Entertainment
How A Forgotten Star Trek Episode Turned A Minor Character Into An Icon
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
While Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek show, the ambitious spinoff needed some time to really find its identity. As such, many of the earlier episodes aren’t all that memorable, including “Cardassians,” which increased our understanding of the titular aliens. The episode has a solid enough rating (currently 7.5 on IMDB), but let’s face it: nobody is putting “Cardassians” down as one of their favorite episodes of the franchise.
However, this largely forgotten tale is actually one of the most important episodes of Deep Space Nine because it fleshed out the character of Garak, who makes only his second appearance on the show. Garak actor Andy Robinson did a killer job, impressing both the fans and the staff. He also impressed future DS9 showrunner Ira Steven Behr, who confirmed this was the episode that convinced producers to keep bringing Garak back to the show.
Plain, Simple Garak
To put it mildly, Garak is a character absolutely beloved by Star Trek fans, and for good reason. As a former spy turned tailor, he has one of the coolest backstories of anyone in the franchise. He also plays an increasingly prominent role in Deep Space Nine, like when he helps Sisko convince the Romulans to start fighting the Dominion. In this way, he might have helped to save billions of lives. Because he is so important to the show, many DS9 fans are shocked to discover that he only appears in 37 episodes. However, he would have appeared in far fewer episodes if not for the forgotten episode “Cardassians.”
In case you need a refresher, “Cardassians” is a Season 2 episode where the DS9 crew must deal with the strange case of a Cardassian boy who has been raised by Bajoran parents. Gul Dukat shows up to try to reunite the boy with his biological father, resulting in a tribunal to determine who should get custody. Garak quietly investigates the case and eventually uncovers evidence that Dukat himself had the boy abandoned on Bajor years ago in a ploy to eventually humiliate his father, a political rival.
A Performance That Snuck Up On Everyone
“Cardassians” was only Garak’s second appearance on the show. Previously, he appeared in the Season 1 episode “Past Prologue.” Played by Hellraiser icon Andrew Robinson, Garak was a popular character with Deep Space Nine’s writers, but he didn’t become a mainstay until “Cardassians.” That’s largely because, according to The Deep Space Nine Log Book: A First Season Companion, his appearance in this episode really impressed future showrunner Ira Steven Behr.
Behr admitted that “I didn’t have a lot of faith in this show at first. It was such an issue-oriented show that I thought it would oversimplify a complicated issue.” However, he eventually realized that “Cardassians” was “not only a chance to bring back Garak but to do this whole weird little number with what is going on between him and Dukat.” He thought this helped Deep Space Nine finally “[nail] the character” of Garak. Furthermore, Behr claimed, “I knew after that happened we were going to see a lot of Andy Robinson, who’s become quite popular on staff.”
Back By Popular Demand
In Season 1, Garak was a one-off DS9 character who it seemed like we would never see again. However, Andrew Robinson was so good in his second appearance that he impressed the entirety of the show’s staff, including future showrunner Ira Steven Behr. Because of that, he began appearing more and more throughout the rest of the show, eventually becoming pivotal to the development of several characters and the show’s popular Dominion War arc.
Did Andrew Robinson secretly plan to woo the staff with his second appearance, securing himself years of episode appearances and a lifetime of fame as one of Star Trek’s best characters? Of course not. After all, my dear doctor, he’s just a plain, simple actor!
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 29, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if have a good ear.
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:
A sharp sound.
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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 C.
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…
CLANG
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.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 29, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re an animal lover.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, 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.
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 preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: E-I-E-I-O
The words are related to animals.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe barnyard animals.
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 Farm Animals.
NYT Strands word list for May 29
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Cows
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Farm Animals
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Goats
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Chickens
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Sheep
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Horses
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Ducks
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Pigs
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.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 29, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sensitive nose.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. 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 today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. 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 categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Seas
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Green: Bad odors
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Blue: Found in an estate
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Purple: Acronym
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Oceans
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Green: Sources of distinctive smells
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Blue: Kinds of rooms in a mansion
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Purple: What “PA” might refer to
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 #1083 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Oceans: ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
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Sources of distinctive smells: AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
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Kinds of rooms in a mansion: BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
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What “PA” might refer to: FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS
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? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
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.
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