Entertainment
How Jonathan Frakes Learned To Admire His Star Trek Costar's Struggle
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Star Trek: The Next Generation helped to transform Jonathan Frakes into something of a sex symbol. After all, his Riker always cast a commanding figure, and his beard gave him some bad boy charm after a babyfaced Season 1. While fans certainly loved to stare at Riker’s handsome face, the actor didn’t realize how easy he had it until he had to put on a different face altogether. The Season 3 episode “Who Watches the Watchers” put Jonathan Frakes in some alien makeup, and he later admitted that this made him appreciate what Michael Dorn (who played the Klingon Worf) went through each day.
Jonathan Frakes Gets The Michael Dorn Treatment
If you’re wondering why Jonathan Frakes would suddenly admire Michael Dorn after this, you merely need to look at the latter’s elaborate makeup in each episode. Dorn looks suitably alien as a Klingon warrior, but to achieve that look, he had to spend many long hours in the makeup chair each morning. Comparatively speaking, Frakes and the other human actors had to spend far less time getting ready because they merely needed to worry about hair and makeup and not… giant forehead ridges.
According to Jonathan Frakes, “My experience with being a Mintakan gave me great appreciation for what [Michael] Dorn goes through every morning.” In “Who Watches the Watchers,” malfunctioning Starfleet tech and a memory wipe gone bad resulted in a primitive alien telling his people that Picard was a god. At one point, Riker is altered to look like one of these natives and beamed down to the surface in order to gather intel, and making the actor look suitably alien resulted in him getting a taste of what his costar regularly endured.
Jonathan Frakes later estimated that “the makeup took something like two-and-a-half-hours,” which still falls short of what Michael Dorn regularly went through (more on this soon). But part of why the Riker actor hated this so much wasn’t the time itself but the fact that he doesn’t sit still “very well” and gets “very fidgety” while in the seat. This makes sense, really…Frakes, like the character he plays, is used to taking action rather than sitting still and waiting for something to happen.
But just how much does Jonathan Frakes’ two-and-a-half hours putting on alien makeup compare to what Michael Dorn went through? Originally, it took Dorn seven hours a day to get his Klingon game face on, a process that was later shortened to about three hours, which was just a bit more time than it took to make Frakes look like an alien. Later, the Star Trek makeup artists got to a point where they could put everything on Dorn in about an hour, which made his Deep Space Nine shooting days much easier than they otherwise would be.
Star Trek episodes often end with our favorite characters learning lessons, and with “Who Watches the Watchers,” Frakes himself learned something behind the scenes. After praising how good the makeup team made him look like a resident of Mintaka III, he concluded “I’ll do the occasional Mintakan, but I’m very thankful I have my own face.” Considering that Frakes has remained a sex icon for fans after all these decades, it’s fair to say they are just as grateful for his face as he is
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.
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
