are also getting the deal treatment this holiday weekend, making it a particularly good time to upgrade.

Many of the new releases from CES 2025 are officially on shelves, and some of those are even seeing some big price drops. Or if you prefer to stay securely in budget TV territory, you can find a surprising number of 65-inch TVs on sale for under $400 at Amazon. We're tracking all the best Memorial Day TV deals at the three major tech retailers: Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. It's possible new deals will drop as we roll into the weekend, so we'll refresh this list with anything that catches our eye.

Best Memorial Day TV deal TCL 55-Inch QM6K QLED 4K TV $498 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $301.99 Get Deal Why we like it

Just announced at CES 2025 and released in March, the TCL QM6K QLED 4K TV is already shaping up to be one of our favorite TVs of 2025. For a TV in its price range, it gets seriously bright. CNET (also owned by Ziff Davis) took it for a spin and also noted that its detailed shadows during darker movies clearly stood out compared to the similarly priced Roku Pro. It's not as impressive as its more expensive sibling, the QM8, but ultimately, CNET summed up: "For the money, the TCL QM6K has some of the best picture quality, including great black levels, for an LCD-based TV." The QM6K has already seen some impressive discounts since its release, but this is the first time the 55-inch model has dropped this low.

Best Memorial Day TV deal at Amazon TCL 65-Inch Class Q65 QLED 4K Smart TV $399.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $150 Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon always comes through with some big TV deals during big shopping events, and TCL is usually leading the way. That's certainly the case for Memorial Day Weekend, with this 27% off deal on a TCL QLED Fire TV. Most budget TVs on sale right now offer basic LED displays, but this 65-incher lets you enjoy pristine QLED-powered visuals without leaving budget territory. It's also a relatively new 2024 model. This TV is powered by Amazon's Fire TV OS, so you'll have full access to your favorite streaming apps (if you have a subscription, of course).

More Memorial Day TV deals at AmazonMore Memorial Day TV deals43-inch TVs50- to 55-inch TVs65-inch TVs75-inch TVs and up The best Memorial Day deals you can get right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

Amazons Memorial Day Sale is live: Get tablets for $179, Casper mattresses under $500

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:09
The best Memorial Day deals to shop on Amazon right now: Best tech deal Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet $174.99 (save $55) Get Deal Best vacuum deal Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum $349.99 at Amazon (save $120) Get Deal Best outdoor deal Char-Broil Patio Bistro TRU-Infrared Electric Grill $131.93 (save $118.06) Get Deal Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones $229 (save $120) Get Deal Best kitchen deal Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine (stainless steel) $599.99 (save $249.96) Get Deal Best home security deal Blink Video Doorbell $34.99 (save $35) Get Deal Casper Sleep Element, Queen 476 (Save $119) Get Deal

Memorial Day weekend is officially here, and you know what that means: Sales galore. Amazon is leading the way by offering up to 55% off select items, including Amazon devices, kitchen appliances, home goods, gadgets, mattresses, TVs, and more. The sale started on May 16 and runs through Monday, May 26, which means you're running out of time to save. This pre-summer sale is a great time to snag new headphones, grab an affordable tablet to keep the kids busy on summer trips, or restock on outdoor gear.

SEE ALSO: Best Memorial Day mattress deals in 2025 that are already live: Shop Nectar, Brooklyn Bedding, Purple, and more

Of course, these deals might get even better as the holiday approaches. (We’ll be keeping an eye on prices and updating this story regularly.) But there’s no harm in snatching up a few discounts now, especially for high-demand items with limited availability.

Here are some of the best Amazon Memorial Day sales you can shop now.

Best tech deal Amazon Fire Max 11 64GB 11" 2000x1200 Tablet $174.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $55 Get Deal Why we like it

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is currently on sale for $174.99, down from $229.99. This isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen for this tablet (around $139.99 in November), but it’s still a pretty good deal for a newish tablet (it’s a 13th-gen, released in 2023).

SEE ALSO: Memorial Day TV deals from TCL, Samsung, Sony: Get a 65-inch TV for $299

The Fire Max 11 has an 11-inch display, 64GB of storage (you can expand it to up to 1 TB with a micro-SD card), and 14 hours of battery life. It’s ideal for streaming your favorite shows or reading e-books on the go. (You can game on it, too.) It’s also equipped with Alexa and compatible with the Amazon Stylus Pen.

More tech deals Best vacuum deal Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum $349.99 at Amazon
$469.99 Save $120 Get Deal Why we like it

We're not sure how exactly Dyson stick vacuums became status symbols, but here we are. If you've never had the pleasure of using one of these cordless vacuums, we promise they live up to the hype. And for MDW, you can grab the starter V8 model on sale for $349.99, a $120 discount from the usual retail price. This vacuum has a slick design and powerful suction, but it's also easy to maneuver around your home.

More vacuum deals Best outdoor deal Char-Broil Patio Bistro TRU-Infrared Electric Grill Black $131.93 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $118.06 Get Deal Why we like it

The Char-Broil Patio Bistro TRU-Infrared Electric Grill is currently on sale for $131.93, down from $249.99. That’s a 47% discount and a whopping $118.06 in savings. Again, it’s not the lowest we’ve seen on this grill (the lowest was $125.99), but it’s still a solid deal.

This is a great option for those who don’t have a lot of outdoor space or don’t want to deal with propane or charcoal. (Just be sure to read your lease! Some apartments don’t allow grills on balconies.) The TRU-Infrared technology cooks up to 50% juicier food, according to the manufacturer, and the grill has 320 square inches of cooking space, so you can still grill up plenty of food for friends and family.

More outdoor deals Best headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones $229 at Amazon
$349 Save $120 Get Deal Why we like it

If you have upcoming travel plans for the long Memorial Day weekend or you'll be heading abroad this summer, your packing list surely includes noise-cancelling headphones for the flight. Bose makes some of the most impressive noise-cancellation in the industry, and the Bose QuietComfort Headphones are on sale for just $229, marked down from the normal price of $349. This steep discount makes them a solid choice and might be a better fit if you've already dropped some serious money on flights. They're not quite as impressive as our favorite Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but those are still hanging out at full price, which is $429.

The Bose QuietComfort headphones come with bragging rights: getting up to 24 hours of playtime with a seriously comfortable design. The colorway options are also impressive, including your standard black and white but also a Chilled Lilac and Twilight Blue.

More headphones, earbuds, and speaker deals Some of the best Memorial Day deals you can get right now Best kitchen deal Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine (stainless steel) $599.99 at Amazon
$849.95 Save $249.96 See It Why we like it

While it's down to the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon, grab the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine. Instead of paying the normal $849.95, you'll be able to become a professional home barista for just $599.99. Be sure to snag the stainless steel colorway options since the others are still well above this sale price.

With a sleek design and intuitive buttons, the Breville is your ticket to summer mornings spent in the backyard with an espresso. Or you could go with a latte, thanks to the machine's manual milk foamer that achieves perfect texture. The dosing control grinder is also incredibly useful, as is the built-in conical burr grinder.

More kitchen and home dealsBest home security deal Blink Video Doorbell + Sync Module 2 $34.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $35.00 See It Why we like it

Since Memorial Day signifies the beginning of the summer vacation season, it's wise to upgrade your home's security. The Blink Video Doorbell with Sync Module 2 is on sale at Amazon for just $34.99, marked down from the standard price of $69.99, which means you'll be getting a 50% discount. The sale price is also the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

The Blink Video Doorbell gives you a 1080p view of your home's front door, which is useful both for when you're away on vacation and when you're home. You'll be able to see if the kids made it home from school on time or if the grocery delivery arrived. Set-up takes just a few minutes with the included batteries, and then connects to the Blink app.

More home security dealsBest mattress deal Casper Sleep Element, Queen $476 at Amazon
$595 Save $119 Get Deal Why we like it

Casper is the best-known mattress-in-a-box brand, and there's a reason it's still so popular after all these years. The company makes affordable mattresses with a generous 100-night sleep trial, making it a little bit easier to shop for a mattress. This particular model is popular among Amazon shoppers even when it's not on sale, and it's a medium-firm memory foam bed. If you need a new pillow to go along with your bed, check out Casper's entire Memorial Day sale at Amazon.

More mattress deals

100+ Memorial Day deals: Get AirPods for $148, save 50% on mattresses

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:08
The best Memorial Day deals: Best Amazon deal Apple AirPods 4 with ANC $148.99 (Save $30.01) Get Deal Best mattress deal Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress $1,099 Get Deal Best TV deal The Frame Pro 65-inch Class Neo QLED 4K Art TV (2025 model) $1,999.99 (Save $200) Get Deal Best home sale Ruggable Take 20% off sitewide with code MEMDAY Get Deal Best kitchen sale Made In Save up to 25% off cookware Get Deal Best Tech Sale Best Buy Save on iMacs, headphones, and OLED TVs Shop Now

While Memorial Day technically falls on Monday, May 26, the MDW shopping celebrations have officially started. To kick off the start of summer, we've gathered a wave of great deals across retailers. Maybe you're spending the weekend relaxing with family, but during your downtime, you're browsing the best Memorial Day deals.

We've rounded up the best sales from across the web to shop right now. Leading the way are mattress deals, followed by home and kitchen deals. However, great tech deals are popping up too. Find savings up to $120 off on Sony's WH-1000XM line of headphones and earbuds. Get a new pair of noise-cancelling AirPods for under $150. And pick up 65-inch smart TVs for under $400 with the top Memorial Day TV deals.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Memorial Day Sale has already started — shop tech, home goods, and more

But that's just the start of the deals we've lined up. Here are all of the best Memorial Day sales to shop now.

Best Memorial Day deals at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 with ANC $148.99 at Amazon
$179 Save $30.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Apple's newest generation of AirPods has been a hit with Apple customers, which is hardly a surprise. The new base model (AirPods 4) comes with and without active noise cancellation, and for the Memorial Day Weekend, the version with ANC is back down to its sale price of $148.99. This is a fairly typical sale price for these Apple pods, but if you need a new pair of earbuds, then go ahead and add them to your cart. You can find a ton more Amazon deals to shop this weekend, from savings on Dyson vacuums to 4K 65-inch smart TVs for under $400.

More Amazon Memorial Day dealsMemorial Day TV deals at AmazonBest Memorial Day mattress sale Opens in a new window Credit: Nectar Nectar Save up to 50% on mattresses and 65% on bundles Get Deal Why we like it

A big sale event means big savings on mattresses. The absolute best savings we've found are on Nectar mattresses. This Memorial Day, save up to 65% on bundles and 50% on mattresses. Right now, you can grab Nectar's queen memory foam mattress for $649, down from $1,598, to save you $949. It's also a great time to refresh your bedding and grab some new sheets from Brooklinen while they're 25% off and upgrade to Purple pillows, which are already marked down and eligible for another 25% off when you buy two.

More Memorial Day mattress and bedding sales

  • Amerisleep: Save up to $6,000 on any mattress with promo code MD600

  • Avocado: Take 10% off sitewide with promo code HONOR10

  • Bear: Save 35% on mattresses and get two free pillows with promo code MEMORIALDAY

  • Big Fig: Take 25% off sitewide with code MEMDAY

  • Birch: Save 25% sitewide and get two free pillows with a new mattress with code MEMDAY25

  • Brooklinen: Take up to 75% off sheets and pillowcase sets

  • Brooklyn Bedding: Take 30% off sitewide with promo code MEMORIAL30

  • Casper: Take up to 30% off on mattresses

  • Citizenry: Save 20% sitewide

  • Coop Sleep Goods - take up to 40% off sitewide and get a free silk pillowcase on orders of $150+

  • Coyuchi: Take 20% off sitewide

  • Double Stitch: Save up to 50% with code CS50

  • DreamCloud: Save up to 60% on mattresses

  • Eli & Elm: Save up to 45%

  • Helix: Take 25% sitewide and get two free products with Helix Luxe or Elite mattress

  • Leesa: Save 30% on mattresses and get a free sleep bundle

  • Layla: Get free pillows with every mattress and take up to $1,018 off bundles

  • Mattress Firm: Take up to 60% off and get a free adjustable base with select mattresses

  • Naturepedic: Take up to 20% off organic mattresses

  • Naturepedic: Take up to 20% off organic bedding

  • Nectar: Save up to 50% on mattresses and 65% on bundles

  • Nest: Take up to $60 off bedding

  • Nest: Save up to $1,321 on new mattresses and get a free bundle

  • Parachute: Save 30% sitewide

  • Puffy: Take up to $1,350 off with code MEMORIALDAY

  • Puffy: Save 15% on all mattress accessories including sheets and pillows

  • Purple: Take up to $700 off on a mattress and base, plus 20% off bedding and pillows, now through June 3

  • Saatva: Save up to $600 on mattresses

  • Silk & Snow: Take 20% off sitewide and save $300 on mattresses

  • Sleep Number: Save up to 50% on smart beds

  • Tuft & Needle: Save 20% on select mattresses

  • Tuft & Needle: Take 30% off on select bedding

  • Viscosoft: Take 25% off all mattress toppers

  • WinkBeds: Save $300 on all mattresses

Best Memorial Day home sale Opens in a new window Credit: Ruggable Ruggable Take 20% off sitewide with code MEMDAY Get Deal Why we like it

The leader in washable rugs is without a doubt — Ruggable. Their two-part system rugs provide beautiful, cozy decor for your floors that can be thrown in the washing machine for a thorough clean. This Memorial Day, you can find Ruggable's washable rugs for 20% off using code 'MEMDAY' at checkout. This deal excludes select pillows, pet beds, spot cleaners, and gift cards.

In addition to the Ruggable site sale, you can also find these washable rugs on sale at Amazon, including the popular Ruggable x Jonathan Adler collection, which just saw its biggest price drop in years.

More Memorial Day home deals

  • Branch: Take up to 15% off home office furniture

  • Dyson: Save on cordless vacuums and beauty products, including the Supersonic Nural hair dryer

  • Ecovacs: Save $200 on the Deebot N20 Plus robot vacuum and mop

  • Home Depot: Save up to 25% on gardening supplies, 30% on outdoor furniture, and 35% on select appliances through May 28

  • Humanscale: take 15% home office furniture off with code ACTIVE15

  • Mill: Take $125 off your order

  • Overstock: Save up to 60% off patio furniture

  • Revival: Spend $250 to $499 to take 10% off, $500 to $749 for 15% off, $750 to $1499 for 20% off, and $1500 and more for 25% off

  • SimpliSafe: Get any new system for 60% off, plus a free outdoor camera ($199 value) when you sign up for professional monitoring

  • Shark: Use code CORDLESS10 to take 10% off select cordless vacuums

  • Tumble: Save 30% on all washable rugs

  • Windmill: Save up to 25% on the Windmill air conditioner

Best Memorial Day tech deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung 65-inch Class The Frame Pro Neo QLED 4K Art TV (2025 model) $1,999.99 at Samsung
$2,199.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal Why we like it

One of the best TV deals we've spotted is a $200 savings on the 65-inch version of Samsung's The Frame Pro QLED 4K TV, which brings the price down to under $2,000. This art TV was just released in April 2025, so it's a pleasant surprise to see it on sale. If you're a design lover, this TV is the ultimate flex, though it will cost you.

If you need a one-stop shop for your tech shopping this Memorial Day, look to Best Buy. Not only do they have a vast collection of tech products like computers, headphones, and TVs, but you can even shop for large appliances. Amazon is deep into the Memorial Day deals action by offering the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for just $39.99 and a $70.82 savings on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ tablet, which is gonna be great for the kids to use during upcoming summer road trips.

Some extra deals we've spotted ahead of Memorial Day include $400 off the Apple iMac desktop with M3 chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage. Or if you want a truly affordable deal, HP's 14-inch Chromebook is 60% off, bringing it down to $139.

More Memorial Day tech deals

  • Anker Soundcore: Save 15% on speakers with code OUTDOOR15

  • Apple: Save 32% on the Apple Watch SE (GPS, 40mm) at Amazon

  • Best Buy: Save on laptops, OLED TVs, smartwatches, and more

  • Google: Take 20% off the Google Pixel 9 Pro

  • GoPro: Save $100 on the GoPro Hero13 Black

  • HP: Save up to 55% on select laptops, PCs, printers, and other HP tech

  • Lenovo: Save up to 50% off on ThinkBooks, desktops, Chromebooks, monitors, and the X1 Carbon Gen 12

  • Sony: Save up to 34% on Sony electronics. Get the Sony WH-1000XM5 for $100 off or the WH-1000XM4 for $120 off.

  • Ultimate Ears: Save $30 off $150, $70 off $250, and $150 off $450

Best Memorial Day kitchen deal Opens in a new window Credit: Made In Made In Save up to 25% off cookware Get Deal Why we like it

This Memorial Day, as you fire up the grill, you might be hyper aware of how your indoor cookware is lacking. Made In cookware is up to 25% off this Memorial Day.

Right now, you can get a full stainless steel set of cookware for 25% off. Get Made In's 10-piece set for $729.99, down from $974, saving you $244.

More Memorial Day kitchen deals

  • Breville: Save $250 on the Barista Pro Espresso Machine at Amazon

  • Gozney: Take up to $200 off pizza ovens

  • HydroFlask: Save up to 25% on bestsellers, including tumblers, lunch boxes, and accessories

  • Made In: Save up to 25% on cookware

  • Ninja: Select outdoor grills are 15% off with code OUTDOOR15

  • Ooni: Save up to 20% on pizza ovens, oven accessories, and cookware

  • Owala: Take 30% off 24-ounce and 40-ounce tumblers through May 26

  • Sodastream: Save 25% sitewide

Miscellaneous Memorial Day deals

  • Eyebyedirect: Take 30% off lenses and 20% off frames with code MDWDEAL through May 25 and take 30% off designer brand glasses with code DB30 through May 26

  • Galison: save 30 to 60% on all puzzles

  • Macy's: Take up to 60% off outdoor furniture, dinnerware, luggage, toys, and beauty

  • Peloton: Save up to $400 on Peloton bike packages

  • REI: Save up to 30% during the retailer's Anniversary Sale

  • Shark: Save up to $300 off select products, plus 20% off select hair care with code BEAUTY20

  • Segway: Take up to 40% off electric scooters

  • Solawave: Take 35% off kits

  • Solo Stove: Save up to $120 on smokeless fire pits

The best Memorial Day deals you can get right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

This AI assistant can help you write a book

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Youbooks is a unique AI tool that combines AI models to write your book how you want it, and it’s only $49 for life.

If you’ve ever thought about writing a book but got stuck on where to start, Youbooks can help get you over that hurdle. This AI-powered platform helps transform your ideas into professional-quality non-fiction books, and right now, you can get a lifetime subscription for just $49 (reg. $540).

AI can write your book

What makes Youbooks stand from other AI tools is its use of multiple AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, to craft well-rounded and coherent content. You can create massive manuscripts of up to 300,000 words, so whether you’re a content creator, educator, or entrepreneur, Youbooks gives you a solid way to bring your ideas to life.

You can even upload your own research, documents, or notes to steer the AI in the right direction and make sure the final product reflects your voice and expertise. Plus, Youbooks taps into real-time web research to pull in current facts and stats, keeping your book accurate and up to date.

You also have a lot of flexibility when it comes to style. You can set the tone and writing style you want, and once your book is ready, you own it completely. You’re free to publish, sell, or share it however you like.

With 150,000 monthly credits included (and the option to stack codes for more), there’s plenty of room to create.

It’s now only $49 to get a Youbooks lifetime subscription, but it won’t stay that way.

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change

Opens in a new window Credit: Youbooks Youbooks - AI Non-Fiction Book Generator: Lifetime Subscription $49
$540 Save $491 Get Deal

How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) online for free

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Live stream Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 NBA playoffs have been everything we wished they would be. Big plays, epic performances, and all the drama we've come to expect. And even though we're slowly coming to the conclusion of this season, there are plenty of stunning moments still to come.

If you want to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4)?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on May 26. This game takes place at Target Center.

How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) for free

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) in the 2025 NBA playoffs is available to live stream for free on YouTube.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access this free live stream from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a 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 India

  4. Visit YouTube

  5. Watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA playoffs before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free live streams from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for YouTube?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like YouTube, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including India

  • 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 two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4) for free with ExpressVPN.

Pay once and watch documentaries for life

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: During this limited-time sale, you can get a MagellanTV lifetime subscription for $150 (reg. $999).

Looking for something smarter to stream? If you’re tired of the same old shows, MagellanTV offers a refreshing alternative with documentaries that explore history, science, true crime, and more. It’s a way to discover fascinating stories and learn something new, no scrolling required.

The real treat? Unlike Netflix, Hulu, and all the other big names, MagellanTV doesn’t charge any monthly fees, and it’s only $150 for a lifetime subscription right now (reg. $999).

Enough documentaries to last a lifetime

Other streaming services may have a few documentaries, but MagellanTV has thousands, and they’re totally ad-free. And you’ll get a far deeper selection than just basic ones you’ve already seen. We’ve watched Blackfish, Netflix, so stop recommending it to us.

Here are some current offerings that caught our eye:

  • I Shot My Parents

  • Diving With Sharks

  • John F. Kennedy: Making of a President

  • My Mum Talks to Aliens

On days when you’re totally snowed in and don’t know what to watch (and there’s nothing good on Netflix as usual), open a playlist. Maybe ‘Cute and Cuddly,’ ‘Wild Weather,’ or ‘The Stay-at-Home Travel Guide’ to set the mood.

Can you share the subscription? Sure — stream on up to five devices at once.

Stream documentaries for life with MagellanTV, now $149.97 (reg. $999) for a limited time.

No coupon needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change

Opens in a new window Credit: MagellanTV MagellanTV Documentary Streaming Service: Lifetime Subscription $149.97
$999 Save $849.03 Get Deal

This AI-powered Photoshop alternative is only $60

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: PicWish is an easy-to-use AI photo editor that lets you enhance, retouch, and batch edit images, and it’s only $60 for life.

Creating clean, professional-looking images can be time-consuming, especially if you’re not experienced with photo editing software. PicWish offers a simpler solution. Designed for content creators, online sellers, and small business owners, this AI-powered image editor makes it easy to enhance, edit, and retouch photos in just a few clicks. It’s also a whole lot cheaper than mainline tools like Photoshop. While it’s on sale, you can get PicWish for only $59.99 (reg. $95.95).

How does PicWish work?

This one-time purchase includes 5,000 editing credits that never expire, giving you lasting access to PicWish’s full toolkit. Whether you need to remove a background from a product photo, clean up unwanted objects, sharpen a blurry image, or swap out a dull backdrop with something more dynamic, PicWish handles it quickly using smart automation. It also includes tools to remove watermarks, upscale low-resolution images, colorize black-and-white photos, and even generate AI art or ID-compliant headshots.

PicWish runs on desktop, mobile, and web platforms, so you can work from anywhere. It’s especially useful for small business owners who need to update storefront images or social media content regularly. The batch processing feature allows you to edit multiple images at once, which is a big time-saver for eCommerce sellers managing high volumes.

You don’t need to pay for Adobe apps every month if you want to get creative.

Just get PicWish AI Photo Editor while it’s on sale for $59.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change

Opens in a new window Credit: PicWish PicWish AI Photo Editor: 5,000 One-Time Credits $59.99
$95.95 Save $35.96 Get Deal

It’s only $15 to get Microsoft’s top design tool

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Create stunning presentations with Microsoft Visio, now only $14.97 for a lifetime license.

Making a presentation? Whether you’re pitching a new idea or explaining a process, a clear visual can make all the difference. You don’t need to be a designer to build something that grabs attention and gets your point across. Microsoft Visio makes it easy to create professional diagrams, flowcharts, and visuals that help your audience follow along.

Normally $249, a Visio lifetime license is now on sale for $14.97.

Help your data pop

For less than the price of a pizza, you can step up your presentations and stand out in front of colleagues and bosses. Microsoft Visio offers dozens of pre-made templates, diagrams, and stencils to help articulate your points.

There are over 250,000 shapes available in their online content ecosystem, ready to make your ideas memorable and dynamic.

If you’re looking to save some time, you can automatically generate org charts, process maps, floor plans, and more via data from Excel, Exchange, or Microsoft Entra ID. Or, if you’re stumped on something, you can utilize Visio’s brainstorming templates to help you work out ideas in real time. 

Hoping to flex your creative muscles? Visio also lets you draw your own creations, using your finger or a pen to draw directly on touch-enabled devices. This also works great if you’re looking to annotate existing diagrams. 

This deal for a Windows license Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 license is only available to new users and includes all of the features from Vision Standard, plus more templates, shapes, and collaborating features.  It requires a Microsoft 365 subscription or a Microsoft SharePoint subscription to get going. 

Create stunning visuals with Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for Windows, now only $14.97 (regularly $249).

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This AI-powered language-learning tool teaches you 11 languages

Mon, 05/26/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Mosalingua uses AI to help you learn a new language, and it’s only $98 for life.

Being able to speak a second language is super useful. The problem is that learning to speak another language is pretty tough, especially if you’re balancing work, school, and so many other responsibilities. If you want an easier way to learn a second, third, or even fourth language, check out Mosalingua. Their self-paced lessons give you the chance to learn up to 11 languages in a way that works for you, and it’s only $97.99 for a lifetime subscription (reg. $4,085).

How is Mosalingua different?

Mosalingua is built for people who want practical language skills without sitting through long, formal lessons. The app uses a science-backed approach, including spaced repetition and the 80/20 rule, to help you focus on the words and phrases you’ll actually use. You can study English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. New languages are also added over time, and they’re included with your subscription.

You can listen, read, write, and speak with the help of flashcards, grammar tips, audiobooks, dialogues, and even AI tools. The MosaChat-AI gives you personalized feedback on your writing and speaking, and MosaDiscovery lets you turn real content like YouTube videos or news articles into learning tools with instant translations and custom flashcards.

This language-learning app is available on desktop, iOS, and Android, and your progress syncs across devices. You can even download lessons for offline use, making it easier to practice during commutes or breaks.

If you want to learn a new language, then get a Mosalingua Premium Lifetime Subscription on sale for $97.99.

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Opens in a new window Credit: MosaLingua Mosalingua Premium Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription $97.99
$4,085 Save $3,987.01 Get Deal

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 26, 2025

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

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: Pool fun

  • Green: Baseball group

  • Blue: School nicknames

  • Purple: Athletics in brief

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: Aquatic sports

  • Green: AL Central teams

  • Blue: Ivy League team nicknames

  • Purple: Shortened names for sports

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 #244 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

  • Aquatic sports - DIVING, SURFING, SWIMMING, WATER POLO

  • AL Central teams - GUARDIANS, ROYALS, TWINS, WHITE SOX

  • Ivy League team nicknames - BIG RED, CRIMSON, QUAKERS, TIGERS

  • Shortened names for sports - FOOTY, HOOPS, LAX, XC

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.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale: Ellie picks up the perfect Sesame Street book

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

While The Last of Us Season 2 has often plunged us into festering pits of ungodly despair, there's also been some light.

That includes the season finale, episode 7, in which Ellie (Bella Ramsey) picks up a little reading material for mother-to-be Dina (Isabela Merced) while on a dangerous rendezvous mission.

It's a book, and not just any book but Jon Stone's 1971 Little Golden Book classic The Monster at the End of This Book, illustrated by Michael Smollin.

Remember this book!? Credit: Studio Fun Intl / Amazon / Mashable composite

Reader, when Ellie picked up this title, of all the somehow-surviving children's books in the Seattle bookstore where Jesse (Young Mazino) is meant to meet up with Tommy (Gabriel Luna), I squawked. I'm probably not alone in having grown up reading Stone's book to pieces as a kid. A Sesame Street story starring the eternally chaotic Grover, the book involves the blue furry monster doing everything possible to stop you reading on: brick walls, elaborate rope knots, generally screaming at you. Don't you know? There's a monster at the end!

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: What are the differences between the game and the HBO show?

Of course, by the time you do get to the end of the story, Grover, a monster, realises, "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me," and chastises you for being so afraid, like the adorable little gaslighter he is.

The Monster at the End of This Book is the perfect book for Ellie to pick up for two reasons: 1) It's a book about overcoming your fears, which Dina's kid will absolutely need in this post-apocalyptic reality, and 2) it's a story of perspective, of not knowing that you, in fact, may be the monster. Considering Ellie is single-handedly blasting her way through the Washington Liberation Front buds to get to the person who killed her father, there's a fair amount of self-assessment needed around here.

Who, exactly, will be the monster at the end of this story?

The Last of Us Season 2 is now streaming on HBO and HBO Max Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale: Which book is Abby reading at the end?

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

The Last of Us Season 2 is over, and the series finale left us with more questions than answers.

But along with wondering whether or not Ellie (Bella Ramsey) will survive, or what Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her crew were planning before they got interrupted, there's also a much smaller mystery: Given that The Last of Us is a show filled with Easter eggs, what's the deal with the book Abby is reading in the flashback at the very end?

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 6: The moth symbol, explained What book is Abby reading at the end of the finale?

After the dramatic cliffhanger in the present day we rewind three days earlier to "Seattle: Day One", where Abby is lying on a sofa in the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) base with an open book on her chest.

The title of this book is Thieves of the City by Ben Davidoff. A quick Google shows that it isn't a real book, but there is a very similar title out there: City of Thieves by David Benioff (yep, one of the Game of Thrones showrunners), a coming-of-age historical fiction book published in 2008.

Featured Video For You 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever break down Ellie and Abby's quests for revenge What's the meaning behind Abby's book?

Fortunately, the answer to this one has already been provided by the game's creator, Neil Druckmann, when he was asked about his inspiration for The Last of Us game back in 2013.

"There’s a book called City of Thieves, which is historical fiction," Druckmann told VentureBeat. "It explores the journey of these two survivors in Leningrad during World War II, while the city was under siege. They’re going to look for food and they run into cannibals and all these other horrible people, but there’s still humor in it. These two characters who hate each other form a bond. That was handled very well."

The book was even included in the second game, The Last of Us Part II, with Abby seen reading it in a very similar scene to the one shown in the Season 2 finale. The only difference? They tweaked the title and the author name ever so slightly.

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

Watching The Last of Us and want to play the games? Here's how.

When is The Last of Us Season 3 coming?

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

Well, we endured and survived another brutal season of The Last of Us, with Season 2 wrapping up with the finale on Sunday.

But surely this isn't the end! Not with a cinematic cliffhanger like that.

While you're crawling back into reality after the throngs of violence that took place in Season 2, episode 7, let's look forward to when Season 3 will land on HBO Max.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: What are the differences between the game and the HBO show? Has The Last of Us been renewed for Season 3? Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Big yes. On April 9, The Last of Us was renewed for a third season, ahead of its Season 2 debut.

"We approached Season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of," creator, executive producer, writer, and director Craig Mazin said with the April announcement. "The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with Season 3!"

Considering we waited two years between the end of Season 1 on March 12, 2023 and the premiere of Season 2 on April 13, 2025, we might be looking at another lengthy wait between seasons.

What will Season 3 of The Last of Us be about? Season 3 will likely focus on Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) perspective. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Given the fact that The Last of Us Season 2 finale jumps back in time to Seattle Day 3 from Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) perspective, we can expect that Season 3 will cover the same three-day period of Seattle shenanigans we've just seen from Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) point of view, leading up to the confrontation in the cinema. This mirrors Naughty Dog's time jump in The Last of Us Part II game.

In a perfect world, that could mean that scenes from Season 3 have already been shot, or it could be a faster production process, considering many of the Seattle street sets are already built. But there's nothing guaranteed, and Mazin and co-creator Neil Druckmann have plenty of ground to cover.

Featured Video For You 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever break down Ellie and Abby's quests for revenge Who will star in Season 3 of The Last of Us? Will Young Mazino return as Jesse? Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

No details about the cast of The Last of Us Season 3 have been announced, but considering that cliffhanger, we're thinking it's a fair bet to say Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Gabriel Luna, Young Mazino, and Isabela Merced will return.

Will Pedro Pascal return for Season 3 of The Last of Us? More Pedro Pascal? Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

With Joel Miller's (Pedro Pascal) brutal death in the second episode of Season 2, fans may have thought series and internet favourite Pascal would be absent from the show from then on. However, episode 6 proved to be one the most heartbreaking episodes of the season — a flashback episode starring Pascal in one of his best performances in The Last of Us.

Considering the games are plentiful with flashback material, there's a chance Pascal could make a cameo in Season 3 in another such instance, but no cast details have been announced for the upcoming season. Keep 'em crossed.

In the meantime, if you're looking for deep dives into The Last of Us Season 2, Mashable's got you covered.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale: This death is different in the game

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Season 2 finale.

The finale of The Last of Us Season 2 sees more than a few deaths, but some deviate from the Naughty Dog games.

Soaked to the bone and spiralling into her quest for revenge, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) catches up to more members of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), namely two who were present for Joel's (Pedro Pascal) brutal murder in episode 2.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: What are the differences between the game and the HBO show?

But there's a difference in one of these deaths between Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann's adaption and The Last of Us Part II. Here's how it all compares.

How does Mel die in The Last of Us Season 2 finale? Mel (Ariela Barer) is one of Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) crew. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Having attacked and left Nora (Tati Gabrielle) for dead in the spore-filled basement of Seattle's Lakehill Hospital in episode 5, Ellie has started down a dark, violent path of vengeance. Toward the end of Season 2, episode 7 of The Last of Us, she finally makes it to the Seattle Aquarium, where she believes Joel's killer Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) is holed up. Instead, she finds two of her closest companions: Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord) discussing imminent plans. Remember, they're both former Fireflies; Mel is the doctor who put Dina (Isabela Merced) to sleep during Joel's murder, while Owen appears to be Abby's partner, and the one who told her to "end it."

Featured Video For You 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever break down Ellie and Abby's quests for revenge

During a tense confrontation with the two, Ellie tries to use Joel's map technique to make Owen and Mel give up Abby's whereabouts. Being closer to Abby, Owen decides to try a quick draw instead of ratting her out, but Ellie's too quick with Joel's powerful pistol and shoots him through the neck. Tragically, the gun's force also means Mel is shot too — and she's pregnant.

Tragically attempting to save her unborn child with her medical skills in her dying moments, Mel tries to guide Ellie through the necessary actions, but it's too late.

How does Mel die in The Last of Us game?

In The Last of Us Part II, the events leading up to Mel and Owen's deaths are the same. Owen is shot when he attempts to disarm Ellie, but the change is that Mel attacks Ellie with a knife in response. It's kill or be killed, and Mel comes very close to overpowering Ellie — you have to smash the square button to stop her ending you. However, the tables are then turned and Ellie stabs Mel in the neck, and she dies instantly. Then, in Owen's final breath, he tells Ellie that Mel is pregnant. While this news is horrifying to Ellie, you, as a player, have actually known this since early in the game — Owen tells Abby this when they first find Jackson, before she murders Joel.

In the show, it appears Ellie does not mean to kill Mel — in the scene, Mel is visibly pregnant. The game doesn't include a scene of Mel trying to save her unborn child, nor Ellie trying to help her. However, both scenes are cold, hard reminders of The Last of Us' world of brutal tête-à-tête — a world Dina's child will soon be born into — and Ellie's spiral into all-consuming hate.

Abby's own act of revenge has seen her friends falling one by one — Nora, Owen, Mel — all at Ellie's hands. It's an endless cycle of violence, and one that likely won't end in this leaking, crumbling tomb of an aquarium.

The Last of Us Season 2, episode 7 will premiere on HBO and HBO Max Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale: Did you catch the map callback?

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

The Last of Us loves a good callback, and in its Season 2 finale, it draws a heartbreaking connection from Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to Joel (Pedro Pascal).

The callback comes when Ellie attempts to hunt Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) to her hideout in the Seattle Aquarium. Instead of finding her target, she finds Abby's friends Owen (Spencer Lord) and Mel (Ariela Barer). In an attempt to learn where Abby is, she gestures to a nearby map of Seattle.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2 finale is a frustrating letdown. Here's why.

"You, bring me that map," she tells Mel. "You're gonna point to where Abby is."

Ellie addresses Owen next: "Then you're gonna do it, and it better fucking match."

If that tactic sounds familiar, it's because Joel used it not once but twice back in Season 1. In episode 6, he first asked an elderly couple (Elaine Miles and Graham Greene) to point out their current location on a map. Later, in episode 8, he pulled the same trick on David's (Scott Shepherd) cronies in order to learn where David had taken Ellie.

What does the return of Joel's map tactic tell us about Ellie? Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

That Ellie tries Joel's map tactic on Owen and Mel proves just how much she's learned from Joel in their time together — and how her revenge quest has seen her slowly becoming Joel, especially when it comes to violence. In the season 2 finale, Ellie also discusses how easy it felt to harm Nora (Tati Gabrielle) in order to learn what she wanted. Joel himself is no stranger to torture: His use of the map strategy in Season 1, episode 8 was accompanied by him ruthlessly stabbing one of David's men in the leg.

Ramsey discussed Ellie's growing similarity to Joel in an interview with Mashable, saying, "Ellie really is becoming Joel in a certain way, and would hate that if you said it to her, because she thinks that she's the opposite to him. In fact, they're kind of two sides of the same coin."

To capture that sense of sameness, Ramsey channeled Pascal in these darker scenes.

"I did sort of try and take, not really from rewatching [Season 1], just from remembering how it was to be in scenes with [Pascal], where he was taking this sort of hard-ass, protective stance," Ramsey said. "I really tried to emulate that a little bit with Ellie, and thinking about how much she looks up to Joel, and how she has learned everything that she knows, basically, from him."

The Last of Us Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale is a frustrating letdown. Heres why.

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

There's no sense beating around the bush: The Last of Us' Season 2 finale is a major disappointment.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 6 reminds us what the show's been missing

After seven episodes of game-changing deaths, heartbreaking flashbacks, and the occasional half-hearted gesture to the conflict between the Washington Liberation Front and Seraphites, Season 2 wraps up with a baffling cliffhanger that's meant to stoke excitement for Season 3. But in reality, it's a misunderstanding of how best to translate The Last of Us Part II to TV.

The Last of Us Season 2's Abby cliffhanger won't work with years between seasons. Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Season 2 ends with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) crashing the theater where Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) have been hiding out since arriving in Seattle. There, she kills Jesse (Young Mazino) and wounds Tommy (Gabriel Luna), then turns her gun on Ellie. As she fires, The Last of Us cuts to black and rewinds the clock. When next we see Abby, it's days earlier. More specifically, it's "Seattle Day One," when Ellie and Dina arrive in the city. That means Season 3 will cover those three days from Abby's point of view, showing us what she's been up to since she disappeared from the show after murdering Joel (Pedro Pascal) all the way back in episode 2.

That sequence of events, including the perspective shift, plays out pretty similarly between the TV show and the video game. (Although Abby's sections opens with a flashback to her time with her father in the Fireflies, which the show has already explored in Season 2's first two episodes.) There's one key difference between mediums, though. In the game, the switch happens right away, immediately forcing you into Abby's shoes and encouraging you to empathize with her as you play along. In the show, the switch is teased as something to look forward to. But given how long TV takes to make now — we waited over two years between Seasons 1 and 2 of The Last of Us — it's likely we won't be seeing Abby's storyline for another two years.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 6: Did you notice the watch?

That long time between seasons means The Last of Us is asking a lot of its audience, including the fact that we're meant to wait all this time to pick up with a character whose biggest role in the story so far has been killing one of the show's beloved leads. The perspective change in the game challenges players' sense of allegiance, and no doubt that's what the show aims to accomplish as well. But part of the effectiveness of that turnaround comes down to how it happens instantly. Players keep going because they immediately get that choice (and because they want to find out what happens to Ellie in the theater). With a likely two-year wait between seasons, who's to say audience members won't tap out entirely? The show is stifling its own momentum, even as it hopes to build it.

The Last of Us Season 2 should have also covered Abby's storyline. Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Well before Season 2 aired, showrunner Craig Mazin announced that it would only cover half of the events of The Last of Us Part II. That announcement basically told people who are familiar with the game exactly where the season would end. However, just because the cliffhanger isn't a surprise doesn't mean it works in the context of the show — especially following some of the adaptation choices The Last of Us Season 2 has made throughout.

Season 2 kicked off by revealing one of the game's biggest questions right off the bat: Who is Abby, and why did she kill Joel? In the game, we learn her reasoning after the change in point of view, and the revelation is an immediate step in our journey to empathize with her. In the show, the early knowledge humanizes Abby right off the bat, but the series does nothing else to build on that. After spending so much time with Abby in episode 1 and especially 2, her absence in the rest of the season feels less like an intriguing mystery and more like the show stalling for time until we get to Season 3.

SEE ALSO: Did 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 6 break your heart? Us too.

Adding to that feeling are Season 2's peeks inside the inner workings of the WLF, like Isaac's (Jeffrey Wright) torture of a Seraphite, or the finale's hints at the WLF invasion of the Seraphite island. These are all puzzle pieces that will surely come together in Season 3, but for now, none of these scenes connect because we don't have an emotional anchor in this world yet. As an outsider, Ellie can't be that anchor. It has to be Abby, and she's missing. Plus, if the show really wanted to keep us rooted in Ellie's perspective, why even include Isaac in this season in the first place? As great as Wright is, his scenes feel disjointed here, with no payoff beyond the show saying, "Trust us, we can land this plane."

The thing is, I do mostly trust The Last of Us to stick the landing on future seasons, but the fact that that later, hypothetical conclusion comes at the cost of current seasons is troubling. Now, the obvious fix would be to have one long season covering The Last of Us Part II. Think about how much this cliffhanger would have rocked as a mid-season finale with a wait of a few weeks between episodes, as opposed to a wait of a few years. But instead, The Last of Us falls prey to larger problems within the TV landscape, like a fear of long seasons and a tendency to push key narrative beats down the road in favor of overstretching the source material.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale is the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale all over again. Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

The last time I felt so frustrated about a season finale was House of the Dragon's Season 2 finale — yet another example of an HBO tentpole show that desperately needed more episodes in order tell a complete season-long arc.

Like The Last of Us, House of the Dragon Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger that screamed, "Cool resolutions are coming next season, we promise!" (Shout out to the Battle of the Gullet.) But why not take more time, and more episodes, to flesh these resolutions out in the seasons where they'd make the most sense, instead of sending them down the road? The simplest answer is that more seasons means more money, at the cost of the quality of the show itself.

This mentality of hoarding material for later seasons also comes with the side effect of shorter seasons. It's ludicrous that The Last of Us, one of the biggest shows on TV right now, is running a seven-episode-long season. That's barely enough time to dig into the meat of Ellie's arc in The Last of Us Part II. By the end of the season, it feels like she's only just arrived in Seattle, and yet we've gotten so little from it! In fact, it's telling that the most impactful episode following Ellie's exit from Jackson centers not on her time in Seattle, but on her past with Joel. That entire flashback episode is full of key moments that get ample time to breathe, like Ellie and Joel's museum visit, or their final discussion on Joel's porch.

By contrast, Ellie's present-day quest for vengeance has been compressed into an oddly paced, unsatisfying journey. The letdown of the Season 2 finale is the cherry on top of an underwhelming season that could have been so much more if it had just had more room to fully explore its story. If The Last of Us is going to learn from its mistakes in Season 3, it'll have to stop playing for time. But with showrunner Craig Mazin telling Collider the series will need a fourth season to complete its narrative, I'm not holding my breath.

The Last of Us Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale ending, explained

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

The Last of Us Season 2 finale took a leaf from the House of the Dragon book of cliffhangers, ending on a brutal, mid-scene blackout coupled with a flashback that raises more questions than it does answers.

So what exactly happened at the end with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey)? Who fired and who's dead? And what's with the final "Day One" subtitle? We've broken it all down below.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: What are the differences between the game and the HBO show? What happens at the end of The Last of Us Season 2 finale? Young Mazino as Jesse. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

After a tumultuous three-day journey across Seattle, Ellie finally tracks down Abby's crew to a seaside aquarium where she kills Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord). Here, she's reunited with Tommy (Gabriel Luna), with Jesse (Young Mazino) in tow. Back at Ellie and Dina's (Isabela Merced) makeshift cinema base, Ellie makes amends with Jesse before they're interrupted by sounds of a struggle in the lobby.

The pair rush through and Jesse is immediately shot by Abby, who's tracked them down somehow. It's the first time Ellie has seen Abby since she murdered Joel (Pedro Pascal) in the mountain lodge near Jackson, months ago. Making it clear she knows her friends are dead, Abby stands over an injured Tommy with her gun drawn, threatening to "kill him too" unless Ellie drops her weapon and comes out of hiding.

Featured Video For You 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever break down Ellie and Abby's quests for revenge

"I let you live," Abby says after she's realised who Ellie is. "I let you live. And you wasted it."

Abby raises her gun and the camera cuts to Ellie saying, "No, no, no!" before we hear a gunshot at the exact moment the screen cuts to black.

The episode doesn't end there, though. In the final few minutes we travel back three days earlier to "Seattle: Day One", following Abby as she's summoned by Washington Liberation Front (WLF) member and former Firefly Manny (Danny Ramirez) to go and see WLF leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright). Abby walks down a corridor and emerges on a balcony overlooking the inside of a bustling stadium settlement that is clearly the WLF base in Seattle.

Did Abby shoot Ellie? Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

This is the big question. We don't have much evidence to go on, either, as the gunshot happens exactly as the scene ends. But if we zoom out and use some guesswork, it seems very unlikely that Ellie is going to die at this point. The show has already lost one huge character in Season 2 — it's hardly likely to kill off its other lead so soon after, right?

If that's the case, though, then what's with the gunshot? Well, crucially, there is one character in the group that we don't see in the final confrontation with Abby: Dina (Isabela Merced). We know she's in the cinema and will have heard the struggle and the first gunshot — so if we had to guess, we'd say the final gunshot is more likely to be her coming to Ellie's rescue and shooting at Abby. But we'll have to wait for Season 3 to know for sure.

What might be another question for Season 3 is how the hell did Abby know a) her friends (including her partner) were dead, b) who killed them, and c) exactly where the person who killed her friends was going to be at that very moment?

Is Jesse dead? Jesse (Young Mazino) tried so hard to avoid death in the finale. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

From the look on Jesse's face immediately after he's shot, and the fact that he doesn't get back up, we can assume that Jesse is probably dead at the end of Season 2 unless he was really lucky. Knowing he's about to become a father, Jesse, the character who tried so hard not to die in the season finale, might have been killed in an instant.

What's with the Abby flashback? Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

We've seen this technique before with the Joel flashback at the end of episode 5, which then led into the longer flashback in episode 6. It's The Last of Us' way of signalling a time or perspective shift, and it likely means that Season 3 will start back in Seattle Day One with Abby, showing us what she was getting up to while Ellie and Dina were first arriving in the city.

There's still a big question mark over what Abby and her crew were planning when Ellie threw a spanner in the works in the finale, so this flashback will likely answer that question.

What happened with the Washington Liberation Front and the Seraphites? Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

In the finale, we get glimpses of the WLF's impending attack on their rivals, the Seraphites, but we don't actually see it happen. Early in the episode, we see Isaac laying out the plans in his tent, and later on the Seraphite island, where Ellie unfortunately ends up, our protagonist is saved by the sound of alarms coming from what is described as the Seraphite village. What exactly is going on here?

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

Watching The Last of Us and want to play the games? Here's how.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale: What were Abby and her crew planning?

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

The Last of Us Season 2 ended on a slightly confusing, cliffhanger-y note, with plenty of death and lots of different moving parts.

But in amongst that final gunshot and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) becoming increasingly Joel-like (Pedro Pascal), there are also some subplots that remain mysterious.

One of these concerns Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her group, and the reason they're AWOL from the rest of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF). So what exactly are they planning when Ellie arrives to throw a spanner in the works? Let's unpack what we know.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: What are the differences between the game and the HBO show? What does Ellie overhear Mel and Owen saying?

We already know Abby and most of her crew are AWOL in episode 7 thanks to a conversation between WLF leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright) and commanding officer Elise Park (Hettienne Park), where Isaac expresses his concern that Abby — who he is apparently lining up for future WLF leadership — has gone missing.

Ellie manages to track Abby's crew down to their seafront aquarium base thanks to the last words of Nora (Tati Gabrielle), and as she's creeping into the building she overhears a conversation between Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord).

Here's a full transcript:

Mel: "...for her, so don't make me sound like I'm being some kind of heartless bitch. I'm not. And let's be honest, this isn't about them anyways, Owen. You're talking about being behind enemy lines alone at night. This is suicide under normal circumstances, and you want to do this now? Do you even understand what's going on?"

Owen: "I understand everything, but I don't have a choice, do I? It's Abby."

Mel: "Of course you have a choice. And so do I. And I am choosing no, also because it's Abby."

Owen: "Fine, I'll do it on my own, like always. I can make it there and back in 30. If you're still here you can get on board and keep going with us. If you're not, you're not."

Mel: "Fuck you, Owen."

It's all a little bit cryptic, but at this stage it's our biggest clue. So, what are Abby and her crew planning?

Featured Video For You 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever break down Ellie and Abby's quests for revenge What is Abby planning?

Given that Isaac doesn't know the location of Abby and her friends, it seems like there are only really two possibilities: Either they're planning to betray Isaac and the WLF, or they're planning to break out on their own for some reason.

There isn't much in Mel and Owen's exchange for us to grab onto, but the biggest clue might be Mel's "behind enemy lines" comment. It seems likely that she's referring to the Seraphites here, the cult-like faction the WLF is at war with — and if Mel still sees them as the enemy, it probably rules out the possibility that Abby and her crew have switched sides altogether.

Is it possible Abby is planning to take her friends and leave Seattle and the WLF altogether? Maybe try to go and start afresh somewhere less mired in violence? We'll have to wait until Season 3 to find out.

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

Watching The Last of Us and want to play the games? Here's how.

NYT Strands hints, answers for May 26

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

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 May 26 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 26 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Body language

The words are communication-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are ways to communicate without speaking.

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 Gestures

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 26

  • Handshake

  • Curtsey

  • Kowtow

  • Gestures

  • Salute

  • Namaste

  • Shrug

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.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 26, 2025

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 22:00

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 May 26 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 May 26, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A small flying device.

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 D.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

DRONE.

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 May 26

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.

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