Entertainment
How Commander Riker Saved The Day By Copying Captain Kirk
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
When Star Trek: The Next Generation first came out, many fans were curious if the new characters would feel mostly like updated versions of the old ones. They quickly discovered that Captain Picard was nothing like Captain Kirk, but it was tempting to compare Shatner’s iconic character to another new kid on the block: Commander Riker. While Riker wasn’t nearly as much like Kirk as some fans think, he pretty much copied that earlier officer’s playbook for a fun bluff in the episode “Samaritan Snare.”
Conned By Pakleds
If it’s been a minute since you saw the episode, this is the one where the Enterprise crew gets conned by Pakleds, primitive aliens who use their apparent helplessness as a way of stealing or outright extorting advanced technology from other races and cultures. They end up kidnapping Geordi La Forge and trying to force him to give them dangerous weaponry, but the chief engineer ends up quietly disabling their weapons instead. They think this is the work of Riker deploying a “crimson force field,” a fun bluff that echoes Kirk’s similarly bold bluffing in The Original Series episode “The Corbomite Maneuver.”
To really appreciate how much Riker and La Forge channeled Captain Kirk in “Samaritan Snare,” you need to understand more about their crazy plan. It all starts when Riker hails the Pakled ship, knowing that his engineer can hear the entire conversation. Understanding his commanding officer’s coded communication, La Forge ends up disabling the Pakled’s weapons.
Bluffing With Nothing
Normally, this would put the engineer’s life in danger…after all, who else could the Pakleds possibly blame for their weapons suddenly failing? However, part of Riker’s plan (one that we think Kirk would appreciate) was to create a harmless outer space light show by blowing hydrogen exhaust through the Enterprise’s Bussard collectors. La Forge convinces the conniving aliens that his commanding officer deployed a “crimson force field” that managed to disable their systems.
In reality, Riker was just distracting the Pakleds and buying La Forge time to covertly disable their weapons. The aliens, believing the Enterprise to be much stronger than themselves, stand down and return the chief engineer. Meanwhile, longtime fans of earlier Star Trek adventures realized that Riker’s bluff in “Samaritan Snare” is very similar to something Kirk did in “The Corbomite Maneuver.”
The Corbomite Maneuver
In that old-school episode, the Enterprise faces a powerful alien threat, Balok, an intergalactic creep played by an impossibly young Clint Howard. When the alien turns dangerous, Kirk famously decides to bluff him by saying that the Enterprise is full of “corbomite,” a powerful substance that can destroy both his own ship and any who attacks him. In reality, there’s no such thing as corbomite, but the bluff worked long enough for Kirk to realize Balok is a Star Trek staple: a powerful alien who wanted to test our Starfleet heroes.
It’s something of a misconception that Riker was inspired by Kirk…in reality, the TNG commander was inspired by Will Decker, the character from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Still, Riker picked up some Kirk-like qualities over the years, including becoming a ladies’ man that nobody can resist. And when it comes to outsmarting weird new aliens, Riker proved that he, like the famous Enterprise captain before him, can bluff with the best of them.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
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.
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:
Gibberish.
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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 T.
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…
TRIPE.
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.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
