Entertainment
Starfleet Academy's Season Finale Sticks The Landing, But Is It Too Late For Star Trek?
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Starfleet Academy has proven to be the most controversial new Star Trek show, and the fandom is split over why, exactly, that is. Some think the show has veered too far from the franchise’s original roots, resulting in a series that is borderline unrecognizable to fans of shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation. Others claim those people are out of touch and that the franchise has simply evolved into something better reflecting the modern world.
As someone who generally hated the first half of Season 1 and generally liked the second half, I eventually realized that Starfleet Academy has two very different kinds of episodes. The first kind is aimed at younger fans, and it’s filled to the brim with vulgar slang, broad jokes, and physical comedy just begging to be turned into reaction GIFs. The second kind is aimed at everyone else, and it focuses on high drama, deep characterization, and deep callbacks to old lore. While the latter episodes aren’t perfect, they are much more in line with what fans expect from the franchise.
Fortunately, the Season 1 finale (“Rubincon”) was the latter kind of episode, and it satisfyingly concluded the arcs for several characters while more or less giving the show a clean slate for Season 2. If the rest of the series can deliver this kind of quality, it may win back the fans it drove away. But if a post-merger Paramount decides to finally let showrunner and executive producer Alex Kurtzman go, Starfleet Academy may be belatedly remembered as his ultimate failure.
One Crazy Premise After Another
Whether or not you enjoy the season finale of Starfleet Academy will hinge largely on how much you are able to buy into two very different, equally outlandish premises. The first is that supervillain Nus Braka has stolen Omega-47, a synthetic version of the Omega particle, and used it to create a giant minefield around the entire Federation. If he hits the button, billions (or maybe trillions; the show can’t make up its mind about this) will die, all while making it impossible to warp through or even communicate through huge swathes of subspace.
Nus Braka is mostly presented as a loner pirate, so you have to take it with a few giant grains of salt (or the synthetic variant, Salt-47) that he was able to create and deploy enough mines to threaten the entire Federation like this. Equally crazy is his big plan: after he successfully captures Chancellor Aka and Caleb Mir’s mother, he brings them back in order to put the Federation on trial through a live broadcast. Ms. Mir is going to be the judge, which means things look bleak. Ake imprisoned her and separated her from her son years ago, and she seems quite eager to make her former captor suffer.
The Giamatti Of It All
Does it make sense that a small-time villain could threaten the entirety of the Federation (one of the oldest organizations in the galaxy) after stealing a superweapon from a starbase guarded by only one starship? Nope. After deploying what must be millions of mines in record time, does it make sense that he would stop for a show trial instead of, say, extorting any of the hundreds of planets he could destroy at any time? Also nope.
If you buy into all this wackiness (which, full confession, I did), it’s because of one thing: Paul Giamatti’s weirdly magnetic performance as Nus Braka, whose effectiveness as a villain does nothing to quell his megalomania. The actor is really giving his all here, and he’s been giving Braka a weirdly theatrical flair all season long.
Because of this, I thought it was strangely plausible that he would waste time idiotically putting the Federation on trial. Earlier episodes made it perfectly plausible that this is a guy who wants attention more than anything else, so broadcasting to an entire quadrant tracks with his outsized personality.
As something of a Giamatti fanboy, I’ve been saying this with his every subsequent appearance, but this is definitely the actor’s finest performance as Nus Braka. He’s chewing the scenery in constantly entertaining ways, dropping one-liners, and even exhibiting some crackling chemistry with Holly Hunter. Even if you hate the character and the performance, one thing’s for sure: you’ll never be bored while watching it.
Surviving Graduation
While the older characters on Starfleet Academy reliably do great work, the show has sometimes struggled with how it portrays its younger characters. Fortunately, the cadets shine in the Season 1 finale. Well, some of them do.
The episode focuses primarily on Caleb, giving us two different emotional payoffs: his reunion with his mother and his reconciliation with Tarima. To pull this off, though, the show sidelines several other characters, including Darem, who mostly gives supportive glances. As for Genesis, she mostly gives serious glances punctuated by a sudden announcement that she needs to pee (no, really).
Even older characters like Vance and Lura Thok are sidelined, but that just paves the way for some emotional payoffs. For example, the Doctor is glitching out after helping the ship fake its destruction, and SAM helps him get sorted. This leads to our first (and seemingly only) real nod to their newly-minted father/daughter relationship, and it was sweet seeing SAM as a daughter worried about her holo-dad’s health.
Plus, this scene helped Kraag discover that the Doctor was trying to communicate something important, even though it seemed initially indecipherable. Sure, it’s no “Darmok,” but the pivot from emotional characterization to communication breakthrough certainly felt like vintage Star Trek.
It’s good that the cadet stuff is so effective because the Nus Braka show trial does very little to move the plot along. Again, he’s great in this role, and he makes a mighty feast out of his dialogue. Functionally, though, the trial is performative and stale.
From the moment it starts, we know Braka is going to whine about perceived Federation slights and that Chancellor Ake will be rescued. All their characters can do is continue the same old dance from before, and while their chemistry remains excellent, the only really exciting parts of this trial are the brief interactions between Ake and Ms. Mir, which are absolutely crackling with tension.
Fun Visual Flourishes
Before we finish up, I wanted to commend this Starfleet Academy season finale for embracing some particularly fun visual flourishes. The show hasn’t always succeeded with these. For example, the episode “Series Acclimation Mil” had the titular character scrawling messages onto freezeframed scenes in a method reminiscent of a Disney Channel show aimed at preteens. To this day, that remains the weirdest part of an otherwise serious episode dedicated to Captain Sisko.
“Rubincon” showed much more restraint, and the primary visual flourish was that we occasionally saw Nus Braka’s trial the way others in the quadrant were seeing it: as a CNN-style broadcast. To me, this helped sell the villain’s self-importance. Instead of making his trial look like a terrorist broadcast, he wanted it to look like a legit news transmission, right down to chyrons about other news (like how much people hate Admiral Vance, which gave me an actual chuckle).
Also, after the episode wraps up, we get Starfleet Academy yearbook entries for various characters featuring images of the actors as children. It’s genuinely fun seeing the young photos, and it was especially fun seeing Vance as a much younger man. Additionally, each entry has some fun jokes: for example, Vance wanted his Nova Squadron nickname to be “Hellraiser,” but he instead got the unfortunate nickname “Vancypants.”
To Boldly Go Or Not To Boldly Go
“Rubincon” was ultimately a success. While it sidelined a few characters and one of its plots treaded water, the show was filled with very satisfying moments, including Caleb and Tarima confessing their love in a moment that (and this genuinely shocked me) actually affected the main plot. Ersatz main character Caleb also got to reunite with his mother, and our other characters got to prove their mettle as Starfleet officers while saving the entire Federation. Plus, the episode channeled some classic Star Trek tropes, including a captain holding her own during a crazy trial.
While I never thought I would say this at the beginning of Season 1, I’m now cautiously excited about where Starfleet Academy will go next; Season 2 promises to sport new villains (no more Nus Braka) and new adventures for characters who are more mature than ever before.
However, it seems likely that the show’s earlier ratings struggle may lead to it getting canceled after Season 2. Should that happen, Paramount may go down as a villain even worse than Nus Braka, killing Starfleet Academy without warning, without trial, and without mercy, right when it was getting good.
For fans, though, there’s no need to worry: eventually, Star Trek will boldly go again, and likely in a new direction. It may just take time, which (or so I’m told) folds in on itself. Like an origami chicken!
Starfleet Academy is streaming on Paramount+
Entertainment
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 14, 2026
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is easy for people who like golf.
As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a 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.
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.
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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:
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Yellow: Baseball no-no’s
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Green: Teams in the Peach State
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Blue: Winners on the green
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Purple: Famous college matchups
Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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 #537 is…
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
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Banned in Baseball – BETTING, CORKED BAT, SPITBALL, STEROIDS
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A Georgia Athlete – BRAVE, FALCON, HAWK, YELLOW JACKET
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Golf Awards – CLARET JUG, GREEN JACKET, SOLHEIM CUP, WANAMAKER TROPHY
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College Football Rivalries – BACKYARD BRAWL, BEDLAM, EGG BOWL, THE GAME
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports 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 today’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Pips hints, answers for March 14, 2026
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you’re stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play Pips
If you’ve ever played dominoes, you’ll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we’ve shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don’t necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you’ll run into across the difficulty levels:
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Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
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Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
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Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
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Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
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Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 14 Pips
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.
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Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 14 Pips
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.
Number (14): Everything in this space must add up to 14. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.
Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 0-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 14 Pips
Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Sora video generator is coming to ChatGPT, insiders say
Ask ChatGPT to make you a short film, and it soon may be able to do just that.
Inside sources told The Information that OpenAI is planning to integrate its video generator tool, Sora, directly into ChatGPT, only a few months after launching Sora’s standalone app.
While the TikTok-style app would still remain available to users, insiders say, the move suggests OpenAI is putting most of its effort into beefing up ChatGPT. Sora’s integration and the processing demands that come with it would cost the company money — OpenAI estimates it will spend $225 billion to run its models between now and 2030 — but it would stand to recoup those costs if ChatGPT remains the dominant chatbot on the market. OpenAI could also monetize video generation itself, a strategy they floated to users on the Sora app.
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Sora 2 has had its highs and lows since its launch last year. OpenAI received a $1 billion investment from Disney in a deal that included licensing the entertainment giant’s characters for use by ChatGPT and Sora users. This followed widespread criticism of the model after it generated numerous problematic deepfakes of historic figures and infringed on Hollywood IP.
In February, a judge ordered OpenAI to cease using the term “cameo” to describe its in-app AI likeness tool after it was sued by the eponymous social media app Cameo. Broadly, the app has seen a dip in popularity among users.
The company has adjusted its priorities for its tentpole chatbot over the last few months, including pivoting away from its proposed shopping integration and launching native advertising for ChatGPT as a reinvestment aimed at boosting the chatbot’s user base and profits. The company is pushing ChatGPT’s multimodal capabilities. Last week, OpenAI announced new dynamic visuals for chatbot users, providing more detailed, interactive visual references for math and science questions.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 14, 2026
NYT Pips hints, answers for March 14, 2026
