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In “House of the Dragon” Season 2’s finale, Alicent Hightower wears a blue dress and cloak, signaling an important character shift.

For Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), green is out and blue is in.

House of the Dragon‘s dowager queen made green her signature color all the way back in Season 1, a reference to the green fire House Hightower lights in Oldtown when it calls its banners to war. Since then, the color green became synonymous not just with Alicent, but with her son Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his supporters.

However, Alicent switches things up in the last two episodes of Season 2. On her episode 7 camping trip to the Kingswood, she wears a dark blue-green cloak over a lighter blue dress. The subtle color change from her usual wardrobe is just one hint at her shifting allegiance to Team Green, but the episode takes it even further. When Alicent sheds her outer layers before swimming in a lake in a simple white dress, the meaning is clear. Powerless, undermined, and unable to stop the folly of war, Alicent is giving up the duty she’s spent her whole life upholding.

She tells her old friend and royal adversary Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) as much in the Season 2 finale, when she travels to Dragonstone to propose a bold new plan to end the war. As soon as her son, Prince Regent Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), flies off to the Riverlands, Alicent says, she will surrender King’s Landing to Rhaenyra, the named heir to the Iron Throne. In return, she asks that she be allowed to go free with her daughter, Queen Helaena (Phia Saban), so the two can live the kind of unburdened lives they never had the freedom to choose.

The whole scene is a House of the Dragon highlight, down to the tearful moment when Alicent agrees to give up Aegon’s life in exchange for Rhaenyra’s victory. But the scene also continues Alicent’s telling fashion journey from what we saw in episode 7. Here, Alicent’s whole outfit is a light blue — no traces of green here! Also missing are any symbols linking back to the Faith of the Seven, another key element of Alicent’s queenly persona. These visual choices from costume designer Jany Temimes help underscore the change Alicent has undergone over the season: she’s officially ready to relinquish her power and status.

But why light blue, specifically? Couldn’t House of the Dragon have picked any color to show Alicent’s shift away from her old ways? In theory, yes. However, light blue actually holds a specific meaning for Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship in House of the Dragon, making it the perfect choice for Alicent’s final transformation.

Light blue actually holds a specific meaning for Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship in ‘House of the Dragon.’

In the very first episode of House of the Dragon, when young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and Alicent (Emily Carey) are at their closest, Alicent wears a light blue dress. Later, as things begin to deteriorate between the two, we see Alicent in a darker blue dress, then in Targaryen red and gold. Throughout all these changes, that first light blue dress remains the costume most closely associated with the love Rhaenyra and Alicent have for one another.

Notably, it’s also the dress she’s wearing when Rhaenyra tears a page out of a history book during one of their earliest conversations — the same page Alicent sends Rhaenyra in the Season 1 finale in an attempt to remind her of their old friendship and sue for peace. That move feels like the precursor to Alicent’s actions in the Season 2 finale, where she once again relies on her connection to Rhaenyra to stop further bloodshed. Only this time, Alicent is trying to work with Rhaenyra, instead of against her.

Alicent’s light blue dress and cloak in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale call back to that Season 1 dress, and all the feelings that come with it. But they also point to Alicent’s state of mind moving forward. If she truly wants to live as herself, without the trappings of duty that were thrust upon her as a child, doesn’t a return to her youthful, pre-queen state seem like the best place to start? (We also see this when Alicent bites her nails at a pivotal point during her talk with Rhaenyra, a devastating callback to young Alicent worrying at her nails as well.)

But Alicent doesn’t just want to free herself. She also wants to free Rhaenyra, begging her to “come with me” in what has to be one the most (doomed) romantic moments of the season. Rhaenyra, for her part, is unable to go, trapped as she is under the weight of war and Targaryen history. However, Alicent’s runaway proposal doesn’t seem as unappealing to her as Criston Cole’s (Fabien Frankel) back in Season 1. Maybe Rhaenyra does want to go back to those early days where she and Alicent sat together under the Red Keep weirwood tree, talking about history and cake without any fear of war, or marrying your best friend’s dad. If Rhaenyra ever trades her black clothing for her Season 1 gold to match Alicent’s new light blue style, then we’ll know for sure.

House of the Dragon Season 2 is now streaming on Max.

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HBO’s Max has shared a behind-the-scenes for “House of the Dragon” Season 2’s prosthetics workshop.

HBO’s Max has shared a behind-the-scenes for “House of the Dragon” Season 2’s prosthetics workshop.

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“The Daily Show” host Michael Kosta has reacted to Kamala Harris’ VP pick, Tim Walz.

“The Daily Show” host Michael Kosta has reacted to Kamala Harris’ VP pick, Tim Walz.

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Disney has announced a price increase for all its streaming services.

Disney has announced another price hike across all of its streaming services.

The company buried the announcement at the end of an unrelated blog post on Tuesday, with price increases across the board from Oct. 17.

The new monthly pricing for streaming services Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ is as follows:

Disney+ With Ads: $9.99 (up from $7.99)

Disney+: $15.99 (up from $13.99)

Hulu With Ads: $9.99 (up from $7.99)

Hulu: $18.99 (up from $17.99)

ESPN+ With Ads: $11.99 (up from $10.99)

Hulu+ Live TV With Ads: $82.99 (up from $76.99)

Hulu+ Live TV: $95.99 (up from $89.99)

Disney’s Duo Basic bundle has also gotten pricier, going up to $10.99 per month (up from $9.99). However, the Duo Premium still has the same price: $19.99 per month.

Disney’s increased prices were tacked on to the end of the blog post, which sported an inconspicuous headline about “continuous playlists” — and yes, continuous playlists are indeed coming on Sept. 4. Disney detailed four streaming playlist themes in its post: Seasonal Content, Epic Stories, Throwbacks, and Real Life.

While unfortunate for subscribers, the price hikes are expected as they follow similar price increases from other streaming services including Max, Peacock, and Netflix.

What’s concerning is that this is Disney’s third price hike in less than two years. The company increased pricing in Dec. 2022, followed by another price hike in August 2023. And if we’re counting from 2019, when Disney first introduced Disney+, the prices have more than doubled.

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Answers to each clue for the August 7, 2024 edition of NYT’s The Mini crossword puzzle.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Wednesday, August 7, 2024:

Across

The tip of a sippy cup, essentially

The answer is straw.

It’s considered to be both a percussion and stringed instrument

The answer is piano.

Knight’s attire

The answer is armor.

More than just wants

The answer is needs.

Circus safety feature

The answer is net.

Down

Length of a bridge

The answer is span.

“Flat” or “spare” item

The answer is tire.

Noodles eaten with chashu pork

The answer is ramen.

One end of a battery

The answer is anode.

Superlative seen on a Razzie Award

The answer is worst.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

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The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.

If you’re reading this, you’re looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game.

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: Oh, oh, oh!

The hint for the theme is that each of these words are great for couplets.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are related to words that rhyme with each other.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today’s spangram is RhymeTime.

NYT Strands word list for August 7

Dough

Whoa

Chateau

Rainbow

RhymeTime

Mistletoe

Avocado

Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you’re already playing – on Mashable’s Games page.

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Here’s the answer for “Wordle” #1145 on August 7, as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.

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 August 7’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.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.

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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

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:

Tropical bird.

Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter M.

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…

MACAW.

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 Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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Connections is a New York Times word game that’s all about finding the “common threads between words.” How to solve the puzzle.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 August 7’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.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Load as much as you can

Green: Service industry

Blue: EMS, but not the medical kind

Purple: Small things or acts

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Cram

Green: Restaurant Jobs

Blue: Electromagnetic Spectrum

Purple: Things with Bits

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 #423 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

Cram: JAM, PACK, RAM, STUFF

Restaurant Jobs: COOK, DISHWASHER, HOST, SERVER

Electromagnetic Spectrum: MICROWAVE, RADIO, VISIBLE, X-RAY

Things with Bits: BRIDLE, BYTE, COMEDIAN, DRILL

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday’s Connections.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

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How to watch ‘MaXXXine’ at home and online, including the streaming date and the best Max deals to watch for free.

Ti West and Mia Goth are at it again with the final entry in the X trilogy: MaXXXine. This time around, ambitious porn starlet Maxine Minx (Goth) pursues stardom in ’80s Hollywood. Star-studded like the first film, the third installment also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon.

While it just hit theaters in early July, it’s already available to watch at home. We’re unsure of when it will make its actual streaming debut, but you can purchase or rent the film on digital as of Aug. 2. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch MaXXXine from the comfort of your couch.

What is MaXXXine about?

As the lone survivor of the first film, X, Maxine Minx finally gets her big break as a Hollywood actress six years later. But with the notorious (and real) serial killer, the Night Stalker, targeting rising stars, her brush with death is still looming. And her bloody past could come back to haunt her.

“There’s a horrid determination in Maxine, who will not be slowed down by the bodies stacking up on the morgue, her grief, or the slaughterhouse secrets she ran from in Texas. To her, Los Angeles is a place of heat and promise. West paints his setting accordingly, framing Maxine as a goddess, tall and untouchable among the squalid backdrops and the blaring evening news reports of the (real) serial killer known as the Night Stalker,” Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review.

Take a sneak peek at MaXXXine in the decked out ’80s slasher trailer:

Is MaXXXine worth watching?

Originally hitting theaters in early July, MaXXXine continues to dominate the box office a month later, surpassing the first two films in the trilogy with a $19.8 million global haul. On Rotten Tomatoes, Ti West’s third and final horror installment in the trilogy has a 72 percent critic rating and 78 percent audience rating, which is not too shabby. Compared to its predecessors X and Pearl, though, it falls just a little short.

As Mashable’s reviewer put it, “Vibrant in sleaze, satire, and shocking violence, MaXXXine was on the brink of being the best West and Goth have made yet. But a bungled ending leaves a sour taste.”

Read our full review of MaXXXine.

How to watch MaXXXine at home

Just a month after MaXXXine made its theatrical debut, it became available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home (Vudu). You can either purchase the film for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days. Just remember that once you start watching a rental, you’ll only have 48 hours to finish it before losing access. If you’d rather stream MaXXXine instead, scroll to learn more.

As of Aug. 2, you can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

Prime Video — buy for $23.49, rent for $18.49 for Prime members

Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Google Play — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Is MaXXXine streaming?

There’s no official streaming date yet for MaXXXine, but as an A24 film, we know it will eventually make its streaming debut on Max (how fitting). Max is the streaming home of new A24 theatrical releases, so the Ti West and Mia Goth film will join other recent flicks like Love Lies Bleeding, The Iron Claw, and Problemista on the service.

If you want to be prepared, you can sign up for a Max subscription ahead of time. Subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are some ways you can save money on your plan. Check out the best Max streaming deals below.

Best Max streaming deal for most people: Save 16% on Max with ads annual subscription

If ads don’t bug you, Max subscriptions start at just $9.99 per month. You can easily sign up for a single month of service once MaXXXine is released, then cancel before you’re charged for another. Alternatively, you could stick around for the long haul and save some money. An annual plan with ads will run you $99.99 per year, which breaks down to just $8.33 per month. That’s 16% in savings compared to the monthly plan. The only downside is that you have to splurge on a full year upfront.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save 16% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription

Can’t stand ads interrupting your movie? There are two ad-free tiers to choose from: Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate Ad-Free. The basic Max Ad-Free tier will run you $16.99 per month, while Max Ultimate goes for $20.99 per month. We recommend choosing a yearly plan instead, however, as you’ll save 16%. It’ll only cost you $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month) for Max Ad-Free or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month) for Max Ultimate.

Note: Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier takes things a step further with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.

Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan

If you’re a Cricket customer on the $60 per month unlimited plan, you can sign up for Max with ads for free. That’s a $99.99 per year value for zero dollars. Just do yourself a favor and head over to the Max app (or navigate to Max.com), choose Cricket as your provider, and enter your credentials to login. Then you’re free to watch whatever you want, whenever you want — including MaXXXine once it’s released. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket’s website to learn more. If you’re wanting to watch MaXXXine for free, this is your only option.

Best Max deal for students: Save 50% on Max with ads monthly for one year

College students can now score 50% off an ad-supported monthly subscription to Max for 12 months. That drops the price down to just $4.99 per month. You’ll just have to verify your student status with UNiDAYS, which will give you a unique discount code, then head back over to Max and redeem your code to stream for half price.

Best bundle deal: Get Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 38% off

It may not be your cheapest option for watching MaXXXine, but you can get the most bang for your buck in the long run with this new bundle deal — especially if you already subscribe to Hulu or Disney+. The new bundle offers access to Max, Hulu, and Disney+ with ads for only $16.99 (reg. $25.97) per month or ad-free for $29.99 (reg. $48.97) per month, which is up to 38% in savings.

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As of August 6, get a digital copy of Nintendo Switch Sports from Best Buy for its lowest price yet.

SAVE $12: As of August 6, get a digital copy of Nintendo Switch Sports for $27.99 at Best Buy. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen so far.

Looking for something a little different to add to your Nintendo Switch library? There have been plenty of Switch game sales lately, but maybe you want something else. Try something that puts your Joy-Con controllers to good use. If you’ve already finished both 1-2-Switch games and other titles like Fitness Boxing, you might want to move on to Nintendo Switch Sports, a fun little adventure that tends to be overlooked on the console/handheld hybrid. You can snag a digital copy today at Best Buy and get in on some seriously fun sports solo or with some friends.

As of August 6, you can get the digital version of Nintendo Switch Sports for just $27.99, the lowest price we’ve seen. That’s $12 off its normal price of $39.99, and you’ll have your code delivered to the email address registered to your account or the one you enter upon purchase. From there, just enter your code on the Nintendo Switch eShop and you’ll be able to download your copy.

There are plenty of different sports to jump into with this motion-controlled game, including golf, soccer, volleyball, bowling, tennis, badminton, and chambara (swordplay). You’ll swing your Joy-Con like a racket, toss a bowling ball with your controller, and even use the Leg Strap accessory (sold separately) to pretend you’re kicking a soccer ball. You can play with friends and family online or on the same system with multiple controllers, and the better you do, the more rewards you’ll get.

If you were around for the Wii Sports era, this is the next best thing. Now it’s here for the Switch, so you get more precise motion controls and expanded play. If that sounds like fun to you (and you’ve been missing Nintendo bowling), this is a deal you won’t want to pass up.

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