Tech

Alien: Earths eyeball scares me way more than the Xenomorph

Published

8 months ago

September 3, 2025

Vicky

Xenomorphs, I love you. However, after watching you in action in seven Alien films (plus two Alien vs. Predator films), I'm not terrified of you anymore.

Don't worry, I'll never get tired of your facehugging and chestbursting and all-around murder sprees. Whenever you're onscreen, I always marvel at your creature design and think, "That's rad as hell!" But abject terror at the sight of you is no longer on the table.

Noah Hawley's Alien prequel series, Alien: Earth, understands that its audience's familiarity with Xenomorphs will dim the aliens' fear factor a little bit. That's why it introduces the Xenomorph in all its glory just halfway through its first episode. After all, why bother shrouding in total secrecy an alien we already know and love?

Instead, Hawley brings four new parasitic aliens into the fray, including nasty blood ticks and the mysterious, plant-like D. Plumbicare. But there's one clear standout among the new crop of aliens, and it's none other than T. Ocellus, or as I like to call it, "the eyeball monster of my nightmares."

An eyeball with tentacles in "Alien: Earth."

I love it and I hate it.
Credit: Screenshot: FX

Looking like what you'd get if you gave an eyeball octopus tentacles, T. Ocellus is nothing short of an alien menace. In episode 2, a screen in the USCSS Maginot's lab describes its parasitic capabilities. Its tentacles dislodge other organisms' eyeballs and then take over neural pathways to the brain, turning its victims into puppets. In a neat twist, it can also change the appearance of its pupil and iris to match that of its host.

T. Ocellus' brain-hijacking ability alone has already led to its fair share of showstopping moments throughout Alien: Earth's first few episodes. In episode 2, it crawled its way out a cat's skull, traumatizing animal lovers everywhere in the process. It then shot itself at hybrid Nibs (Lily Newmark), attempting to take her on as a new host. Then, in episode 4, it burrowed into a poor sheep's head. Someone, please, stop its trail of carnage!

However, in episode 5, T. Ocellus truly breaks out — literally and figuratively. Literally because it stages a daring prison break, and figuratively because it cements its dominance over Alien: Earth's other new extraterrestrial baddies.

Episode 5 of Alien: Earth, titled, "In Space, No One…," is basically a mini Alien movie. It turns back the clock to reveal how everyone on the USCSS Maginot died before the spaceship crashed on Earth. Culprits include sabotage from crew member Petrovich (Enzo Cilenti), those pesky blood ticks, the Xenomorph, and of course, T. Ocellus.

T. Ocellus begins the episode in a specimen container. However, when it realizes its container hasn't been properly secured to the wall, it manages to use its own body as a slingshot to force the container away from the wall and onto the ground, where it shatters. The lab screen in episode 2 states that "the Ocellus has shown remarkable problem solving abilities at a near-human measure," and this is proof of that problem solving. Not only did T. Ocellus have to figure out how to leverage its own body to escape, it also had to recognize that the locking mechanism hadn't operated properly. On top of that, it helped distract Chibuzo (Karen Aldridge) earlier in the episode so the blood ticks could stage an escape of their own. Collaborative, tech-savvy, and resourceful — that's one seriously smart eyeball! I want it nowhere near me!

Once it's free in the Maginot, T. Ocellus finds its next target. We've seen it take on a cat and a sheep, gradually leveling up in host size. Episode 5 brings the horror of T. Ocellus to the next level by putting it in a human body, that of the Maginot's engineer Shmuel (Michael Smiley). The visual of T. Ocellus' too-big eyeball in Shmuel's head would be nightmare enough, but wouldn't you believe it, it gets worse! A tentacle slithers out of his nose. He lets out a droning scream that sounds like it could never come from a human's vocal cords. Then, he charges the remaining Maginot crew members with an unnatural, herky-jerky motion, a reflection of T. Ocellus puppeteering his body.

That sense of being an alien's puppet ties into the Alien franchise's larger themes of the horror of losing bodily autonomy. Weyland-Yutani robs its workers of decades of their lives on Earth, then deems then expendable in the face of collecting specimens. And of course, Xenomorphs force hosts to carry and "birth" their embryos, drawing a clear connection to pregnancy and childbirth. T. Ocellus follows in this tradition, although its targeting of the brain in particular conjures up fears around loss of cognition and bodily function as opposed to reproductive anxieties.

You'd think T. Ocellus taking over a human's body would be the end of its terrifying run in "In Space, No One…," but it doesn't stop there. As Shmuel, it attacks the Xenomorph, as if it's trying to make the alien of all aliens its next host. (It feels almost Predator-like in how it keeps trying to find a bigger, stronger body to conquer.) While it doesn't actually take over the Xenomorph's body (although in the future, I would like to see it), it still manages to give the Xenomorph a big scare.

Their skirmish points to two very different kinds of monstrous physicality. The Xenomorph is a tank, massive and almost unwieldy when compared to T. Ocellus. (Notably, all of the new aliens in Alien: Earth are smaller than the Xenomorph.) T. Ocellus, on the other hand, is far smaller and more slippery, adept at squeezing through cracks in your defenses. While I wouldn't want to face either of them, there's something viscerally terrifying about having a small tentacled creature launching itself at my eyeball, knowing that if it gets there, it's game over.

T. Ocellus has been growing more and more prominent over the course of Alien: Earth, but it's episode 5 where it truly shines as the star it was meant to be. You know how there are multiple blood ticks and Xenomorph eggs onboard the Maginot? It seems like there was only ever one T. Ocellus specimen onboard the ship. That's right: It's one of one, a true alien superstar. And while I will always consider the Xenomorphs to be the greatest movie monsters of all time, I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to pure scares in Alien: Earth, that demon eyeball's got them beat.

Alien: Earth is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes premiering Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.

Tech

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 24, 2026

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're rowdy.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO:

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

Table of Contents

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hullabaloo

The words are related to sound.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ruckus.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Lets Get Loud.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 24

Shout
Holler
Clamor
Lets Get Loud
Bellow
Whoop
Caterwaul

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Tech

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a good drink.

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

Table of Contents

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO:

NYT Pips hints, answers for April 24, 2026

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Intoxicated.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is…

DRUNK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

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

Tech

FCC challenges gender identity themes on kids TV

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

A young girl watches TV with remote in her hand.

The Federal Communications Commission is using the presence of "controversial gender identity issues" in children's television programming as a pretense for questioning how TV ratings are developed and enforced, according to a notice published Wednesday by the federal agency.

The notice generally assesses TV ratings, but specifically points out that these industry guidelines have rated shows featuring "transgender and gender non-binary programming" as appropriate for children. It argues that parents aren't provided this information, "thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families."

In the document, the FCC poses a series of open-ended questions about TV ratings development, including whether the board responsible for the guidelines is "sufficiently balanced" with viewpoints outside of the entertainment industry and if faith-based organizations should be represented in the body.

"What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives — which are not well represented in the media industry — in its ratings process?" the notice asks.

SEE ALSO:

What's new to streaming this week? (April 24, 2026)

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the public notice on X, explaining that "parents have raised concerns with the industry's approach." He added that these parents believe "New York & Hollywood programmers" promote objectionable content in kids programming without disclosing that to parents. Carr didn't mention gender identity in his X post.

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TV parents guidelines can include both a rating as well as descriptors for content that includes crude language, sexual situations, and violence.

LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the public notice, arguing that it amounted to discrimination and censorship.

"Trump's FCC is trying to turn transgender people into a warning label," Tyler Hack, executive director of the transgender rights advocacy group Christopher Street Project, said in a statement. "It is dehumanizing, and it is part of a broader political strategy to stigmatize LGBTQ+ people in every corner of public life."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, described the notice as government overreach.

"Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda," Ellis said in a statement.

This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship. Carr has claimed broadcasters air "hoaxes" and "news distortions" that also happen to be unfavorable to President Trump. Carr has suggested the licenses of such broadcasters won't be renewed.

In March, dozens of free speech experts argued in an open letter to Carr that his threats against broadcasters are "unlawful jawboning" and his vague characterization of "fake news" violates the First Amendment. The authors called on Carr to "withdraw" his threats.