Entertainment
The Missed Opportunity That Denied Us A Perfect Star Trek Season
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Despite a very rocky first two seasons, many Star Trek fans hail season 3 of Picard as what they spent decades waiting for. The season largely ditched the show’s new characters to focus on returning heroes from The Next Generation, and we got constant fan service in the form of delightfully unexpected cameos (Shelby, Ro, Tuvok, oh my!) and some unexpected villains (the shapeshifting Founders). The shapeshifters were just henchmen for the real Big Bad, and that brings us to the season’s one missed opportunity: the final villains should have been the aliens from the TNG episode “Conspiracy” rather than the Borg.
Certainly, I was one of many fans who groaned at the inevitable reveal that the Borg Queen was behind all of the murder and mayhem of the season. The Borg loomed large in the first season of Picard and were major antagonists of season 2 while also popping up in Prodigy and Lower Decks. These guys are basically Star Trek’s biggest storytelling crutch whenever they need a nostalgic villain, and it was disappointing that even Picard’s greatest season couldn’t escape their influence. It turns out resistance is futile when it comes to writers resisting the urge to do the same old thing rather than try something new.
These Should Have Been The Villains Of Star Trek: Picard Season 3
Honestly, the alien bugs from The Next Generation episode “Conspiracy” would have made much better final bad guys for Picard and his Enterprise crew to face during their final team-up. In case you need a refresher, these aliens were able to take over the minds of pretty much anyone, and the only sign that someone was infected was a weird “nubbin bug” (as the Greatest Generation podcast might say) sticking out of their necks.
Picard and Riker saved the day by killing the alien leader in the most explosive fashion, but this season 1 episode ended with ominous speculation by Data that the leader had activated a homing beacon that would attract more of these nefarious creatures. Ever since then, fans have waited for these aliens to show back up in Star Trek. They never did, possibly because they were originally conceived of as a way to introduce the Borg, but that connection was dropped by the time everyone’s favorite bionic baddies arrived in season 2’s “Q Who?”
Why The Conspiracy Aliens Are A Better Fit Than The Borg
Aside from the fact that the Borg are seriously played out, why do I think that the “Conspiracy” aliens should have taken their place? For one thing, these mysterious aliens have their own ability to assimilate Starfleet personnel. That means that much of Picard season 3’s plot could remain the same, with the Founders’ mysterious employers simply being another leader bug rather than the Borg Queen.
For another thing, Picard’s third season was pure fan service: the show addressed Picard and Dr. Crusher’s romantic connection, answered burning questions about whether Ro was still in Starfleet, brought back the Founders as major players, and so on. Amid all this delicious fan service, wouldn’t it have been great for the show to circle back to the “Conspiracy” aliens and tie a nice bow on Star Trek’s most infamous tease? As for this fan, I’d have much preferred to see that than watch the Borg Queen die yet again (but this time, it’s for real, y’all!).
A Better Reason For The Reunion
Finally, the return of the “Conspiracy” aliens would have provided a more logical reason for Picard and Riker to get the whole gang back together. For as good as Picard’s third season was, we still have to just sort of accept that a bunch of geriatric heroes are the only ones who can defeat the Trek’s most frequent menace in time for the early bird special. The return of aliens that only Picard’s crew had ever defeated would have made their return more logical, especially because the bugs’ presence doubled the risk that friendly faces may not be what they seemed.
At the end of the day, this is only a minor gripe, of course. Picard’s third season was generally magnificent, leaving fans clamoring for a Star Trek: Legacy show that seems destined to never happen. However, its reliance on the Borg as the Big Bad revealed just how much the writers were starting to run out of ideas. The “Conspiracy” aliens would have been a perfect replacement, but considering that Paramount has killed our hopes for Legacy and is currently working on a needless Trek prequel film, it seems fans must wait another few decades to see the return of the franchise’s scariest aliens.
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
