Entertainment
X-Files Turned Greatest Natural Mystery Into Legendary Episode
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
During The X-Files’ historic run, Mulder and Scully tackled mysteries both large (aliens) and small (Was Scully’s old partner really possessed?), leading to the Season 6 episode, “Triangle,” where Mulder finds himself trapped in the Bermuda Triangle. It was only in the last decade that the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle started to vanish from pop culture.
Once on the same level as quicksand as far as Gen X and Millennials were concerned, the area between Florida’s east coast, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico has been the site of countless lost ships, planes, and mysterious sightings. The “Devil’s Triangle” was the perfect setting for a standalone episode, and “Triangle” turned out to be one of the best of the series.
The Monster Of The Week Is The Bermuda Triangle
Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) is stuck on a raft out in the ocean when the Queen Anne ocean liner picks him up. This would be a good thing except it’s 1998, and the Queen Anne vanished within the Bermuda Triangle in 1939. Mulder quickly realizes that he’s the one who went back in time after German officers, led by a man who looks exactly like the Smoking Man (William B. Davis), comes on board, and a radio broadcasts the start of World War II.
The Germans are searching for “Thor’s Hammer,” one of the Allies’ secret weapons, which Mulder helpfully corrects by explaining that “Thor’s Hammer” is a person, not a weapon. During his interrogation, a past version of Scully (Gillian Anderson), or at least a woman who looks exactly like her, steps forward to put an end to it. This sets off a chase sequence shot to look a single-take thanks to some carefully timed edits that ties together both the 1939 Queen Anne with the 1998 version.
While Mulder is with Not-Scully in the past, present Scully and the Lone Gunmen are exploring the present ship, which mysteriously turns up in the middle of the ocean with not a single soul on board. In a split screen, viewers watch the past on the left and the present on the right as they all go down the same hall, and then pass each other, alternating the perspective. It’s a fun effect, but it’s what comes next that got The X-Files fans all excited.
The X-Files Sort Of Gave Fans What They Wanted
After years of teasing and buildup, Mulder kissed Scully. Well, Not Scully, right before he jumps overboard in 1939. In 1998, he wakes up and confesses his love to Scully, who blows him off. Every single fan of The X-Files had been waiting for the kiss, and in “Triangle” it finally happened, sort of. It was a genius way for creator/director/writer Chris Carter to give fans the moment they wanted without impacting the series’ established arc.
“Triangle” was purposely designed by Carter not to tease fans for another year, but as a challenge to himself to use as little film roll as possible. The long tracking shots were inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope, and the dual time narrative came from The Twilight Zone episode, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Put together, and “Triangle” looks like nothing that came before or after.
The X-Files would go on to pair Mulder and Scully together as a romantic couple, finally paying off the year’s worth of fanfictions and pleading from the fans. Thanks to the technical first kiss, and the inventive storyline that was a little bit time loop and a little bit Wizard of Oz, “Triangle” remains a fan favorite to this day. Few shows can say that one of their best episodes came six seasons in, but then again, few shows were as revolutionary as The X-Files.
Entertainment
Stay prepared for anything with the Growatt Helios power station — now $400 off at Amazon
SAVE $400: As of March 12, get the Growatt Helios portable power station for just $1,199. That’s $400 off the power station’s $1,599 list price.
$1,199
at Amazon
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Save $400
Portable power stations are essential devices whether you spend most of your time indoors or outside. Not only can it serve as a back-up power source in the case of an emergency power outage, but it can also accompany you on all your adventures. If you’re headed out on a camping or RV trip this summer, a power station might just be the companion you need for keeping your devices charged.
If you’re looking for a great power station, let us steer you in the direction of the Growatt Helios portable power station. As of March 12, it’s on sale at Amazon, saving you $400 on its $1,599 list price. That brings it down to $1,199 for 25% off. It’s not quite the power station’s lowest-ever price of $1,099, but it’s close.
Mashable Deals
The Growatt Helios portable power station with 3,600W output and 3.6kWh. Let us translate that. It can power heavy duty devices including air conditioners and refrigerators. When fully charged, the Growatt Helios generator can power your fridge for 24 to 72 hours. It supports USB, DC, and AC power so you can charge multiple devices at once. Plus, you can power it up fast with solar.
Mashable Deals
Get the Growatt Helios Portable Power Station at Amazon for $1,199.
Entertainment
Stephen King's Forgotten R-Rated 80s Hit Led By Star Trek's Most Evil Seductress
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
There’s been a lot of Stephen King adaptations over the years. In the early 90s, King decided to write a story as a screenplay first, and the result was the insane Sleepwalkers, about a mother and son pair of vampiric werecats terrorizing a small town in Indiana.
It’s one of those films that has to be seen to be believed, especially for a pre-Borg Queen performance by Star Trek: First Contact’s Alice Krige as one of the sleepwalkers. The 1992 horror film recently arrived on Netflix, making it even easier to play “spot the famous horror director” from among the many cameos jammed into the brisk, 89-minute runtime.
Don’t Think Too Hard About Sleepwalkers
Stephen King has been very upfront about the copious amounts of drugs he consumed during the 70s and 80s, particularly cocaine, which helps explain Sleepwalkers’ plot. Alice Krige is Mary, the mother of Charles (Charmed’s Brian Krause), and the two happen to be energy-draining werecats who feed off the energy of female virgins. Tanya (Twin Peak’s Madchen Amick) is targeted by the two after Charles fakes his way into the local high school, but the elaborate plan, which consists of make out in a cemetery, is thwarted when Tanya fights back using a corkscrew.
The two sleepwalkers may be powerful night creatures, but they have one weakness, and it just so happens that Tanya’s bonded with one of the beings who can easily kill them in a fight: Clovis the housecat. Sleepwalkers is very simple in its storytelling, and absolutely insane with its bizarre face-morphing CGI (at the time, it was cutting edge), cats flying in off the side of the screen, cars blowing up with a single bullet, and an “interesting” mother-son relationship.
Sleepwalkers Was A Surprise Box Office Hit
Alice Krige manages to again be off-putting, terrifying, and charming at the same time, similar to her later performance as the Borg Queen, the original “hear me out” meme of the 90s. Her performance helped propel the off-kilter feature to top the box office the weekend it debuted on the way to earning $30 million, unadjusted for inflation, that still tops the 2025 box office for horror films Him and The Woman In The Yard.
One of the fun parts of Sleepwalkers comes from director Mick Garris’ mission to include as many horror directors as possible, leading to cameos from Stephen King himself, John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Scream), and Joe Dante (Gremlins). Mark Hamill and Ron Perlman also pop in for brief appearances.
Sleepwalkers was savaged by critics and still only has a 29 percent rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an equally low audience rating of 32 percent. Those people clearly don’t know how to have fun. King’s story may have, allegedly, been drug-induced, but it’s so weird and off the wall that the film is a blast. While it’s special effects aged like milk, Krause and Krig managed to create some great scares, and in an era of bloated runtimes, 89 minutes makes it feel like it’s ending as soon as it gets going.
Sleepwalkers is now available to stream on Netflix, and we suggest you sit down with your cat to watch it.
Entertainment
Ben & Jerrys Free Cone Day is back for 2026 — everything you need to know
TL;DR: On April 14, visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a free cup or cone of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor.
It’s that special time of year when free ice cream becomes the norm. Hot on the heels of Dairy Queen announcing the date of its Free Cone Day, Ben & Jerry’s has done the same.
Ben & Jerry’s celebrates Free Cone Day around the globe every year, sharing the love with free cups and cones of your favorite flavors. There’s no catch. Simply visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a scoop for free. Ben & Jerry’s is giving away free ice cream at a host of locations between 12-8 p.m. on April 14. You can check participating locations here.
Mashable Trend Report
Lego is giving away an exclusive Steering Wheel for free. Here’s how to get yours on March 9.
Ben & Jerry’s is aiming to spread more joy than ever before. They served up 1 million scoops in 2023, but they’re targeting more in 2026. And you can help out with that ambitious target, because unlike a lot of these free giveaways, there’s no limit on the number of times you can score a free cone. Can’t decide what flavor to order? Don’t worry — try them all.
Mark your calendars: Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s takes place on April 14.
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Stay prepared for anything with the Growatt Helios power station — now $400 off at Amazon
