Entertainment
Forgotten X-Files Episode Reveals Exactly Where The Show Went Wrong
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
The X-Files is one of the most fascinating shows in genre history for the worst possible reason. The show dominated much of the ‘90s because it capitalized on the advent of the World Wide Web and America’s growing fascination with conspiracy theories. The fan-favorite monster of the week episodes could make even the most mundane things (including air-conditioning vents and flukeworms) into the scariest things imaginable. Beyond that, the show teased audiences with a growing mythology that involved government collaboration with nefarious aliens who wanted to dominate the world. Unfortunately, The X-Files dropped the ball when the show had to stop teasing and actually provide answers to its many mysteries.
The longer you watch the series, the clearer it becomes that showrunner Chris Carter was making most of this stuff up as he went along. He didn’t have much of a plan, really, beyond getting fans to tune back in each week. Arguably, though, he was always doomed to failure, as getting answers to huge mysteries is never as exciting as just speculating (just ask Lost fans). While Carter couldn’t see that, one of his best writers could. When writing the largely forgotten episode “Blood,” Glen Morgan deliberately never revealed who or what was sending out subliminal messages, reasoning that audiences would be much happier coming to their own conclusions.
The Power Of Subliminal Messages
“Blood” was a Season 2 X-Files episode that dealt with one of the hottest topics of the ‘90s: crazy postal workers! The plot involves a postman who, right before he gets laid off, starts seeing subliminal messages like “Kill’em All” pop up on various electronics readouts. This happens to other people in the town, too, who try to kill people (including Mulder and Scully) after receiving similar instructions. Eventually, Mulder realizes that people are being sprayed with pesticides by a crop duster that makes them susceptible to these subliminal messages. Fortunately, he and Scully are ultimately able to stop the postal worker from committing a mass shooting from the top of a clock tower.
When you watch the episode, the first question you’re likely to ask is who is sending these subliminal messages and why. Mulder speculates that the government is deliberately doing this, much like they previously did with “D.D.T. in the 50’s, Agent Orange,” and “germ warfare on unsuspecting neighborhoods.” After Scully asks why the government would intentionally create a self-destructive population, Mulder replies, “Fear. It’s the oldest tool of power. If you’re distracted by fear of those around you, it keeps you from seeing the actions of those above.” Notably, his theory is never proven, and a creepy message sent to his phone (“ALL DONE. BYE-BYE”) implies the experiment is over.
Not Sweating The Small Stuff
So, who actually sent the subliminal messages? Nobody knows, and that’s the point! As published in The Truth Is Out There: The Official Guide to The X-Files, “Blood” writer Glen Morgan had absolutely no idea when writing this episode who or what was sending these subliminal messages. He also didn’t care, believing it would be better for the audience to try to figure everything out on their own. In this way, everyone watching the episode is a bit like Mulder: we can speculate as to the evil forces behind this widespread human experimentation, but we’ll never know for sure.
In retrospect, this is the approach Chris Carter should have taken with the mythology of The X-Files. Because the show’s slogan was “The Truth Is Out There” and Mulder was a crusader for revealing government secrets, Carter felt compelled to eventually give us very granular information about the aliens and their planned invasion of Earth. But everything got confusing as we got info about creepy black oil, infected bees, alien bounty hunters, mysterious vaccines, and government super-soldiers. Later, the awful X-Files revival retconned almost everything, revealing that aliens were actually peaceful, and evil government forces were staging fake abductions while trying to exploit advanced technology.
That final revelation effectively ruined the entire series for fans who had been enjoying The X-Files for decades. Looking back, it’s clear that Carter should never have revealed anything and left these mysteries for fans to argue about. Would audiences have been pissed about being led on and never getting a real payoff? Probably. But at the end of the day, those angry fans would have come up with a headcanon that was infinitely better than the answers we got and eventually gotten over their annoyance. Now, though, the fandom will never get over how badly the coolest mythology in television history was ultimately handled.
Entertainment
Samsungs 32-inch Odyssey G5 QHD gaming monitor has dropped to a record low price on Amazon
TL;DR: Amazon has slashed the price of the Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 (G50F) QHD gaming monitor to $219.99, $130 off its original $349.99 price; that’s its lowest price with the retailer ever, and it still offers a 1440p gaming display with a 180Hz refresh rate.
$219.99
at Amazon
$349.99
Save $130
With the rise of OLED and 4K gaming monitors, HD and QHD models are getting more affordable than ever — and you can now score $130 off a top-tier 32-inch unit from Samsung.
As of June 3, the Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 (G50F) QHD gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for only $219.99, down 37% from its usual list price, and is sold and shipped by Amazon directly. With that $130 drop, this gaming monitor is now at its lowest Amazon price ever, as confirmed by price-tracking site camelcamelcamel.
For this massively lower price, the G50F offers QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution, similar to standard HD but with 1.7 times the pixel density for a fuller display, without making the more expensive jump to 4K. Whether you’re catching up on RPGs like Crimson Desert or linear action-adventures like 007: First Light, everything will still be sharper and pleasing to the eyes.
For lovers of fast-paced multiplayer games like Fortnite, the fast IPS panel also brings a 178-degree viewing angle to help keep the picture clear, while the 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms GtG response time keep gameplay both buttery smooth and far more responsive
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Despite not being 4K, the Odyssey G5’s display still includes HDR10 for brighter highlights and deeper-looking shadows. Plus, the included AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility helps keep any visuals intact by reducing screen tearing as much as possible.
On the off chance you’re open to diving into 4K, LG’s 32-inch OLED UltraGear monitor has been cut to just under $800 on Amazon, too.
For a model that’s a bit smaller, the 27-inch, 1440p LG OLED UltraGear gaming monitor is now only $500, down nearly half.
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If you’re also a Pokémon TCG fan, although currently not available on Amazon, the newly announced Pitch Black expansion — Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles — is available to preorder at TCGplayer.
Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.
Entertainment
The New Star Wars Movie Just Made History In The Worst Possible Way
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Disney originally intended for The Mandalorian and Grogu to be a crowd-pleasing movie that would bring the fandom together. After all, this was the first Star Wars film since 2019, and one that brings the most popular franchise characters from Disney+ to the big screen. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before everything started falling apart. The movie got dragged by critics and had a worse opening weekend than Solo, making this the lowest-ever opening for a live-action Star Wars movie. After that poor opening, Disney had just one hope: that The Mandalorian and Grogu would get such positive word-of-mouth that the second weekend would bring in more money than the first weekend.
That’s exactly what happened with Obsession, making it the first horror movie of the millennium to earn more in its second weekend. As for Disney, it looks like the studio should have bought a One Wish Willow and made a wish. Right now, The Mandalorian and Grogu’s box office is set to drop at least 69 percent in its second weekend, which will be the biggest drop in Star Wars history (previously, Solo was the biggest loser with a 65 percent drop). Even worse, this latest movie set in a galaxy far, far away is likely to get blown away at the box office by Backrooms, another tiny horror movie with barely any marketing.
This Is Where The Fun Begins
Why is the second weekend box office for a film so important? Basically, it helps fans and filmmakers alike estimate how much money a movie will make before it leaves theaters. Outliers like Obsession notwithstanding, movies almost always lose money in their second weekend; therefore, it’s not a question of if the box office drops than how much the box office drops. A smaller drop indicates that a movie has legs and will likely make a major profit. A major drop, however, indicates that a movie won’t be nearly as profitable and will likely end up on digital and streaming that much sooner.
Right now, Deadline reports that The Mandalorian and Grogu will have a box office drop of at least 69 percent for its second weekend. That’s especially bleak for the franchise, as Star Wars films were once considered reliable, billion-dollar blockbusters (yes, even The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker). The poor box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story forced Disney to pivot and turn multiple intended film projects (like solo movies for Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi) into Disney+ TV shows. The studio knew things would be bad when Solo’s box office dropped 65 percent in its second weekend. Therefore, Mandalorian and Grogu’s 69 percent drop is absolutely devastating.
They’ve Got A Bad Feeling About This
In a vacuum (including the cold vacuum of space), The Mandalorian and Grogu’s box office failure would be very embarrassing for Disney. However, it’s almost impossible to avoid comparing this sci-fi film’s failure to the inexplicable success of the two major horror films it’s currently sharing a multiplex with. You see, Disney reportedly spent almost $100 million domestically to market its latest Star Wars movie. Meanwhile, Backrooms reportedly had a marketing budget of a little over $10 million, and it’s likely to beat The Mandalorian and Grogu’s box office this weekend. The House of Mouse spent 10x more and may ultimately lose its top spot at the box office to a low-budget horror movie.
Speaking of low budgets, Obsession was made for under a million dollars, and it’s currently earned over $108 million. What’s the secret with these horror films? Obsession director Curry Barker and Backrooms director Kane Parsons both got their start on YouTube, where they achieved a mass following before setting out to make major motion pictures. YouTube taught both filmmakers how to make the most of a limited budget, and they are now utilizing those skills to make horror movie history. As for Star Wars, its producers are spending a small fortune to budget an aggressively disappointing movie to an increasingly shrinking number of fans.
Help Me, Indie Filmmakers: You’re My Only Hope
There’s a bitter lesson in all of this for Disney: ever since they took control of the Star Wars franchise, they have been pissing away the goodwill of the most loyal sci-fi audience in movie history. The Sequel Trilogy was a disappointing bust, and the TV shows on Disney+ have been very hit or miss. Plus, producers used their popular platform to absolutely ruin the magic of this franchise. Star Wars no longer feels special; it’s just more crappy streaming content you put on while you’re doing the dishes. After more than a decade of creative mismanagement, Disney has driven away countless fans through one sh*tty movie and even sh*ttier show after another.
The fandom will never completely die out, of course, and loyalists whose walls are lined with action figures will always support new Star Wars films. But there are only so many loyalists left, and the dwindling numbers for The Mandalorian and Grogu prove that there aren’t enough fans to turn these movies into blockbusters like A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, or even The Phantom Menace. The only way forward for the franchise is to hire young filmmakers with a distinct creative vision. But that won’t happen because talented directors focused on their own IPs have done what the Star Wars fandom cannot: left their favorite childhood toys firmly in the past.
Entertainment
The big question LGBTQ daters are asking, according to Hinge
It’s Pride Month, and although LGBTQ daters are queer all year, the spotlight is on them this June. As such, Hinge just published its annual D.A.T.E. (Data, Advice, Trends, and Expertise) Report to lay out what dating is currently like for today’s queer singles.
The title of this year’s report is “Clarity Builds Chemistry,” and it discusses the uncertainty young LGBTQ daters feel. (Not surprising, considering the amount of uncertainty in the world at large right now, that it’d distill into individuals’ personal lives.)
In its Jan. 2026 survey of over 31,000 global respondents, Hinge found that more LGBTQ daters feel a lot or great uncertainty about the world than heterosexual daters (76 to 52 percent, respectively), but they can also find uncertainty helpful. Seventy-four percent of LGBTQ daters say uncertainty helps them understand what they’re looking for in relationships. Uncertainty contributes to these daters identifying dealbreakers, clarifying their preferences, and identifying what feels right vs. wrong.
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Community also helps LGBTQ daters. Hinge found that queer daters are asking, “Would I bring this persona around my friends?” rather than, “What are we?” This might be because of the importance of chosen family for young LGBTQ people.
As such, queer daters are 33 percent more likely than straight daters to say it matters that their friends like the person they’re dating (this rises to 37 percent for trans daters). They’re also 20 percent more likely to want to check whether a potential partner fits with their friend circle. In a world of uncertainty, having a solid support system is crucial.
Mashable Trend Report
Hinge found that consistency also puts LGBTQ daters at ease in their uncertain world: 86 percent said consistent communication from someone they’re starting to date makes them feel less anxious. Seventy-eight percent said making clear plans also makes them feel less anxious (compared to 56 percent of heterosexual daters).
PDA in an early relationship helps over half (65 percent) of LGBTQ daters feel more secure, but they’re 50 percent more likely than straight daters to hesitate to show affection on the first date because they feel unsafe in their surroundings. Hinge’s love and connection expert, Moe Ari Brown, wrote that, “You don’t have to share the same comfort level to have a great date: staying present and responsive turns a potential point of tension into a moment of real connection.”
“Asking one another what kinds of affection feel good in public — and which feel better in private — keeps PDA grounded in reassurance,” Brown continued.
And forget the timelines. More LGBTQ daters, especially bisexual daters (76 percent and 83 percent), focus on slowly building a connection with someone rather than moving on a certain timeline than straight daters (64 percent). Overall, LGBTQ daters are also more likely to say that settling down isn’t a step, but a mindset.
The findings are in contrast to Hinge’s Nov. 2025 D.A.T.E. report, which was all about communication and AI. Less than a year later, daters — especially LGBTQ ones — are more focused on clarity, whether that’s in public displays of affection, or private affirmations.
Reds rally late, walk off with 10-inning win over Royals
Twins prevail over White Sox; halt Davis Martin's 6-game win streak
