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Today's Connections: Sports Edition is for people knowledgeable about gymnastics.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Gymnastics

• Green: The ring

• Blue: Hybrid skill players in the NFL

• Purple: Spelled like an NHL team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Gymnastics Apparatuses

• Green: At the Boxing Ring

• Blue: First Names of NFL Tight Ends

• Purple: Starts of NHL Team Names

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: Sports Edition #544 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Gymnastics Apparatuses - BARS, BEAM, FLOOR, VAULT

• At the Boxing Ring - BELL, CORNER, ROPES, TURNBUCKLE

• First Names of NFL Tight Ends - BROCK, DALLAS, HUNTER, TRAVIS

• Starts of NHL Team Names - FLY, ISLAND, OIL, RANG

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports 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? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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.

For years, we've all seen the same lists detailing "must-have apps" for any new Android phone, but times have changed. Android has been around for a long time, and dozens of once-popular apps have faded away. Still, there are several apps many consider "essential" that you no longer need and should probably uninstall.

Despite being 30 years old, the USB-A standard is as popular as ever. While USB-C has been steadily gaining ground since it was introduced in 2014, USB-A isn't going anywhere. Considering its ubiquity, popularity, and affordability, USB-A outlasting USB-C isn't out of the realm of possibility.

It feels cliché to say at this point, but cameras are a big part of the appeal of Google Pixel phones. I’ve been using Pixel phones for many years, and I’ve become very familiar with the Camera app. With just a few toggles, I have it perfectly set up to my liking.

Windows Notepad is slowly losing many of its best qualities, but that doesn't mean it isn't usable today. Since its quiet debut in 1983, it has stayed a fundamental, lightweight core utility. For most of its history, Notepad's stubborn refusal to modernize made it an excellent tool for quick notes and great code writing. Recent updates have brought both good and bad, but for now, there's no reason to avoid it; in fact, it can end up being your most used program. Its invisible design, technical dependability, and commitment to simplicity make it an unbeatable choice, even as Microsoft risks its legacy by chasing unnecessary generative AI integrations.

You've decided to see what all the fuss is about and have installed Home Assistant. It's up and running, and you've logged in for the first time. Now what? Here are some of the key things to do first.

If you've been using KDE Plasma for a while, you've probably settled into a workflow and think you know most of its features and what it has to offer. However, there's a good chance you've been walking past some of its most useful features without realizing they exist. I've been using Plasma for nearly a decade now, and I'm constantly discovering new things you can do on this desktop environment. Here are five underrated yet advanced features that’ll make you a KDE Plasma power user.

For a long time, 4GB DDR4 RAM sticks were seen as the awkward leftovers from upgrading your machines. While 4GB is too small for a modern PC intended to run games or even multiple Chrome tabs, it's still relevant hardware because it’s relatively modern compared to older RAM standards.

Nothing ruins a professional Excel report like a "Summary" line floating on its own page when you send it to a printer or PDF. While you could manually adjust your print area for every update, the real pro move is automation. Here's how to use the OFFSET function to create a print area that truly thinks for itself.

This was another busy week in tech, with Google revealing changes to sideloading apps on Android devices, big upgrades for Visual Studio Code and IntelliJ IDEA, a new project for Linux-powered phones, and much more Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

The professional world has pretty much lived by the unspoken rule that Microsoft Excel is the essential foundation for anything numerical. It's universally accessible and really powerful for simple tasks. However, it gets pretty unwieldy and slow when you're trying to clean complex data, process large amounts of information, or do any kind of advanced statistical modeling.

If you spend enough time around Linux users, you will eventually notice something interesting about desktop environment discussions. They almost always revolve around the same two names. GNOME gets mentioned because many major distros ship it by default. KDE Plasma gets attention because of its enormous customization capabilities and constant visual polish. Occasionally, someone brings up a tiling window manager like i3 or Sway and explains how using the mouse is apparently inefficient now.

Bambu Lab makes the most popular 3D printers in the world, earning a reputation for ease of use, reliability, and great value. But not everyone is in love with the company’s walled garden approach, which involves locking out third-party slicers and a heavy dependence on the cloud.

PC troubleshooting is usually quite the odyssey. Between needing multiple programs to cover all the bases, not having the slightest idea what's wrong in most cases, and the ever-looming chance that the machine will reboot, freeze, or bug out in the middle of the troubleshooting process, it can all be pretty frustrating.

It's your birthday? Happy birthday! And in the wise words of Parks and Rec: Treat yourself. But don't worry, that doesn't mean spending money. If you, like me, have spent hours online watching people's birthday freebie hauls, it's time to do one yourself.

With birthday freebies, you could plan a day that gets you a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, where does one get all these birthday freebies? We rounded up 50 places to collect all your free birthday rewards.

And if you think these are too good to be true, your inclination might be to run. Most retailers and restaurants require you to sign up for their rewards programs to earn your birthday freebies, and some require a minimum annual spend. But with a little planning, you can guarantee yourself a birthday full of free stuff.

Food and beverage birthday freebies At Cheesecake Factory, score a free slice of cheesecake on your birthday. Credit: Getty Images / WoodysPhotos

• Applebee's: Members of Club Applebee's enjoy a free dessert on their birthday. Not to mention, you get a free appetizer when you sign up for the club.

• Auntie Anne's: On your birthday, Auntie Anne's Rewards members enjoy a free pretzel. Keep in mind, you must make at least one purchase annually to qualify.

• AMC: AMC Stubs Insiders enjoy a free large popcorn during their birthday month. But for Premiere and A-List members, enjoy a free large popcorn and a large fountain drink during your birthday month.

• Baskin-Robbins: Baskin-Robbins Rewards members enjoy a free scoop on their birthday after their first qualified purchase.

• Benihana: For members of Benihana's Friends with Benefits rewards program (which also includes STK Steakhouse, Kona Grill, RA Sushi, Samurai, or Salt Water Social restaurants), enjoy a $50 birthday reward to use toward a birthday meal.

• Buca Di Beppo: Join Buca Di Beppo's eClub and get a free Colossal Brownie Sundae on your birthday.

• Burger King: With Burger King's Royal Perks program, enjoy double rewards during your birthday month and a free item on your birthday. You'll earn 20 points (or "Crowns" as BK calls them) for every $1 spent, which can be redeemed for even more free stuff.

• Buffalo Wild Wings: As a member of Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin' Rewards, enjoy a free six-piece wing on your birthday.

• Cava: For fans of Mediterranean cuisine, join Cava Rewards and get a freebie on your birthday. Members enjoy their choice of a free drink, pita chips, or dessert.

• Cheesecake Factory: Join Cheesecake Rewards, and on your birthday, get a free slice of cheesecake or a layered cake.

• Chili's: Sign up for My Chili's Rewards and enjoy a free molten lava cake on your birthday.

• Chipotle: We see free chips and guac in your future. At Chipotle, join the restaurant's reward program and enjoy a free birthday reward.

• Cinnabon: Cinnabon Rewards members enjoy a free 16-ounce cold brew on their birthday.

• Cold Stone Creamery: For Cold Stone Creamery Rewards members, receive a birthday coupon. The reward will be sent seven days before your birthday and is redeemable until seven days after your birthday.

• Crumbl Cookies: At Crumbl Cookies, Silver Tier and above rewards members enjoy a free single cookie voucher on their birthday.

• Dairy Queen: Members of the DQ Rewards get a coupon for a free treat on their birthday, but you must spend at least $1 in the 45 days prior to your birthday, so plan ahead.

• Denny's: Your birthday breakfast is covered at Denny's. Members of Denny's Rewards enjoy a free Value Slam on their birthday.

• Domino's: At Domino's, loyal customers of Domino's Rewards enjoy a free birthday gift. The gifts vary and may include a free medium pizza, free lava cakes, or a discount.

• Dunkin' Donuts: While Dunkin' doesn't give out free drinks or donuts on your birthday, they will give you extra points. Dunkin' Rewards members get 3x points on their birthday, which you can redeem later for free food and drinks.

• Edible Arrangements: If you love sending Edible Arrangements, then you'll be gifted back on your birthday. Members of its rewards program receive a free box of dipped fruit on their birthday.

• IHOP: For pancake lovers, sign up for IHOP's International Bank of Pancakes rewards and collect points to receive a free full stack of pancakes on your birthday.

• Jamba Juice: A sweet but nutritious birthday treat could come from Jamba Juice, as Jamba Rewards members receive a free birthday smoothie.

• Jersey Mike's: How about your birthday served Mike's Way? Join Jersey Mike's email club and get a free birthday sub — as long as you've purchased a regular sub within the past year.

• Jimmy John's: Join the Jimmy John's rewards program and enjoy a free sub on your birthday.

• Krispy Kreme: Donut lovers need to be in Krispy Kreme's rewards program, which gets you a free birthday donut.

• LongHorn Steakhouse: On your birthday, you deserve a steak dinner, and LongHorn thinks so, too. When you join LongHorn's eClub, you get a free dessert or special coupon on your birthday.

• McDonald's: Receive a free medium fry at McDonald's on your birthday by downloading the McDonald's app and joining My McDonald's Rewards.

• Olive Garden: When you sign up for Olive Garden's email list, you'll get a coupon for free dessert on your birthday. Unlimited breadsticks, salad, and free chocolate lasagna certainly sound like the perfect birthday meal.

• Panera Bread: Members of MyPanera rewards get a free treat on their birthday: a muffin, cookie, pastry, or bagel.

• Papa John's: For a sweet birthday treat, join Papa Rewards. You'll be treated to a free dessert on your birthday.

• P.F. Chang's: At P.F. Chang's, get a free appetizer or dessert as a member of the restaurant's rewards program. That means your birthday lettuce wraps could be totally free.

• Pinkberry: Froyo is making a comeback. Pinkcard members get a free small yogurt with toppings on their birthday.

• Pizza Hut: Sign up for Pizza Hut's reward program and get a reward of breadsticks or cinnamon sticks on your birthday. Just make sure your birthday is added to your profile.

• Red Lobster: Go for the cheddar bay biscuits and stay for the free birthday reward. Joining Red Lobster's rewards gets you a free birthday dessert.

• Red Robin: A burger could be on the house when you go to Red Robin on your birthday. To qualify, sign up for Red Robin Royalty and spend $10 prior to your birthday.

• Ruby Tuesday: Enjoy a free burger or Garden Bar entree at Ruby Tuesday on your birthday when you sign up for Ruby Rewards. Just sign up in the app or online.

• Sbarro: Pizza lovers get a free XL NY Slice at Sbarro on their birthday. To get the reward, you must have a Sbarro rewards account and have the Sbarro app downloaded.

• 7-Eleven: You don't have to wait for free slushie day on 7/11. With 7Rewards, get a free small slushie on your birthday, too.

• Shake Shack: For a sweet birthday treat, add your birthday to your Shake Shack account and receive a free milkshake on the big day.

• Starbucks: As a member of Starbucks rewards, get a free drink or snack on your birthday.

• Subway: As a card-carrying member of the Sub Club, you'll enjoy a free cookie on your birthday, yum!

• Taco Bell: Join Taco Bell's rewards program and climb the tiers throughout the year to get a free birthday surprise. Earn 250 points and get to the restaurant's Hot Tier, and the birthday reward will be all yours.

• TGI Fridays: At TGI Fridays, not only will you get serenaded with a birthday song, but you'll also enjoy a free birthday dessert. To redeem, you must be a member of Fridays Rewards.

• Waffle House: Waffle lovers need to join Waffle House's Regulars Club. Joining gets you coupons and a sweet birthday treat.

• Wingstop: When you sign up for a Wingstop account, receive a free birthday reward to celebrate.

Retail birthday freebies You can't miss going to Sephora during your birthday month. Credit: Getty Images / Erik McGregor

• Aerie and American Eagle: For a new birthday 'fit, join RealRewards by American Eagle and Aerie and receive a $5 birthday reward. Rewards are sent out seven days prior to your birthday.

• Bath & Body Works: Start a new year smelling right with Bath & Body Works. Create a rewards account and receive a free birthday surprise.

• CVS: If you have a CVS card, your ExtraCare membership will get you a $3 reward on your birthday. Just go to the CVS app to claim.

• DSW: Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes. As a member of DSW's VIP program, you'll receive a $5 gift certificate to use during your birthday month.

• Old Navy: Climb the ranks of Old Navy's rewards program, and you and a family member could enjoy a reward on your birthday. Core members receive a birthday bonus, while Premier members (who spend $350+ annually) get a birthday bonus to share with a family member. Meanwhile, Old Navy card members get a birthday bonus to share with three family members.

• Sephora: Sephora's birthday gifts are iconic. During your birthday month, Sephora Insiders receive a free gift to redeem in-store or online.

• Stanley: For the Stanley Cup enthusiasts, it's time to sign up for the Stanley Club, which gets you a free birthday gift.

• Target: What's better than a discount on things you already need? Target Circle members get a 5% discount on their birthday.

• Ulta: Ulta Rewards members also get some pampering on their bdays. Just sign-up with your email and put in your birthday, and you'll get a treat when the big day rolls around.

• Yankee Candle: For candle lovers, there's Yankee Candle's Fragrance Family rewards. When you sign up with your email and input your birthday into your profile, you'll receive a birthday gift.

How does eharmony’s matching algorithm compare to Match?

It all comes down to how much time you have and how much effort you’re willing to put in.

eharmony asks you to take a 20-minute Compatibility Quiz (it might take you less or more time depending on how much you think about your answers and how forthcoming you are). It feels a bit like a Rorschach test; there’s a section that asks you to look at pairs of abstract shapes and choose which one appeals more to your emotions. I’m not saying this is a good or a bad thing, but it’s definitely something to know before you download the app. Once you’re finished answering the questions, the app uses the data to assign you a compatibility score with other users. You'll then be able to peruse a "Discover List" of potential matches, but spoiler alert: you'll have to cough up some cash to move forward (I'll cover this in a bit).

Match, on the other hand, is more straightforward. The initial questionnaire takes about five minutes, and then you can see who’s out there. It’s similar to Tinder in that you can “like” and mutually match or skip profiles. The algorithm also sends daily curated matches (Highlights) — potential matches the app thinks you’ll find compatible with, based on your stated preferences and in-app behavior.

SEE ALSO: What we're getting wrong about dating, according to a Kinsey scientist What about the interface?

The uglier an app interface is, the less likely I am to use it, regardless of its functionality. Fortunately, both of these legacy apps have gone through some serious modernization recently to compete with the swiping giants. But if I had to choose which platform has a more aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interface, Match wins hands down.

When I first tested eharmony, I struggled during onboarding. The interface makes some questions (like your gender preferences) look like you can only choose one thing, when in reality, multiple selections are possible. Also, eharmony’s dated hunter-green color scheme just doesn’t do it for me. But the biggest UI offense? Once you finally get through the quiz, you are dumped into a feed of aggressively blurred photos with a bright orange banner constantly nagging you to buy a subscription. It comes across as cluttered, restrictive, and pushy.

SEE ALSO: My awkward first date with an AI companion

Match, on the other hand, greets you with a warm and inviting purple-and-pink color palette. The app makes it clear which selections were single-choice versus multiple-choice. More importantly, the interface itself is far more open, and the app doesn't spam you with upgrade banners every time you click a button. It just feels like a much cleaner, more modern place to spend your time.

How much do these platforms cost, and what features do their subscription tiers offer?

OK, so the No. 1 question people ask about eharmony is “what does it cost?” and rightfully so because it’s expensive and the push for a paid subscription is predatory. That said, you’ll probably need to spring for a paid membership with Match to meet your forever person, but it’ll cost you a lot less, and your results will likely be more aligned with your expectations.

Here’s what you’ll pay and what you get:

eharmony

eharmony’s free version is pretty much a joke — it’s basically a teaser for what could be, but maybe isn’t (if that makes sense). You literally cannot see unblurred photos or have unrestricted messaging without paying for a premium membership. Once they’ve convinced you to pay up, you have to choose a six, 12, or 24-month subscription. Prices fluctuate, but you’re usually looking at a minimum of $59.90 a month for a shorter six-month plan (or around $25.90 per month if you commit for two years). That’s kind of pricey if you ask me.

If you do pay, eharmony's premium tiers (Light, Plus, and Unlimited) will give you the bare minimum: unlimited messaging, the ability to see unblurred photos, distance searches, and the ability to see who viewed your profile.

But, wait, it gets worse: In June 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took eharmony to federal court for "misleading and deceptive conduct." Users complained they were trapped by hidden auto-renewals they didn't know they were agreeing to, and some were even chased by debt collectors for hundreds of dollars.

Match

Match is less predatory and more transparent in its pricing, and you can explore the app without being constantly badgered to upgrade. Match lets free members chat with their mutual matches and rate up to 50 profiles a day in their Recommended Stack. When you’re ready to upgrade, Match's premium tiers start at $44.99 for a one-month plan, though that price decreases if you commit to an annual subscription. Premium features include unlimited likes, unlimited rewinds, and the ability to rate an unlimited number of profiles on the "Discover" tab. The more you pay, the better the features. The highest tier will get you Priority Likes and automatic Boosts.

You can also pay for a la carte add-ons, like "Private Mode" (which hides your profile from everyone except people you choose to contact) or one-off "Boosts" that bump your profile to the top six search results for 60 minutes.

The best thing about Match's premium subscription? There's a three-day refund window. If you pay for the app, browse for a few days, and realize your local dating pool is a total dumpster fire, users have reported successfully asking for their money back within those first three days. With eharmony, you’re locked in.

AI is everywhere. But what is AI? We are hearing people tell us that AI is already smarter than humans in a lot of ways. But what does that mean?

AI can be a great tool. It can be our virtual assistant, it can help us fill out emails and meal prep, or perform the mundane, day-to-day tasks that you don't want to do. New use cases for AI are being released every day.

But doesn't it also mean that some people could be using AI to take shortcuts that we would want human intervention in, like, I don't know, nuclear war? Militaries are already looking into how AI is going to be used in the battlefield to predict not just troop movement, but drone strikes. Do we want literal human life and death on a wide scale being determined by a computer?

Mashable's Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko tries to figure it out in our latest Mashable Rant.

For more on The AI Doc, look for Mashable's recording of The AI Panel: Or What Being an Apocaloptimist Looks Like, which featured filmmaker Daniel Kwan, producer Ted Tremper, and co-producer Diane Becker, along with Mashable's own Kristy Puchko as moderator.

And for your chance to see The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist early and at no charge, check out Mashable's advanced screenings in L.A. and New York.

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist opens in theaters on March 27. Look for more Mashable coverage out of SXSW.

A NASA rover has discovered signs of an ancient river beneath Mars' surface, using ground-penetrating radar to reveal buried layers of sediment left behind by flowing water.

But this was not a lazy river. This was likely a larger and faster-moving channel than many scientists had accounted for, perhaps comparable to medium-size rivers on Earth. 

Before NASA sent the Perseverance rover to Jezero Crater, geologists already believed the basin once held a bygone body of water. Orbital images showed classic delta landscapes on the surface, with fanlike deposits where a river might have emptied into a lake. 

Perseverance's findings add compelling direct evidence from below the surface. They suggest the Martian river, existing between 3.7 and 4.2 billion years ago, was part of a larger system than space satellites could see. Its currents may have been capable of carrying sand and small rocks downstream.

The new data, published in the journal Science Advances, also show the river was likely stable over a long stretch of time, not merely a flash flood with sudden mudflows. That matters because it bolsters the idea that Mars once had better conditions for supporting simple life. 

SEE ALSO: Two weeks in isolation: The quiet routine before Artemis 2 blasts off

Mars today is cold and dry, with a thin atmosphere that lets water quickly evaporate or freeze. But billions of years ago, the planet probably had a thicker atmosphere and a warmer climate. Rivers and lakes may have lasted long enough to carve valleys, move sediment, and reshape entire regions.

The rover collected the underground data as it drove across the floor of Jezero Crater. Its instrument, the Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment, or "Rimfax" for short, works by sending radio waves into the ground and interpreting the echoes that bounce back. Different materials — sand, rock, or ice — reflect the signals in distinct ways. By studying those patterns, researchers can map hidden ancient landscapes.

Billions of years ago, Mars probably had a thicker atmosphere and a warmer climate, able to sustain robust rivers and lakes. Credit: dottedhippo / iStock / Getty Images Plus illustration

During 78 traverses, the car-sized lab on six wheels collected data from more than 115 feet underground, according to the new paper. That's nearly two times deeper than the rover has peered below the surface in the past. 

The radar images show steep, slanted layers that usually form when water has shuttled sediment and dropped them in stacks. Over time, those stacks build up into recognizable shapes. On Mars, they now sit buried under dust and volcanic debris. 

China's now-defunct Zhurong rover, part of the 2021 Tianwen-1 mission, also used underground radar to discover evidence of a vast ancient Martian ocean, which may have covered about one-third of the Red Planet's surface at one time. Its location is about 3,000 miles away from Perseverance at Utopia Planitia — the place where NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976. 

The Chinese radar revealed ancient beaches that extended nearly a mile, buried 30 to 115 feet below the surface. Several U.S.-based scientists, including Michael Manga at UC Berkeley, helped analyze the data. 

"The fact that you can go to Mars with a rover and move over the surface and look underground is kind of mind-boggling to me," Manga told Mashable last year. 

Highlighted areas on NASA's Perseverance rover show the components of the Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment, or 'Rimfax' for short. Credit: S.E. Hamran et al. / doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00740-4 / NASA / JPL-Caltech

Researchers say the new Perseverance work may have implications for where scientists look for biosignatures in the future. Sediments formed in water are prime targets because they can trap and preserve chemical clues about the past. 

Perseverance is collecting Martian rock and soil samples to send back to Earth, though the future of that mission remains doubtful. Mars Sample Return has been in limbo since a review found it would cost upward of $11 billion and take nearly two decades to achieve. NASA leaders say they're trying to salvage it with a new approach. 

In September, NASA announced a sample collected by Perseverance contained fossilized material that ancient alien microorganisms could have created. Though the evidence is strong, NASA scientists say they can't rule out other non-biological explanations for what the rover found. 

Perseverance scientists say they've exhausted what they can learn about the sample on Mars, but advanced tools on Earth could probe it for complex organic molecules, cell structures, and DNA. 

"This finding by our incredible Perseverance rover is the closest we've actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars," said Nicky Fox, NASA's associate administrator for science. 

Riz Ahmed's Bait will hook you from its first scene, with the pop culture lure of all lures. You've probably had the conversation: Who'll play the next James Bond? And how many times has that conversation leaned toward white actors? 

It's this recognisable jumping-off point that Riz Ahmed, with co-writers Prashanth Venkataramanujam (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), Azam Mahmood (Ramy), and Karen Joseph Adcock (The Bear), and directors Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli), and Tom George (This Country), use to explore representation in the entertainment industry, the press, and the court of public opinion, through one British Pakistani actor's experience.

SEE ALSO: The 15 best British TV shows of 2025 and where to stream them

In six, 30-minute episodes, the Oscar winner's new Prime Video series manages to craft a sharp, absurd, and moving satire that asks important questions about identity and ambition for actors of colour, with a sublime cast, impeccable soundtrack, and enough crash zooms for a lifetime.

What is Bait about? Riz Ahmed in "Bait." Credit: Prime Video

Struggling actor Shah Latif (Ahmed) auditions for one the most coveted (and betted on) roles out there: James Bond. However, when his audition doesn't go as well as he'd hoped, he seizes the opportunity to start rumours about his potential casting through the press — and the effects are chaotic.

Everyone has an opinion on Shah as the Bond rumour mill goes wild. Who should play James Bond, and could it be an actor who isn't white? A wave of online hate cascades into Shah's life, one that becomes dangerously real through an anti-Muslim hate crime directed at his family home. His family's Eid al-Fitr celebrations are disrupted with the need for amped-up security. However, he's still told to suck it up. "You've just got to stay grateful," says Shah's professional "rival" Raj Thakker (a brilliant Himesh Patel), a British Indian actor also rumored in the running to play Bond. "A bit of hate's a small price to pay."

But is this opportunity really one at all for Shah? In an opinion piece for an outlet within the show's universe, writer (and Shah's ex) Yasmin Khan (the ever-talented Ritu Arya) calls Bond "an icon of the white establishment" and accuses Shah of being "a long line of brown men who think that becoming our oppressor is somehow liberating all of us."

"The question is not if any Muslim man is fit to play James Bond. The question is, is James Bond worthy of a Muslim man representing him?" she writes. "The essence of Islam is built on community, family, charity, peace, and obedience. What does a vigilante double agent know of the unique social structure inherent to so many brown communities?"

Over four days, Shah finds himself under mounting pressure due to the 007 rumors. He's navigating the expectations of his family, his tempestuous relationship with his ex, people confusing him for Dev Patel, and the realities of becoming the respected A-lister he dreams of being. Here, Bait raises critical questions about identity, ambition, and portrayals of ethnic minorities onscreen. (Offscreen, Amhed has long written about challenging stereotypes in roles, even speaking about representation in British Parliament.) In a constant state of anxiety, Shah code-switches and reframes himself, insisting that "it's nice even just to have the opportunity, it's a big deal, a brown James Bond." Shah distances himself from protesters at a museum gala, demonstrating against its colonial legacy, after which he's told he's "sold out" — "It's not the image I'm going for right now," Shah tells Zulfi (Guz Khan).

Shah's fear of failure dominates his fractured sense of self. He believes himself a "nobody," and "a shame to your family," based on messing up one audition. (Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff writes about this pressure to perform in her essay for gal-dem's "I Will Not be Erased": Our Stories about Growing Up as People of Colour, writing of a dance audition, "Failing the audition meant that dance suddenly became associated with lots of negative emotions which ended up feeding into my insecurities about my race, my body, and the way I looked.") The thing is, Shah genuinely smashes his audition out of the park, despite the corny, laconic James Bond-style dialogue. However, the one line that trips him up, every single time? "When it's just you, by yourself, how do you live with yourself? Do you even know who you are?"

Bait's cast is pure fire, led by an impeccable Riz Ahmed. Sajid Hasan, Riz Ahmed, and Sheeba Chaddha in "Bait." Credit: Prime Video

As Shah, Ahmed really pushes himself to the brink in Bait, through deadpan comedic stylings to romantic yearning and wholehearted drama. As Shah loses his sense of control, of his identity, and of who exactly people demand him to be, Ahmed brings his characteristic intensity and finesse to each stage, almost staring at the audience with his Bond lines in mind: "I don’t live with myself; I live with whoever you need me to be."

Khan near steals the show as Shah's hilarious, no-filter cousin Zulfi, on a quest to build his fleet of Muba ("Muslim Uber") drivers when he's not keeping Shah real. Arya is magnetic as Shah's ex Yasmin (honestly, who could get over Yasmin?) as she brutally calls out Shah's performative ways.

Sheeba Chaddha hits every note as Shah's mother Tahira, whose competition with the glamorous Naila (a fantastic Soni Razdan) is a fun through-line, and Sajid Hasan enjoys one-liners from his recliner as Shah's father Parvez. Aasiya Shah (We Might Regret This) is deadpan brilliance as Shah's cousin Q, while Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You) is hilarious as Shah's long-suffering agent Felicia.

And they're all brilliantly framed by Bait's exquisite production design.

Bait leans into surrealism, '60s cinematography, and a banger soundtrack Riz Ahmed and Ritu Arya in "Bait." Credit: Prime Video

One particularly surreal narrative device is a recurring podcast-recording scenario where Shah unpacks his anxieties across from a frozen pig's head that speaks with the voice of Sir Patrick Stewart (and yes, it is really the voice of Sir Patrick Stewart). Shah's inner saboteur finds its way out of the freezer and into brutal conversations with himself in an example of self-flagellation of the most raw and unrelenting nature. However, this level of absurdity only matches that of Shah's daily experience, in the same way Adjani Salmon deploys magical realism in the superb Dreaming Whilst Black.

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Bait is also a technical marvel, with directors of photography Frank Lamm and Dan Atherton moving between shots that convey these states of realism or absurdity. Often, a handheld or mounted camera follows the actors up close, rendering their conversations fluid and intimate. Other times, the cinematography leans into crash zooms that amp up the drama and pay homage to '60s and '70s Indian and Pakistani cinema. A glorious sequence in episode 3 sees Shah's family "rival" Salim (a superb appearance from Kaos' Nabhaan Rizwan) releasing doves, performing a perfect gymnastics routine, and quite literally walking on water. And episode 4, a highlight of the series, is a Studio-style one-shot moment amid London's buzzing Brick Lane. It's a constant dance between reality, paranoia, and imaginative dread as Shah tries to keep his head above the waves.

However, there's nothing absurd about Bait's soundtrack, a veritable treasure trove of South Asian and British gems across the decades, from legendary Pakistani playback singer Naheed Akhtar, '70s hypnotic Qawwali from the Sabri Brothers, '80s disco from British Pakistani new wave duo Nermin Niazi and Feisal Mosleh, '90s English drum and bass by Origin Unknown, and recent tracks by British singer Jorja Smith, British producers Sevaqk and Troyboi and Indian singer Amrit Maan. And it's all embroidered with composer Shruti Kumar's booming score.

Bait is one of the most surreal, important, hilarious, and moving shows I've seen for a while, as Ahmed aims to leave audiences shaken and stirred.

Bait premieres March 25 on Prime Video, with all six episodes available at once.

The brilliance of Every Brilliant Thing begins the moment you set foot in the theater.

There is no set to take in, aside from rows of seating along three edges of the stage. Instead, the focus is on the play's star: Daniel Radcliffe, a Tony winner and the face of one of the biggest film franchises of all time, now mingling with the audience.

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Radcliffe will bound up to audience members and introduce himself with a chipper, "Hello, I'm Dan." He'll ask how they feel about audience participation, hand out cards to read, or cast them in a specific role in the show. Each enthusiastic greeting, paired with a handshake, proves a disarming collapse of the wall between spectator and megawatt star. In one beat, he goes from Daniel Radcliffe, Pop Culture Icon, to Daniel Radcliffe, fellow performer for the next 90 minutes.

With this shift, Radcliffe and co-directors Duncan Macmillan and Jeremy Herrin invite the audience in not as spectators, but as collaborators. (Macmillan is also the playwright, and co-created Every Brilliant Thing with its original performer Jonny Donahoe.) That collaboration turns Every Brilliant Thing into a singular, life-affirming theatrical experience, with Radcliffe serving as our gem of a guide.

What is Every Brilliant Thing about? Daniel Radcliffe in "Every Brilliant Thing." Credit: Matthew Murphy

After making his rounds of the audience, Radcliffe returns to the stage and starts Every Brilliant Thing with an absolute gut punch of a line: "The list began after her first attempt."

As we soon learn, when the play's nameless narrator was 7 years old, his mother attempted suicide. His father, when trying to give his young son an explanation, says it's "because she can't see anything worth living for."

So begins the narrator's quest to show his mother that she has so much to live for. He creates a list of "every brilliant thing" in life. Ice cream. Things with stripes. People falling over. Through the eyes of a 7-year-old, each entry is proof of the world's vast wonder.

The narrator keeps the list going throughout his youth and into his adulthood. As it does, the entries get more specific: gifts that you actually want and didn't ask for. Track seven on every great record. Old people holding hands.

SEE ALSO: Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez dish on bringing 'Merrily We Roll Along' from stage to screen

After a while, the list isn't just a reminder for his mother, but a comforting exercise for the narrator and for people around him. Outsiders contribute to the list until it grows to hundreds of thousands of entries long. (In real life, there is also a Facebook group dedicated to adding to the list.)

As Radcliffe reads out entry numbers from the list, he'll point out into the theater seats, at which point an audience member will read the "brilliant thing" off a card he'd given them during the pre-show. He's the conductor of a chorus of all the wonderful elements of life, some of which we may take for granted. Hearing them shouted out in this space gives them new depth. "Yes," you'll think, "there is a brilliance in poring over vinyl liner notes, and watching someone squeeze through train doors with only seconds to spare, and beds."

Daniel Radcliffe casts a captivating spell with Every Brilliant Thing's audience participation. Daniel Radcliffe in "Every Brilliant Thing." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Having the audience read off the cards is the most frequent form of Every Brilliant Thing's audience participation, but it's far from the only one. The house lights stay on for most of the show, reminding viewers that the narrator is not speaking in a vacuum, but rather interacting directly with us. Radcliffe will also frequently lift audience members from the crowd to play his father, a friendly librarian, even his eventual spouse.

Watching Radcliffe direct his impromptu co-stars is like watching a high-wire act. On top of delivering a performance that swings from dazzling to vulnerable, giddy to crushing, Radcliffe is also tasked with being a reassuring facilitator. In that second role, he bursts with an infectious openness that spills over into every audience member, not just those who share the stage with him.

There's also a refreshing improvisational quality to his crowd work. At one point during the show, the narrator takes two books from audience members. During my performance, one of those books was A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, a BookTok staple whose distinct cover and heft set the audience tittering in recognition. Radcliffe fed off that reaction, throwing in a casual shout out to the ACOTAR series (yes, nailing the abbreviation) and even joking about how the book could teach the narrator something new and "sexy." It's more than a funny throwaway line, it's meeting the audience where they're at.

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The relationship between audience and performer goes both ways, though, and whenever Radcliffe called upon an audience member, my initial reaction was one of tenseness. What if someone tried to undercut the moment in some way? Or what if the rest of the audience gave them the cold shoulder? Yet time and again, my anxieties were proven wrong. Every audience participant approached the stage with respectful enthusiasm, and the rest of us in the theater lent a swell of support, be the scene silly or deeply sad.

At one riotous moment, a sock puppet gets involved, and it's a small miracle of theater to watch someone commit to making the puppet themselves. In an early, sobering scene, another audience member acts as the vet who must euthanize the young narrator's dog, Indiana Bones. This scene, too, is a small miracle. We don't hesitate to believe that a coat Radcliffe has just borrowed from a spectator is his dog, that a pen the "vet" is holding is a needle, and that we are witnessing a life go out in real time. It's one of many moments where Every Brilliant Thing will shatter you, but Radcliffe is always there to pick us back up and guide us back towards the uplifting list of brilliant things. To that end, the experience of watching Every Brilliant Thing feels like it should belong on the narrator's list itself — in fittingly specific fashion, of course.

Number 1,000,021: Watching a play with an audience that is, visibly and in real time, embracing the transformative magic trick that is theater.

Every Brilliant Thing is now running on Broadway through May 24.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.