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Dearest gentle reader, it's almost time to return to the Ton for another simmering season of courting, crushes, and conniving in Netflix's Bridgerton.

Having spent the last two seasons pursuing the romantic, deeply horny long-games of the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton, then Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton, and a spinoff season on Queen Charlotte and her beloved King George, Season 3 shifts attention to another leading pair.

This time, based on the fourth book in Julia Quinn's novel series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Shondaland and new showrunner Jess Brownell focus on the covert heart of the series, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), and her longtime crush Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

SEE ALSO: All your 'Bridgerton' Season 2 crushes, ranked

But before we get there, what happened again last season and where did everyone end up? We've done a quick rundown of everything you need to remember from Season 2 of Bridgerton before you watch Season 3, from the enemies-to-lovers tale of the Viscount and Viscountess to the worst friendship fallout in the Ton, all of which culminated in the gilded Featherington Ball.

Penelope and Eloise's friendship sits in ruins BFFs no more. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

At the end of Season 1, Penelope Featherington was revealed as the secret identity of the Ton's prolific scandal sheet publisher, Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). But while we're allowed in on it as viewers, there's only a few people within the series who know, and by the end of Season 2, unfortunately one is now her best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie).

Eloise has been hunting Lady Whistledown's identity for two seasons, but in Season 2 her enthusiasm made her a target of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) as her number one suspect. If you remember, the Queen despises the author's influence and recruited Eloise to find out who they really were in Season 1. In Season 2, Eloise followed the trail to the printing shop used by Whistledown, where she met young printer and covert women's rights campaigner Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), and their romance blossomed. Unfortunately for Eloise, her visits (along with her outspokenness on society) drew the Queen's suspicions. Eloise swore her innocence to the monarch, but it was no use, as the Queen threatened Eloise and her family with social ruin unless she confessed to being Lady Whistledown.

SEE ALSO: It's time for 'Bridgerton' to say gay

With Eloise about to falsely confess with a counterfeit society paper, Penelope took matters into her own hands, writing a scathing blast about her best friend's visits with Theo — "unchaperoned, with improper company, political radicals in fact" — to disprove Eloise's guilt. The pamphlet diverted the Queen's wrath but socially ruined Eloise. Suffice to say her romance with Theo crumbled too.

Following this, Penelope rested her pen after being "done ruining the lives of others" through gossip. However, in the Season 2 finale, Eloise figured out her friend's secret identity when Penelope flexed her keen powers of observation at the Featherington Ball. While Pen danced with Colin, Eloise stole into her friend's room and discovered her secret stash of money hidden beneath the floorboards (the profits made from her publications) and confronted Penelope, running through the juicy details only Pen would have known about. It's a horrible fight, with Eloise feeling deeply betrayed, and the two parted on non-speaking terms.

However, Penelope's fight with Eloise did not obliterate her penchant for writing, as we saw her return to her writing desk at the end of Season 2.

Colin scorned Penelope romantically in public Pen heard what you said, Colin! Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

It's one of the biggest moments in Bridgerton Season 2 that will be important for Season 3, and honestly, we're still reeling from it. Penelope has long yearned for the affections of her friend Colin, though has remained firmly in the Regency friend zone — including through Colin's engagement to Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) in Season 1. But things seemed slightly flirty in Season 2.

Channelling big "I've just returned from my gap year" energy after returning from Greece, Colin strolled around Season 2 with suddenly mature pep in his step. Though he danced often with Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), he sent Penelope mixed signals, praising her "constant and loyal" personality throughout the season. Penelope's hopes were high at the Featherington Ball, and when Colin asked Pen to dance, he dropped some big words: "I will always look after you, Penelope. You are special to me." 

However, after her fight with Eloise, Penelope stumbled upon Colin speaking about his dance to a group of young men on the terrace. When they questioned him on his intentions with Pen, he scoffed, "Are you mad? I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest dreams."

NO! NOOOOO. NO. We were all crushed right there with Pen in this scene, and this is where Season 3 will pick up. Perhaps, if there's forgiveness elsewhere on the horizon, we can still hope for a Peneloise romance?

Kate and Anthony are happily married These two. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

After the steamy enemies-to-lovers romance between Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the pair were finally married at the end of Season 2. Remember the Viscount was engaged to Kate's sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran), but she absconded from the altar the minute she realised her sister and Anthony were very obviously in love. This pissed off Queen Charlotte for a moment, as she does not like to be wrong about things, and she'd chosen Edwina as her "diamond" of the season.

The Bridgertons and Sharmas were publicly ruined by the scandal, but not for long — and MVP Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) never abandoned them, despite being socially ostracised by association.

At the end of the season, after Anthony and Kate had sex in the garden, Kate galloped off into a storm, fell off her horse, and was badly injured. Anthony was riddled with guilt. However, his mother Viola, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), helped him embrace his true feelings, speaking to their shared unprocessed grief over Lord Bridgerton's sudden death years earlier. Anthony proposed at Kate's bedside, a move she assumed was a "misguided obligation of duty". Deciding to return to India, she sent him away. 

"Be the sister I know that you are" 😭 Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

Edwina and Kate's sisterly relationship was rattled after the wedding fail, however Edwina's wisdom and forgiveness helped them through Kate's guilt. After Edwina gave her sister the major "be the sister I know that you are" pep talk at the Featherington Ball, Anthony and Kate danced together in full view to a string version of "Wrecking Ball", despite the judgmental stares of the Ton. But Queen Charlotte stepped in to quiet the haters, with Edwina giving her blessing. Both the Bridgertons and the Sharmas are saved from ruin, hurrah!

In the garden, Anthony declared his love for Kate, and she the same, and we left them in newlywed bliss playing croquet on the lawn with the rest of the Bridgertons.

The Featheringtons almost lost it all — again Lord Jack Featherington almost got away with passing off glass as gemstones. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

While the Bridgertons and the Sharmas spent much of the end of Season 2 in social ruin, the Featheringtons had clawed their way back from financial destitution after Lord Featherington's gambling debts saw him murdered in Season 1. Their troubles seemed solved with the arrival of the family's smarmy cousin Jack (Rupert Young), whose engagement to Prudence Featherington (Bessie Carter) proved one of the ickier pairings in the Ton. The season crescendoed with the family's opulent Featherington Ball, a grand show of stability and wealth. With the Queen herself in attendance, the Featheringtons were back in the game.

In the season finale, however, at the Featherington Ball, Colin Bridgerton exposed Jack as a charlatan selling fake glass jewels as gemstones. Having previously been interested in investing in the gems, Colin demonstrated the scam by smashing Cressida's "ruby" necklace into smithereens in front of Penelope, Lady Featherington (Polly Walker), and Jack himself. Out of respect for the Featheringtons, Colin did this dramatic exposé in private, telling Jack to return the money he'd spent on this crooked scheme and to leave town — a move that made Pen fall even harder for her crush.

J'accuse! Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

Jack tried to convince Lady Featherington to leave town with him for America, suggesting a romantic future for the two of them despite his engagement to her daughter (the two had kind of been in cahoots the whole season). But if there's one thing you shouldn't come between, it's Portia and her daughters. Lady Featherington sent Jack packing without a penny and the forged signature promise that once one of her daughters has a son the Featherington estate will transfer to him. Byeeee.

Will had a tough start opening his gentlemen's club Colin had to eat some humble pie after Will told him so about Jack. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

What of Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe), the best mate of the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page)? In Season 2, Jack Featherington had also blackmailed his way into holding court in Will's new bar, after convincing the boxer to throw a match to split the winnings — Will wanted to provide for his wife Alice (Emma Naomi) and their children. Will had opened a gentlemen's club that aimed to be a more inclusive alternative to the posh White's club (IRL it's the oldest gentlemen's club in London, founded in 1693). But business was slow and he was indebted to Jack, who wielded it over him.

When Colin got wrapped up in Jack's dealings, taking a meeting at the bar, Mondrich tried to warn him of Jack's shady side, but Colin defended him as the head of the Featheringtons. So, at the end of the season, after Jack's corruption was exposed, Colin ate humble pie with Mondrich and brought all his mates back to his bar, apologising. But as you've already read, it's not all Colin needs to apologise for.

How to watch: Bridgerton Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix. Season 3 will drop in two halves, with Part 1 streaming on May 16 and Part 2 on June 13.

Moving to a new city or working at a new job where you don't know anybody can seriously be depressing, especially if you're already introverted as it is. What are you supposed to do? Sit at the bar by yourself? And talk to strangers?

Then comes the lightbulb idea: You can make friends online! If online dating is so popular and successful, there's no way there aren't a few legit sites where you can make adult friends in your area with similar interests. Hmm, AdultFriendFinder.com sounds like the right ballpark.

So you're on your lunch break at work, type in the URL, and the next thing you know, you're frantically closing the tab and hoping nobody walked behind you for that split second.

Our point: AdultFriendFinder is not what it sounds like.

Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder What is AdultFriendFinder?

AdultFriendFinder is one of the most well-known sites for finding quick sexual encounters, regular hookups, and literally anything else even remotely related to sex. The rowdy feed of matches, jumble of explicit photos, and stimulating calls-to-action offering all types of sex makes it heaven for anyone looking for a good time with no filter — and hell for someone who wouldn't be caught dead clicking on a "There are hot singles in your area" ad.

SEE ALSO: Celebrate Masturbation May with deals from Lovers, Lovehoney, Fun Factory, more

Even if you're not using it for real sex, it's always nice to have spank bank material in your back pocket. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, sexting, nudes, and Pornhub searches all saw a spike thanks to the vast number of people who started social distancing at home. Those who didn't want to risk quarantine sex or weren't finding people on their level of horniness on Tinder were pretty much guaranteed to get their rocks off somehow via AdultFriendFinder.

On AFF, you can find someone to sext via messaging or video chat (and plan to get it on IRL, if that's what you're looking for), watch live streams, or join niche group chat rooms. Is it worth $20-something per month? Depends on how much fishy content you're willing to overlook for a juicy sexting session.

We reached out to Kalyn Sanders, a business development executive at Friend Finder Networks, for updated AFF demographics. Right up there with Tinder's monthly flock, AdultFriendFinder snags the attention of over 55 million visits around the world per month, on average. (To whet your appetite upon signup, the main landing page flashes a few statistics, including "98,897,765 hot photos" and "3,495,277 connections," but we're not exactly sure what that means.) Most traffic originates from the United States, followed by visitors from the United Kingdom and Canada. Visits to AdultFriendFinder have dropped in recent months — it used to be the 25th most-visited adult site in the U.S. according to SimilarWeb, but as of May 2024, it's ranked 33rd.

SEE ALSO: Is Tinder Platinum worth it? I tried it for 3 months to find out.

Specifics on the demographic that most people care about — the gender ratio — can be hard to track down. Sanders told us that "there's a two to one ratio of single men versus categories like single women, couples, and groups." The split between men and women is an expected one for a lot of hookup-centric sites. At the end of the day, it's a paradise for straight men, hit-or-miss for straight women and LGBTQ men, and likely an actual hellscape for LGBTQ women.

AFF lets you identify as and search for a man, woman, a couple, or trans. Despite trying to be a sex-positive site with blog posts, groups, a sex academy, and more, its language for the LGBTQ community has historically been anything but inclusive or positive. Previously, the AFF sign-up page listed "TG/TV/TS" as the "trans" gender selection — we'll let you infer what those stand for. Though, we will admit, this language has improved recently with more gender options that are appropriately labeled.

SEE ALSO: How to unblock Xnxx porn for free Should you sign up for AdultFriendFinder?

If you're 100 percent over being grilled with relationship questions and the slow-and-steady pace on traditional dating sites like eharmony or Match, AdultFriendFinder is your golden ticket to instant communication. Registering takes about 30 seconds — it requires nothing from you aside from an email address, a username, a password, and an introduction. Your notifications will start pouring in even without adding any juicy info (because people see nothing wrong with hitting up a profile with a gray silhouette as a profile photo, apparently), but it's probably best to add a few photos and a detailed description — both to up your chances of flirtation or finding someone who shares a super-specific fantasy, and also to signal to other users that you're not a bot.

AdultFriendFinder features a personality questionnaire to personalize your profile and up your chances of finding a compatible match. Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder

After registering, there are a ton of ways to personalize your account (way more than you'd expect for a hookup site, honestly). The more you fill out, the more attractive your profile will be to new viewers. There are the basic physical appearance questions about eye and hair color, and since I identified as a woman, cup size was an option. (If you identify as a man, I'm sure you can guess what question they ask.)

Many self-proclaimed hookup seekers can probably admit that they'd still like to hook up with someone they'd also like to grab a beer with, especially if they plan to see that person multiple times. Those people will appreciate that AFF gives a compatibility score with each user you come across: a metric that rates how well you might mesh with someone in the bedroom based on how you answered questions about what turns you on, whether you're dominant or submissive, and so on.

The site also features a personality test and a "My Kinks" form where you can select whether or not you're "curious about, into, or can't live without" a certain kink (e.g., anal, bondage, role play, etc.). It also lets you choose whether you're a voyeur, the giver, or the receiver.

One weird thing about the Personality Type test is that it asks several questions about whether or not you enjoy shopping at discount stores — not really sure what that's about. It also asks whether or not "a quiet time for prayer should be allowed in school." You can choose "strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, or strongly agree."

Once you finish the personality test (20 questions), you can opt to have your Personality Type show up on your profile or have it hidden. It will also show you which personality types complement yours.

Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder Finding a match on AdultFriendFinder

Like a traditional dating site, AdultFriendFinder gives you a collage of potential matches and will let you know who's online or close distance-wise. These will be random right after you sign up, but you can opt to update your preferences to refine your results: Choose your preferred gender(s), age range, location and mile radius, race, sexual orientation, body type, and marital status.

You barely have to scroll before noticing that there's no shortage of nudity. Depending on whether you set your preferences to men, women, or both, you'll see all of that stuff up close, personal, swinging around, in action. You name it, it'll pop up.

AdultFriendFinder is basically like a PornHub that you can interact with. We probably don't have to say this, but AdultFriendFinder is NSFW and not safe to be on while kids are in the room. If you'd rather not see the site's raunchier side, it offers a "no nudity" option, but I still wouldn't trust this filter enough to be online in a family setting or at work. Some videos will be blurred out and read "Naughty video" until you upgrade to a Gold Membership, but trust me — you'll get to see a lot, even with the free version.

The message section is set up similarly to a Gmail account, and you can mark things as read or important just as you would on a real email. You'll receive some crude messages instantly (creeps on Tinder do the same thing), but some will be genuinely friendly.

SEE ALSO: Tinder releases yet another feature to stop inappropriate messages AFF is not all bad

Once you get past the in-your-face sexplosion of naked profile pictures, horny AIM-era profile names, and explicit videos, there are actually an impressive number of resources to help make your experience as satisfying as possible. Some will cost money even outside of the paid subscription, which is kind of dumb.

Aside from the NSFW content, the website is relatively straightforward (albeit ugly). Every feature is advertised in big letters, notifications are displayed clearly with labels, and you don't really have to click around to find anything. This makes it super accessible for users of all ages, even those who aren't tech-savvy and can't even figure out Facebook. Buttons are all over the place, but you figure it out after messing around for a few minutes.

Activities range from direct messaging, sending virtual gifts and tips, watching live videos of people in your feed, joining adult chat rooms that can get very niche, or entering photo contests.

AdultFriendFinder is like a PornHub that you can interact with.

Think of AdultFriendFinder as the dating site version of New York City — it never sleeps. You'll find people who work the regular 9 to 5, people who work the night shift, and people in other time zones, so it's nearly impossible to log on and not have people to talk to. You know, like that booty call who's always awake when you text them.

Or at least that used to be the case... 10 years ago. What was once a hot site that a few Reddit users were quick to hype up is now one of the dating sites that Reddit users can't help but diss — in the few instances that AFF is even being discussed at all. It's notable that, on a site where online dating is such a mammoth topic of discussion, AdultFriendFinder has rarely been mentioned in a positive light since the early 2010s. The Reddit community is diverse and open-minded; if a dating site exists, someone on Reddit has used it and has an opinion. When an innocent soul does ask if it's legit, AFF usually gets dragged for sketchy pricing and being riddled with bots.

However, some Reddit members have praised AFF as a site for men meeting men. Even so, the site's still buggy and isn't exactly great for meeting real people who aren't, as one Reddit user so eloquently put it, "busted and unstable."

SEE ALSO: Is Bumble Premium worth it? I tried it for 2 months to find out. Paid memberships are where things get... interesting

You can do a decent amount of exploring without paying a cent: Limited messaging and emailing, visit and like most profiles, and enter some chat rooms. But just a few clicks on AdultFriendFinder can send you deep down the rabbit hole, and a lot of that juicier hidden content can only be unlocked with a paid membership (called the Gold membership) or by earning points.

Points are AdultFriendFinder's non-monetary currency. If you're a free member, you'll have to earn points through on-site activity to unlock stuff that's exclusive to paying members. It's kind of like a game, with points acting like dollar bills at the strip club.

A Gold membership is pretty much the standard if you're a guy looking for girls. While researching on Reddit, we found a few women who said they wouldn't meet a guy unless he's a Gold member. A Gold membership puts a little bit more credibility behind someone's profile and makes the whole encounter feel a bit safer. It's easier to believe that someone's a real person if they're a paying, active member of the site, and it's nice to know that they're taking it slightly seriously. Plus, if you see a picture or profile that looks like it's 10 years old, it really might be — there are a ton of non-active, non-paying profiles from old members and escorts still lingering.

AdultFriendFinder also gives members the option to confirm their identity with ConfirmID. If you do this, the site promises to give you two weeks of Gold for free. The ConfirmID works by entering your legal first and last name, home address, gender, and date of birth and uploading a copy of your driver's license, passport, or other government-issued ID.

If you spend more quality time on the site than expected, becoming a paid member is definitely something to consider. Once you're paying, you basically become royalty on the site: Your profile will appear way higher in searches, you can use the most advanced searches, unlock profiles with private photo albums, check out video profiles, and message to your heart's content. A general rule is that increased involvement and payment on your end generally equals more success on the website, as your constant activity and heightened searchability make it easier for others to find you.

AdultFriendFinder price

Prices for a Gold membership fluctuate but generally get cheaper the longer your subscription is: Get one month for $27.95, three months for $20.95 per month ($62.82 total), or 12 months for $14.95 per month ($179.40 total). The three-month membership is billed quarterly, while the 12-month membership is billed annually. With a Gold membership, free members cannot contact you, but they can still see your profile.

You can also purchase profile highlights designed to make your profile stand out. They're $9.95 per month or $8.95 per month for a three-month run (billed quarterly). Although it's not super clear how these highlights work, the site promises your profile will "get noticed first in search and browse results" and that your emails will appear highlighted. It also notes that highlights are "colorful and attention-grabbing."

Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder Good for: Very open-minded people looking to blow off steam

Stating the obvious, AdultFriendFinder is a space for people who want to bang with no strings attached, people who are in a sexual rut, people who are tired of porn, and people who find sites like eharmony boring. Getting to know someone for weeks before meeting up can be exhausting, and sometimes, you want to skip the small talk and do the dirty with a random. It's gonna get kinky out there, and that's great for those who are dying to blow off steam and want someone who will respond well to a brusque, sexy message.

People are so active on this site that it's impossible not to feel desired. You'll probably get a flood of message notifications, and once you come across your first legit suitor, you'll start to loosen up. Even if you're left on read a few times, you'll learn which opening lines and flirty comments work and which don't. But since the site is aimed toward casual sex and encounters and not serious relationships, the whole rejection thing isn't nearly as prevalent.

As with all dating sites, catfishing is a big buzzkill. Your chances of being pursued are way higher if you have a lot of pictures of the same person (AKA you), videos, and a genuine profile that lets people know they're not dealing with something sketchy. Even if you've had bad luck with online dating in the past, AdultFriendFinder is the place to be honest.

SEE ALSO: What is consensual non-monogamy? Bad for: People looking for a real relationship and the entire socially-conscious community

You know those warnings that thrill rides at amusement parks are required to put up that tell people who get dizzy easily or have heart problems to not get on the ride? AdultFriendFinder could use something like that. This site is not for the faint of heart — if you're a cynic, conservative by any means, get sketched out easily, or aren't a fan of dick pics, you'll probably hate it. Similarly, if you appreciate a well-crafted, aesthetically-pleasing website that feels safe — no matter how badly you want to have sex — one glance at the landing page likely signals that it's not for you.

AdultFriendFinder is not the place to be if you're trying to make friends unless "with benefits" is tacked onto the end. Every inch of the site screams "this website is used to have sex," and you should really listen to that.

As illustrated by the recent flood of artsy activism guides on Instagram, it's clear what content appeals to young people on the internet: Something aesthetically-pleasing, sharable, and digestible. The "sharable" part doesn't totally apply to online dating, but apps like Hinge and OkCupid closely follow this design trend by limiting the number of words (and ads) in each tab, steering clear of endless scrolling, and ensuring that important info isn't cluttered with flashing clickbait.

For instance, Pure is a modern, no-strings-attached hookup app that appeals to your horny side with a single, witty statement about sex rather than bombarding you with boobs and "Have sex in NYC now!" claims. Anyone older than a millennial may be totally used to this pop-up-ridden layout, which seemed to be popular in the early 2000s — but for younger folks, AFF's chaotic approach is way too reminiscent of Omegle.

AFF could do so much more to make people take it seriously

The entire website looks like an ad about hot MILFs that pops up when you're illegally streaming a movie. Seriously, it's bad. Even though the website is technically legit, the pictures, word choice, and exclamation points everywhere scream "scam." No, AdultFriendFinder, "98,897,765 Hot Photos" is not the way to make potential new users trust you.

We're not knocking a quick hookup or no-strings-attached relations. This isn't about morals. Genitals are quite literally in your face from the moment you make an account, and that's just not cute. There are chiller ways to go about insinuating that this is a hookup website without feeling like you're trapped in a sex dungeon with strangers.

I could not get past the fact that the entire site looks like it's about to invite five viruses to your computer. We're talking terrible graphics that look like they were made on Microsoft Paint and pictures of women who look like they're from Pornhub in 2007. (That's when AdultFriendFinder was officially sold and rebranded from its original parent company.) Reddit user Snoo53279 summed it up in a comment from July 2020: "The people on AFF are definitely real, but there is a huge smattering of bots that also get in the way so it can be a bit of a PITA to use." If they're not bots, they could be men posing as a couple to seem less threatening.

The parade of women on the landing page is questionable for two reasons. This shouldn't even need to be clarified, but not everyone is looking for a woman. At the least, the advertising isn't inclusive — but this crosses into fetishization territory. The cherry on top is that the women in the photos (unsurprisingly) probably aren't even members of the site, according to a disclaimer at the bottom of the landing page.

SEE ALSO: What is cockfishing? Why some men lie about their size on dating apps.

AdultFriendFinder's overall outdated vibe goes past an aesthetic annoyance — it's downright problematic at times. The lack of inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community is nearly unforgivable, and we'd be scared to see some of the related rhetoric that AFF users feel comfortable spewing. Without even a dash of social awareness, it's hard to see how anyone who's not an out-of-touch straight cis man would feel comfortable on this site.

Attempting to navigate the shoddy design might be enough to smother your horniness. Three main issues can make the site borderline unusable: It looks shady as hell, an alarming portion of the user base is made up of bots and spam accounts, and the user interface itself is outdated and rife with bugs.

Other Reddit users mention that the desktop web version won't even load for them at random times — an especially frustrating roadblock for people who want to end their membership and stop monthly charges. A solution to the laggy web version might be to clear your cache or use the smartphone app, but your experience probably won't improve. AFF's mobile page doesn't even mention an Android app, and the link to the iPhone app brings up a "not available" pop-up in the App Store. For a site that claims to have over 50 million visitors each month, the lack of accessibility to a smartphone app is just plain odd — especially in 2023.

Adding to the sketchiness, a network hack in 2016 exposed around 412 million accounts, including "deleted" accounts that weren't actually deleted from the database. If this is enough reason for you to fall back on Tinder for finding a friend with benefits, we don't blame you. Signing up with a burner email and avoiding using your real name as a username are wise moves (pick a naughty word and add 69 to the end, IDK), though keeping your personal information private is hard when credit cards are involved.

In 2007, AFF was involved in a lawsuit with the FTC over allegations that the site used malware to send explicit pop-up ads to computers owned by people who hadn't signed up for the service. Though we haven't seen reports like this recently, so we're hoping those ridiculous ads you see are at least confined to people who actually use the site.

The alternatives to AdultFriendFinder

Surprisingly, AdultFriendFinder feels much more legit than its competitors. While other hookup sites have names like FreeSnapMilfs.com, Fuckswipe.com, and Instabang.com, AdultFriendFinder will be the one you'd hate showing up in your Google search history the least. Most have the same general idea: to find sexual partners, have cybersex, etc., but with names like those, the authenticity is way too questionable. AdultFriendFinder boasts a much larger audience and has built credibility in a Tinder-saturated market where these blunt, friskier competitors may have trouble gaining trust.

SEE ALSO: Best hookup apps and dating sites to find casual sex with no strings attached

No matter how in the mood you are, your hungry eyes may not be able to look past AFF's heinous interface. We mentioned Pure earlier. The aesthetically pleasing, hella-millennial UX design is simply more palatable than AFF and the blueprint of what a modern hookup app should be. Kind of like a Snapchat for sex; your uploaded selfies, personal info, and conversations will self-destruct every 60 minutes. The app will send the hookup version of an Uber request to anyone close and ready to rumble, and you can choose what information to disclose from there.

Remember when we said AdultFriendFinder would be a nightmare for gay and bi women? Feeld was our favorite alternative app dedicated to singles and couples looking for threesomes, foursomes, or however many people you want — minus the unicorn hunting and rampant fetishization that many non-hetero, non-monogamous people face on traditional hookup sites and apps. However, as of Dec. 7, we are in the process of reevaluating Feeld's place among our recommendations after the app's recent update arrived with bugs and location-related safety concerns. Feeld has since told Mashable that locations shared were not users' current exact locations, rather the name of the city, town, or borough.

The final verdict: Is AdultFriendFinder worth it?

AdultFriendFinder is a low-pressure way to find a friends-with-benefits situation without insulting anyone. Everyone is pretty much there for the same reason — and though it'll feel pretty unorthodox if you've only ever used Tinder to scope this type of thing out, AFF's blunt advertising at least means you won't have to explain that you're not looking for a relationship. It's niche-friendly, well-populated, and has a ton of interactive outlets to indulge your primal urges.

But that freedom comes with a price — the price is feeling like one of those people who fall for the ads that pop up before a free Pornhub video. It's not that a site dedicated to sex and sexting is inherently scammy — it's that AdultFriendFinder drowns you with explicit photos on profiles that might not even be real people while asking you to pay for a subscription with every click.

Unfortunately, no matter how in the mood you are, some people aren't cut out for the nothing-left-to-the-imagination approach with grammar mistakes all over the place. It wants to be sex-positive so badly, but the language the site has used in reference to the trans community is the furthest thing from that.

The functionality and safety of the site and the mobile app aren't where they need to be in 2023. If security measures were tightened, graphics and photos were cleaned up to feel more relevant, and decision-makers behind the scenes were given a lesson in inclusivity and pronouns/identities, AdultFriendFinder could be a handy tool to find attachment-free hookups and connect with a community that's down for anything.

This isn't a dating or hookup site we would personally use, but if you're feeling brave, you can register for AdultFriendFinder here. Just don't try this at work.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder Learn More

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for May 10 SEE ALSO: 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for May 10

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, May 10, 2024:

AcrossWhat "10" is, for the airplane seat 10A

• The answer is row.

Another helping

• The answer is more.

Name that means "lioness"

• The answer is Leona.

Knight's "suit"

• The answer is armor.

Impatient and ill-tempered

• The answer is testy.

DownStudy, lounge, library, hall, kitchen, conservatory, etc.

• The answer is rooms.

"Ready ___, here I come!"

• The answer is ornot.

Very tired

• The answer is weary.

___ mortals

• The answer is mere.

Back muscle, for short

• The answer is lat.

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 May 10'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: Moxie

• Green: For pet perambulation

• Blue: Turn about

• Purple: Epic names

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Chutzpah

• Green: Accessories for Dog Walking

• Blue: Things That Spin

• Purple: Lead Singers of '70s Rock Bands

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 Connections #333 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• CHUTZPAH: BRASS, CHEEK, GALL, NERVE

• ACCESSORIES FOR DOG WALKING: COLLAR, HALTER, HARNESS, LEAD

• THINGS THAT SPIN: CAROUSEL, GLOBE, RECORD, TOP

• LEAD SINGERS OF '70s ROCK BANDS: FERRY, MERCURY, NICKS, PLANT

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.

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 May 10'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:

Music, movies, videos

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

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 Wordle #1056 is...

MEDIA.

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.

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

Apple has apologised for the extremely tone-deaf iPad Pro ad it released during its Let Loose event on Tuesday. It turns out that tech giants destroying implements of creative human expression doesn't play so well to a crowd — especially when creatives' jobs are being threatened by generative AI.

AdAge reports that Apple has abandoned plans to run its "Crush!" ad on television, admitting that it didn't quite send the message the company had been aiming for.

SEE ALSO: The new iPad ad essentially flips AI-weary creatives the bird

"Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world," Apple's VP of marketing communications Tor Myhren told AdAge. "Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry."

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Set to "All I Ever Need Is You" by Sonny & Cher, Apple's minute-long iPad Pro ad shows a giant hydraulic press slowly crushing a collection of equipment for various hobbies and creative pursuits. These include an upright piano, paints, a trombone, an arcade machine, cameras, and a dressmaker's mannequin.

The press then lifts to reveal Apple's new iPad Pro, while a voiceover declares that "the most powerful iPad ever is also the thinnest."

Apple's commercial was no doubt intended to convey the idea that the iPad Pro can also do many of the tasks that the various obliterated tools could. Unfortunately, the result looked more grimly dystopian than the tech giant intended.

The widely derided ad was ridiculed as "destructive," "heartless," "cruel," and "soul-crushing," with viewers appalled to see Apple literally crush so many symbols of human creativity only to replace them with a single cold gadget. Some even stated that it would have been a much better commercial if it were played in reverse.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Apple's ad felt particularly callous considering the threat that generative AI is currently posing to creatives. Numerous reports of companies replacing artists with AI have emerged since the technology gained widespread prominence, from viral fashion brand Selkie to streaming giant Netflix. 

As such, seeing a trillion-dollar tech company symbolically obliterate human creativity and expression rubbed many people the wrong way. 

Tweet may have been deleted

Several viewers further unfavourably compared "Crush!" to Apple's famous "1984" ad directed by Ridley Scott. The commercial featured a woman in bright athletic gear running through a monotonous grey dystopia, before smashing a screen displaying a Big Brother-like dictator. In it, Apple portrayed itself as a beacon of hope and originality in a world of dull conformity. 

"Crush!" offered a stark contrast, inadvertently placing Apple in the position of an oppressor destroying the creativity and colour it used to align itself with.

This isn't the first time a tech company has tried to sell a product by destroying objects people love. Apple's ad prompted some social media commenters to resurface a startlingly similar ad LG ran in 2008 for the KC910 Renoir smartphone, crushing cameras, musical instruments, and speakers.

A great presentation depends on more than the high-quality information you’re sharing. Here are some essential principles to help you create a memorable slide deck. Choose the right fonts. Use sans serif fonts like Helvetica or Arial for a minimal look and better readability. Stick to two font styles throughout your presentation—one for headings and another […]

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TL;DR: Live stream every Brazil match from the 2024 Copa America for free on Globoplay. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This is a huge summer for sport. The French Open, Euro 2024, Wimbledon, the Olympics, and more top events are being squeezed into just a few months. What a time to be alive.

We're not going to suggest which event will provide the best entertainment, because that's on you. But for passionate fans, electric stadiums, and some of the most talented athletes on the planet, you should check out the 2024 Copa America. The likes of Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, and Federico Valverde will be on display, which is a pretty good lineup of stars.

If you want to watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is Copa America?

The Copa America is the top men's football tournament contested by national teams from South America. It is the oldest still-running continental football competition, and determines the champions of the continent.

The 2024 Copa America will start with four groups of four teams, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout rounds. The 10 CONMEBOL members are automatically granted entry, plus six North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football teams that qualified through the CONCACAF Nations League.

When is the 2024 Copa America?

The 2024 Copa America will be the 48th edition of the tournament. This year's event will be held in the United States from June 20 to July 14.

How to watch the 2024 Copa America for free

TV Globo has exclusive rights to broadcast all of Brazil's matches on free-to-air television, with free live streaming available through Globoplay.

Globoplay is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can access Globoplay from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of Copa America by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit Globoplay

5. Watch Copa America fixtures for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch select fixtures from the 2024 Copa America before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for streaming sport?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on sites like Globoplay, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch select fixtures from the 2024 Copa America for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

MotoGP is a whole lot of fun for all the family, and we won't shut up about it until everyone knows. It's a thrilling form of racing without all the predictable results, pit stops, and yellow flags that haunt other events (we're talking about you, F1).

If you're interested in watching the 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix?

The MotoGP French Grand Prix takes place at Le Mans. The 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix race starts at 8 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. BST on May 12.

How to watch the 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix for free

Every MotoGP 2024 race is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking ServusTV to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 MotoGP French Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Gujarat Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There's just over two weeks left of the IPL, and excitement is rife among fans. In the next fixture, team captains Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be leading their teams, Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.

Want to tune in and find out who wins? Keep scrolling to find out how you can watch Gujarat Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings for free from anywhere in the world.

When is Gujarat Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings?

Gujarat Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings starts at 3 p.m. BST on May 10. This fixture will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.

How to watch Gujarat Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings for free

JioCinema is giving you the chance to catch free live streams of every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app.

But to access it, you'll need to use a VPN. JioCinema is geo-restricted to India, but with a VPN you can unblock this free streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in India

4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

5. Watch Gujarat Titans vs. Chennai Super Kings for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without committing with your cash. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select IPL fixtures for free.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including India

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson join Mashable for a special Doctor Who edition game of "Choose Your Squad."

It's official: All three major video game consoles are now getting rid of their integrations with Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

On Wednesday, Nintendo became the last of the big gaming companies to announce that gamers would no longer be able to post directly to X via the Nintendo Switch gaming console. Other X-related functions would be dropped as well.

Tweet may have been deleted

"As of June 10, 2024, it will no longer be possible to post screenshots and videos to X (formerly Twitter) from the Nintendo Switch's Album, or send friend requests to social media users via the Friend Suggestions feature," Nintendo of America posted on its official account on X.

With this announcement, X has officially lost direct integrations with all three major video game console companies. Microsoft was the first gaming company to announce it was dropping its X integration in April of last year, with Sony following with a similar announcement in November.

What's being removed

In a more detailed post on its website, Nintendo provided more information about what exactly will be removed from Switch.

Nintendo says gamers will no longer be able to use the feature that allows the posting of screenshots and videos to X from the Album in the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu. Nintendo does note, however, that users will still be able to post screenshots and video from Switch directly to Facebook, although that feature may also possibly be removed at a later time.

In addition, sending friend requests to social media users via the Friend Suggestions menu will also be removed.

There are game-specific changes as well. Before this change, it was possible to post to X in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 via the mailbox option seen in hub worlds like Inkopolis Square. That will no longer be available.

According to Nintendo, Switch users will be able to share screenshots and videos to X by saving the media to the Album in the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu and then transferring the data wirelessly to a smart device or by connecting their Switch to a PC via USB cable.

Why Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft dropped X

Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have yet to specifically provide a reason for the removal of X integrations. However, the first company to do so, Microsoft, dropped X shortly after Elon Musk rolled out a new, paid model for its API, which is necessary for these integrations. 

Since then, both Sony and Nintendo followed Microsoft's lead in dropping X from its social media integration list.

The new API plans are quite exorbitantly priced, with Enterprise access starting at $42,000 per month. It is very likely, based on how many users Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft gaming consoles have, that their API usage would result in a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) per month.

This change will likely save Nintendo money with little-to-no blowback. The biggest loser, though? Musk's X, which loses major video game partners and their hundreds of millions of users who were sending free content to X from their gaming consoles.

If one was to just listen to Elon Musk, they might think the first Neuralink implant in a human was a flawless achievement.

"Successful 100 days with first human implant of @Neuralink," Musk posted to his social media platform X on Wednesday.

It is fair to call Neuralink's first human implant a success – certainly more successful than some of the test animals that Neuralink had implanted the device in – as it helped a quadriplegic patient interact with his surroundings in ways that he previously couldn't before. 

But, this success certainly wasn't without at least one major bump in the road. And, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, it appears that Musk and company may have only divulged these problems to the public due to the outlet inquiring about the issue.

SEE ALSO: Neuralink's first patient can play chess using only his mind Neuralink's implant problem

Neuralink's report, which the Wall Street Journal said was published only after they had reached out to the company, looks at the first 100 days of the brain implant in the company's first test subject, 29-year-old Nolan Arbaugh who was paralyzed from the shoulders down after an accident nearly a decade ago.

Neuralink had previously shown a demonstration of Arbaugh playing Chess and video games like Mario Kart and controlling a mouse with his mind, all thanks to Neuralink's brain implant.

However, until this report on Wednesday, the public had not been informed of a problem that resulted in Neuralink even considering removing the implant. Some of the implant's "threads" placed in Arbaugh's brain had come out resulting in data loss.

The Neuralink microchip, which is implanted in the patient's brain, contains 1,024 electrodes across 64 electrode threads or thin film material. These threads are thinner than a strand of hair and can basically transmit signals to the brain's neural network.

While Arbaugh's health was never in any danger, the issue led to a "reduction in bits-per-second" or how fast and accurate Arbaugh was able to control his computer with his brain.

Neuralink's own report on its 100 successful days after the implant doesn't spend too much time on the details. It's all wrapped up in a single, four-sentence paragraph.

"In the weeks following the surgery, a number of threads retracted from the brain, resulting in a net decrease in the number of effective electrodes," Neuralink writes in its post. "This led to a reduction in BPS. In response to this change, we modified the recording algorithm to be more sensitive to neural population signals, improved the techniques to translate these signals into cursor movements, and enhanced the user interface. These refinements produced a rapid and sustained improvement in BPS, that has now superseded Noland’s initial performance."

According to the Wall Street Journal report, Neuralink is working on the issue so that it hopefully does not happen in future implants. The belief is that the threads retracted due to "pneumocephalus," a condition where air became trapped inside Arbaugh’s skull after his implant surgery. This caused some of the threads to become disconnected.

Again, obviously things could have gone a lot worse and the Neuralink's first implant thus far can be considered a successful endeavor. However, based on the company's alleged history of concealing information, including the reports of monkey deaths related to Neuralink implants, it's crucial that both the positive and negative aspects are transparently disclosed.

OpenAI is open to allowing NSFW responses generated by ChatGPT and its API, but porn is a hard no.

On Wednesday, the company published a Model Spec, a document that pulls the veil back a little bit on how the models are trained to respond to various prompts. In the Spec, OpenAI shared rules for how ChatGPT and the API are directed to respond, including prompts for breaking the law, questions about chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats, and yes, prompts for explicit content.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI's GPT-5 release could be as early as this summer

OpenAI's current policy bans NSFW content. But just below its policy statement, OpenAI noted that it is "exploring whether we can responsibly provide the ability to generate NSFW content in age-appropriate contexts through the API and ChatGPT." The reasoning is "developers and users should have the flexibility to use our services as they see fit" as long as they adhere to OpenAI's policies. So NSFW content is not allowed now, but it might be in the future.

But that doesn't mean all NSFW content might be allowed. "We have no intention to create AI-generated pornography," an OpenAI spokesperson told Mashable. "We have strong safeguards in our products to prevent deepfakes, which are unacceptable, and we prioritize protecting children. The spokesperson continued, "we also believe in the importance of carefully exploring conversations about sexuality in age-appropriate contexts," which lines up with the note in the Model Spec.

The wording about NSFW content was brief and slightly ambiguous, leading some to speculate that OpenAI might soon allow users to generate AI porn. The only mention of specific types of NSFW content was in the statement about what AI models should not provide responses for: "The assistant should not serve content that's Not Safe For Work (NSFW): content that would not be appropriate in a conversation in a professional setting, which may include erotica, extreme gore, slurs, and unsolicited profanity." The notable omission of "pornography" initially generated confusion over what was allowed or soon to be allowed.

Porn in the generative AI era has potentially dangerous and disastrous consequences because of the threat of nonconsensual deepfakes. A 2023 study from cybersecurity firm Home Security Heroes found that 98 percent of all deepfake videos were pornography, and 99 percent of the subjects were women. Even Taylor Swift, a powerful and recognizable celebrity, was the victim of a rash of viral pornographic deepfakes, underscoring the issue's prevalence and highlighting the disturbing notion that it could happen to anyone.

UPDATE: May. 9, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EDT Check out the latest Apple deals from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and more.

Best Apple deals this week: Best MacBook deal 2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,199 at Amazon (Save $100) Get Deal Best iPad deal iPad mini (WiFi, 64GB) $399.99 at Amazon (Save $99.01) Get Deal Best iPhone deal iPhone 15 at Verizon $0 on a new line with select unlimited plans (Save $829.99) Get Deal Best Apple Watch deal Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS) $229 at Walmart and Amazon (Save $100) Get Deal Best AirPods deal Apple USB-C AirPods Pro $179.99 at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target (Save $69.01) Get Deal

Apple may have an iron grasp on the general population, but when it comes down to it, their products look good, work well, and stay cutting-edge — so of course, people love 'em. Whether you build your calendar around Apple events or just want solid tech no matter the brand, Apple's got you covered. Sure, they're a little notorious for their high prices, but we've rounded up the best deals on iPads, AirPods, MacBooks, and more to help you save where you can.

iMac and MacBook deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: 2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,149.99 at Amazon
$1,299.00 Save $149.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air.

We love seeing a nice discount on a newer Apple release, and that's exactly the case in with this M3 MacBook Air. The larger screen makes the new Air a great choice for folks who need more space to work, especially for creative tasks like video or photo editing. The M3 chip will give you plenty of power for your workflow, and, especially with the price drop, this Air is a more affordable alternative to the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

More iMac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

• 2020 MacBook Air (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $699 $899 at Walmart (save $200)

• 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $849 $999 at Amazon (save $150)

• 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $849 $999 at Best Buy (save $150)

• 2023 MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999 $1,099 at Amazon (save $100)

• 2023 MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999 $1,099 at Best Buy (save $100)

• 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,049 $1,199 at Amazon (save $150)

• 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,049 $1,199 at Best Buy (save $150)

• 2023 MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,299 at Amazon (save $100)

• 2023 MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,299 at Best Buy (save $100)

• 2023 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,499 at Best Buy (save $300)

• 2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,349.99 $1,499 at Amazon (save $149.01 with on-page coupon)

• 2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,549.99 $1,699 at Amazon (save $149.01 with on-page coupon)

• 2023 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499 $1,899 at Best Buy (save $400)

MacBook Pro

• 2023 14.2-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399.99 $1,599 at Amazon (save $199.01 with on-page coupon)

• 2023 14.2-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 8GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,599 $1,799 at Amazon (save $200)

Mac

• Mac mini (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $499 $599 at Best Buy (save $100)

• Mac mini (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699 $799 at Best Buy (save $100)

• Studio Display (standard glass tilt adjustable) — $1,299.99 $1,599 at Best Buy (save $299.01)

SEE ALSO: iPad Air vs. iPad Pro: What are the differences between the new 2024 models? iPad deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: iPad mini (WiFi, 64GB) $399.99 at Amazon
$499.00 Save $99.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the iPad mini.

The new iPad Air and iPad Pro are finally here, but in terms of money saving, we're looking at this tiny tablet from 2021. While this deal price does situate the iPad mini just 99 cents away from its lowest price ever, we have seen it jump down to this price a few times this year already. Still, we're fans of its portability and stereo speakers and recommend it for anyone who uses their iPad as a content-consuming machine first and foremost.

At the time of writing, the 2022 iPad Air is also $100 off, but that's actually not all that impressive of a deal for the tablet, especially considering it puts it $50 away from its lowest price ever and just $100 away from the newer, upgraded Air.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

• Refurbished 2022 iPad (WiFi, 64GB) — $276.74 $368.99 at Target (save $92.25)

iPad (9th gen)

• 2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB) — $249 $329 at Amazon (save $80)

• 2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB) — $249 $329 at Walmart (save $80)

• 2021 iPad (WiFi, 256GB) — $379 $479 at Walmart (save $100)

iPad mini

• 2021 iPad mini (WiFi, 256GB) — $549.99 $649 at Amazon (save $99.01)

• 2021 iPad mini (WiFi + cellular, 64GB) — $549.99 $649 at Amazon (save $99.01)

SEE ALSO: Where to pre-order the new iPad Air

iPad Pro

• 2024 iPad Pro (OLED, WiFi, 256GB) — $949 $999 at Best Buy (save $50 with paid Best Buy Plus membership)

iPhone deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: iPhone 15 at Verizon $0 on a new line with select Unlimited plans (save $829.99) Get Deal Why we like it

Read our full review of the iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 hasn't really received the "get it free" deal treatment since it's been on the market. Although this particular deal comes with the standard caveats of requiring a new line and particular cell phone plan, it's still one of the best we've seen on this phone. With its USB-C charging port, Dynamic Island, and 48-megapixel camera, it is, as Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder calls it in his review, one of "the best new iPhones for most people."

More iPhone deals

• iPhone 14 (128GB) at AT&T — $5.99 per month for 36 months on select unlimited plans, then receive a $514.36 bill credit. $729.99 (save up to $514.36)

• iPhone 15 (128GB) at AT&T — $129.99 with an eligible trade-in on select unlimited plans. (save up to $700)

• iPhone 15 Plus (128GB) at AT&T — $229.99 with an eligible trade-in on select unlimited plans. $929.99 (save up to $700)

• iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB) at AT&T — $199 with an eligible trade-in on select unlimited plans. $1,199 (save up to $1,000)

• iPhone SE (64GB, 3rd gen) at Verizon — $0 with an Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate Plan (save $429.99)

• iPhone 14 (128GB) at Verizon — $0 with select 5G unlimited plans. $729.99 (save up to $729.99)

• iPhone 14 Plus (128GB) at Verizon — $0 when you open a new line on any 5G unlimited plan. $829.99 (save $829.99)

• iPhone 15 Pro (128GB) at Verizon — $170 on a new line with an Unlimited Ultimate plan. $999.99 (save up to $819.99)

• iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB) at Verizon — $360 on a new line with an Unlimited Ultimate plan. $1,199.99 (save up to $839.99)

SEE ALSO: iOS 18: Everything we know about the next big iPhone update Apple Watch deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple Watch Series Series 9 (41mm, GPS) $299.00 at Walmart
$399.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9.

The Series 9 is $100 off at Walmart and Amazon, making the hit of losing the blood oxygen sensor much more palatable. For anyone tired of squinting at your smartwatch display on a sunny day, you'll appreciate this watch's peak brightness of 2,000 nits — this was one of our reviewer's favorite features of the Series 9. Of course, you'll also get Double Tap, a snappy processor, and more storage than previous generations.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 9

• Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS) — $299 $399 at Walmart (save $100)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm, GPS) — $329 $429 at Amazon (save $100)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS + cellular) — $399 $499 at Amazon (save $100)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm, GPS + cellular) — $429 $529 at Amazon (save $100)

SE

• Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $189 $249 at Walmart (save $60)

• Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $189 $249 at Amazon (save $60)

• Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) — $219 $279 at Amazon (save $60)

• Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) — $219 $279 at Walmart (save $60)

• Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + cellular) — $229 $299 at Walmart (save $70)

• Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS + cellular) — $269.99 $329 at Amazon (save $59.01)

AirPods and Apple accessories deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple USB-C AirPods $179.99 at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target
$249.00 Save $69.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the USB-C AirPods Pro.

The AirPods Pro are just 99 cents away from their lowest price ever, just in time to get the perfect last-minute Mother's Day present. We love these earbuds for their easy pairing to Apple devices and exceptional noise-cancellation, and we recommend them for travelers and iPhone users in particular.

More deals on AirPods and Apple accessories

• Apple AirTag — $24 $29 at Amazon (save $5)

• Apple AirTags (4-pack) — $79.99 $99 at Amazon (save $19.01)

• Apple Pencil (2nd gen) — $79 $129 at Amazon (save $50)

• Apple Pencil (2nd gen) — $79 $129 at Best Buy (save $50)

• Refurbished Beats Studio Buds + — $99.99 $169.95 at Woot (save $69.96)

• Apple USB-C AirPods Pro — $179.99 $249 at Walmart (save $69.01)

• Apple USB-C AirPods Pro — $179.99 $249 at Best Buy (save $69.01)

• Apple USB-C AirPods Pro — $179.99 $249 at Target (save $69.01)

There's a new iPad Pro and it might be more powerful than the most powerful MacBook Pro.

At least, that's what Geekbench says. According to the popular benchmarking software's website (as spotted by MSPowerUser) the new iPad Pro's single and multi-core scores are 22 and 25 percent faster than the 2023 MacBook Pro. It should be noted that the new iPad starts at $999, while the MacBook is a full $1,000 more than that.

SEE ALSO: What's missing: 6 features the new iPad Pro 2024 doesn't have

Of course, there's a reason the tablet has a higher Geekbench score than the laptop: the M4 chip powering it. Apple's latest in-house silicon debuted in the new iPad Pro, and it's not really surprising that M4 would be faster than the M3 Pro chip powering the MacBook Pro. At least, not on paper, but a tablet being more powerful than a laptop is still pretty cool.

Apple first confirmed the existence of the new iPad Pro during an event on Tuesday. It comes in 11-inch and 13-inch models, features an OLED screen for the first time, and is being marketed as Apple's thinnest ever device. And on top of all that, it might be more powerful than the best MacBook Pro.

TikTok is taking another stab at curbing the rise of AI-generated misinformation taking over social media platforms, as it announces a new way its watermarking (or labelling) AI.

The platform announced today that it is joining the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative and the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), a nonprofit-backed project to align tech and social media companies on best practices for what is known as "content provenance," or the "basic, trustworthy facts about the origins of a piece of digital content."

While TikTok already labels AI-generated content (AIGC) made using its own AI effects, and requires users to label their own uploaded AI content, the new policy will apply automatic oversight to content made offsite. TikTok's stated intention with the collaboration is for an auto-labeling system to read Content Credentials in order to parse an image or video's metadata and quickly identify it as AI-generated.

The platform also said it would begin attaching Content Credentials to TikTok content itself, so that others can learn when, where, and how the content was made or edited. It's now the first social media company and video platform to sign on to Adobe's Content Credentials standards, Fortune reports.

SEE ALSO: TikTok sues the U.S. government over ban

"While experts widely recommend AIGC labeling as a way to support responsible content creation, they also caution that labels can cause confusion if viewers don't have context about what they mean," the company wrote in its announcement. "That's why we've been working with experts to develop media literacy campaigns that can help our community identify and think critically about AIGC and misinformation."

TikTok will also release 12 new media literacy resources created alongside the Poynter Institute's Mediawise, a youth-focused fact checking project, and WITNESS, a human rights organization that teaches civilians how to use tech to record and protect themselves. WITNESS also provides guidelines and advice for discerning deepfakes and other AI threats.

Other tech platforms, similarly flooded with the products of generative AI, have taken their own paths toward better labeling and watermarking. Meta announced new AI content labels in April. Not long after, Snapchat announced it was adding an automatic, but user-visible, watermark to all content created using its in-house AI tools. The transparent Snapchat logo watermark is added to images once they are downloaded to a device or exported off the platform.

TikTok, meanwhile, launches these intended AI protections within a flurry of attention aimed at the platform's role in global organizing and its potential impact on the upcoming presidential election. The new policies also come in the midst of the company's last ditch effort to save the app's place on U.S. phones, including a recent lawsuit against the U.S. government for its Biden-approved ban.

Happy (almost) summer! Let's celebrate by looking ahead to the oodles of television coming in the next few months.

The summer of 2024 is already shaping up to be a busy time for TV lovers, with the return of heavy-hitters like House of the Dragon, The Bear, Bridgerton, and The Boys. Elsewhere, upcoming Star Wars show The Acolyte will transport us to the High Republic, The Umbrella Academy prepares to take its final bow, and Interview with the Vampire goes all in on gothic goodness.

But there are even more shows — both new and returning — where those came from. Read on for 33 TV shows to check out this summer.

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: Every film you oughta know Shardlake

Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell. That's all we need to watch Shardlake, a four-part historical murder mystery set in Tudor England. Written by Stephen Butchard and directed by The Other Boleyn Girl's Justin Chadwick, Shardlake is based on the first book in C. J. Sansom's novel series. The show spans the reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, during the dissolution of the monasteries. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake, who works for Cromwell, is ordered to investigate the murder of one of the Crown's commissioners in the town of Scarnsea. With his assistant Jack Barak, Shardlake must solve the crime while navigating the political turmoil permeating this seaside town. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Arthur Hughes, Sean Bean, Babou Ceesay, Paul Kaye, Matthew Steer, David Pearse, Joe Barber, and Kimberley Nixon

How to watch: Shardlake premieres May 1 on Hulu.

Hacks Season 3

Sharp-tongued comedians Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels return in Hacks Season 3, which has a lot of ground to cover following Season 2's game-changing finale. In that episode, stand-up legend Deborah fired her assistant Ava in order to give her more time to focus on her own life and career. But a dynamic duo can only stay apart for so long, right? The two will team up again soon, right?

Based on the trailer for Season 3, it looks like a Deborah and Ava reunion is certainly in the cards after a chance elevator encounter. And now that Deborah's latest special has put her back on top of the comedy world, she'll need someone like Ava to keep pushing her to do all that she wants to achieve. That's great news for Hacks fans, because we can always count on Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder's killer chemistry for a great time.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter.

Starring: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Kaitlin Olson, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, and Mark Indelicato

How to watch: Hacks Season 3 premieres May 2 on Max.

A Man in Full

Tom Wolfe's novel gets the Netflix treatment with Jeff Daniels in the lead as Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker. He's going bankrupt and risks losing everything, much to the delight of many of his adversaries. Created by David E. Kelley, A Man in Full has Regina King directing alongside Thomas Schlamme, so expect this one to be sharp and smart as hell. — S.C.

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Diane Lane, Tom Pelphrey, Aml Ameen, Chanté Adams, Jon Michael Hill, Sarah Jones, William Jackson Harper, and Lucy Liu

How to watch: A Man in Full premieres May 2 on Netflix.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

New Zealand author Heather Morris' popular novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz has been adapted into a six-part TV series for Peacock. The book follows a love story in unimaginable circumstances, inspired by the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov.

The series follows Lale, a Jewish man imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau; there, he was forced to tattoo identification numbers on the forearms of other prisoners. One such prisoner is Gita, with whom he fell in love. — S.C.

Starring: Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Jonas Nay, Harvey Keitel, and Melanie Lynskey

How to watch: The Tattooist of Auschwitz premieres May 2 on Peacock.

Dark Matter

Admit it: You've sometimes wondered how your life might have turned out if you made a slightly different choice along the way. That's the starting premise for Apple TV+'s sci-fi series Dark Matter, but in the world based on Blake Crouch's novel, it isn't just a premise.

SEE ALSO: 'Dark Matter' trailer teases a black box that leads to infinite versions of one man's life

Scientist Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) has actually invented a black box that can access infinite versions of his own life. The villain of the piece? A different version of Jason, who kidnaps the first Jason and rudely moves him into a parallel universe. Yes, it's all a little confusing. But the premise is also so intriguing that we can't wait to see where this one goes. — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi, and Oakes Fegley

How to watch: Dark Matter premieres May 8 on Apple TV+.

Reginald the Vampire Season 2

Reginald the Vampire Season 2 raises the stakes with a promise of a face-off between vampires and angels.

The SYFY comedy sees Reginald Andres (Jacob Batalon) adjusting nicely to his new vampire life and cohort. But just as life as a bloodsucker is starting to click, angels return to Earth and threaten to destroy every vampire in existence. With 30 days before the Blood War, can Reginald and his friends find enough allies to stand a chance? — B.E.

Starring: Jacob Batalon, Mandela Van Peebles, Em Haine, Savannah Basley, Aren Buchholz, Marguerite Hanna, and Thailey Roberge

How to watch: Reginald the Vampire premieres May 8 at 10 p.m. ET on SYFY.

Black Twitter: A People's History

In 2021, Wired's Jason Parham published the essential three-part article series "A People’s History of Black Twitter," chronicling the rise of the mighty online community that defined the platform now known as X. Hulu has developed Parham's piece into a three-part series, directed by Prentice Penny (Insecure) and produced by Onyx Collective. The series looks to delve further into the rise of Black Twitter through the memes, moments, and influencers who defined one of the most influential, important spaces on the internet.

"Black Twitter is the beating heart of Twitter overall," wrote Mashable's Chance Townsend and Tim Marcin. "If you have a favorite meme, joke, or even way to use Twitter, it most likely started on Black Twitter. There is no Twitter — at least not the version we know — without Black Twitter." The response to Hulu's trailer, however, was mixed — especially on Black Twitter. — S.C.

Starring: Jason Parham, Roxane Gay, W. Kamau Bell, TJ Adeshola, Ira Madison III, Dr. André Brock, Jemele Hill, Kid Fury, Rembert Browne, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Raquel Willis, Dr. Meredith Clark, Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins, Shamika Klassen, Wesley Lowery, April Reign, Sam Jay, Brad Jenkins, Van Lathan, Jamilah Lemieux, Baratunde Thurston, Judnick Mayard, God-is Rivera, Ashley Weatherspoon, Amanda Seales, Denver Sean, and J Wortham

How to watch: Black Twitter: A People's History premieres May 9 on Hulu.

Bodkin

From true crime docu-series to troubling dramas and outright parodies, Netflix loves a good murder mystery. Created by Jez Scharf, Bodkin offers a curious new series to obsess over, one that combines a small-town mystery, a tenacious journalist, and a big-hearted podcaster (played by comedian Will Forte).

But don't expect this one to be a laugh riot. Set in an Irish community untrusting of outsiders, Bodkin begins with the unsolved case of three missing persons who vanished 21 years ago during Samhain — or as Gilbert (Forte) puts it, "the Irish Night of the Dead." From there, surly locals, strange revelations, and a battle between ambition and empathy stoke tension. Also, there are nuns who promote yoga. This is an odd Bodkin to be sure. — K.P.

Starring: Will Forte, Siobhán Cullen, Robyn Cara, David Wilmot, and Chris Walley

How to watch: Bodkin premieres May 9 on Netflix.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School

2022's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin gets a new title, just in time for summer! Appropriately titled Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, the series sees our crew of liars catching up on classes while everyone else is on vacation. Summer jobs and flings are in the cards, but so is a disturbing development: A new villain who may be linked to "A" has surfaced, and they've got bloody vengeance on their mind. — B.E.

Starring: Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles, Maia Reficco, Mallory Bechtel, Sharon Leal, Alex Aiono, Jordan Gonzalez, and Elias Kacavas

How to watch: Pretty Little Liars: Summer School premieres May 9 on Max.

Doctor Who Season 14

It's a thrilling time to be a Whovian. Following David Tennant's return in the eponymous role for a timey-whimey mini-arc of episodes, Ncuti Gatwa debuted as the Fifteenth Doctor with plenty of panache — and no pants! Shortly thereafter, he took the lead in "The Church on Ruby Road," a Christmas special that ranks as one of the long-running sci-fi series' very best. And now, at long last, we're getting a full season of his swaggering Doctor, aided by a plucky companion in Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday. But that's not all! 

SEE ALSO: 'Doctor Who' is about to change forever. You're not ready.

The eight-episode season will be brought to us by showrunner Russell T Davies, who is responsible for some of the most beloved episodes of the modern run, including "The Runaway Bride." And in teasers and trailers, Davies has revealed flashy fashion, dinosaurs, dance numbers, and big guest stars, including Broadway's Jonathan Groff and RuPaul's Drag Race's Jinkx Monsoon! When it's Monsoon Season, everybody's a winner, baby. — K.P.

Starring: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Jinkx Monsoon, Aneurin Barnard, Anita Dobson, Yasmin Finney, Michelle Greenidge, Jonathan Groff, Bonnie Langford, Genesis Lynea, Jemma Redgrave, Lenny Rush, Indira Varma, and Angela Wynter

How to watch: Doctor Who Season 14 premieres Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. ET on Disney+ in the U.S. In the UK, the season kicks off Saturday, May 11, at 12 a.m. GMT on BBC iPlayer, followed by BBC One later that day.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2

AMC's Interview with the Vampire shocked and awed us with its gothic romance and thoughtful reworking of Anne Rice's original novels. Its spectacular first season ended with Louis de Pointe du Lac breaking away from lover Lestat de Lioncourt, bringing young vampire Claudia with him. Season 2 picks up with this pair joining a group of bloodsuckers at the Théâtre des Vampires in France. New characters await, including Théâtre des Vampires members Santiago and Armand, whom Louis introduced to his interviewer Daniel Molloy in the Season 1 finale as "the love of my life." But how did Louis and Armand grow so close? And what fresh hell will Lestat wreak when he finds out? Let's just say we're more than ready to sink our teeth into what comes next.* — B.E.

Starring: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Rae Dawn Chong, and Ben Daniels

How to watch: Interview with the Vampire premieres May 12 on AMC and AMC+.

Blood of Zeus Season 2

Several TV shows got us through the dark times of October 2020. One was Blood of Zeus, Charley and Vlas Parlapanides' brutal animated Greek mythology series about the son of the god of thunder, a demigod known as Heron. As is tradition, Hera wasn't stoked at another of Zeus' mortal dalliances resulting in a kid, so she went down the path of vengeance. At the end of Season 2, Heron found out some real Greek myth-level truths about his family, and fratricide went down. But when has death stopped the gods, especially when Hades is around? — S.C.

Starring: Derek Phillips, Elias Toufexis, Jason O'Mara, Fred Tatasciore, Claudia Christian, and Jessica Henwick

How to watch: Blood of Zeus Season 2 premieres May 9 on Netflix.

Bridgerton Season 3

Dearest gentle readers, it's high time we reunite with the Bridgerton family, wouldn't you agree? After the swoon-worthy story of Queen Charlotte and King George, Netflix's juggernaut Bridgerton returns to its roots for a third season, this time focusing on the romance between Penelope Featherington (who is secretly gossip maven Lady Whistledown) and Colin Bridgerton.

SEE ALSO: 'Bridgerton' Season 3 clip teases a very tense argument

Based on the trailer for the new season, this latest trip to the Ton will see Penelope seeking out a suitor with Colin's friendly help. (Emphasis on friend.) But as possible matches for Penelope arise, Colin finds that his feelings for Penelope may be stronger than he originally thought. Cue the angst! Oh, and remember that for the first time in Bridgerton history, Netflix will be releasing the season in two parts — so be sure to time your binge viewing accordingly!* — B.E.

Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Lorraine Ashbourne, Hannah Dodd, Simone Ashley, Jonathan Bailey, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Jessica Madsen, Florence Hunt, Martins Imhangbe, Will Tilston, Polly Walker, and Julie Andrews

How to watch: The first four episodes of Bridgerton Season 3 premiere May 16 on Netflix, and the last four on June 13.

The Big Cigar

An elaborate escape plan involving a fake movie production? This is one of the core "stranger than fiction" elements of The Big Cigar, Apple TV+'s series about Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton and his escape from the U.S. to Cuba, which he managed with the help of Hollywood producer Bert Schneider. The series is based on a 2012 Playboy article written by journalist Joshuah Bearman, whose 2007 Wired article fueled Ben Affleck's Argo. Yep, it's another fake-movie-border-smuggling-affair drawn from real events, if you can believe it. Plus, the first two episodes are directed by Don Cheadle. — S.C.

Starring: André Holland, Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P.J. Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Moses Ingram, Rebecca Dalton, Olli Haaskivi, Jordane Christie, and Glynn Turman

How to watch: The Big Cigar premieres May 17 on Apple TV+.

Trying Season 4

Have you slept on Trying? There's a fourth season coming of writer Andy Wolton's delightful series, so now's the time to get into it. A heartfelt journey through the trials and tribulations of starting a family, specifically through the adoption process, Trying has been one of Apple TV+'s underrated gems for a while now. The series hinges around London couple Nikki and Jason, whose road to parenthood isn't straightforward. But the series embodies the phrase "it takes a village," with a wonderful supporting cast of their family and friends making up the show. — S.C.

Starring: Rafe Spall, Esther Smith, Imelda Staunton, Sian Brooke, Darren Boyd, Scarlett Rayner, and Cooper Turner

How to watch: Trying Season 4 premieres May 22 on Apple TV+.

Evil Season 4

I've said it before: Evil is the wildest show you aren't watching. But with Season 4 fast approaching, there's no better time than the present to catch up quick! Imagine The X-Files with loads of Catholic horror, and you've got the rough outline of Robert King and Michelle King's racy and riveting series. A supernatural drama set in New York City, Evil follows a motley crew of paranormal investigators: one true believer, Catholic priest David Acosta (a sultry and stern Mike Colter); one die-hard skeptic, forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (an eye-rolling and charming Katja Herbers); and one agnostic tech wizard, Ben Shakir (the always-funny Aasif Mandvi). 

Week after week, this quipping trio combats everything from urban legends, demons, and ghosts to cults, creatures, and their main antagonist, Leland Townsend (the delectably devilish Michael Emerson), a wicked rival of Kristen's who is literally in league with Satan. After three seasons of cheeky stand-alone stories and an overarching narrative about a sinister IVF company, things are coming to a head with the coming of the Antichrist. So grab a blanket to cuddle up with. This one's going to get creepy. — K.P. 

Starring: Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Andrea Martin, Kurt Fuller, and Christine Lahti

How to watch: Evil Season 4 premieres May 23 on Paramount+.

Eric Credit: Ludovic Robert / Netflix

Suffragette writer Abi Morgan's Netflix thriller, Eric, promises to plunge us back into '80s Manhattan with a missing person mystery. Benedict Cumberbatch is in the lead as Vincent, a famous puppeteer and kids' TV show creator. When his nine-year-old son Edgar goes missing, a distressed Vincent descends into destructive actions, fixated on the character Edgar created in his drawings: a monster called Eric. Seeing Eric as the one real chance to bring his son home through his TV show, Good Day Sunshine, Vincent starts to become more and more isolated from those around him. — S.C.

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Belcher III, Dan Fogler, Clarke Peters, Ivan Howe, Phoebe Nicholls, David Denman, Bamar Kane, Adepero Oduye, Alexis Molnar, and Roberta Colindrez

How to watch: Eric premieres May 30 on Netflix.

We Are Lady Parts Season 2 Credit: Saima Khalid / Peacock / NBC International / C4

It's been a while since Nida Manzoor's comedy about an all-female Muslim punk bad made a splash with its first season, but fans will be pleased to hear that it won't be long before Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), Bisma (Faith Omole), Momtaz (Lucie Shorthouse), and Amina (Anjana Vasan) are back on our screens.

"The main critique for We Are Lady Parts remains that it is too short," wrote Mashable's Proma Khosla about Season 1. "I want eight episodes, or 10, or 50. Finishing the first season feels a lot like performing a stage gig; you won't remember every detail but you'll remember the feeling, a rush of joy and adrenaline that you were grateful to share with this motley, magnificent crew."* — S.H.

Starring: Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, Lucie Shorthouse, and Anjana Vasan

How to watch: We Are Lady Parts Season 2 premieres May 30 on Peacock.

The Outlaws Season 3 Credit: Prime Video / BBC Worldwide Americas

Stephen Merchant and Elgin James' lauded comedy series is back for a third round. Described as "a criminally fun watch" by Nicole Gallucci for Mashable, The Outlaws follows a group of random miscreants in Bristol charged with community service. In previous seasons, this now-tight crew has dealt with crime boss and drug lord The Dean (Claes Bang), but they're not free of the threat yet. No word yet on whether Christopher Walken will return, but the rest of the beloved cast is back for more. — S.C.

Starring: Stephen Merchant, Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jessica Gunning, Charles Babalola, Tom Hanson, and Claes Bang

How to watch: The Outlaws Season 3 premieres May 31 on Prime Video.

Clipped Credit: Kelsey McNeal / FX

FX's sports drama Clipped tackles one of professional basketball's biggest scandals: Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling's racist remarks and subsequent lifetime ban from the NBA.

The series examines the dysfunctional environment Sterling (Ed O'Neill) fostered at the Clippers organization through the eyes of new head coach Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) and Sterling's mistress, V. Stiviano (Cleopatra Coleman), who leaked tapes of Sterling's racist comments during the Clippers' 2014 playoff run. Not only does Clipped portray a pivotal moment in NBA history, it also chronicles social media's response and the role it played in the scandal's aftermath. — B.E.

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Ed O'Neill, Cleopatra Coleman, Jacki Weaver, Kelly AuCoin, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Rich Sommer, Corbin Bernsen, Clifton Davis, and Harriet Sansom Harris

How to watch: Clipped premieres June 4 on Hulu.

Star Wars: The Acolyte

2023's Star Wars TV offerings like The Mandalorian Season 3 and Ahsoka suffered from an overreliance on Easter eggs, fan service, and hewing too closely to prior Star Wars series and films. The Acolyte may just avoid these pitfalls altogether, as it takes us to an entirely new time period in the Star Wars chronology. Created by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), The Acolyte is our first live-action introduction to the High Republic era, 100 years before the prequels take place. This is a time of relative peace for this galaxy far, far away. However, when a former Jedi Padawan and her master team up to investigate a series of crimes, they'll uncover forces far darker than they could have possibly imagined.* — B.E.

Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, Margarita Levieva, and Joonas Suotamo

How to watch: The Acolyte premieres June 4 on Disney+.

Queenie

Candice Carty-Williams has already had a big 2023 with her awesome BBC series Champion, but this year has even more on the horizon. The author has adapted her popular 2020 debut novel, Queenie, as a buzzy series with Onyx Collective and Channel 4, with Dionne Brown in the lead as the eponymous protagonist. With Carty-Williams at the helm as showrunner and executive producer, the series revolves around Queenie, a 25-year-old Jamaican British journalist who's going through a break-up, navigating the mess of modern dating, and figuring out how to keep her job together, all while connecting with her family and incredibly tight group of friends.* — S.H.

Starring: Dionne Brown, Jon Pointing, Samuel Adewunmi, Bellah, Sally Phillips, Tilly Keeper, Elisha Applebaum, Mim Shaikh, Llewella Gideon, Michelle Greenidge, Cristale De'Abreu, Joseph Marcell, Joseph Ollman, Melissa Johns, and Laura Whitmore

How to watch: Queenie premieres June 7 on Hulu.

The Boys Season 4

In 2023, The Boys universe took a college detour with the deeply fun (and deeply bloody) spin-off Gen V. In 2024, the flagship series will return for an explosive fourth season. America is more polarized than ever (sound familiar?), with the MAGA-esque cult of Homelander facing off against Starlight's supporters. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Victoria Neuman grows ever closer to the Oval Office, the Boys are at odds with former leader Billy Butcher, and new supes Sister Sage and Firecracker are joining the Seven. With so much at stake, how will The Boys be able to top themselves in terms of outrageous gore?* — B.E.

Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, Cameron Crovetti, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

How to watch: The Boys Season 4 premieres June 13 on Prime Video.

Presumed Innocent Credit: Apple TV+

Already adapted into a Harrison Ford-led film in the '90s, Scott Turow's legal thriller novel Presumed Innocent has been snapped up by David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams for Apple TV+. Jake Gyllenhaal (who is also on board as an executive producer) takes over Ford's role of Rusty Sabich, the chief deputy prosecutor for the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney's office. Here, a murder charge within the building sees power and politics thrown into the air, and over eight episodes, it's a race to the truth. — S.C.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, and Renate Reinsve

How to watch: Presumed Innocent premieres June 12 on Apple TV+.

House of the Dragon Season 2

Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon returns for its highly anticipated second season this summer, bringing more Targaryen fire and blood to our TV screens. And I mean a ton more fire and blood. Think of it this way: If Season 1 was all about the build-up to the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, Season 2 is where the war begins in earnest. Following the death of her son Lucerys, Rhaenyra Targaryen is prepared to go scorched earth on Alicent Hightower and her son Aegon II — and who can blame her? Brutal battles, dastardly assassinations, and political machinations await, along with more dragons. (Of course.)* — B.E.

Starring: Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Gayle Rankin, Simon Russell Beale, Freddie Fox, Abubakar Salim, Clinton Liberty, Jamie Kenna, Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Tom Taylor, and Vincent Regan

How to watch: House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 on HBO and Max.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 has dueling trailers. Watch and pick a side. Orphan Black: Echoes

In the mid-2010s, Orphan Black was an obsession for sci-fi fans. Not only did the twisted Canadian drama series spin a complicated and compelling tale of clones quirky and caustic, but also it was shouldered by the wildly talented Tatiana Maslany, who'd go on to star in She Hulk: Attorney at Law. Now, the concept is replicated with Orphan Black: Echoes, a sequel series of sorts that exists in the same universe as the original.

This time around, Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones, Love and Death) stars, but specifics on the plotline are currently cryptic. Here's what AMC has released: "Set in the near future, Orphan Black: Echoes takes a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence. It follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other's lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal. Ritter plays Lucy, a woman with an unimaginable origin story, trying to find her place in the world." — K.P.

Starring: Krysten Ritter, Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix, Avan Jogia, Rya Kihlstedt, and James Hiroyuki Liao

How to watch: Orphan Black: Echoes premieres June 23 at 10 p.m. ET on AMC, AMC+, and BBC AMERICA.

Land of Women Credit: Apple TV+

Eva Longoria leads Apple TV+'s Land of Women as Gala, a New Yorker who's used to the good life. Unfortunately, Gala's husband has been up to no good; he implicates their family in financial wrongdoings and promptly disappears, leaving her to deal with his debt. With bad guys hot on their trail, Gala flees the country with her mother and adult daughter. The three wind up in a small wine town in Northern Spain — the same one Gala's own mother left decades before. They try their best to keep their identities hidden, but as townspeople gossip and criminals hunt Gala down, she and her family will learn deep, surprising family secrets. — B.E.

Starring: Eva Longoria, Santiago Cabrera, Victoria Bazúa, and Carmen Maura

How to watch: Land of Women premieres June 26 on Apple TV+.

The Bear Season 3 Credit: Chuck Hodes/FX

Are you ready for Carmy and company to come back? Season 1 gave us a panic attack with the real-time lunch rush of "Review." Season 2 gave us treats: rising star chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) guiding us on a Chicago food tour, beloved baker Marcus (Lionel Boyce) rolling around Denmark, Cousin Richie finding himself and his inner Swiftie, and hard-shelled Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) finally letting some love into his life. But man, this so-called "comedy" show also knows how to gut us with the ferocious family conflict in a star-stuffed holiday episode. 

SEE ALSO: The surprising mindfulness of 'The Bear'

Whether you love this critically heralded series for its "Forks" or "Fishes,"The Bear is undeniably some of the best TV of the past decade. So while we know virtually nothing about Season 3, it's still among our most anticipated returns of 2024. Let it rip! — K.P. 

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, and Liza Colón-Zayas

How to watch: The Bear premieres June 27 on Hulu.

Fantasmas Credit: Monica Lek / HBO

Julio Torres wowed audiences earlier this year with his whimsical directorial debut Problemista. Next up on his to-do list? Fantasmas, a new television show for HBO and his second with the network after Los Espookys. In Fantasmas, Torres tells us the story of how he lost a golden oyster. His journey to find it will bring him face to face with fascinating new characters (played by the likes of Julia Fox and Steve Buscemi) in a series of introspective (and likely charming) little films. — B.E.

Starring: Julio Torres, Martine, Joe Rumrill, Julia Fox, Ziwe, Steve Buscemi, Alexa Demie, and Kim Petras

How to watch: Fantasmas premieres on HBO and Max in June.

Sunny Credit: Apple TV+

A mystery with a sci-fi twist, Apple TV+'s Sunny stars Rashida Jones as a woman who teams up with a robot to solve the disappearance of her family.

Jones plays Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto. When her husband and son go missing in a plane crash, Suzie receives Sunny, a domestic robot made by her husband's electronics company. Her resentment and grief soon give way to an unexpected friendship between the two — one that leads them to investigate what really happened to Suzie's family. Dark secrets and robot detective capers await. — B.E.

Starring: Rashida Jones, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg, You, annie the clumsy, and Jun Kunimura

How to watch: Sunny premieres July 10 on Apple TV+.

Hit-Monkey Season 2 Credit: Courtesy of Marvel

2021's Hit-Monkey brought us face to face with one of TV's most unlikely (yet surprisingly moving) duos: Monkey (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), a Japanese snow monkey with a killer instinct, and Bryce (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), an American assassin who is also a ghost. In Season 1, the two took on the Yakuza in Tokyo. Season 2 moves the action to New York City, where Monkey will try to end his killing ways. But with former ally Akiko (voiced by Olivia Munn) hunting him down to avenge the death of her uncle, Monkey's plans for a life of peace might have to wait. — B.E.

Starring: Fred Tatasciore, Jason Sudeikis, Olivia Munn, Ally Maki, and Leslie Jones

How to watch: Hit-Monkey Season 2 premieres July 15 on Hulu.

Those About to Die

Anthony Hopkins! Roland Emmerich! Gladiators! Those About to Die has it all.

The TV debut from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich takes us behind the scenes of a gladiatorial competition in ancient Rome. Prepare to see the nitty-gritty ins and outs of the bloodiest entertainment industry imaginable, as well as some gnarly fights. And, of course, reigning over it all is Hopkins himself as Emperor Vespasian. Let the games begin. — B.E.

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, and Moe Hashim

How to watch: Those About to Die premieres July 18 on Peacock.

The Umbrella Academy Season 4

2024 marks one last ride with the Hargreeves siblings, who can never quite seem to time travel without any consequences. By the end of Season 3, the siblings have entered an all-new timeline, one where none of them have any powers, and where their nightmare of an adoptive father is exceedingly powerful. The Hargreeves' future may be unpredictable, but you can bet we'll get one more season full of fun fight scenes set to absolute banger tunes.* — B.E.

Starring: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Ritu Arya, Colm Feore, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and David Cross

How to watch: The Umbrella Academy Season 4 premieres Aug. 8 on Netflix.

Emily in Paris Season 4

The drama is on this season of Emily in Paris, especially in the aftermath of Camille and Gabriel's messy wedding. Emily finds herself struggling with her feelings for both Gabriel and Alfie, Sylvie must confront a dilemma from her past, the Agence Grateau team is facing some big shakeups, and Mindy's Eurovision hopes may be dashed by financial troubles. Sacré bleu. — B.E.

Starring: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Camille Razat, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie, and Lucien Laviscount

How to watch: The first five episodes of Emily in Paris premiere Aug. 15 on Netflix, and the last five premiere Sept. 12.

Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / Hulu

Following the theatrical conclusion of their Broadway murder mystery, Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) are back on the case this summer! Season 4 will focus on who killed Charles' long-time body double Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch). And — considering her physical similarity to the polarizing TV star — was she even the intended target? 

The Season 3 finale laid out some early clues. But here's what else we know about this fresh investigation: Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building will feature the return of Meryl Streep as the secretive actress Loretta Durkin, and new to the ever-expanding ensemble are Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Zach Galifianakis. Without even knowing what roles these comedic talents are slated for, we suspect this season will be another big hit. — K.P.

Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Meryl Streep, Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Zach Galifianakis

How to watch: Only Murders in the Building Season 4 is coming to Hulu this summer.

(*) means a blurb comes from a prior story.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple AirPods Max $449.99 at Amazon
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Thinking about investing in a new pair of over-the-ear headphones? There are tons of great options out there, but if you regularly use Apple devices, you might want to stay within that ecosystem. In that case, the AirPods Max are a formidable option for you that you can opt for over AirPods. And right now, you can shave some nice savings off their hefty price tag.

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SEE ALSO: The 8 best noise-cancelling headphones for flying in 2024

You get what you pay for with Apple's most expensive pair of headphones. There's fantastic active noise cancellation, which has become a staple for Apple headphones, so they sound great no matter where you are. They also offer a transparency mode option, should you need to be able to hear what's going on around you.

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