By Joshua Tyler
| Published 1 hour ago

In a world gone mad, we could all use a little simple, silly, innocent fun. It’s the perfect time for a revival of The Muppet Show, and, on the surface, that’s exactly what Executive Producer Seth Rogen has given us.

His new version of the classic variety series on Disney+ looks, sounds, and feels exactly like the iconic Jim Henson series from the 1970s and 1980s. On that front, it’s a triumph. A perfect production.

Except, there’s one big difference, and it’s this: Jim Henson’s version was the ultimate in wholesome, family-friendly entertainment. Seth Rogen’s version only pretends to be. 

It’s normal for family-targeted shows to work in a couple of edgy jokes that’ll go over the heads of little kids who might be watching with them. That’s part of the fun for parents. However, what would you think if instead of one or two sly adult references in your Pixar movie, there were twenty? Or thirty? And what if all those sly adult references were only about one specific inappropriate thing? At what point would you start thinking… hey, is this Pixar movie trying to tell my kids something?

Because that’s exactly what The Muppet Show is doing. It’s only thirty minutes long, but I counted at least ten references to various kinds of sex in those thirty minutes. Actually, not just references, most of them seemed to specifically revolve around celebrating full-on, willful cheating.

There’s a joke where Sabrina Carpenter tells Kermit she likes kink. There’s an entire sketch that totally revolves around Piggy cheating on her lover. After that, it’s back to Sabrina Carpenter so she can brag to Kermit about banging a married man. 

Then there’s a segment with Maya Rudolph where she seems to be sort of getting frisky with a grumpy Muppet in the audience. Oh, and two of the musical numbers are popular songs about sex. Though the second one is sung entirely by rats, and it’s hilarious. The third song has Piggy replace Kermit as the object of Sabrina Carpenter’s desire. 

There are more, and to Seth Rogen’s credit, I guess, they’re all structured in a way that little kids probably won’t realize what’s going on. But it’s a significant portion of the show, which is a very weird thing to do for your debut episode of The Muppet Show. It’s not the jokes themselves so much as the volume of them, crammed into a short thirty minutes of otherwise perfect Muppet silliness.

I get and support the desire to work in some sly adult jokes for the parents; it’s a family show, not a kids’ show. But why are they all sex references? And why are there so many of them?

The best parts of The Muppet Show are when it does fully get away from sex and cheating and engages in sillier gags. My favorite was a setup early in the episode where a Beaker mishap leads to eyeballs bouncing all over the Muppet theater. That, in turn, snowballs into Maya Rudolph being pronounced dead, and ultimately ends in a classic saxophone gag buried in the end credits.

It looks and feels so much like The Muppet Show that I worry parents won’t realize their kids are being fed a steady stream of sexualization, or whatever it is. In an era when people are already wary of Disney’s tendency towards showing inappropriate content to minors, filling the debut episode of your attempt to revitalize the greatest family television show of all time with adult references is, to say the least, a very odd decision.

All the elements are there for The Muppet Show to be the right thing at the right time, if Seth Rogen can just get control of his libido. Maybe they’ll fix it in the second episode. Who am I kidding? This is a Disney show. Of course they won’t.

THE MUPPET SHOW REVIEW SCORE

Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re a birdwatcher.

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.

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.

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

To dive.

Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter O appears twice.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter S.

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…

SWOOP

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.

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.

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 1 minute ago

When I reviewed the first two episodes of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin, I said it wasn’t a prestige show. I was wrong.

The Pendragon Cycle Gives Merlin A Magical Presence

Episode 3 of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin picks up an unspecified number of years after the end of episode 2. The baby Merlin is now a golden-eyed adult, played by Tom Sharp, who has been riding with the “Sons of Constance,” Aurellius and Uther, in their quest to unite the fragmented England into a single kingdom under a high king. The last high king didn’t fare so well, and the three men are hoping to install Aurellius in his place. They go to Ynis Avallach for a well-deserved rest before Merlin and Uther take off to go rally more aid.

Aid is needed because the Saxons have been threatening and raiding along the coast. Ynis Avallach is weakened and unable to provide military support, but has been harboring refugees among the Britons. Everyone, from Avallach to the Maridunum and Belgae monarchies to Morgain, who is married and living on the Isle of Fear, is afraid of the Saxon threat and is protecting themselves by hoarding resources or isolating themselves.

Politics are tense, and negotiations are happening just as often at the end of a sword as by diplomacy. War is about to erupt, and divided, the regional kings of England are not strong enough to defend themselves. In the midst of all this is an aloof Merlin, initiated in the ways of his people but sure that something is missing, and having visions of a young woman. He is also certain of another magical presence observing his every move.

The Rise Of Merlin Delivers Beautiful People And Gorgeous Vistas

This third installment of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is a vast improvement over the other two. The effects are awesome, treating us to ornate castles and frightening visions; gone are the cheesy CGI keeps of the first two episodes. They are embedded in sweeping shots of gorgeous vistas of seaside cliffs, lush valleys, and primeval forests. The Britons live in very well-designed sets built to resemble period wooden keeps. Visually, this episode knocks it out of the park.

Awesome natural views are not the only things that make the episode beautiful. Ynis Avallach is awash in white and green, with Charis managing the crisis there in her usual stunning, ethereal white. She takes on even more of the unearthly air that defined her in the first episodes, even as her character is more grounded in the events around her. Morgain, in contrast, is dressed in rich greens and feathery blacks, an earthy combination that honors her femininity as much as it remains modest.

The men, more active in the story, are clad in the blacks and browns of travelers rather than the rich robes of those they’ve left behind. This gives them a chance to go hunting and camping, get dirty, and for Myles Clohessy as Uther to show off his shirtless physique, muscular but not overbuilt. Even with the significant influence of the two Atlantean ladies involved in events, this episode is all about the men and their quest.

Incredible Performances Carry This New King Arthur Show

There’s even a great buddy comedy between Uther and Merlin’s steward, Penelaus, which is a great cue to talk about the acting. One of my only three complaints about the episode and the performances of the numerous actors who appeared was that, once or twice, someone let out an anguished cry or a shout that was out of place and overemphatic.

Otherwise, the acting is incredible: Merlin’s smoldering intensity, Uther’s fiery temper, the hesitant nervousness of King Taldric, the grim determination of Rose Reid’s Charis, and Arellius’s idealism are all to be commended. An intense negotiation between some of the men builds significant tension because it is so well-performed (except for a single Anakin Skywalker “Noooooooo!”).

In the first two episodes, my favorite performer was Emree Franklin for her layered, nuanced portrayal of Morgain. In this episode, she doesn’t disappoint, emanating strong feminine power and demonstrating that she has her husband and sons wrapped around her finger without breaking a sweat. Rose Reid represents her foil, using her dignified strength to portray Charis as she handles things her own way.

But the show is stolen by Alex Laurence-Phillips as Pelleas. This actor conveys more with his face in scenes with no lines than a thousand lines of dialogue. His reactions to what is happening around him are priceless, and his banter with Uther is comic relief for what could have been a very heavy episode.

A Tale Of Two Amazing Scenes

While the majority of The Rise of Merlin’s third episode is focused on diplomatic negotiations between leaders who are proud, angry, and desperate, the political maneuvering is engrossing. The comic relief between verbal battles is essential to the flow of the episode, otherwise you’d need a Xanax by the end.

However, there are two scenes in particular that I need to single out for their excellent screenwriting and the framing by which they were presented.

The first is a presentation of two opposing points of view in two different conversations. The perspective of this intertwined scene shifts between the two discussions, comparing and contrasting how they relate to one another and to the show’s complicated politics. The technique of aligning these conversations side by side rather than as separate scenes is riveting and relevant because it shows how these perspectives bypass and misunderstand one another.

The second tandem scene that deserves recognition is a feast of production value, featuring two battles that unfold concurrently. With tight frames, we are brought closely into the action in the same way as some of the hardest-hitting battles in Game of Thrones (I was reminded specifically of the “Battle of the Bastards”). Once again, our perspective is switched from one fight to the other, brilliantly centered in all the action. The color contrast between the two skirmishes makes them easy to follow, even in all the chaos. The tandem presentation connects all the episode’s events into a beautiful, unified whole.

Room For Improvement In The Pendragon Cycle

For all the praise I have lavished upon this episode, there were some glaring flaws. I already mentioned the occasional overacting. This was further amplified by the inclusion of so many characters that I lost track of some of their names (e.g. I think his name was King Taldric?). All the important characters are easily identifiable, but ancillary characters are easy to get lost in, and conversations drop names of people that I’m not sure turned up on-screen.

Another major issue is that Merlin’s eyes look fake. The character is said to have golden eyes, similar to those of the bird he was named for. The problem is that the contact lenses the actor is wearing look more like bad CGI in many scenes. I’m not sure they weren’t. Since Merlin is the main character of the show, it is very distracting when his eyes are highlighted in a way that makes them stand out more than they normally do.

How Christian Is This Christian King Arthur Show?

One other thing to note is that while magic is discussed and used in the episode, Christianity is not as prominently emphasized. This is somewhat of a break from the first two episodes, which were very preachy.

Magic and the pagan gods have not been disrespected in this series so far, but have been shown as primal and demanding forces of nature, contrasted with a giving and benevolent Christian god. However, little of that is featured in this episode, and Merlin is still wearing his druidic spiral on his cheek. Future episodes will pick that thread back up, but so far, I have been impressed with how religion has been handled by a show that was expected to be very heavy-handed.

The Pendragon Cycle Levels Up In Episode Three

Overall, Jeremy Boreing has done a wonderful job adapting this story, and the third episode shows that The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is learning and improving. As it goes along, production values are becoming sharper and the majority of its effects are getting better. If the next four episodes are as good as this one was, The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin will absolutely earn its place among prestige epics.

THE PENDRAGON CYCLE EPISODE 3 REVIEW SCORE

The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is streaming on Daily Wire+. Episodes drop on Thursdays.