Entertainment
Stargate: Atlantis Fan-Favorite Episode Is Die Hard In Space
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The Die Hard formula has been applied to every setting imaginable, from a battleship (Under Siege) to the White House (Olympus Has Fallen) and it always works. The formula is simple, put one character against overwhelming odds that are slowly overcome through guerrilla tactics and carefully outthinking the enemy. Stargate: Atlantis employed this formula in the Season 1 two-parter, “The Storm” and “The Eye,” by showing why John Sheppard is the most dangerous man in the city, and finally letting fans see the military man cut loose as he single-handedly stops a Genii assault.
Setting The Stage
The Stargate: Atlantis duology kicks off with “The Storm,” centering on a once every 20 years event when the ocean heats up and produces a superstorm, but this year, two storms have merged, forcing the team to abandon Atlantis and seek shelter for the night. The entire city emptied out, leaving behind a small team to keep it running, composed of Doctor Rodney McKay (David Hewlett), Stargate Commander Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Tori Higginson), two guards who might as well be wearing red shirts, and of course, John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan). While that is happening, Koyla (Robert Davi), the Genii commander, smuggles in a team of soldiers impersonating wounded Athosians, and quickly gets started with his plan to use Atlantis to defeat the Wraith.
When Sheppard returns to the city, he finds Koyla torturing McKay and Weir’s attempts to dissuade the Genii leader have fallen on deaf ears. Alone in the city, Sheppard turns into John McClane, right down to grabbing a radio to communicate with Koyla, after he takes out two Genii in an improvised ambush. From that moment on, the rest of the Stargate: Atlantis two-parter becomes the best sci-fi version of Die Hard yet.
The Most Dangerous Man In Atlantis
During “The Eye,” with the storm getting dangerously close outside, Sheppard systematically starts taking out the Genii, from a smoke grenade ambush that concludes with a shot of a life detector showing only one person alive in the room. Paying off years of storytelling in one moment, as the full Genii invasion force is coming through the Stargate, Sheppard manages to turn on the shield and take out 60 of them in one swift moment. The first few episodes of Stargate: Atlantis had shown John Sheppard as being a wisecracking joker, but from this moment, fans understood how devoted he was to his team, and how he was the most dangerous man in Atlantis.
The Stargate: Atlantis episode started with the Genii in control, but piece by piece, Sheppard has taken them down and but Kolya into a corner, with one last desperate move. Holding a pistol to Weir, Kolya is confident Sheppard won’t risk the life of the Stargate Commander. That’s when, with the best line of the episode, and maybe his entire time on the franchise, Sheppard simply says, “I’m not aiming at her,” and with one shot, lifts the siege of the city just in time for the storm to strike.
A Standout Stargate Atlantis Episode
Across three shows and multiple movies, Stargate has done amazing things with its modest budget. Still, when Stargate: Atlantis shows the storm striking the city right when the protective shield is finally able to be raised, it’s the best visual in the entire franchise. As everything slowly returns to normal, Sheppard, like every worn-down action hero, quips “These things happen once every 20 years? How far in advance can we book days off?”
The Eye” is still one of the best episodes of the series according to Stargate: Atlantis fans, thanks to being not only a different take on the sci-fi franchise, but for showing, not telling, why John Sheppard is in the position he’s in. Stargate SG-1 gave characters spotlight episodes, including Teal’c trying to live among humans, and Atlantis kept the tradition alive with later episodes spotlighting everyone from McKay to Ronon Dex (Jason Mamoa before Game of Thrones), and even Richard Woolsey got to be the hero a few times in Season 5. There’s something about watching a character flip the switch when the back is against the wall and winning the day not by being bigger and tougher, but smarter and craftier, that will always be appealing.
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.
Mashable Top Stories
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.
