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I literally just got back from seeing the movie, so I'm not 100% sure what I think yet. I have a vague impression that there are too many characters, probably due to the filmmakers reaching too far for cameos of names we recognize. Such as Nagini. I don't mind her backstory being that she was a woman with a blood-curse, but seriously, why is she involved in this story? It had better pay off later.

I also have a sense that we're following the wrong protagonist? I mostly like Newt, but I have no idea why he's our guy. Like... what is his arc here? He finally decides to take a side after seeing what Grindelwald is like in person? Okay, but... what did he actually do? What lesson has he learned? Why is this HIS story and not, say, Credence's? He's the one with real skin in the game, real stakes to win or lose. Newt's motivation is, there's a girl he likes and also Dumbledore gave him a side-quest to find and protect Credence. The thing with the blood-pact bauble was a lucky opportunity; I'm not sure he knew about it ahead of time. Dumbledore certainly seemed surprised to see it at the end.

I don't mind the blood-pact, incidentally, because it seems like the kind of grand gesture two young guys on an epic quest for power and glory might well make to each other in a fit of zeal. I'm sure Dumbledore meant it at the time, and may even be reluctant to break it now. The Mirror of Erised scene shows us he clearly still has feelings for Grindelwald, or at least that was my reading. The moment they made that pact was the moment they were closest to each other, and that is "nothing more or less than the deepest desire of his heart." Poor bugger.

... Maybe Tina would make a better protagonist. She's an auror, it could be a whole international detective thing with Newt being this weird guy who keeps turning up on seemingly innocent premises and yet mucks things up and/or helps her in oddly coincidental ways. Like, he's nice enough, maybe she's even attracted to him, but what is his deal, and what is his connection with the elusive Dumbledore? It could've been an interesting mystery from her point of view.

Once again, Jacob is more or less luggage. His motivation is also there's a girl he likes, whose treatment of him is awful and definitely needed to be called out more strongly. If they're setting her up to go to the Dark Side, fine, that's definitely a red flag. That shit is illegal, not to mention immoral. But Team Good Guy just kinda let it slide. {= /

I don't know why we need him and Queenie. They don't get enough development for me to care that much about them, and I'm certainly not rooting for them as a couple after that. I guess Grindelwald has a really good Legillimens now, but he could've had that anyway. Her story might've been better as something discovered in the course of tracking down Grindelwald through his lackeys or something like that.

... I'm liking Tina as protag more and more.

Really, who else actually did things actively to advance the plot? I feel like Grindelwald was pulling the strings the whole time and everything has basically gone according to plan.

That's all I've got now. Perhaps more once I've had more time to process it and absorb other people's thoughts.

~Neshomeh

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I'm going to start with the Queenie Situation. I agree that her actions regarding Jacob and the Love Potion were not good. Very Merope Gaunt (more on that later). Regarding the Legillimens issues a few things:

1. In Fantastic Beasts, while it was shown to be quite strong with regards to Newt and Jacob, but keep in mind that she did not deduce that Graves was Grindelwald nor that Abernathy was working with Grindelwald.
2. She wasn't really around Grindelwald's followers that were not in his immediate presence. It is very possible that those who were part of his Apartment team were skilled with Occlumency.
3. By the time the Graveyard scene happened she was already lost and probably very much wearing blinders. She did not want to know. She does seem to be very singular minded.

On to the Blood Pact. It could be an interesting plot device, and I think it works. Because while reluctance is certainly a good reason, it could still come into play. Remember there are about 20 years between Crimes of Grindelwald and when Dumbledore fights Grindelwald. I suspect Dumbledore will have dissolved the pact by the end of the next film, which gives two additional movies with Dumbledore on the sidelines deciding how and when to fight.

Lestrange. So I thought it could have been handled better, but early on Leta at least made it clear that Credence was not her half-brother. She affirmed to Dumbledore that Credence was not Corvinus.

Now as to Credence being a Dumbledore...Grindelwald was probably lying. It does not fit with the actual canon timeline (though they are kind of playing fast and loose with that, maybe). I think it is possible that Credence could theoretically be from Honoria Dumbledore's side of the family, but I think more likely Grindelwald was lying. After all he was noted as being manipulative. Given that Grindelwald did not know Credence was the Obscurus until he tried to kill him, I don't think that he knows who Credence is (after all CoG is only a few months after FB).

As to McGonagall, in film I do not recall her being addressed as Minerva McGonagall though it is listed as such in the credits. But as to date, I was checking Pottermore again and there is no year listed for her Birthday. I think the 1935 number was extrapolated and Rowling has messed up on math before (remember Flint attending Hogwarts for 8 years). So as far as I know it does not directly contradict anything in the existing books.

Nagini as a maledictus cursed to turn into a snake. I'm actually alright with that. Nagini was always portrayed with near human intelligence, and the ability to disguise herself as a woman. I think it is passable, but they have a long way to explain how she goes from the Good Guys to Voldermort's Companion. There are also at least three more movies to explain that.

As to Crazy Theories, which I expect none of them to be true, but if they are I want to be able to say I told you so.

1. Queenie's Role. My theory was originally that Queenie was really Merope Gaunt, but as I was checking timelines again, I realized that Tom Riddle was already born by the time CoG starts. But I'll stick with Queenie is still a Gaunt, just descended from the Irish-American Line through Martha Gaunt.

2. Credence's Identity. My theory was originally that he was actually a young Tom Riddle, given his affinity with Nagini, Powerful Dark Magic, Hatred of Muggles, and a Growing Dislike of Dumbledore, but it appears that once again the time lines just do not synchronize. Then I was going to try to make some extreme argument that he was really Tom Riddle Senior, but again given that in canon Tom Riddle was born in 1926 that does not seem viable, not to mention the whole Riddle Senior was a muggle. So yeah I got a whole lot of nothing here. It is unlikely that he is a Dumbledore, because of the simple fact that he would have had to have been born in Azkaban and I'm fairly certain Dementors did not allow that kind of visit.

...I heard a rumor that the aforementioned book was ghost-written and/or a published fanfiction. Is either of that true or is J. K. Rowling legitimately letting fame get to her head?

-Twistey