Entertainment
The Most Demonic Show On Television Hid A Bible Lesson In Plain Sight
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the last show that anyone would describe as particularly Christian. That’s partially because it was created by Joss Whedon, who is a devout atheist. The show also went out of its way to make certain demons (primarily Angel and Spike) sexy, something that didn’t always go over well with religious audiences. Throw in the prominent gay relationships and the constant violence, and you have a ‘90s show that often set conservative Christians on edge.
With that being said, there is an almost shocking level of Christian influence embedded in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s storytelling. One great example of this is the fan-favorite Season 3 episode “Faith, Hope, and Trick,” which is a reference to a very popular biblical verse. Interestingly enough, the verse itself helps to foreshadow years of storytelling, all while emphasizing what makes Buffy so special in the first place.
You Gotta Have Faith
“Faith, Hope, and Trick” is the episode that introduces Faith (Eliza Dushku), a new Slayer who was called into service when Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) died for the first time (don’t worry, she got better). While the two Slayers clash at first, they overcome their differences to defeat Kakistos, the ancient vampire who brutally killed Faith’s Watcher. However, one of that villain’s cronies gets away: Mr. Trick, who will become a servant of Season 3’s Big Bad, Mayor Wilerson.
Now, in case you need a Sunday school lesson (better brush up if you want to get admitted into Sunday college!), this Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode’s name is an allusion to the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 13. The verse describes how it doesn’t matter what abilities you have (including a silver tongue, a wise mind, powerful faith, or even the gift of prophecy), if you don’t have love. This Bible verse famously ends with these words: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
O Come, All Ye Faithful
At first glance, the episode title “Faith, Hope, and Trick” just seems like a fun allusion to this biblical verse. After all, there’s nothing explicitly Christian about this story. However, a deeper analysis of the verse in question reveals how the episode foreshadows the fate of Faith as well as what makes Buffy so special as a Slayer.
You see, 1 Corinthians 13 really hammers home that it’s not enough for Christians to have faith; if they have faith without love, the Bible insists they are “nothing.” A big part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s third season is Faith realizing that she isn’t as good as Buffy. It’s not because she lacks vampire-fighting skills; when the chips are down, she can throw fists and slam stakes with the best of them. But she is a very selfish character, and her inability to see beyond her own needs leads her down a dark path. She kills a human, and shortly after that, she becomes the evil mayor’s most lethal lieutenant.
The Downfall Of Faith
Therefore, the name of this very early Season 3 episode foreshadows the downfall of Faith, a character who has all of Buffy’s skills and special abilities but none of her love for others. Without that love, she is, as the Bible warns, “nothing” compared to Buffy. Faith seems to realize this on a kind of subconscious level, which is likely why she embraces the mayor as a surrogate father figure: he offers her the kind of love she craves but that she has been unable to offer others.
Beyond Season 3, however, the message of 1 Corinthians 13 eerily foreshadows Buffy’s own journey, including what separates her from other Slayers. In the dreamy Season 4 finale “Restless,” Buffy confronts a frightening, primitive girl who is eventually revealed to be the First Slayer. This early demon hunter tells Buffy that she can’t have friends and must always work alone. Buffy rejects this idea and continues to fight alongside her friends for the rest of the series. In flashbacks to other Slayers’ lives (and deaths), we learn that Buffy really is an anomaly: every other Slayer fought and died without any allies by their side.
By embracing her love for her friends, Buffy found a greater strength than previous Slayers or Watchers had ever dreamed of. This eventually led to a show-stopping series finale where she shared her power with every potential Slayer around the world. In embracing love over everything else, Buffy effectively embraced the wisdom of the Bible’s greatest lesson. Maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising, though: after all, as someone who died to save the world and was resurrected to lead humanity out of darkness, Buffy is one of television’s most surprisingly Christ-like characters.
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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