Even a casual glance at today's grid will reveal that something's up - seven vertical colored lines that, unsurprisingly, play a huge role in today's theme. The cost of that theme was complexity, but both cohosts agreed that it was worth the effort, as the payoff was huge. Deets inside.

A reminder that the NYTimes Crossword makes a great present, and helps keep those little grey cells at peak efficiency. To subscribe, just wander over to NYTimes.com/subscriptions/games, where operators (or, more likely, as it is 2025, bots) are standing by.

Show note imagery: DILI, East Timor

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