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This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Like running water, central heating, a roof over your head, and a next-gen gaming console — good WiFi is one of life's essentials. Be honest: You just couldn't exist without it. And as modern life gets smarter and increasingly connected, having a quality WiFi router in the home is more important than it's ever been.

WiFi routers are easy to install and can instantly improve the WiFi coverage throughout your home with lightning-fast connection speeds. Sounds good, right? The days of waiting for sluggish downloads and maddening buffering should be long gone.

But how do you go about picking the best router for you and your home? That will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your coverage area, the number of connected devices, and the types of devices connecting to the router. But we're plugged in when it comes to this sort of thing. Here’s a quick guide on everything you need to know, plus a selection of the vest WiFi routers available right now.

What is a WiFi router?

Quite simply, it’s a little contraption that sits in the corner of a room and beams out data from your broadband line to your devices, allowing each device to connect to the internet. And though wireless routers are, well, wireless — that's kind of the point, people — they usually have Ethernet ports too, which allow you to physically connect PCs, televisions, and other devices directly to the internet.

How does a WiFi router work?

The WiFi router converts broadband data into radio bands, which are then picked up by your devices. These radio bands are like different lanes, which keep data separate to stop it getting clogged up. Different devices need different bandwidths — some devices need more than others — so the higher number of bands, the more efficient the router is. You can choose from single, dual, or tri-band routers.

Single vs. dual-band — which is best?

A single-band router has just one 2.4 GHz frequency band. These are usually cheaper, connect easily to devices, and are good for penetrating obstacles such as doors and walls. But they have lower speeds than multi-band routers and don’t have all the up-to-date features. Single-band is probably best if your internet needs are minimal. Dual-band routers are pricier but also promise better speeds and performance. Dual-band routers are now pretty much the standard so modern devices will be well served.

Do you need a tri-band router?

If there are lots of people in your home — like a big family with lots of devices per person — a tri-band router will be the best choice. Tri-band routers have one 2.4 GHz channel and two 5 GHz channels. These routers are equipped to handle multiple Gigabit speeds — up to 2166 Mbps on each 5 GHz band. For a literally large household — a big house with lots of rooms – a mesh system is best.

What is a mesh WiFi system?

A mesh WiFi system is essentially a series of connected router units — known as satellites or nodes — that each broadcast a WiFi signal, which eliminates any internet dead zones within the house. Mesh systems are good for homes with lots of rooms and lots of devices, helping maintain internet the speeds wherever you are. Mesh systems are also expandable, allowing you to add extra nodes and increase coverage.

Do you need a specialist router for gaming?

If you have lots of devices and a router that’s not up to the task, you’ll experience lag issues when you’re playing your console. You need a router that can handle multiple devices. Look for a gaming router that offers prioritisation for your gaming systems and applications. If you live in a home with multiple gamers, you might also want to get a router that allows you to control how much bandwidth everyone in your household gets. Some also have a modified management console to adjust bandwidth priorities easily depending on your needs. And make sure your gaming router is at least dual-bad so you can use the 5GHz channel for faster speeds. A tri-band router is even better because then you can reserve one 5GHz channel just for gaming.

What is the best WiFi router?

We have done a lot of the hard work to make your selection process as easy as possible. Whether you’re looking for a single band WiFi router or a full-fledged tri-band model to handle an entire family home’s worth of streaming and gaming, we've got you covered for good coverage. There's something below to connect everyone.

These are the best WiFi routers for 2025.

Sometimes you just need a feel-good movie and a good tearjerker, and writer/director Craig Brewer delivers both with Song Sung Blue. 

Named for the Neil Diamond song, this drama is not going the way of A Complete Unknown or the Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere route. Instead of a biopic about the American singer-songwriter behind "America" and "Sweet Caroline," Brewer explores the power of Diamond's music through the stranger-than-fiction story of the tribute band known as Lightning and Thunder. 

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as this musical married couple, known offstage as Mike and Claire Sardina. They love each other as intensely as they love Diamond's music. Fitting, then, that their breathtaking story is full of the emotional highs and lows of some of his most beloved songs. 

What's Song Sung Blue about?  Credit: Focus Features

In Milwaukee, Mike Sardina (Jackman) and Claire Stengl (Hudson) are working as celebrity impersonators for state fairs and dive bars. Separately, they perform standards in a dusty variety act, but they dream of making something exciting of their own. For them, one good date spirals into a jam session, a marriage, and a creative partnership that lasts the rest of their lives. 

Song Sung Blue charts their story from their meet-cute backstage, through their musical courtship, co-parenting their kids from past relationships, and building a tribute band that makes them feel like rock stars as they bring unique life to Diamond's discography. 

The movie focuses mostly on Mike (who prefers to be called Lightning) and Claire, their romantic highs and their tragic lows — including a horrific freak accident that injures her, threatening to derail their band for good. Brewer also incorporates a touching subplot into this script about the developing sisterhood between step-siblings Angela (King Princess) and Rachel (Ella Anderson). Beyond that, Lightning and Thunder's family and story grow to envelope their collaborators and bandmates, allowing for a rich tapestry of characters to bring light and humor to the movie's darkest corners. 

Kate Hudson is absolutely extraordinary in Song Sung Blue. Credit: Focus Features

For much of her career, Hudson has been playing some variant of the dazzling girl, in such movies as 200 Cigarettes, Almost Famous, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, and an array of other rom-coms. Blonde, bouncy, and witty, she's endlessly youthful and radiant, even when facing tragedy or a smirking manchild. In Song Sung Blue, Hudson assumes a more mature role, while maintaining a distinct shimmer. 

Claire is not a glamorous party girl or a chic city socialite. She's a middle-aged mother of two who loves Patsy Cline songs and wearing sequins. Here, Hudson is radiant, the way of small-town women who don't have designer clothes and custom jewelry but department stores and thrift store finds, yet they shine all the same. As she sings her heart out, her cheeks are rosy and pronounced because of her wide smile. Her eyes sparkle along with her knitwear. And her Midwestern accent is the cherry on top. Hudson makes Claire not some fantasy of woman, but a real woman. I recognized her. I grew up around women like this, who knew horrific hardship and defiantly chose joy again and again. They were brave and loving and, at times, heartbroken. That is what Song Sung Blue is about. 

Props to Brewer; he lets this feel-good film get truly dark, as Claire's accident threatens to smother her inner light. Racked with pain, self-doubt, and anger, Claire becomes unrecognizable to her husband and kids. And through this, we witness a marriage pushed to its breaking point. Sometimes, however, it can be a shared passion that can save us. And for the Sardinas, it was Neil Diamond.

There's an elegance in that, as Diamond's songs can weave bittersweet stories, but what resonates with us is the choruses that are so radiantly joyful that strangers across a bar will join in with "Bah bah bah!" Good times never felt so good, indeed. 

Hugh Jackman offers a daring performance in Song Sung Blue. 

Where I swiftly fell for Hudson's Claire, Jackman's Lightning was a harder sell. Admittedly, for the first act, I was put off by his bravado. Lightning is a celebrity impersonator with the ego of a rock star and the entitled attitude that often accompanies it. Jackman's portrayal of this wannabe hit me initially as too broad, as if he was back on Broadway playing to the balcony seats. 

However, as Song Sung Blue played on, I understood. This wasn't a miscalibrated performance. Where everyone else in the movie is aiming for a softer, more grounded tone, Jackman is knowingly doing too much, because Lightning was a man who demanded to be seen and heard. This theatricality risks playing as insincere. But because Jackman never relaxes this tone, it becomes clear he sees Lightning as dreamer who is every moment being the frontman he dreams to be. This is how he lives the dream.

Once that hit me, Song Sung Blue became a tiny bit sadder. Not so much because this tribute band wouldn't hit Neil Diamond's level of fame. The film celebrates creative victories, even minor ones, with deep sincerity — because the expression and community is the point. I felt sad because I had misjudged Lightning, just as many in the first act did. His is an underdog story, bittersweet but inspirational. Jackman plays it to the rafters so we might understand this man's sheer moxie and determination. 

Song Sung Blue's supporting cast is stellar. 

Like in Brewer's comedic biopic Dolemite Is My Name, Song Sung Blue is sensationally cast. King Princess brings a touching fragility as Lightning's daughter, while Ella Anderson brings a burning resilience as Thunder's. Michael Imperioli is surprisingly funny as a frustrated Buddy Holly impersonator, but charming as Lightning's bandmate. Jim Belushi brings a working-class sensibility as an unlikely dreamer, helping produce Lightning's show, while Mustafa Shakir and Fisher Stevens bring heart while filling out the Sardinas' rich-in-friends world. 

All this makes for a feel-good movie that can be jarringly intense, because the bad times can come out nowhere. (C'est la vie!) But like a great Neil Diamond song, Song Sung Blue will find its way into your heart, where it will linger.

Through thoughtful storytelling, an impeccable cast, and a smartly chosen soundtrack that places the performances of Diamond's songs thematically, Brewer creates a drama that is uplifting, heart-wrenching, and wondrous all at once. Bring tissues. Bring friends. And let Song Sung Blue hit you, rattle you, and leave you smiling. 

Song Sung Blue was reviewed out of AFI Fest. The movie opens in theaters on Dec. 25.

If your workday feels like a blur of nonstop meetings, unread messages, and screen hopping, you might be dealing with digital exhaustion. Instead of letting digital tools fragment your focus and drain your energy, use these strategies to reset.  Stop using half your tools. Too many apps force your brain into constant modality shifts. Audit […]

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Today's Connections: Sports Edition is simple if you understand basketball.

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

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

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

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

• Yellow: Share knowledge

• Green: Check the score

• Blue: Sin City University

• Purple: Kings across the country

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

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

• Yellow: Coach

• Green: Seen in a Baseball Scorebug

• Blue: UNLV

• Purple: Home Cities of the NBA's Kings Franchise, Over Time

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #399 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Coach - DRILL, INSTRUCT, SCHOOL, TEACH

• Seen in a Baseball Scorebug - COUNT, INNING, OUTS, SCORE

• UNLV - LAS, NEVADA, UNIVERSITY, VEGAS

• Home Cities of the NBA's Kings Franchise, Over Time - CINCINNATI, KANSAS CITY, ROCHESTER, SACRAMENTO

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

To move to music.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

DANCE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A golf term.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DIVOT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To correct.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

EMEND

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To worry.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

DREAD

Final Hurdle hint

A midday meal.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LUNCH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Brace yourself, Stephen King fans, because the story of Pennywise the Dancing Clown is expanding like a bright red balloon. 

With IT: Welcome to Derry, Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti (the sibling filmmaking team behind IT and IT: Chapter Two) return to the deeply doomed Maine town where the Losers Club battled for their lives twice in 27 years. However, Bill, Beverly, Eddie, Mike, Richie, Stan, and Ben aren't in this new series. Set in 1962, this is a prequel playing out 27 years before they ever tangled with Pennywise. But you better believe the clown is back — just not quite as you might expect. 

SEE ALSO: 'IT: Welcome to Derry': All the Stephen King Easter eggs in episode 1

Pennywise is all over the advertising for IT: Welcome to Derry. It is known that Bill Skarsgård is reprising the role from the films and serving as an executive producer on the series. But there's no clown in the premiere episode. However, there are callbacks to the IT movies that hint at Pennywise's resurrection. So, let's dig into them. 

Be warned: Major spoilers ahead. 

Where does Pennywise appear in episode 1 of IT: Welcome to Derry?  Bill Skarsgård plays Pennywise the Dancing Clown in "Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

The first signs are with poor Matty (Miles Ekhardt), who's run away from home and only found trouble (trouble, trouble). Looking to get far from the town of Derry, he hitches a ride with a family of four. But things swiftly turn scary with a snarling sister snacking on bloody liver and an annoying little brother spelling increasingly ominous words. 

It's this brother that gives us our first hint of Pennywise's presence. First, his eyes go wonky, transforming from those of a little boy to those of a deranged extraterrestrial clown. Then, his buck teeth remind us of Pennywise's signature, sinister smile. Next, a new arrival gives us a more impressive display of Pennywise's power. 

SEE ALSO: The most WTF scares from 'IT: Welcome to Derry' episode 1, ranked The baby with bat wings has big Pennywise energy.  Miles Ekhardt plays Matty in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

The mother of this malevolent family births a two-headed monster baby with bat wings. And while that's all kinds of wild, it has visual ties to both movies. First off, the Muschiettis' reimagining of Pennywise veered away hard from the Tim Curry version, which was more of a classical Bozo-styled clown. The Muschiettis opted for a Victorian flair in costume and a Kewpie-doll head, characterized by a massive forehead reminiscent of a baby doll. So, that double noggin should remind viewers of Skarsgård's Pennywise, even before this grisly cold open sweeps us into the sewer, chasing after Matty's dropped pacifier. 

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Beyond the big-head design, the baby is reminiscent of another Pennywise precursor. A similar unholy critter sprouted out of a fortune cookie and crawled about the table at the Chinese restaurant in IT: Chapter Two. It was a baby-doll-headed spider of sorts, while another fortune cookie busted out a bat wing. So, long before the Losers Club was tormented with this nightmare fuel, the Derry kids of 1962 were witnessing it with fresh horror. 

SEE ALSO: 'IT: Welcome to Derry's shocking episode 1 ending, explained IT: Welcome to Derry has echoes of Georgie's disappearance.  Jack Molloy Legault and Mikkal Karim-Fidler play Teddy and Phil in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

When Matty goes missing, his classmates Teddy and Phil (Mikkal Karim-Fidler and Jack Molloy Legault), bicker about what could have become of him. "They never found a body," one argues, suggesting he's not dead but run away.

However, that was true for Bill's little brother, Georgie Denbrough, too. He went missing but no body was found. That's what led to Bill's obsession of searching the sewers.

Another Georgie callback hits before the end of episode one. But let's take these in chronological order, shall we? 

Voices from the drain menace traumatized kids.  Clara Stack plays Lilly in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

Poor "Loony" Lilly (Clara Stack) already has enough to deal with, like the horrific accidental death of her father and the vicious Pattycakes mocking her about it with a pickle prank. Then, while in the bathroom all alone, she hears the voice of the missing Matty coming from the tub's drain. 

Saying "We've got trouble" in a sing-songy voice, he's harkening back to the movie he watched at the theater before his fateful hitchhiking. "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man takes on an ominous connotation as Matty sings it to signal he's been snatched (and maybe killed) by Pennywise.

Featured Video For You Why the scariest part of The Shining isn’t what you think.

Of course, Lilly doesn't know anything about this homicidal clown yet. However, this scene evokes the moment when Beverly Marsh in IT heard the voices of three of Pennywise's victims calling to her from the bathroom sink. Where Bev got attacked by surging hair and a flood of blood, Lilly sees two severed, bloody fingers wiggle their way up to her. But Lilly has a tougher time convincing her peers to believe what she saw than Bev did. Phil and Teddy need more to believe, and they'll get it.

Matty reappears with a Pennywise makeover.  Miles Ekhardt plays Matty in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

To better understand Matty's message, Lilly, Teddy, Phil, and Ronnie (Amanda Christine) return to the theater to watch The Music Man for clues. To their shock, they find Matty there. But not in the theater. He's on the screen, where he curses them out for letting him down. Then, he gets a Pennywise makeover, his smile distorting with buck teeth before he launches the monster baby from the screen and into the theater.

Pennywise is here, and he's shapeshifting to terrorize these children of Derry. 

One more Georgie callback, and we can't shake it.  Jack Molloy Legault and Matilda Legault play Phil and Susie in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO

Little Susie (Matilda Legault) would have been better off left at the library. Phil's little sister is too young to have any idea what she's in for when she tags along to the theater. Like Georgie, she'll be the younger sibling who loses an arm from a Pennywise attack.

Trying to climb to safety under the theater seats, pig-tailed Susie reaches to Lilly for help. And while Lilly grips her hand, it won't save Susie from the many-fanged maw of the monster baby. It lunges and chomps deep into Susie's exposed arm. So much so that when Lilly runs out of the theater, she's still got Susie's hand in hers, dripping blood from its severed elbow. 

While Pennywise doesn't appear in full in episode 1, he's left plenty of horrifying hints that he's rising in Derry. And he's hungry.

After the absolutely jaw-dropping mayhem of this premiere episode, what could possible come next? 

Tune in next Sunday to HBO and HBO Max find out. And keep up with Mashable, as we're breaking down every gory detail of Welcome to Derry. 

Halloween may only be a few days away, but IT: Welcome to Derry's first episode has already filled my fright quota for the season.

Titled "The Pilot," this episode is not only brimming with Stephen King Easter eggs but nightmarish sequences, like a car ride from hell and the world's worst trip to the movies. But which of Pennywise's (Bill Skarsgård) scare tactics is most effective, and which left us most unfazed? We've ranked all the biggest WTF scares of "The Pilot" to find out.

SEE ALSO: 'IT: Welcome to Derry's shocking episode 1 ending, explained 5. When Matty's fingers pop out of Lily's shower drain.

"The Pilot" revolves around the disappearance of Matty (Miles Ekhardt), the friend of several Derry outcasts including "Loony" Lily Bainbridge (Clara Stack). In the episode's mildest scare, Lily hears Matty singing to her from inside her shower pipes. Then, his bloodied fingers emerge from the drain before disappearing.

It's a gruesome image, but a familiar one for IT fans. In Stephen King's novel and future screen adaptations, Beverly Marsh experiences a similar drain-centric nightmare when buckets of blood burst from her sink. When it comes to bathroom scares, Beverly's blows Lily's clean out of the water. It also highlights a very important safety tip for all of Derry's young women: Stop looking down your drains! Nothing good will come of it!

4. When men in gas masks attack Leroy Hanlon. Jovan Adepo in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

Derry's kids aren't the only ones getting scared. Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) faces a harrowing attack of his own while staying on Derry's Air Force base, as several men in gas masks break into his room and threaten to kill him if he doesn't divulge top-secret information.

SEE ALSO: 'IT: Welcome to Derry' review: 'IT' prequel series will scare the living daylights out of you

The attack has seemingly nothing to do with Pennywise and everything to do with Cold War anxieties rising in Derry and all across the U.S. Still, even if it's not a supernatural sequence, the sight of the masked men peering through Leroy's window is pretty freaky all on its own.

3. When Teddy sees a human skin lampshade.

Teddy (Mikkal Karim-Fidler) gets a truly grotesque visit from Pennywise, who manifests as a lampshade made of human skin, complete with screaming mouths. The sequence calls back to Teddy's earlier conversation with his father, who detailed the horrors of the Holocaust, including a human skin lampshade found at Buchenwald concentration camp. (This same story is also a key point in Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story.)

SEE ALSO: Is 'IT: Welcome to Derry' based on Stephen King's book?

The body horror on display in this scene is nausea-inducing, but what's more upsetting is the lampshade's ties to the real human tragedy of the Holocaust — and Welcome to Derry's almost callous exploitation of said tragedy. Teddy's dinner with his family feels like a speedrun of Jewish stereotypes, with Welcome to Derry doing little to characterize them beyond discussions of bar mitzvahs and Holocaust trauma. The lampshade scare is the cheap cherry on top, and it's enough to make the viewers sick to their stomachs in more ways than one.

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2. When IT: Welcome to Derry kills off half its kids. Jack Legault, Matilda Legault, Clara Stack, and Mikkal Karim-Fidler in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer/HBO

The entire ending sequence of "The Pilot" feels like a slap in the face. For the entirety of the episode, Welcome to Derry has been setting up Lily, Phil (Jack Legault), Teddy, Ronnie (Amanda Christine), and Susie (Matilda Legault) as the show's version of the Losers Club. That idea quickly flies out the window in "The Pilot"s final scene, in which a winged mutant baby (more on that later) tears Teddy in half, rips Susie's arm off, and carries Phil off to who knows where. It's a bloodbath through and through, and a reminder that no one is safe — especially not Derry's kids.

Featured Video For You Why the scariest part of The Shining isn’t what you think. 1. When Matty experiences the worst car ride ever. Miles Ekhardt in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

While the closing sequence may be the most shocking moment of "The Pilot," it's the episode's opening that truly raises the bar for any of Welcome to Derry's WTF-inducing scares moving forward.

In the scene, Matty tries to hitchhike out of Derry. He thinks he's found a safe ride with a nice family, but it quickly turns out that couldn't be farther from the truth. From a sinister spelling bee to a brush with raw liver juice, the opening ratchets up the unsettling tension before letting loose with an extremely graphic birth scene that leaves nothing to the imagination. Everything reaches a fever pitch when the newly birthed mutant baby — a manifestation of Cold War fears about the effects of nuclear weapons on pregnancy — starts flying around the car, umbilical cord in tow. That's not a distraction you learn about in drivers' ed, but I fear they must start adding it to the curriculum.

Gnarly in all the best and most disturbing ways, the whole scene is one hell of a way to kick off a show. Can Welcome to Derry measure up with its scares in the weeks to come?

New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

There is only one acceptable reaction to the ending of IT: Welcome to Derry's first episode, and it's "What in the world just happened?"

While the entire episode is filled to the brim with horrifying scares (and Stephen King Easter eggs), its final moments deliver an unforgettable bloodbath that comes with the chilling message that no one in the show is safe. Let's break it down.

SEE ALSO: 'IT: Welcome to Derry' review: 'IT' prequel series will scare the living daylights out of you What happens at the end of IT: Welcome to Derry episode 1? Miles Ekhardt in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: HBO

Much of Welcome to Derry's first episode focuses on uniting several of Derry's children in the search for missing kid Matty (Miles Ekhardt). There's "Loony" Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack), who's bullied at school over her father's gruesome death; oddball best friends Phil (Jack Legault) and Teddy (Mikkal Karim-Fidler); Phil's little sister Susie (Matilda Legault); and Ronnie (Amanda Christine), the last child to see Matty alive.

As the crew comes together, it feels like IT: Welcome to Derry is assembling its own version of the Losers Club from Stephen King's IT and the ensuing film adaptations. However, it quickly subverts that expectation by fully murdering several of these children in gruesome fashion, reminding you not to expect a straightforward rehash of IT and its own Losers Club.

SEE ALSO: The most WTF scares from 'IT: Welcome to Derry' episode 1, ranked

It all kicks off when Lilly hears Matty singing an eerie rendition of "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man in her shower pipes. Ronnie puts the pieces together and remembers that The Music Man was also the movie Matty snuck into on the night he disappeared. She screens The Music Man for Lilly, Phil, Teddy, and Susie at the Derry movie theater in the hopes of getting some answers.

However, as Harold Hill sings about the trouble facing River City onscreen, the kids run into some trouble of their own. Matty appears in the movie, holding a swaddled baby and flanked by the eerie family who kidnapped him at the start of the episode. As he smiles a classic Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) grin, Matty reveals that the baby he's holding is none other than the mutant winged creature from Welcome to Derry's unsettling opening sequence. He unleashes the creature — now much, much bigger — into the audience, where it tears into Phil, Teddy, and Susie. Of the five children who entered the theater, only Lilly and Ronnie make it out.

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Could Phil, Teddy, or Susie still be alive? Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack, and Jack Legault in "IT: Welcome to Derry." Credit: HBO

A rule of thumb in TV and film is that if we don't see a body, we don't have explicit confirmation that any character is actually dead. In the case of Welcome to Derry's final scene, we know that Teddy is definitely dead, as the baby rips him in half and slams him into the projection booth. It's the first on-screen kill of the show, and it's fittingly brutal (and leaves no room for doubt).

But Phil and Susie's fates are still up in the air. In Phil's case, literally up in the air, as the last we see of him is the flying baby dragging him up towards the ceiling. Later, the baby chomps down on Susie's arm, severing it from her body. From there, we get no more glimpses of the unfortunate siblings, but based on Lilly telling Ronnie, "They're all gone," it's fairly clear that the pair are dead. Even if they are alive, what's the alternative? Getting carried off to Pennywise's lair? At that point, you're as good as killer clown food.

New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Featured Video For You Why the scariest part of The Shining isn’t what you think.

Steve Jobs liked to quote Alan Kay's famous "People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware," line, and you could almost say that the Apple empire was built on that philosophy—to great effect.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Lukewarm.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

TEPID

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To contact someone.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

AHOLD

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A potato stem.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TUBER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Mickey and Minnie.

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MOUSE

Final Hurdle hint

A design often seen on a skirt.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

PLEAT

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

So, for some inexplicable reason, cassette tape collecting is now also a thing alongside vinyl. This time there aren't even any arguments about analog sound quality, it just seems to be a vibe but, hey, you do you!

The Valve Steam Deck may not have sold Nintendo Switch numbers (it would help if you sold it where I live, Valve), but its impact on PC gaming goes far beyond how many people bought one.

If you’re a fan of horror, fantasy, and the supernatural, and you don’t subscribe to AMC+, now is the perfect time to rethink that decision, not just because we’re venturing deeper into the Halloween season. The streaming platform is home to some of the best Anne Rice adaptations of witch and vampire lore, and they’re about to come face-to-face with the secret order that oversees them all.

Back in 2013 my wife, who is a keen photographer, called me over to look at something on her laptop. This was the new phone she wanted, but what I saw on that screen didn't look anything like a smartphone.

The world of PC cases is nearly endless, which makes buying a new one a chore, even after deciding on your form factor, features, and budget. But every so often, a case comes along that checks every box while still being reasonably priced—meet the ASUS Prime AP202 ARGB mATX case.

Despite my internet connection being literally thousands of times faster than my old dial-up connection was decades ago, it often feels like websites still take just as long to load.

Mechanical keyboard fans have seen huge innovation lately, particularly with magnetic switches in Hall Effect keyboards. Now, a new contender is here—one that uses those same magnetic switches but with better precision, efficiency, and responsiveness. Its name? TMR.

When you use a VPN service, your internet service provider (and other users on the network) can only see that you are connected to a VPN service. They can't see what sites you're visiting, or what you're doing there.

LAIKA, the studio behind stop-motion films like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings, has released a first look at its upcoming film, Wildwood. From just the teaser alone, it already looks like another gorgeous, technical model.

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Based on the novel by Colin Meloy, Wildwood invites viewers into a magical world just outside of Portland, Oregon, where Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) must brave bandits and talking animals in a quest to save her baby brother.

The watchful guardian of Wildwood is the General (voiced by Angela Bassett), a massive golden eagle who is also a fierce warrior. In clips from the first look, the General teams up with Prue to help her on her journey.

The first look reveals the intense technical preparation that goes into bringing the General to life. Animators designed several models inspired by nature in order to perfect the General's avian movement, while designers placed 9,000 individual feathers on the General's two specialized puppets, one for flight sequences, and the other for more fine-tuned performance control. The effect is breathtaking, as is the footage of the animators crafting the General's movement.

The same goes for the rest of the concept art and footage on display in the first look, which teases an enchanted forest teeming with magic and intriguing creatures. Take a look at the full teaser above for more behind-the-scenes footage and for clips of Prue venturing into the unknown of Wildwood.

Wildwood is coming soon to theaters.

Some smart home devices cost a small fortune and don't save you any money at all. Other smart home devices are incredibly cheap but can save you a significant amount of money. As the weather gets colder, there's one smart home device I use that pays for itself multiple times over.