"FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" (2018) ReviewFollowing the success of the 2016 movie, "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM", Warner Brothers Studios and author J.K. Rowling continued the adventures of former Hogwarts student, Newt Scamander with the 2018 sequel called "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD". Starring Eddie Redmayne, the movie was directed by David Yates. "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" began in 1927, less than a year after the events of the 2016 movie. In the film's opening, the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) is transferring the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald from their maximum security prison in New York City to London. The latter is be tried for his crimes in Europe. But with the aide of Grindelwald's follower, MACUSA agent Abernathy, the wizard manages to escapes during the transfer. Three months after Grindelwald's escape, magizoologist Newt Scamander appeals to the Ministry of Magic in London to restore his revoked international travel rights following his previous adventures in New York City. While at the Ministry, Newt learns that his former Hogwarts classmate, Leta Lestrange, is engaged to his brother Theseus, an auror in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Ministry offers to restore Newt's travel rights if he assists Theseus in locating Credence Barebone, the American obscurial believed to have been killed in Paris. He has been detected in Paris. Grindelwald is also searching for Credence. He believes that only the latter is powerful enough to kill his "equal", Hogwarts Professor Albus Dumbledore. Newt declines the Ministry's offer, but is is secretly summoned by Dumbledore, who also tries to persuade Newt to locate Credence. Dumbledore under constant Ministry surveillance for refusing to confront Grindelwald, who was a former close friend from the past. Upon his return home, he discovers that his American friends, the non-magical Jacob Kowalski and witch Queenie Goldstein had left New York. Jacob has retained memories of his past adventures with Newt and the Goldstein sisters, despite MACUSA's citywide Obliviation order. Queenie and Jacob had followed Queenie's sister Tina to Europe, where the latter is searching for Credence. Newt also discovers that Queenie has enchanted Jacob into eloping to Europe with her to circumvent MACUSA's marriage ban between wizards and Muggles. After Newt lifts the charm, Jacob and Queenie quarrel about the marriage law, and the upset witch leaves to find Tina. Newt ignores the Ministry's travel ban and with Jacob, head for Paris in search for the Goldstein sisters and Credence."FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" proved to be an unpopular entry in the HARRY POTTER movie franchise. Even a year before the film's release, many had criticized the film's producers, including J.K. Rowling, for allowing actor Johnny Depp to take over the role of Gellert Grindelwald in the wake of his controversial divorce. Ironically, once "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" hit the movie theaters, both the critics and many moviegoers expressed other reasons for their displeasure. Either these criticisms were merely used as shields to hide their displeasure at Depp's presence in the movie, or they genuinely did not like it. Although "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" actually managed to make a profit, it did not make as much as its 2016 predecessor. Nor did it make as much as Warner Brothers Studios had anticipated. So . . . how did I feel about the movie?I will admit that I have some problems with "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD". I never admitted this in my review of "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM", but I had noticed Rowling's habit of creating two or more disjointed story lines and allowing them to connect near the end of the film. As much as I admired her use of this narrative structure, I must admit that there were times when I found it frustrating. To be honest, I found it more frustrating in "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM", especially Newt Scamander's search for his missing animals. But in "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD", there were times when I found myself wondering why Rowling had focused so heavily on Leta Lestrange's character arc/backstory and Queenie Goldstein's problems with her non-magical love, Jacob Kowalski. I also had a problem with Colleen Atwood's costumes. On one level, I found her costumes very attractive, as shown in the images below:
And yet . . . aside from the costumes and hairstyle worn by actress Katherine Waterston, I found the other costumes and hairstyles reminiscent of the early 1930s, instead of 1927, the film's actual setting. Speaking of the timeline, could someone explain why Minerva McGonagall was a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when either the Harry Potter novels or the franchise's official website made it clear that she was born in 1935, eight years after this movie's setting. Around this time, Dumbledore was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, which means that a young McGonagall was teaching Transfiguration. What was McGonagall teaching, when Dumbledore became the Transfiguration teacher by the 1940s?"FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" had its flaws, like any other movie. But I enjoyed it very much. Actually . . . I enjoyed it slightly more than I did the 2016 movie. The reason why I enjoyed it more than the first film is probably the reason why many others liked it less. J.K. Rowling had written an emotionally complicated tale that reminded me that humans beings are a lot more ambiguous than many are STILL unwilling to admit. They might pay lip service to the ambiguity of humans, but I have encountered too much hostility directed at movies willing to explore the complex nature of humans and society in general . . . especially in pop culture films. Some might claim that such ambiguity has no place in pop culture films and franchises. My response to that claim is . . . why not? I see no reason why humanity's ambiguity should only be tolerated in films being considered for the film industry's award season.I noticed in "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" that the majority of Gellert Grindelwald's followers were not "dark wizards" or superficially evil. I must admit that the Vinda Rosier, Grindelwald's loyal right-hand follower, seemed to be the film's closest example of the future Deatheaters that followed Lord Voldemort aka Tom Riddle Jr. Most of Grindelwald's other followers seemed to be your typical human beings who had allowed their emotions to indulge in the usual prejudices or make bad choices. One example is the MACUSA agent Abernathy, who had earlier supported President Seraphina Picquery in the 2016 film. But the prime example in "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" proved to be Queenie Goldstein, the New York-born Legilimens (telepath), who out of her desperation to be with the non-magical Jacob Kowalski, turned to Grindelwald to help her achieve her heart's desire. Many fans had condemned the movie for this portrayal of Queenie. And I do not understand why. "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM" had already hinted Queenie's desperation to be with Jacob, when she conveyed reluctance to follow MACUSA President Seraphina Picquery's orders to ensure the erasure of his recent memories. She broke the rules even further by paying a visit to Jacob's new bakery in one of the film's final scenes. More importantly, Queenie had discovered that Jacob had retained some memories of his adventures with her, Tina and Newt. This is why I am not surprised that Queenie had resorted to desperate measures in "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" to make Jacob her husband. Love might lead a person to do wonderful things. But it can also lead someone to make questionable or terrible decisions. J.K. Rowling understood this. I never understood why so many people were incapable of doing so.The ironic thing about "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" is that the movie not only featured former protagonists like Queenie Goldstein and Agent Abernathy, who had decided to follow Grindelwald, it also featured . . . Leta Lestrange. Any fan of Potterverse will remember another character with the Lestrange name - Voldemort follower Bellatrix Lestrange. Although Bellatrix had married into the Lestrange family, fans learned that her husband was another one of Voldemort's highly murderous and faithful followers. I do recall that the 2016 film may have hinted that Leta was briefly as someone from Newt's past who may or may not have deliberately led him into trouble and expelled from Hogwarts. Thanks to "THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD", audiences learned that Leta was NOT someone who lived up to her pure-blood family's name and who proved to be a different kettle of fish. She was not perfect. Her one crime . . . which led to years of guilt . . . stemmed from resentment toward her father's sexist desire for a male heir. As a young girl aboard a sinking ocean liner headed for the United States, she made an ugly decision that affected both her family and Credence Barebone.The characterizations of both Queenie Goldstein and Leta Lestrange, along with Gellert Grindelwald's followers made J.K. Rowling's intent to continue her ambiguous portrayal of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But instead of viewing this ambiguity from a growing child, audiences get to witness this ambiguity through the eyes of an adult. Instead of realizing that individuals we might perceive as "bad" can also possess decency within, Rowling seemed to be hinting that those whom we might originally perceive as "good or decent" can allow their emotions to make terrible choices or embrace evil. Granted, fans learned in the previous series that Albus Dumbledore had once skated on the edge of giving into some parts of his baser nature. But through characters like Queenie Goldstein and Agent Abernathy, agents get to see how originally perceived "decent" characters can allow their emotions and desires to embrace evil . . . not for any moral good, but due to their own selfishness or prejudices. It is a pity that so many are unwilling to explore this journey with Rowling.Although I had criticized the film's costumes for resembling the fashions of the early 1930s, instead of the late 1920s, I must admit that I found Colleen Atwood's designs very attractive and very original. I rarely comment on a film's editing, but I found Film Editor Mark Day's work in the movie first-rate. I was especially impressed by his work in two particular sequences - Grindelwald's escape in the film's first action sequence and another one featuring a wizarding freak show in Paris. I was also impressed by Philippe Rousselot's cinematography . . . to a certain extent. Rousselot's photography struck me as beautiful and memorable - especially in the Parisian scenes and one particular flashback scene in the Atlantic Ocean. But I really disliked the monochromatic tones (blue, yellow or green) that seemed to dominate the movie's photography . . . as much as I disliked the brown tones that dominated "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM". Also, production designer Stuart Craig, set designer Anna Pinnock, the art direction team led by Martin Foley and the special effects team all did an exceptional job to re-create the wizarding worlds of New York, London, Scotland and Paris."FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD" featured some first-rate performances. Lead actor Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Carmen Ejogo, Claudia Kim and Ezra Miller all gave excellent performances. But there were performances that I found more than first-rate. Jude Law was superb as the enigmatic and younger Professor Albus Dumbore, who seemed warm and manipulative as ever. William Nadylam gave a very complex and passionate performance as Yusuf Kama: A French-Senegalese wizard who has spent many years obsessively searching for Credence, whom he believed was responsible for the death of a family member. Callum Turner's portrayal of Theseus Scamander, Newt's brother, first seemed pretty solid. But his performance became more complex and interesting, thanks to Turner's skillful acting. Alison Sudol gave an outstanding performance as the increasingly desperate Queenie Goldstein, who allowed her love for Jacob and emotions to lead to a morally questionable decision. Zoë Kravitz was equally outstanding as Newt's former love, Leta Lestrange, who became emotionally troubled and confused over a morally questionable decision from the past. But the best performance, in my opinion, came from Johnny Depp, who portrayed the film's main villain, Gellert Grindelwald. Depp's Grindelwald seemed like a completely different kettle of fish from the more obvious villains of the Harry Potter novel. More subtle, subversive and manipulative. Insidious. The franchise's Palpatine perhaps? Honestly, Depp's Grindelwald made Tom Riddle Jr. aka Lord Voldemort seem like a rank amateur as far as villains go.This 2018 sequel to "FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM" proved to be a disappointment at the box office. Between the controversy over Depp's casting and the hostile reaction to the Queenie Goldstein character, I guess I should not be surprised. But I am disappointed that the majority of moviegoers had failed to appreciate Rowling's story, because I thought it was first-rate, thanks to her screenplay, David Yates' direction and the excellent cast led by Eddie Redmayne. To be honest, I personally feel that it was slightly better than its 2016 predecessor. Perhaps one day, more filmgoers will be able to appreciate it.
Below is an article about the breakfast dish known as Eggs Benedict:
EGGS BENEDICT
I have known about the American breakfast dish, Eggs Benedict, since I was a child. However, I have yet to experience it. After learning about the origins and ingredients for Eggs Benedict, I believe it is time to remedy my lack of experience.
Eggs Benedict is a traditional American breakfast or brunch dish that consists of the following - two halves of an English muffin, topped with a poached egg, bacon or ham, and Hollandaise sauce. Many variations of Eggs Benedict have been created over the years. Among the most popular are:
*Eggs Florentine - which substitutes spinach for the ham or adds it underneath. Older versions of eggs Florentine add spinach to poached or shirred eggs.
*Eggs Chesapeake - substitutes a Maryland blue crab cake in place of the ham.
*Eggs Mornay - substitutes Mornay cheese sauce for the Hollandaise sauce.
*Irish Benedict - which replaces the ham/bacon with corned beef or Irish bacon.
*Eggs Cochon - a variation from New Orleans restaurants which replaces the ham with pork "debris" (slow roasted pork shredded in its own juices) and the English muffin with a large buttermilk biscuit.
The following are conflicting accounts to the origins of Eggs Benedict:
One of those accounts claimed that Delmonico's, the famous restaurant in lower Manhattan claimed on its menu that the dish was first created in one of its ovens in 1860. The restaurant also claimed that one of its former chefs, Charles Ranhofer, had published the recipe for Eggs à la Benedick in 1894, naming it in honor of two of the restaurant's patrons, Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict.
A retired Wall Street stockbroker named Lemuel Benedict claimed in an interview recorded in the "Talk of the Town"column of The New Yorker in 1942, the year before his death, that he had wandered into the Waldorf Hotel in 1894 ordered "buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and a hooker of hollandaise" in the hopes to find a cure for his morning hangover. Oscar Tschirky, Waldorf's maître d'hôtel, was so impressed with the dish that he put it on the breakfast and luncheon menus, but substituted ham for the bacon and a toasted English muffin for the toast.
The third account to the dish's origin came from Edward P. Montgomery on behalf of Commodore E. C. Benedict. In 1967, Montgomery wrote a letter to then food columnist Craig Claiborne that included a recipe he claimed he had received through his uncle, a friend of the commodore. Commodore Benedict's recipe, via Montgomery, varies greatly from Ranhofer's version. The recipe called for the addition of a "hot, hard-cooked egg and ham mixture" in the Hollandaise Sauce.
Below is a classic recipe for Eggs Benedict from the Betty Crocker website:
Eggs Benedict
Ingredients - Hollandaise Sauce
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup firm butter
Ingredients - Eggs Benedict
3 English muffins
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon butter
6 thin slices Canadian-style bacon or fully cooked ham
6 eggs
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Paprika, if desired
Preparation
1. In 1-quart saucepan, vigorously stir egg yolks and lemon juice with wire whisk. Add 1/4 cup of the butter. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until butter is melted.
2. Add remaining 1/4 cup butter. Continue stirring vigorously until butter is melted and sauce is thickened. (Be sure butter melts slowly so eggs have time to cook and thicken sauce without curdling.) If the sauce curdles (mixture begins to separate and melted butter starts to appear around the edge of the pan and on top of the sauce), add about 1 tablespoon boiling water and beat vigorously with wire whisk or egg beater until smooth. Keep warm.
3. Split English muffins; toast. Spread each muffin half with some of the 3 tablespoons butter; keep warm.
4. In 10-inch skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Cook bacon in butter until light brown on both sides; keep warm.
5. Wipe out skillet to clean; fill with 2 to 3 inches water. Add vinegar to water. Heat to boiling; reduce to simmering. Break cold eggs, one at a time, into custard cup or saucer. Holding dish close to water’s surface, carefully slip eggs into water. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until whites and yolks are firm, not runny (water should be gently simmering and not boiling). Remove with slotted spoon.
6. Place 1 slice bacon on each muffin half. Top with egg. Spoon warm sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with paprika.
"BREACH" (2007) ReviewI have noticed over the years that some of the most interesting spy thrillers tend to be based upon historic fact. And many of these fact-based movie usually centered on an individual's betrayal of his or her country on a massive scale. Movie and television productions such as "5 FINGERS", "FAMILY OF SPIES" and "CAMBRIDGE SPIES" are good examples. Another is the 2007 political thriller, which told the story of how FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen ended up being convicted of selling intelligence secrets to the Soviet Union and later, Russia. Set between December 2000 and February 2001, "BREACH" began with young FBI employee, Eric O'Neill and two co-workers, engaged in the surveillance of a Muslim couple in Washington D.C. Eric is recalled from his post and assigned by Special Agent Kate Burroughs to work undercover as an assistant to Hanssen, who is allegedly suspected of being a sexual deviant. Despite Hanssen's abrasive personality and rants against the Bureau for its lack of appreciation toward his computer skills, Eric begins to regard him as a friend and mentor. Hanssen and his wife has taken an interest in Eric and his marriage to a German immigrant named Juliana . . . who dislikes them. However, Burroughs eventually tells Eric the truth that Hanssen is suspected of spying for the Soviet Union and later, Russia for years. The Bureau needs hard evidence - from Eric - to put Hanssen away for good.When I said that "BREACH" was an interesting spy film, I was not kidding. Frankly, I consider it to be one of my favorite in the genre outside the usual "JAMES BOND", "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE" or "JASON BOURNE" movie franchises. I have nothing against these franchises. But . . . there are times when I do enjoy watching the occasional spy thriller that does not feature excessive violence, car chases and explosives. And "BREACH" happens to be one of those films. Instead of the occasional action sequences; the movie featured good acting, first-rate suspense and more importantly well-written drama. "BREACH" knocks it out of the ballpark with all three.There are those who will probably dismiss the suspense aspect of the movie's plot, considering that audiences know the outcome and Hanssen's fate. But there is suspense. The story's mystery centered on how Eric managed to help the F.B.I. find evidence to arrest and convict Hanssen. It also centered on Eric's struggles to maintain his cover and deal with a perpetually arrogant and paranoid man. But what really made "BREACH" fascinating to me were the emotional consequences that Eric faced, while he played a cat-and-mouse game with Hanssen. The best example of this cat-and-mouse game was featured in a scene in which Eric was forced to delay Hanssen with a trip to a government photo session and obtain data from the latter's Palm Pilot, while F.B.I. agents searched the latter's car for evidence and plant listening devices. And even more interesting scene occurred later in the film, in which Hanssen becomes aware of the listening devices in his car and allows his paranoia to confront Eric . . . while wielding a pistol. I found it even more interesting to watch how the case nearly played havoc with O'Neill's marriage to Juliana, who became increasingly resentful over the Hanssens' encroachment upon the younger couple's marriage. More importantly, she becomes resentful toward the Hanssen's intrusions into her and Eric's religious beliefs. This tension is especially played out in a scene involving Robert and Bonnie Hanssen making a surprise visit to the O'Neills' apartment and Juliana's discovery of a video tape in Eric's possession . . . one that features a sexual encounter between the Hanssens that was taped by them. Overall, the drama did an excellent job in conveying the tensions and emotional price that Eric faced, while helping his fellow agents take down Hanssen.Where there any aspects of "BREACH" I did not like? Well . . . there are two, if I must be honest. One, I did not care for how the screenwriters handled the Rich Garces character, portrayed by Gary Cole. Honestly? It seemed as if the actor's time was wasted in this film. And for a first-rate actor like Cole, I found that rather sad. One other aspect of "BREACH"that failed to impress me was Tak Fujimoto's photography. I realize that the cinematographer is highly regarded in the Hollywood community. And I have admired his work in past movies. I did not care for his photography in this movie. I found it a bit too dark and metallic for my taste. Yes, "BREACH" set mainly set during the winter months of December, January and February. But guess what? I have encountered other movies set during the winter. And honestly, I found the photography for those movies a lot more attractive.My feelings for the performances featured in this film is a completely different matter. Yes, I was a little disappointed that Gary Cole was underused. And the movie featured some solid performances that did not exactly dazzled me. But . . . despite being underused, I must admit that I found Cole rather entertaining as Special Agent Rich Garces, whose amused and laid back attitude toward Hanssen seemed to ruffle the latter's feathers. Bruce Davison had a nice appearance as Eric's father who gives the latter some wise advice. Dennis Haysbert's portrayal of Special Agent Dean Plesac also struck me as pretty solid. But in one particular scene that featured Hanssen's arrest, I was impressed by how Haysbert expressed his character's mild disgust and disbelief over the other man's refusal to face the reality of what was going on. Kathleen Quinlan gave a very interesting performance as Hanssen's wife, Bonnie. Regardless of whether or not Mrs. Hanssen knew about her husband's espionage work, I must admit that Quinlan did an exceptional work in conveying a subtle perversity in her character's personality that I found rather disturbing. It must have been somewhat difficult for Caroline Dhavernas to portray Juliana O'Neill. In the hands of a less skilled or less experienced actress, Juliana could have come off as a shrewish wife who seems incapable of understanding her husband's profession. But Dhavernas managed to avoid that one-dimensional portrayal and expertly convey how much the Hanssens' intrusions and Eric's continuing privacy had put a strain on her psyche.I cannot deny that I found Laura Linney's portrayal of Kate Burrough, Eric's F.B.I. handler, very interesting. And very complex. Linney's Agent Burrough bridled with righteous anger at Hanssen's betrayal of his country. Yet, she skillfully balanced that anger with a world-weary cynicism toward Eric's initial naivety that I found fascinating to watch. There are times when I find myself wondering if Ryan Phillippe is underrated as an actor. Personally, I never have. And his performance as Eric O'Neill has only confirmed (at least in my mind) that he is a superb actor. Eric O'Neill might be one of the nicest characters he has ever portrayed. But thanks to Phillippe's complex and intense performance, the character also proved to be interesting . . . especially in how he dealt with the stress of serving as Hanssen's aide, while investing the latter; and how that stress put a strain on his marriage. Also, Phillippe is such a strong actor that it is obvious he had no problem whatsoever in keeping up with the more highly regarded Laura Linney and his main co-star, Chris Cooper. Speaking of the latter, I am still disappointed that he was never recognized for his portrayal of Robert Hanssen with a major acting award. He really deserved it. More importantly, I regard Robert Hanssen as one of his best roles. I thought Cooper was outstanding as the paranoid Hanssen, who seemed to be a curious mixture of the dedicated and morally pure Federal agent; and the perverse and paranoid man, whose ego led him to commit a major betrayal against his country. Cooper really knocked it out of the ballpark.Overall, I would highly recommend "BREACH". Is it historically accurate? Of course not. I have yet to see a historical drama that was. But "BREACH" is such a fascinating tale, thanks to Billy Ray's direction; a tight screenplay written by him, Adam Mazer and William Rotko; and superb performances by a cast led by Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe that it was inspired me to visit my local library and read more on Robert Hanssen and what led to his capture.
Below is a list of my top favorite episodes from Season Four of Marvel's "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.". Created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen; the series stars Clark Gregg: TOP FAVORITE EPISODES OF "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." SEASON FOUR (2016-2017)
1. (4.18) "No Regrets" - This episode revealed how S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Leo Fitz had become a HYDRA official, while he and his team were trapped in the Framework, a computer simulation created by S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist Holden Radcliffe. Also, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Jeffrey Mace aka "the Patriot" lead a group of the Resistance to rescue colleague held captive by HYDRA.
2. (4.20) "Farewell, Cruel World!" - S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Daisy Johnson (Skye) and Jemma Simmons race against time to get their team out of the Framework. However, one team member is reluctant to leave for personal reasons.
3. (4.03) "Uprising" - S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Phil Coulson, Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie and Fitz try to locate and neutralize a terrorist group called the Watchdogs, who want to stop Inhuman registration worldwide.
4. (4.17) "Identity and Change" - Daisy and Jemma learn the identity of the Resistance leader inside the Framework, as they struggle to find an escape route to the real world.
5. (4.15) "Self Control" - While Radcliffe and AIDA's plan to entrap the S.H.I.E.L.D. goes into action, Fitz and Jemma are trapped in the Playground, unsure of which of their friends are real and which ones have been replaced by Life-Model Decoys (LMDs).
Honorable Mention: (4.10) "The Patriot" - Coulson and Mack discover a shocking secret about Director Mace, leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency in a precarious position with the government and the media.
