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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you like cats.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 10, 2026 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:

• Yellow: Police interaction

• Green: Hold this

• Blue: Cats

• Purple: Sounds like a kiss

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Interrogate

• Green: Things with Handles

• Blue: Fictional Cats

• Purple: Starting with Smooches

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 #1128 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Interrogate: EXAMINE, GRILL, PUMP, QUESTION

• Things with Handles: BUCKET, DRAWER, MUG, UMBRELLA

• Fictional Cats: FIGARO, PUSS, SALEM, TOM

• Starting with Smooches: BUSSIN, KISSER, PECKISH, SMACKDOWN

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 10, 2026

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're like a dark beer.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 11, 2026 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 11, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Brave, bold.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter T appears twice.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

STOUT

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.

House of the Dragon has made no shortage of changes in its adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, much to the consternation of the book's biggest fans (and Martin himself).

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon's Ormund Hightower cooks up a villainous plan that isn't in the book

One of the changes that earned the most gripes was House of the Dragon's decision to cut Fire and Blood's character of Nettles, a key dragonrider, and gift her storyline to Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell). At first, I'll admit, I was skeptical of the move as well. Why cut such a fascinating figure? But the first half of Season 3 has proven that merging Rhaena with Nettles wasn't just a matter of trimming Fire and Blood's considerable cast. It's also a way to further complicate the Targaryen family's thorny dynamics and Rhaenyra's growing paranoia.

Who is Nettles in Fire and Blood, and why is she so important?

In the book, Nettles is a lowborn girl from Driftmark who manages to claim Sheepstealer by feeding him sheep, just like Rhaena does in the show. Fearless and clever, she joins the dragonseed crew and fights at the Battle of the Gullet. Later, she and Daemon (Matt Smith) develop a close relationship as they seek out Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar, but Fire and Blood's historical "sources" differ on the true nature of their bond. Mushroom, a court fool, claims the pair are lovers. (For the record, she's 17 and he's 49.) Maester Norren of Maidenpool, where the pair spends considerable time, characterizes Daemon's behavior towards Nettles as more paternal. Like many of its historical events, Fire and Blood leaves the truth of Daemon and Nettles' relationship ambiguous, although it does give the lover theory much more airtime.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3: How does the Battle of the Gullet compare to the book?

Whichever account you choose to believe, the important thing to know is that Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) winds up hating Nettles, believing her to be a traitor. This puts a wedge between her and Daemon, who eventually helps Nettles escape after Rhaenyra demands her head.

Combining Rhaena and Nettles in Fire and Blood deepens the Targaryen tragedy.

House of the Dragon remixes the Nettles storyline significantly by replacing her with Rhaena, starting with the Battle of the Gullet. Instead of fighting alongside her fellow dragonriders, Rhaena loses control of her wild dragon and burns several Velaryon ships. Worse, the chaos of her and Sheepstealer's presence inadvertently leads to Jacaerys' (Harry Collett) death. That right there gives Rhaenyra more than enough cause to hate Sheepstealer's rider the way she hates Nettles, even if she doesn't know it's Rhaena quite yet.

Sheepstealer's rebellion also adds new dimensions to Rhaena. Up through Season 2, Rhaena has mostly been relegated to the background as the Targaryen without a dragon. While that reflects her own family's treatment of her, it doesn't make for the most compelling TV character. Now, though, she's faced with a horrifying reality: She's gotten the dragon she always wanted, but she can never join her fellow Targaryen dragonriders. Worse, she can never return home, knowing that Rhaenyra will blame her for Jace's death.

SEE ALSO: Is Sunfyre still alive in 'House of the Dragon'?

In Season 3, episode 4, House of the Dragon continues to build on this family tragedy when Daemon discovers Rhaena hiding out in the Vale. He realizes the horrible bind he now finds himself in. Should he go after his daughter to bring closure to Rhaenyra, knowing full well the truth would devastate Rhaenyra further and leave Rhaena's life forfeit? Or should he lie to Rhaenyra?

He chooses the latter option, burning an unknown body and claiming its unrecognizable head is that of Sheepstealer's rider. The lie showcases Daemon's protective paternal side, a rare sight to see in House of the Dragon, but it also reveals that there are limits to his loyalty to Rhaenyra. His daughters' safety is that limit.

Rhaenyra has feared betrayal from her own camp ever since Jace and her Queensguard locked her up before the Battle of the Gullet. But her pain and rage from that incident would pale in comparison to the double whammy that Rhaena rides Sheepstealer and that Daemon lied to her about it. Plus, what happens if Baela (Bethany Antonia) learns of Rhaena's whereabouts before Rhaenyra? You know that she would absolutely stand by her twin sister, meaning Rhaenyra would believe she's being betrayed by three of her remaining family members.

By making Rhaena Sheepstealer's rider and having her involved in Jace's death, House of the Dragon has woven an intricate web of tragic misunderstandings. With every episode, the threads on this web pull tighter and tighter, promising a painful, likely explosive conclusion once Rhaenyra inevitably learns the truth.

You simply don't get this same level of tragedy in Fire and Blood. Nettles and Daemon spend much of their time together sequestered in Maidenpool, removed from the rest of Team Black. (Them potentially being lovers adds an extra ick factor, especially since House of the Dragon has already seen enough child brides for a lifetime.) House of the Dragon's tweaks bring this storyline right to the heart of the Targaryen family, roping Rhaena, likely Baela, and even the late Jace into Rhaenyra and Daemon's conflict. It's an adaptation change that bolsters a good chunk of the show's existing ensemble, without adding new figures and spreading the rest of the cast thin.

So, while you can be sad to miss Nettles in House of the Dragon, don't simply dismiss House of the Dragon's changes to her storyline as needless alterations. Four episodes into Season 3, and they've made the show richer and more heartbreaking, proving that House of the Dragon knows exactly what it's doing when it comes to adaptation.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Ever since Ormund Hightower (James Norton) showed up in House of the Dragon, he's done nothing but sniff his pomander, give a boy a perfect Targaryen bleach job, and lie. Now, in Season 3, episode 4, his true master plan comes to light.

SEE ALSO: Is Sunfyre still alive in 'House of the Dragon'?

He doesn't want to help protect Aegon II Targaryen's (Tom Glynn-Carney) claim to rule. Instead, he wants to place someone else entirely on the Iron Throne: Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth).

Since Daeron was raised as a ward of House Hightower, Ormund believes he's not as affected by the "taint" of the Targaryen blood he shares with his siblings. Instead, he thinks he's more of a Hightower, blessed with the virtues of the Seven and therefore more suited to rule. Remember, High Septon Balman (Simon Chandler) refused to bless Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) coronation because he finds the Targaryens and their dragons profane. Perhaps he and the rest of the Faith of the Seven would look differently on Daeron due to his connection to House Hightower.

None of Ormund's schemes, from using a decoy Daeron (Charlie Gordon) to planning to crown the real Daeron, is in George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood. However, the change opens up several fascinating possibilities for their future that aren't present in the book.

What are Ormund and Daeron up to in Fire and Blood?

Ormund and Daeron spend much of their time in and around Tumbleton. They also fight in the Battle of the Honeywine, which the show appears to have cut. During their time in Tumbleton, some of the local lords believe that Daeron should be crowned king, as he is a challenger to Rhaenyra's claim. However, Ormund is not the mastermind of this plot. In putting Ormund in control of the plot, House of the Dragon beefs up his role as a major antagonist outside the direct Targaryen family, while also putting more emphasis on Daeron's claim to the throne.

These elements are already present in Fire and Blood, but that book is a 700-page tome of Targaryen history, with only a small fraction devoted to the Dance of the Dragons. Because of this, we get a lot less time with characters like Ormund and Daeron than we do in the show. House of the Dragon has the power to expand on many of its characters, sometimes at the cost of cutting key book characters. (See: Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and Fire and Blood's Nettles.) That power is on full display with Ormund and Daeron, which offers a fascinating glimpse at their lord and squire dynamic and further highlights House Hightower's devotion to the Seven. The plan to crown Daeron also adds even more urgency to Rhaenyra's need to establish herself firmly as the Queen of the Seven Kingdom. Plus, the fake Daeron move worsens Rhaenyra's growing paranoia.

All of that is a potent combination that wouldn't have been possible had House of the Dragon not strayed a bit from its source material. Because it did, we're gifted with an even more formidable new villain, as well as an intriguing new conspiracy that book readers and show-only watchers alike won't be able to predict.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

The number of dragons in House of the Dragon dwindles with every season.

SEE ALSO: Dear 'House of the Dragon': Enough with the threats of sexual violence

Season 1 ended with Lucerys Velaryon's (Elliot Grihault) Arrax getting chomped in half by Aemond Targaryen's (Ewan Mitchell) Vhagar. Vhagar continued to pick off her fellow dragons at the Battle of Rook's Rest in Season 2, when she wounded Rhaenys Targaryen's (Eve Best) Meleys and sent her and her rider plummeting to their deaths. Vhagar also torched Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his dragon Sunfyre, leaving the pair to fall from the skies in a literal blaze of glory. Finally, Season 3 kicked off with the death of Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) and Vermax, both of whom perished during the Battle of the Gullet.

But what if one dragon who was presumed to be dead is still very much alive?

In House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 4, Aegon reunites with what appears to be the corpse of Sunfyre, which has been languishing in the Crownlands since the Battle of Rook's Rest. Several locals have taken advantage of Sunfyre's presence, turning the spectacle of a dead dragon into the world's most depressing petting zoo.

However, Aegon believes Sunfyre actually isn't dead.

"He's alive. I know it. He's alive. He must be," Aegon tells Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) after petting Sunfyre for the first time since Rook's Rest.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Velaryons, and Hightowers connect

Larys treats Aegon's insistence that Sunfyre is alive like the ravings of a mad man, and it's hard to disagree with him. Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have always taught viewers that no death is truly confirmed unless you see the evidence of a dead body. Here, we see a pretty definitive corpse.

However, if anyone would be able to sense if their dragon was still alive, it would be their rider. Plus, if Sunfyre is truly dead, it would be a massive change from George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood. (Not that the show is afraid to make some bold changes, many of which pay off.) With that in mind, let's take a look at what happens to Fire and Blood's version of Sunfyre, and see how that could map onto the show.

What happens to Sunfyre in Fire and Blood?

Sunfyre survives Rook's Rest in Fire and Blood, but he's deeply wounded and unable to fly home to King's Landing. Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) leaves a group of men near Sunfyre to guard and feed him while he heals. Eventually, Sunfyre heals enough to get back in on the action, and he plays a pivotal part in the conflict to come. Without giving away any further spoilers, I'll just say it would be pretty tough to pull off the rest of the Dance of the Dragons without him, although House of the Dragon might already have a plan in place.

In House of the Dragon, unlike in Fire and Blood, Sunfyre is not moving or showing any signs of life at all. Because of this, Criston hasn't left anyone behind to help feed him, and citizens of the Crownlands feel emboldened enough that they can walk up to Sunfyre and touch him. (For a fee, of course!) All of this seems like a pretty solid argument for his death — unless Sunfyre is just in some kind of draconic healing coma. Perhaps he's just sleeping off his horrible injuries, and he'll rise again when Aegon needs him. Which, given Aegon's treatment at the ruins of Rook's Rest, seems like it could be any day now.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

All men must die, and all men must occasionally crash out.

It's not the official saying, but it feels like the theme of House of the Dragon Season 3 so far, which has had deaths aplenty from the very first episode, as well as more than a few incidents of characters losing their shit.

The greatest crash out so far? Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton), who in episode 4, goes from calmly indulging in some smelling salts to teaching his dining table a very serious lesson.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon': Where is Tumbleton, and why is it so important? What happens with Ormund Hightower in Season 3, episode 4?

The Ormund we're introduced to in episode 1 is cool, calm, and collected as he receives a note from Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) telling him to wait for Aemond to send word. In episode 4, he finally receives that word — and his reaction is slightly less chill.

"A raven just arrived from Harrenhal, my lord," says his surly second-in-command (Joplin Sibtain). "It bears the Hightower seal."

Ormund opens the note and reads it with a completely blank face while Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) watches on nervously from the sidelines. By the time Ormund's finished reading, he's presumably seen something he doesn't like, because he hisses across at a nearby servant, "Get out. Now."

The servant scarpers, and not a moment too soon. Within seconds, Ormund goes from sitting still as a statue to slamming his hands onto the desk over and over, punctuating every slam with "Useless! Craven! Cunt!"

He then proceeds to draw his sword and drop the c-bomb three more times as as he slams the blade into the wood as hard as he possibly can.

Ormund Hightower's crash out is surely made to be a meme.

The entire sequence is House of the Dragon comedy at its finest. The expression of apoplectic rage on Ormund's face as he screams "CUNT!" for the third time while hammering his blade into the wood is surely destined for meme territory, particularly when it's contrasted with him calmly sitting back down moments later and telling Daeron in a light, airy tone: "Your uncle Gwayne has sent word. It seems Aemond will not be joining us after all."

A glorious scene to watch, which must have been even more fun to act.

It also says a lot about Ormund's character: Beneath his carefully curated veneer of respectability and honor, there's a pretty serious temper waiting to explode out.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Rats have infested House of the Dragon's Red Keep since Season 2, but one savvy sailor may have just solved the issue.

In Season 3, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) finds the royal seat of power in King's Landing brimming with rodents. There are no ratcatchers left in the city — Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) had them all hanged in Season 2 after the terrible business with Blood and Cheese — so the rats are free to swarm the halls.

Until Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) gives the queen an old mariner's trick: Bring in the cats.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' just united three generations of House Velaryon in one shot

A naval war hero in his estranged father Lord Corlys Velaryon's (Steve Toussaint) fleet, Alyn knows a trick or two about keeping close quarters free of vermin. Attending the queen in his father's absence, Alyn and Rhaenyra have a heart-to-heart looking at King Viserys' Old Valyria model.

"Incessant!" Rhaenyra says, when she finds a horde of rats scurrying about the model. "Thanks to Aegon, all the ratcatchers are dead."

"Onboard ship, we kept cats," offers Alyn.

Outside of Westeros, ship's cats have been constant companions of sailors for hundreds of years, and have been the adorable subject of many authors and maritime museums. As National Museums Liverpool writes, "Until the Royal Navy banned cats and other pets on board ships in 1975, many sailors and seafarers welcomed their whiskered crew mates on long voyages, enlisting them to keep the relentless hordes of mice and rats at bay." The museum also says cats were symbols of bravery during World War II, and that "some were rewarded for their services on board and were even given their own uniforms!"

The respect.

Ship's cat Stripey aboard the H.M.S. Warspite, a ship used by Britain in WWI and WWII. Credit: Hulton-Deutsch Collection / CORBIS / Corbis via Getty Images Royal Navy ship's cat Convoy aboard H.M.S. Hermione in Gibraltar, Nov. 26, 1941. Credit: Lt. S J Beadell / Imperial War Museums via Getty Images

In George R. R. Martin's Fire and Blood, it's Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) who solves the Red Keep's rat problem, bringing no less than 100 cats into the building to sort that shit out. A centurion of felines! But seeing as he's, you know, off his head at present, it's up to Alyn to manage the situation. Perhaps this plan will include the progenitor of poor ill-fated Ser Pounce, the beloved cat of King Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast unpack Season 3, episode 2's biggest moments

Very good boys are few and far between in Westeros, but they're often the internet's favourite characters.

House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 4 gifts us with two lengthy dogs of utter elegance, and their appareance in this dragon-dominated world is a welcome sight.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' cast on Season 3's colossal Battle of the Gullet

In the episode, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) goes to squeeze funds out of the Vale to fill the empty coffers of King's Landing. Here, he must bargain with Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin), Lady of the Eyrie, who appears on that gorgeous wooden throne above the perilous Moon Door, flanked by two hounds.

Thanks to House of the Dragon animal trainer Kim Gaskell, these pooches sit quietly during the meeting, the pair's silken coats matching Lady Arryn's cream cape. Considering the Vale seems like an absolute Wuthering Heights of boredom and loneliness and one elusive dragon, I'd say having two elegant hounds for company is what Lady Arryn deserves.

In Season 2, the internet praised another canine, the ratcatcher's dog, as "the only loyal character in the show."

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast unpack Season 3, episode 2's biggest moments

Working from home in Westeros depends on whose castle you've just seized, and Ormund Hightower (James Norton) has landed himself the ultimate set-up.

House of the Dragon's latest home-invading lord not only pulled a switcheroo on Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) in Season 3, episode 3, but he's gone and taken over the town of Tumbleton by episode 4.

And it's here where we see the most covetable home decor in the Seven Kingdoms: the bath table to end all bath tables. Down the bench, Iron Throne.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' just united three generations of House Velaryon in one shot

At the start of the episode, Ormund takes a highly Geralt of Rivia-style meeting with the actual owners of the house, a much disgruntled Lord and Lady Footly of Tumbleton (Adam Brown and Alexandra Moen). In the centre of a very busy room, he sits smugly in their deep soaking tub, a marvel of medieval cooperage and iron sanctuary hoops, with all his diabolical war homework covering his Hightower.

Look, I know there are some pretty good bath caddies out there, but there’s enough room here for his documents and correspondence, a quill and ink pot, a wine goblet, and several pomanders and Westeros-style aromatic diffusers. The House of the Dragon set decoration team has me paying attention. Honestly, plonk one of these in my living room and expect every meeting furthermore to be off camera.

Yes, you might be distracted by other elements of the scene, including the hilariously tiny towel Ormund uses to dry himself. But man, that bath table has me re-evaluating my budget.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast unpack Season 3, episode 2's biggest moments

Guys, I hate to say it, but I think House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) is going to be a bad queen.

No, it's not because of how she keeps alienating allies like Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), or how she springs to execute her detractors among the smallfolk of King's Landing. And no, it's not because of the crises she inherited, like a depleted treasury or a starving, restless city.

SEE ALSO: Dear 'House of the Dragon': Enough with the threats of sexual violence

Instead, it's because she dares disrespect the Targaryens' most fun tradition. Don't worry, it's not incest. It's the Small Council's marbles.

First seen in House of the Dragon's Season 1 premiere, these multi-colored balls serve as a way for the members of the Small Council to clock into work. Once you put your marble in your dish, you're punched in and ready to help rule the realm.

The marbles are an aesthetically pleasing world-building detail, but they're also versatile: In Season 1, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) kills Lord Lyman Beesbury (Bill Paterson) by smashing his skull into his own marble. In Season 2, King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) fiddles with his own ball during a meeting, even letting his son Jaehaerys give it a spin. Forget their potential as a bureaucratic tool or murder weapon; these marbles just seem fun to play with.

Which brings me to my beef with Rhaenyra. In House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 4, she tells Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) that he is welcome to stay on her Small Council so long as he remains loyal. When he goes to clock in with his marble, she stops him, calling them "relics of a dead regime."

Respectfully, Rhaenyra, how dare you? The Small Council balls have been a delightful way for members to announce their presence. They allow every member to have some colorful flair, they sound great when they plunk into place, and they look so fun to play with. Would you deny your team the satisfaction of a little ball to fidget with? Ruling the realm is a stressful task, Rhaenyra! Maybe you'll find that playing with a big old marble is a much better way to decompress than taking your worries out on the smallfolk.

But what worries me most about Rhaenyra's statement isn't her clear hatred of a fun time. It's the fact that she declares the marbles a relic of a dead regime, meaning Aegon's. Yet the marbles were in place during her father Viserys' (Paddy Considine) reign, and likely during the reigns of many of the Targaryens who came before. Is she so blinded by hatred of Aegon that she would dismiss her father's relatively peaceful rule? Is she over prior Targaryen patriarchal regimes in general and hoping to have her own Daenerys Targaryen "break-the-wheel"-style moment? Or did she just forget the marbles even existed during her many years away from the Red Keep? (I know, who could forget them?) Whatever the reason, Rhaenyra's on thin ice post-marble gate. Let the Small Council play with their balls!

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his scaly steed were last seen storming Harrenhal in House of the Dragon, only for the drama king to take a blade to the kidney after attacking one Strong too many.

So the question is, where are they now?

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3, episode 3: Who's on Rhaenyra's Small Council? What happens at Harrenhal in episode 4?

Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) finally make it to Harrenhal in search of Aemond in episode 4, only to find the castle looking just as haunted and abandoned as ever.

They do, however, find the witch Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), who eventually tells them that Aemond is long gone.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast on Season 3's colossal Battle of the Gullet

"He was here," Rivers says. "He seized the castle after Prince Daemon abandoned it. But when he learned that Rhaenyra took King's Landing, he and his dragon fled."

Later, Cole and Hightower are sitting in poor old Ser Simon Strong's dining hall when a soldier gives them an update: "We've scoured the area, Lord Hand. There is sign of a large dragon nest, but it has been abandoned. Prince Aemond may indeed have fled."

So the question is, where's Aemond? Has he really fled? Is something else going on? And is he even still alive after the injury he sustained back in episode 2?

Where are Aemond and Vhagar?

The good news for Aemond fans? He definitely isn't dead, because there's footage of him in the "weeks ahead" trailer HBO dropped after episode 1 (jump to 54 seconds in) — footage that we haven't seen yet.

What's even more intriguing? The shot in the trailer sees Aemond speaking about Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) taking over King's Landing to someone offscreen. But he's sitting in Harrenhal's dining hall eating a meal when he says it. We double-checked this by cross-referencing the shot of Aemond with the shot of Cole sitting in the exact same seat in episode four (the chair is broken, so you can tell it's the same one).

The conclusion? Alys Rivers is most likely hiding Aemond in the castle while he recovers from his injury. Vhagar may even be hiding, too — we know from the Rook's Rest battle in back in Season 2 that she is capable of laying low in the woods, despite her size.

Aemond may be AWOL for now, but we'll likely be seeing him again very soon.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and you know what that means: It's time to take a climb into the very tangled branches of the Targaryen family tree.

Over the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, some of these branches have been pruned. (RIP to the many Targs who've perished in this bloody show.) However, Season 2 also added its fair share of new offshoots, further complicating the knotted web between Houses Targaryen, Velaryon, and Hightower. Season 3 has complicated it even further, with new deaths and the face reveal of one Daeron Targaryen. If you're looking for a refresher on that web as you head into the second half of Season 3, we've got you covered.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' review: Season 3 atones for the sins of Season 2

Below, you'll find the Targaryen family tree as it stands as of House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 4, as well as a rundown of the characters and how they connect.

Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Which Targaryens have died since Season 2?

There were two key deaths in the Targaryen family in Season 2: one on the Greens' side and one on the Blacks'.

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) camp lost Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), also known as the Queen Who Never Was. Meanwhile, King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) lost their young son Jaehaerys when gold cloak Blood (Sam C. Wilson) and rat catcher Cheese (Mark Stobbart) assassinated him on Prince Daemon's (Matt Smith) orders.

There are still plenty of Targaryens left standing, though. Here's who to watch out for in Season 3.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon': Everything you need to know in 2 minutes The Targaryen family tree: Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their children Matt Smith, Phoebe Campbell, Emma D'Arcy, Harry Collett, and Bethany Antonia in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Rhaenyra heads up the Team Black branch of the Targaryen family tree, with her husband/uncle Daemon by her side. (It was touch and go for a minute in Season 2, but after a life-changing study abroad trip to Harrenhal, complete with witches and visions, Daemon is finally ready to accept Rhaenyra as his queen.)

Their two young sons, Aegon and Viserys, are on their way to Pentos for protection after a brief pit stop in the Vale. However, Rhaenyra and Daemon's children from their prior marriages are still in Westeros and locked in on Rhaenyra's fight for the throne.

SEE ALSO: The ickiest moment from 'House of the Dragon's Season 3 premiere isn't even in the book

Rhaenyra's son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Daemon's daughter Baela (Bethany Antonia) are both dragonriders. Daemon's other daughter, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), doesn't have a dragon, which is why she was sent off as Aegon and Viserys' guardian. However, when they went to Pentos, she remained behind in the Vale, hoping to tame its wild dragon Sheepstealer. As of Season 3, she's successfully claimed Sheepstealer, but at a cost: He went rogue during the Battle of the Gullet, and his interference helped lead to Jace's tragic death. Now, Rhaenyra wants Sheepstealer's rider's head, and only Daemon and Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) know the truth of her identity.

The Targaryen family tree: Alicent Hightower and her children Tom Glynn-Carney, Olivia Cooke, Phia Saban, and Ewan Mitchell in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) remains the matriarch of Team Green, although she's growing increasingly regretful about her role in the war for succession. (So regretful, in fact, that she's offered to surrender the Iron Throne to Rhaenyra.) She had four children with the late King Viserys (Paddy Considine).

The eldest, Aegon, remains King of Westeros. His younger brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) attempted to kill him in a dragon dogfight at the Battle of Rook's Rest, and once Aegon recovered from his worst injuries, he fled King's Landing with the help of Larys Strong (Matthew Needham). Now Aemond is Prince Regent, and Alicent is trying her best to get herself and her daughter Helaena out of harm's way.

Alicent's youngest son Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) makes his official House of the Dragon debut in Season 3, episode 4, although he's been hiding in plain sight since the Season 3 premiere. He's a ward of House Hightower and squire to Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton), who's engineering his own plot — involving a fake Daeron — to place him on the throne.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' may be hiding Daeron Targaryen in plain sight The Hightower family tree: Otto, Gwayne, and Ormund James Norton, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, and Freddie Fox in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

In addition to Alicent, the rest of House Hightower continues to be a major player in House of the Dragon. Her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), former hand of the King, was the first Green loyalist to be executed under Rhaenyra's reign. Elsewhere, Alicent's brother Gwayne (Freddie Fox) has been traipsing around the Seven Kingdoms with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), a nightmare we wouldn't wish on even our worst enemies.

House of the Dragon Season 3 also introduces a new member of the Hightower family: Lord Ormund, head of House Hightower. His late father Hobert (Steffan Rhodri) was Otto's oldest brother, making Ormund Alicent and Gwayne's cousin.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3, episode 1: Who is Ormund Hightower? The Velaryon family tree: Corlys and his sons Alyn and Addam Steve Toussaint, Abubakar Salim, and Clinton Liberty in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Rhaenyra's Hand is Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), also known as the Sea Snake due to his naval prowess. Over the course of House of the Dragon, he's lost his wife Rhaenys, as well as their children Laena (Nanna Blondell) and Laenor (John Macmillan).

However, Season 2 revealed that Laena and Laenor weren't Corlys' only descendants. He also has two bastard sons, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty). Their mother Marilda, unseen in the show, was a shipwright. House of the Dragon primarily refers to Marilda in the past tense, implying she is dead, hence why she's greyed out in our family tree. However, by this point in Fire and Blood, she is still alive.

While Corlys didn't truly acknowledge Alyn and Addam prior to Season 2, the pair are now a much more prominent part of his life — and the show. Alyn is a notable sailor in Corlys' fleet, and Addam became a dragonrider. Thanks to his Valyrian blood, he now rides Seasmoke, Laenor's old dragon.

The dragonseeds: Addam, Ulf the White, and Hugh Hammer Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, and Clinton Liberty in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Addam isn't the only new dragonrider to join Rhaenyra's ranks in Season 2. Smallfolk Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) and Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) also claimed dragons. Ulf rides Silverwing, the dragon of Rhaenyra's grandmother Alysanne, while Hugh rides Vermithor, the dragon of Rhaenyra's grandfather Jaehaerys. The pair, like Addam, are bastards of Valyrian blood, earning them the nickname of "dragonseeds." While they haven't been legitimized as Targaryens, they will certainly have a large role to play in the battles to come.

House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres June 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, with a new episode every Sunday.

UPDATE: Jul. 12, 2026, 10:00 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the events of the first four episodes of Season 3.

UPDATE: Jun. 26, 2026, 4:02 p.m. EDT A previous version of the family tree did not show Rhaenys, Hobert, or Marilda as deceased the way they are in the show. It has since been updated.

In Microsoft Excel, you can convert your data into many types of charts. However, frustratingly, there's no option for a standard timeline chart. To get over this hurdle, I use a basic line chart to create a dynamic, professional timeline in 10 minutes. Here's how you can too.

Canceling a Lightroom subscription feels easy until you actually have to find something else. Most alternatives either act too much like Adobe Lightroom closely enough to feel like they are a copy, or they're so different that they're too much to take in at once. Darktable can feel overwhelming, and I won't pretend the first few hours were smooth. What kept me going was noticing that the things it does differently are important.

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New vehicle prices have never been higher. The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the United States now sits near $50,000, and even shoppers with comfortable incomes are feeling the squeeze once insurance, fuel, and interest rates are factored in. In many instances, consumers are dealing with vehicle ownership costs that would have looked absurd a decade ago.

Meta's Must Image tool, which launched last Tuesday, is now being shuttered by the company, according to Reuters.

The social media giant released a statement on Friday announcing it would discontinue the feature: "Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public ​content could be referenced in this way. We've ​heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it's no longer available."

Meta launched Muse Image as part of a suite of new AI tools. Designed for Instagram and WhatsApp users, it lets them touch up, alter, or add 3D effects to new photos. Muse Image took things a step further, allowing users to use photos from public-facing Instagram accounts as reference material for generative AI. Worse still, they enabled the feature by default, so if you didn't want your personal photos being used as AI fodder, you had to either make your account private or locate the specific setting that would toggle the feature off.

Unsurprisingly, the backlash came hard and fast. 

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But it was actors and other famous people with massive followings and public accounts who led the charge. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder took to her Instagram stories to urge her followers not to use the feature, prompting the Screen Actors Guild to take action as well, urging its members to "protect your likeness" by deactivating it. To its credit, though, this time around Meta listened.

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There's no shortage of controversy regarding generative AI and copyright issues, whether we're talking about companies asking child actors to sign away their voice rights or major record labels suing music generators over creative use, but leave it to Meta to carelessly trip every wire and provoke a backlash so severe that they were immediately forced to back down.

Expect more heated battles over image rights, privacy, and generative AI as these tools only become more powerful and more ubiquitous, but in the meantime, let's all be glad that Meta was receptive to the negative feedback.

I've been running my homelab with an enterprise-grade rack-mount server for nearly six years. However, it's finally time to change that. Here's why I'm switching to an off-the-shelf NAS, and why I wish I would have done it sooner.

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