document_title: List of The Middle characters

question_text: who plays frankie's boss on the middle

question_tokens: who plays frankie 's boss on the middle

text: List of The Middle characters

text: Main characters[edit]

text:
Patricia Heaton as Frances "Frankie" Heck (née Spence), wife of Mike and mother of Axl, Sue, and Brick. Frankie is the central character in the show, as her voice is heard narrating at various points in every episode. She is a devoted wife and mother and sees family as the most important thing in her life. Her motto, "You do for family", guides her daily routine, despite the frustrations she encounters with her husband and three kids, as well as her older ailing relatives who often depend on her. Frankie attended college but did not finish. When the family goes on a trip, she always forgets "the blue bag" which has the food in it. She worked as a salesperson at Ehlert Motors, a job she took after losing her position as a dentist's receptionist when the office closed, only to lose her job at Ehlert Motors early in season 4. She completes dental assisting school, and gets a new job at a dentist's office near the end of season 4. Heaton wore a wig for seasons 1–4; from season 5 on, her real hair has been featured.
Neil Flynn as Michael "Mike" Heck Jr., Frankie's husband, known for his straightforward manner and lack of emotion. Mike works at the local limestone quarry as the manager. He reached his 25-year work anniversary at the quarry in the season 9 episode "The Crying Game", wherein he was promoted to Regional Manager. Despite his no-nonsense approach to work and family, Mike is a devoted and understanding husband and father who always seems to come through for Frankie and the kids. It has been said on several occasions that Mike's favorite film is Reservoir Dogs and that he only asked Frankie out on a second date because she lied and said she also liked the film. Mike's reclusive, emotionally distant father, "Big Mike" (John Cullum), and Mike's well-meaning but unreliable brother Rusty (Norm Macdonald) both live in Orson. It is revealed in season 8's "Clear and Present Danger" that Mike's mother died of lung cancer at age 42, and his father made him do his homework and go to school the next day instead of allowing Mike time to mourn. Mike loves all sports but is particularly passionate about seeing the Indianapolis Colts play in the Super Bowl. He and Rusty start a business in season 7, designing disposable diapers with sports team logos on them and naming their creations "Li'l Rivals".
Charlie McDermott as Axl Redford Heck, the oldest son of Frankie and Mike and who cannot be bothered to wear more than boxer shorts most of the time at home. As the elder brother, he is sarcastic, lazy, narcissistic, and selfish to his siblings. However, he has shown flashes of kindness to his family occasionally and is good at heart, which he shows when he deliberately loses a basketball game in an attempt to win back his ex-girlfriend, Morgan. He is frustrating to Frankie, who wishes he would be more open with her, as he was apparently a very loving "momma's boy" when he was a child, something Frankie seems to want to re-capture. Axl is much more popular and socially outgoing than his siblings, but is not as scholarly as they are. He plays the electric guitar, and it is presumed that he was named after Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose. It is revealed in season 3 that Axl is two years older than Sue as he starts his junior year at high school while Sue starts her freshman year. Mike has said that Axl is his favorite child. He has gone to prom twice with Weird Ashley (Katlin Mastandrea), an outcast at his school, both times accidentally inviting her. Axl gets another girlfriend in season 4 named Cassidy, who tutors him after Sue runs over his foot and breaks it while learning to drive. Axl and Cassidy later break up in "Hallelujah Hoedown". As a running back on his high school football team, he was recruited by a Division II state college in Indiana. After being a star player in high school, Axl was a bench warmer in college, causing him to take his pursuit of a business degree a bit more seriously. Early in season 8, Axl dates and later secretly marries his sweetheart April, mainly as a way to defy his parents, who do not like her. The marriage is quickly annulled after both sets of parents find out. At the end of season 8, he begins dating Sue's roommate Lexie and graduates from college with a bachelor's degree in business. Between seasons 8 and 9, he travelled in Europe with Kenny to promote Kenny's upcoming apps. After briefly working as a school bus driver and at Spudsy's early in season 9, Axl gets his first professional job as a sales rep for a plumbing fixture company in the episode "The 200th".
Eden Sher as Sue Sue Heck, socially awkward middle daughter of Frankie and Mike whose genuine nature, bubbly personality, and persistent sunny optimism tend to make her an object of ridicule, especially by her older brother. Despite her best efforts, she is usually unrecognized by teachers and other students, and snubbed by her peers. Her best friends are Carly and Brad. She looks up to reverend Tim-Tom. When she does not know something she goes to kickingitteenstyle.com. When she is lying she will say "and so on and so forth and what have you". Many of her plot lines involve her being overlooked, or trying to organize parties or events and receiving no help. In season 1, she is not pictured in the yearbook despite having her picture taken three times, and she finds her favorite teacher has no memory of her at all. (She is eventually placed in the yearbook, but in the section reserved for students who died, with the caption reading: "In Loving Memory of Sue Heck, Gone Too Soon.") She wears braces on her teeth, which were briefly removed in season 3, but it was determined that they over-corrected her condition. She had them removed at the beginning of season 6, needing only a retainer. She is also left-handed, apparently the only southpaw in her immediate family. She is two years behind Axl in school, graduating high school in the season 6 finale. She is known for trying out for almost everything but never actually getting picked, because she is always terrible. In season 2, she joins the no-cut cross country team by heroically going around the track five times on crutches because she was hit by a deer the day before. She becomes a "wrestlerette" in season 3 (which turns out to be a group of fellow misfits) and dates a wrestler named Matt for a short time. In season 4, she dates Axl's friend Darrin. She is engaged to Darrin for three days in season 6, before deciding she does not want to get married yet and ending their relationship. This marks a rare moment where Sue is not a pushover, explaining her situation to Darrin in an intelligent, articulate, and socially mature manner. The season 3 episode "Leap Year" reveals she was a leap day baby, but then she had her 16th birthday the following season (season 4, episode 17, "Wheels of Pain"). She gets accepted to the same college Axl is attending. He did not want her to go, but Mike and Frankie tell him it is not his decision, and Sue does later accept the offer to attend the college. In season 9, she is a junior in college and is majoring in hotel management. She turns 21 later that season, and Frankie comes to college and they get drunk together.
Atticus Shaffer as Brick Heck, youngest of Mike and Frankie's children. He loves to read and has a case of palilalia, which is demonstrated by his repeating words from previous sentences to himself in a whisper. He has trouble lying because he will usually follow it up by whispering, "I'm lying". In season 8, he says he does not whisper when he is lying anymore, but now he farts. In season 1 episode 5, it is revealed that he possesses an eidetic memory. He is smarter than most teenagers, having read Of Mice and Men, a book his elder brother is struggling with at the same time. He also loves the Planet Nowhere book series, which is native to the show, and the real-life Percy Jackson & the Olympians. He has referred to Diary of a Wimpy Kid as "the book that changed my life". He is exceptionally intelligent but easily distracted, leading him to procrastinate on doing his homework assignments and projects (it is loosely implied that he may perhaps have Asperger's syndrome). Brick is a known gephyrophobiac and is fascinated with fonts. Due to his awkwardness, he struggles to make friends. In season 2, he befriends an equally awkward boy named Arlo, whom even Brick struggles to deal with. He is five years behind Sue in school, starting the eighth grade in the seventh season. In season 2 episode 7, it is revealed that he was accidentally switched at birth with another baby due to Mike watching a football game and taking home a child that the nurse brought up next to Brick, and he spent a month with that child's family while the other baby was with the Hecks. In season 8, Brick meets the other child, Blake Ferguson, along with the literature-loving Ferguson parents, and discovers that it was likely exposure to them as an infant that led to his appreciation for reading and classical music. While Sue gets overlooked by classmates and teachers, Brick is constantly overlooked by his own family. Frankie and Mike have forgotten his birthday multiple times. In season 8, Brick makes it into the National Honor Society, a first for a Heck family member, but his parents did not know until Nancy Donahue told them. He has a girlfriend named Cindy. In season 9, Brick is a Sophomore at Orson High School.

text: Recurring characters[edit]

text:
Actor
Character
Seasons

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Brock Ciarlelli
Brad Bottig
Recurring

Jen Ray
Nancy Donahue
Recurring

Beau Wirick
Sean Donahue
Recurring

Laura Ann Kesling
Dotty Donahue
Guest
Recurring

Recurring

Guest
Recurring

Brooke Shields
Rita Glossner
Guest

Guest

Guest

Malcolm Foster Smith
Dave
Recurring

John Gammon
Darrin McGrew
Recurring

Blaine Saunders
Carly
Recurring
Guest

Guest

Jeanette Miller
Edie Freehold
Recurring

Brian Doyle-Murray
Mr. Elhert
Recurring
Guest
Recurring
Guest

Guest

Troy Metcalf
Jim
Recurring
Guest
Recurring

Peter Breitmayer
Peter Miller
Recurring
Guest

Frances Bay
Ginny Freehold
Recurring

Andrew J. Fishman
Zach
Recurring
Guest
Recurirng
Guest

Krista Braun
Mrs. Tompkins
Recurring
Guest

Alexa Vega
Morgan
Recurring

Paul Hipp
Reverend Tim-Tom
Guest
Recurring
Guest
Recurring
Guest

Guest
Recurring

Marsha Mason
Pat Spence
Guest
Recurirng
Guest
Recurring

John Cullum
Michael Heck Sr.
Guest
Recurring
Guest

Guest

Pat Finn
Bill Norwood

Recurring

Recurring
Guest
Recurring

Julie Brown
Paula Norwood

Recurring

Guest

Recurring

Greg Cipes
Chuck

Guest
Guest
Guest

Nick Safer
Arlo

Recurring

Katlin Mastandrea
Ashley Wyman

Guest
Recurring
Guest

Recurring

Norm Macdonald
Rusty Heck

Guest
Recurring
Guest

Sean O'Bryan
Ron Donahue

Guest
Recurring

Guest

Recurring

Jerry Van Dyke
Tag Spence

Guest
Recurirng

Kayla Madison
Shelly Donahue

Guest
Recurring

Grace Bannon
Ruth

Recurring
Guest
Recurring

Jessica Marie Garcia
Becky

Recurring
Guest

Brittany Ross
Courtney

Recurring
Guest

Guest

Natalie Lander
Debbie

Recurring
Guest

Guest

Christopher Darga
Mr. Farrar

Recurring
Guest

Moises Arias
Matt

Recurring
Guest

Jack McBrayer
Dr. Ted Goodwin

Recurring

Recurring
Guest

Galadriel Stineman
Cassidy Finch

Recurring

Guest

Dave Foley
Dr. Fulton

Recurring
Guest

Guest

French Stewart
Principal Cameron

Recurring

Guest

Guest

Tommy Bechtold
Kenny

Recurring

Alphonso McAuley
Hutch

Recurring
Guest

Brooke Dillman
Tink Babbit

Guest
Recurring
Guest

Casey Burke
Cindy

Recurring

Gia Mantegna
Devin Levin

Recurring
Guest

David Hull
Logan

Guest
Recurring

Jovan Armand
Troy

Recurring

Daniela Bobadilla
Lexie Brooks[2]

Recurring

Will Green
Jeremy

Recurring

Keaton Savage
Tyler

Guest
Recurring

Greer Grammer
April

Recurring

Lisa Rinna
Tammy Brooks

Guest

text: Extended family[edit]

text:
Edie and Ginny Freehold (Jeanette Miller and Frances Bay, introduced in season 1) are Frankie's elderly aunts who are heavy smokers and drinkers. Aunt Edie used to work in Mike's quarry as the bookkeeper, often showing signs of memory loss. One such occasion is when they went to a funeral for Edie and Ginny's brother, and Aunt Edie thought it was her birthday. Aunt Ginny uses a wheelchair and rarely talks. They have a sickly Basset Hound named Doris. On many occasions, Frankie is forced to care for Doris unexpectedly; on one such occasion, Doris gave birth to puppies. In the season 3 episode "The Map", which premiered in early 2012, Aunt Ginny dies. (The actress who portrayed her, Frances Bay, had died in real life.) Brick's elderly friend, Grandma Dot, then moves in with Edie to take care of her. In the early 2015 episode, "Hecks on a Train", Aunt Edie has just died (actress Jeanette Miller had retired from acting) and the Hecks are left to care for Doris.
Michael "Big Mike" Heck Sr. (John Cullum, introduced in season 1) is Mike's reclusive, man-of-few-words father, who is a widower. He appears to be an unloving, uncaring parent, but this is primarily because he simply does not want to be a "bother" for either of his sons. He is also depicted as a hoarder. In season 6, Big Mike and Axl fixed the Hecks' kitchen sink, which was a rare bonding experience for the two of them. In season 8 it is revealed that he sent Mike Jr. to school the day after his mother died, not allowing him time to grieve.
Orville "Rusty" Heck (Norm Macdonald, introduced in season 2) is Mike's unreliable, silly brother. He often makes up excuses why he cannot be anywhere or do anything Mike asks him to do. He once took Brick out of school to bowl and to teach him how to drive, even though he was not old enough or ready. It is revealed in the season 3 finale that his real first name is Orville. In the season 3 finale the Hecks get an invitation to his wedding but it says the wedding is happening at their house. Rusty marries a woman called Marlene, but in season 5 when Marlene invites herself to Thanksgiving at the Hecks' house, Rusty tells them that they got a divorce because she slept with his best friend. Rusty appears later in season 5 and is homeless (again). He ends up moving in with the Hecks, and accompanies Mike and Brick to Brick's spelling bee in Chicago, where Rusty makes a deal with Brick to lose, allowing Rusty to win some money on a bet he made. In season 7, Rusty comes up with a business idea that Mike shockingly thinks might work, and the two start a side business together.
Pat Spence (Marsha Mason, introduced in season 1) is Frankie's mother. Pat appeared at least once in all of the first seven seasons. Her first appearance was in season 1 episode 22 ("Mother's Day"). Her latest appearance was in the season 9 episode "The Setup".
Tag Spence (Jerry Van Dyke, introduced in season 2) is Frankie's father. Tag is a schmoozer and always talks to Mike endlessly, which Mike finds very uncomfortable and annoying. In season 4 Tag calls Mike to meet up at a Stuckey's restaurant, to have man-to-man chats every Sunday. After a couple of meetings, Mike decides he just cannot possibly stand to do it any longer, so he suggests that Tag should try chatting with people on Facebook. Tag's latest appearance was in season 6, episode 21 ("Two of a Kind"). The episode reveals a longstanding feud between Tag and his brother Dutch (played by Jerry Van Dyke's real-life brother Dick Van Dyke), which is mostly fueled by Tag's jealousy, and Mike and Frankie end up trying to resolve it.

text: Co-workers[edit]

text:
Bob Weaver (Chris Kattan, introduced in season 1) is Frankie's co-worker and friend at Ehlert Motors. He is depicted as a lonely, insecure man who lives with his mother and does not seem to have any friends. Thus, he tends to insert himself into the Hecks' family life whenever he can. Bob was credited as a main character in the first two seasons, but the role was significantly reduced after Frankie was fired from Ehlert Motors. He was a recurring character in season 3, and has since made two other appearances (the most recent in season 5, when Frankie rushes out to her dental office job but accidentally goes to Ehlert Motors). Bob and Mike once moonlighted together delivering Little Betty snack cakes to stores.
Don Ehlert (Brian Doyle-Murray, introduced in season 1) is the racist and misogynistic owner of the car dealership where Frankie used to work, and where Bob presumably still works. Frankie and Bob constantly worry that he is going to fire them. Ehlert's wife left him when he chose work over her, and Frankie was first sympathetic but later turned angry. He often drinks at work. Elhert, like Mike, likes sports. As with Bob, appearances by the Mr. Ehlert character were significantly reduced after Frankie was fired from Ehlert Motors.
Pete Miller (Peter Breitmayer, introduced in season 1) is Ehlert Motors' best salesman and star employee, and he is not afraid to tell everyone about it. Pete often brags about his success at Frankie's and Bob's expense, putting them down about how little they contribute to the business while developing a "teacher's pet" relationship with Mr. Ehlert.
Dave (Malcolm Foster Smith, introduced in season 1) is an employee at the quarry Mike manages. He has appeared in at least two episodes every season.
Jim (Troy Metcalf, introduced in season 1) is an employee at the quarry Mike manages. He has appeared in at least one episode every season.
Chuck (Greg Cipes, introduced in season 2) is a younger employee at the quarry Mike manages. He once babysat for Brick, giving him questionable advice on a school project. He often speaks in the third person, referring to himself as "The Chuck".
Dr. Ted Goodwin (Jack McBrayer, introduced in season 4) is the dentist who hires Frankie as a hygienist in season 4. He has few friends, and Frankie is forced to spend time with him after work in "The Jump" (season 5).[3] Ted's dental office is bought out by the conglomerate Smile Sensations in season 7. Frankie does not like the changes, but continues to work there.
Edwin (Jimmy Bellinger, introduced in season 5) is the young manager at Spudsy's, a baked potato fast food restaurant in a mall food court where Sue has worked steadily since season 5.

text: Neighbors[edit]

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Sean Donahue (Beau Wirick, introduced in season 1) is one of Axl's best friends, teammate on the high school football team, and neighbor Nancy Donahue's only son. He is helpful, polite, and friendly, which makes him outwardly the opposite of Axl; that said, he always supports everything Axl does. In season 2, Sue develops a crush on Sean, but eventually ends the one-way relationship. In season 5, Sean came back from college to take Sue to prom upon learning that she had no date, but by the time he arrived, Sue had made plans to go with Darrin. Similarly, he often makes the several hour drive home from Notre Dame (at the request of his mother) to help the Hecks whenever there is a crisis, only to find the crisis resolved by the time he gets there. It was revealed in the season 7 episode "Hecks at a Movie" that his and Axl's respective first kisses were inadvertently with one another in a dark closet, something they have vowed to never speak of again. Also in season 7, Sean has taken on a "hippie" persona and has become a vegetarian (much to Nancy's embarrassment). By season 8, Sean has reverted by to a more clean-cut look. The events of season 8 reveal that Sean and Sue have a mutual affection, but neither person is yet aware of the other's feelings. In the season 9 episode "The Christmas Miracle", Sue and Sean are talking and realize they both have feelings for each other and kiss.
Nancy Donahue (Jen Ray, introduced in season 1) is the Hecks' neighbor and president of the booster club. The Donahues (Nancy, her husband Ron, their son Sean, and their two daughters) are portrayed as the idyllic family Frankie yearns to be like. From season 5, episode 4 ("The 100th"), Nancy and Frankie's friendship has waned a little, mainly because Nancy overheard Mike and Frankie talking about her. In season 7, episode 18 ("A Very Donahue Vacation") Nancy's daughter, Shelly hears Frankie talking about Nancy and tells her. However, Nancy forgives Frankie and they remain good friends.
Ron Donahue (Sean O'Bryan, introduced in season 2) is Nancy's husband and Sean's, Dotty, and Shelly's father, who appears to be very involved in his kids' lives.
Rita Glossner (Brooke Shields, introduced in season 1) is the Hecks' uncouth and troubled neighbor. She is the single parent of four rambunctious boys, as she had kicked the boys' father out of the house some years ago. The Glossners appear to be the only family on the block that is worse off financially than the Hecks. Rita often shows her disdain for the Hecks' higher status, even calling Frankie a "one-percenter" in the season 7 episode, "Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death". The season 8 episode "Trip and Fall" reveals that Rita has a fourth son, Rodney, her oldest child who has just made her a grandmother. In the season 9 episode "Hecks vs. Glossners: The Final Battle", Rita's children are sent to juvenile detention. After her children are gone, it brings out the nicer side of Rita.
Derrick Glossner (David Chandler), Wade Glossner (Parker Bolek), and "Diaper" Glossner (Gibson Bobby Sjobeck) (all introduced in season 1) make up the dreaded Glossner boys, Rita's children. They are neighborhood bullies who used to terrorize Sue and Brick. In the first season, Sue and Carly attempt to fight the two older Glossner boys via a dance routine set to "Kung Fu Fighting". In the fifth season, Derrick reveals he has a crush on Sue and unexpectedly kisses her multiple times. Despite describing her as a "rich girl" with "one dad and two different kinds of chips" (and thus out of his league), he vows to better himself and come back for her someday. In the season 9 episode "Hecks vs. Glossners: The Final Battle", Derrick proclaims he has kept his promise by getting a part-time job at a tattoo parlor that pays him $50 a week. Sue tells him she is in love with someone else (Sean Donahue), prompting Derrick to call her a "cheater".
Paula Norwood (Julie Brown, introduced in season 2) is another of the Hecks' neighbors. She serves as somewhat of a counterpoint to the idyllic Nancy Donahue in that her life and family (including husband Bill) is depicted as being similar to Frankie's, having a lot of the same issues.
Bill Norwood (Pat Finn, introduced in season 2) is the Hecks' neighbor and Paula's husband who frequently embarrasses her. Bill tends to try too hard to convince Mike he's his friend, to the point of buying Mike expensive sunglasses for Christmas, even though the two had never agreed to exchange gifts. Bill reveals in the season 9 episode "The 200th" that he and Paula are separated. In the season 9 episode "Hecks vs. Glossners: The Final Battle", Bill meets a female police officer and the two agree to go on a date.
Dierdre Peterson (Emily Rutherfurd, introduced in season 7) is the Hecks' new next-door neighbor. She has three rambunctious, noisy children, plus a new baby.

text: Friends and classmates[edit]

text:
Darrin McGrew (John Gammon, introduced in season 1) is Axl's other best friend (along with Sean Donahue) and teammate. Darrin is the most passive and simple of Axl's friends, often landing himself, Sean, and Axl in problematic situations. In season 3, he takes Sue to the prom because of her "sunny disposition" and explained to Axl that he (Darrin) just wanted to go with someone and dance. In season 4, Darrin takes Sue to a Valentine's Day dance after her date cancels; and when tidying up in the hall after the dance they share a kiss. Later Darrin confides that he wants to continue dating Sue, which angers Axl. However, near the end of season 4, Sue breaks up with him after he accidentally punched her in the face while she was trying to break up a fight between him and Axl. After high school, Darrin enrolls in a heating and air conditioning repair school. In season 5, Sue feels like the breakup was a mistake and realizes that they only broke up because Axl was being so weird about it. With Axl having gone off to college, Sue gains a renewed interest in Darrin until she sees that he has a new girlfriend (Angel). Darrin later decides that his current girlfriend is too high-maintenance and he brings flowers to Sue, only to see her being kissed by Derrick Glossner. Despite a series of misunderstandings, the two ultimately reconnect at Sue's prom in season 5, and become a couple again. He proposes to Sue in the 6th season, and under pressure, she accepts. (In this episode, you see Darrin's mom for the first time and Darrin's last name is revealed to be McGrew, after Axl jokes that Sue's married name would be Sue Sue McGrew.) After realizing she does not want to be married yet, Sue breaks off the engagement with him three days later. Darrin has not appeared since that episode.
Carly (Blaine Saunders, introduced in season 1) is Sue's best female friend. She began in season 1 as a geeky character, wearing glasses and braces. Her braces were removed mid-season 1, and she became more popular as a result. Sue seems to be jealous, if only subconsciously, and wears makeup which her family finds garish. From season 2 onwards, Carly has reverted to a more geeky look. After making multiple appearances in seasons 1–4, Carly only made one appearance in season 5 (episode 14, "The Award") and one appearance in season 6 (episode 11, "A Quarry Story"). In a season 9 episode ("New Year's Revelations"), Carly attends the Hecks' New Year's Eve party, where it is revealed that she has a baby (and it is implied that she is a single mother).
Zack (Andrew J. Fishman, introduced in season 1) is Brick's friend from the socially challenged class. He has a tendency to behave like a cat, meowing and wearing oven mitts. Zack has not appeared in the show since season 4.
Arlo (Nick Shafer, introduced in season 2) is a friend Brick meets during the second season. He has an obsession with keeping everything on a schedule and takes frequent and lengthy bathroom breaks in the episode "Mother's Day II" when he is accompanying the Hecks to Brown County. He does not show up in the third or fourth season, although in "Year of the Hecks", he is mentioned.
Ashley "Weird Ashley" Wyman (Katlin Mastandrea, introduced in season 2) is Axl's weird classmate who has twice been his accidental date to prom. She is also on Sue's wrestlerette team. She has a keen interest in wizards, although she has never heard of Harry Potter. At their third prom together, Ashley is not Axl's date but dances with him when he's announced as prom king, as Axl and his date Cassidy had broken up only a few moments before the announcement. Axl is known to have a hatred towards her as he still regrets sending a text message about going to a prom with her. In season 5, Ashley invites Sue to hang with her at prom, as they are both there without dates, while Frankie's voice-over chides: "It wouldn't be prom if a Heck wasn't accompanied by Weird Ashley." In season 6, Ashley appears in Axl's dorm building out of nowhere, announcing she has transferred to East Indiana State because of their hotel management program. She tells Devin Levin that Axl was her boyfriend, which Axl of course vehemently denies. During an encounter with Axl in season 8 ("Exes and Ohhhs"), Ashley gets angry with him because he never officially said that he had no romantic interest in her, leading her to believe there was always a chance.
Ruth (Grace Bannon, introduced in season 3) is a member of Sue's wrestlerette team, depicted as an extreme religious conservative, often referencing "the rapture". Unlike the other wrestlerettes, Ruth wears an ankle-length skirt.
Becky (Jessica Marie Garcia, introduced in season 3) is a rough-and-tumble member of Sue's wrestlerette team.
Charles "Hutch" Hutchinson (Alphonso McAuley, introduced in season 5) is Axl's football teammate, best friend, and eventual roommate at college. Like Axl, Hutch does not get much playing time on the East Indiana State football team. In the season 9 episode "Eyes Wide Open", Axl visits Hutch at his new place in Chicago and finds that Hutch has turned into a responsible adult.
Kenny (Tommy Bechtold), introduced in season 5) is Axl's college roommate who does nothing but play World of Warcraft. He is mostly shown from behind as he sits at his computer. His face was shown briefly at the end of the season 5 episode "The Kiss". In an episode of season 6 ("The Table") Axl and Hutch move out of the dorm and into a rental house, but realize they cannot afford it on their own. They look up Kenny and invite him to be their roommate, too, as he apparently is reliable in paying bills and rent. Kenny speaks on-screen for the first time (and his face is shown again) in the season 7 episode "Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death". The season 8 episode "Pitch Imperfect" reveals that Kenny has developed some apps in between playing games, and has a fairly substantial net worth. Off camera between seasons 8 and 9, Axl accompanies Kenny on a trip through Europe to sell Kenny's apps. In season 9, Kenny marries a girl he met on a train in Amsterdam.
Cindy (Casey Burke, introduced in season 6) is a classmate of Brick's who becomes his pseudo-girlfriend in season 6. Though she stands taller than Brick, she seems as quirky as he is. She always wears a safari hat, her facial expression shows no emotion, and, since she finds Brick's missing shoe in her first appearance, it is heavily implied that the character is named for Cinderella. Cindy is very brief and direct in her communication. She has stated in multiple episodes that her favorite food is shrimp. Cindy's flaky parents are introduced in the season 7 episode "Crushed", when they ask the Hecks for a significant loan to save their house from foreclosure. The Hecks are not able to help, forcing Cindy's family to move in with her grandparents. This seemingly ends her relationship with Brick, until it is shown that her grandparents live only a block away. It's implied in the season 7 episode "Halloween VII" that Brick and Cindy eventually marry and start a family. In season 8's "The Final Final", Brick is elated to learn that Cindy's doctor told her she has likely stopped growing. Cindy and Brick briefly break up early in season 9, but are back together as of the episode "The 200th".
Troy (Jovan Armand, introduced in season 7) is Brick's large classmate who initially protects him from school bullies, then later becomes his friend.
Lexie Brooks (Daniela Bobadilla, introduced in season 7) is Sue's college classmate who, like Sue, fails to get accepted by any sororities at the school. She later becomes Sue's dorm mate and friend. She loves horses, and her family is rich. In the season 8 episode "Hoosier Maid", Lexie realizes she likes Axl, after denying his implications for several weeks. Because Axl is with April, she does not act on her feelings. However, after one date with Sean Donahue, Lexie tells Sue she thinks she wants more of a "bad boy". She ultimately reveals to Sue that she really really likes Axl in the season 8 episode "Swing and a Miss". Axl returns her feelings by kissing her in "The Par-Tay". They date in secret in "The Confirmation" and then by the end of the episode, their relationship is public knowledge. In "The Final Final", they're shown to be happily together.

text: Axl's love interests[edit]

text:
Morgan (Alexa Vega, introduced in season 1) is Axl's first girlfriend on the series, whom Frankie takes an instant liking to due to her straight-A grades and talent in multiple areas. However, after she breaks Axl's heart more than once, Frankie eventually explodes with anger and throws a beanbag at Morgan during a birthday party.
Courtney and Debbie (Brittany Ross and Natalie Lander, introduced in season 3) are airheaded, think-alike cheerleaders in Axl and Sue's high school who date Axl as one. Because the two are inseparable, Axl struggles to figure out which one is his real girlfriend and which one is just hanging out with the other. He makes a calculated guess that Courtney is his girlfriend and kisses her, which causes both girls to slap him and break up with him. They perpetually overlook Sue, often thinking she is a new exchange student, and later calling her a freshman during her senior year. In season 7, it is revealed that Courtney and Debbie are assistant cheerleading coaches at Orson High, and that they no longer like each other.
Cassidy Finch (Galadriel Stineman, introduced in season 4) is Axl's girlfriend in his senior year of high school. She met Axl when he was trying to boost his grades and needed a tutor. They did not get along very well in their first session, but then Axl kissed her and soon found out she had a boyfriend. She later broke up with her old boyfriend to be with Axl. Late in season 4, Cassidy's ex-boyfriend returns, putting tension between Axl and Cassidy for a while before they come back together. They break up in the episode "Hallelujah Hoedown", after Cassidy reveals she is going away in three weeks for an internship program and that they will be in different colleges come September. They begin speaking again in "The Award" (season 5), after Cassidy leaves an embarrassing message on Axl's voicemail. After a brief reconnection during spring break, Cassidy breaks up with Axl again, saying it is not fair to either of them to pursue a relationship while being 800 miles apart.
Devin Levin (Gia Mantegna, introduced in season 6) is a relative of Frankie's hairdresser who was only an acquaintance of Axl's in the past. In season 6, he notices how she has blossomed and that they share many interests, and they begin dating. The two briefly break up when Devin notices that Axl still has her listed as "Uggo from Idaho" in his cell phone contacts, but they get back together later on. Early in season 7, they break up again, each agreeing they should see other people during their college years.
April (Greer Grammer, introduced in season 8) is Axl's love interest, whom he meets offscreen between seasons 7 and 8. April is beautiful and sweet, but not very smart. Frankie immediately tells Axl he can do better, causing a rift between mother and son. Mike initially likes April, but later has a conversation with Axl in which he calls her "dumb as a box of hammers". Defiant, Axl marries April in a civil service. After both sets of parents find out, the marriage is annulled. Axl briefly continues to date his ex-wife, but later breaks up with April in order to pursue Lexie.
Lexie Brooks[4] (Daniela Bobadilla, introduced in season 7) is Sue's college classmate who, like Sue, fails to get accepted by any sororities at the school. She later becomes Sue's dorm mate and best friend. She loves horses, and her family is rich. In the season 8 episode "Hoosier Maid", Lexie realizes she likes Axl, after denying his implications for several weeks. Because Axl is with April, she does not act on her feelings. However, after one date with Sean Donahue, Lexie tells Sue she thinks she wants more of a "bad boy". She ultimately reveals to Sue that she really really likes Axl in the season 8 episode "Swing and a Miss". Axl returns her feelings by kissing her in "The Par-Tay". They date in secret in "The Confirmation" and then by the end of the episode, their relationship is public knowledge. In "The Final Final", they're shown to be happily together. They said their first "I Love You's" in "MommaPalooza". In this same episode, Lexie is annoyed that Axl will not let her spend frivolously on their dates, only to later learn that her parents cut her off to teach her responsibility.

text: Sue's love interests[edit]

text:
Brad Bottig (Brock Ciarlelli, introduced in season 1) is Sue's flamboyant, theater-loving, tap dancing and slightly camp ex-boyfriend, who is on the high school wrestling team. They date during Thanksgiving (season 1), but soon break up. Mike and Frankie assume the breakup was the result of Sue learning that Brad is gay, but Sue claims it is because she found out Brad has a smoking habit. Brad and Sue remain good friends despite their breakup as boyfriend-girlfriend, and she remains seemingly unaware of his obvious, if stereotypical, homosexual behavior. From season 5 onwards, Brad seems to be Sue's closest friend. In season 7, Brad prepares to tell Sue a secret (in which he is about to come out as gay), to which she responds that she knows, and she shows him love and support. In season 8, Brad transfers to East Indiana State, saying he felt dwarfed as a student at NYU.
Matt (Moisés Arias, introduced in season 3) is a boy on the wrestling team at Orson High who likes Sue; he becomes Sue's first real boyfriend but eventually ends the relationship after moving away and falling for another girl. In season 4, Matt asks Sue to the school Valentine's Day dance because he broke up with his girlfriend Sherrie. He later calls Sue at the last minute to say that he and Sherrie got back together, and he is no longer taking her to the dance. This paves the way for Darrin to swoop in and save the day for Sue.
Darrin McGrew
Logan (David Hull, introduced in season 6) is a guy from another high school who works as a shirtless model in the Abercrombie & Fitch store at the same mall where Sue works. He asks Sue to her prom after seeing her depressed over breaking up with Darrin, and he later reveals that he likes her. The two later try to connect during a chance encounter at East Indiana State, but Sue had taken Brick along that day, and he gets lost. Finally, Logan and Sue meet at a movie theater, where Logan says he is majoring in Religious Studies and plans to be a priest, disappointing Sue.
Jeremy (Will Green, introduced in season 7) is a hardcore environmentalist and anti-capitalist whom Sue first meets when he is chained to a tree on campus. The two briefly date, but Sue breaks up with Jeremy early in season 8.
Tyler (Keaton Savage, introduced in season 7) is the boy who drives the safe ride cart on the East Indiana State campus. He becomes Sue's brief love interest in season 8, until she spends most of their first date talking about Sean Donahue.
Sean Donahue (Beau Wirick, introduced in season 1-) In season 2, Sue develops a crush on Sean, but eventually ends the one-way relationship. In season 5, Sean came back from college to take Sue to prom upon learning that she had no date, but by the time he arrived, Sue had made plans to go with Darrin. Similarly, he often makes the several hour drive home from Notre Dame (at the request of his mother) to help the Hecks whenever there is a crisis, only to find the crisis resolved by the time he gets there. It was revealed in the season 7 episode "Hecks at a Movie" that his and Axl's respective first kisses were inadvertently with one another in a dark closet, something they have vowed to never speak of again. Also in season 7, Sean has taken on a "hippie" persona and has become a vegetarian (much to Nancy's embarrassment). By season 8, Sean has reverted by to a more clean-cut look. The events of season 8 reveal that Sean and Sue have a mutual affection, but neither person is yet aware of the other's feelings. In the season 9 episode "The Christmas Miracle", Sue and Sean are talking when the eventually realize they both have very strong feelings for each other and they passionately kiss. However, obstacles continue to arise that keep the two from being together, and they never officially form a couple. Sean announces he will be living in Ghana all summer for work, much disappointing Sue who had growing feelings for him. In season seven, Sean tries to give Sue an infamous snowglobe, that keeps floating throughout Sue and the Heck family's life, and neither one can ever hold onto it.
Aidan (Jackson White, introduced in season 9) delivers food to Lexie and Sue's apartment on the evening when Sean Donahue is supposed to set up Sue with a blind date. In reality, Sean was going to surprise Sue by being her mystery date, but Sue assumes that Aidan is actually whom Sean sent. They go on an accidental date that evening, and Aidan later surprises Sue at the Hecks' New Year's Eve party, where he kisses her at midnight (thwarting Sean's plans to kiss Sue). Aidan is very clumsy and keeps accidentally injuring Sue, causing her to try to break up with him, but Brad begs her not to end the relationship until he has a chance to ask out Aidan's bandmate Luke. By the time Brad and Luke hit it off, Sue realizes how similar she and Aidan are and decides they should stay together, only to break up with him in "Toasted".

text: School staff[edit]

text:
Mrs. Tompkins (Krista Braun, introduced in season 1) is Brick's social skills mentor and guidance counselor.
Mr. Farrar (Christopher Darga, introduced in season 3) is a teacher at Orson High.
Dr. Fulton (Dave Foley, introduced in season 4) is the school therapist. He is an odd character who helps Brick bond with his peers and try to fit in more at school. An insecure man himself, Dr. Fulton is obsessed with his ex-wife Shelly, whom he mentions nearly every time Brick talks to him for "help". In season 8, he tells Brick he is dating a 68-year-old woman named Barbara, whom he prefers to call "Shelly". In season 9's "Thank You for Not Kissing", he tells Mike and Frankie that Shelly took him back after years of him stalking her.
Principal Cameron (French Stewart, introduced in season 4) is the principal at Orson High.
Coach Tink Babbitt (Brooke Dillman, introduced in season 5) is a physical education teacher, volleyball coach and detention monitor at Orson High. In the season 8 episode "Swing and a Miss", Mike hires Tink as a part-time assistant at the quarry, solely for the purpose of making her eligible to play on the quarry's softball team.

text: Miscellaneous characters[edit]

text:
Reverend Timothy "Tim-Tom" Thomas (Paul Hipp, introduced in season 1), is a youth minister at the Hecks' church whom Sue deeply admires. He surprised Sue by remembering her name after only having met her once, and always seems to appear just when Sue needs help the most. He is known for frequently playing his acoustic guitar and making almost anything into a song. He plays guitar with Axl on one occasion when encouraging him to do the right thing. In season 5, Reverend Tim-Tom gets a girlfriend (Reverend Tammy, played by Casey Wilson). Sue takes a disliking to Tammy and is not sure how to tell Reverend Tim-Tom, but Sue changes her mind about Tammy after the two talk.
Reverend Hayver (Dierk Torsek, introduced in season 1) is the pastor at the Hecks' church.

text: Notable guest stars[edit]

text:
Amy Sedaris as Abby Michaels (season 1)
Betty White as Mrs. Nethercott (season 1)
Doris Roberts as Mrs. Rinsky (season 2)
Ray Romano as Nicky Kohlbrenner (season 3)
Molly Shannon as Frankie's sister Janet (seasons 3 and 4)
Ed Asner as Ben (season 3)
Richard Gant as Pastor Watkins (season 3)
Whoopi Goldberg as Ms. Jane Marsh (season 3)
David Koechner as Jeff Webber (season 4)
Carolyn Hennesy as Connie McDonald (season 4)
Marion Ross as Ms. Dunlap (season 4)
Rachel Dratch as Principal Barker (season 5)
Keegan-Michael Key as Reverend Deveaux (season 5)
Casey Wilson as Reverend Tammy (season 5)
Nicole Sullivan as Vicki (season 5)
Mindy Cohn as Kimberly (season 5)
Richard Kind as Dr. Niller (season 6)
Kirstie Alley as Pam Staggs (season 6)
Dick Van Dyke as Paul "Dutch" Spence (season 6)
Faith Ford as Sheila (season 7)
Cheryl Hines as Dr. Sommer Samuelson (season 7)
Josh Cooke as Nick Grant (season 7)
Alan Ruck as Jack Kershaw (season 7)
Monica Horan as Anna Ferguson (season 8)
Alan Rachins as Mort (season 8)
Lisa Rinna as Tammy Brooks (season 9)
Gregory Harrison as Bennett Brooks (season 9)


document_title: Tongue of the Ocean

question_text: where is the tongue of the ocean located

root

text: Tongue of the Ocean

text: The Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO) is the name of a deep oceanic trench in the Bahamas separating the islands of Andros and New Providence.

tag: p

text: Features[edit]

text: The TOTO is a U-shaped, relatively flat-bottomed trench approximately 20 miles (32 km) wide by 150 miles (240 km) long. Its depth varies gradually from 3,600 feet (1,100 m) in the south to 6,600 feet (2,000 m) in the north.[1]

text: Its only exposure to the open ocean is at the northern end. Except for the northern ocean opening, the TOTO is surrounded by numerous islands, reefs, and shoals which make a peripheral shelter isolating it from ocean disturbances, particularly high ambient noise.[2]

text: This channel and the Providence Channel are the two main branches of the Great Bahama Canyon, a submerged geological feature formed by erosion during periods of lower sea level. During their early history the Tongue of the Ocean and the Providence Channels were broad, relatively shallow basins flanked by growing carbonate banks. As the Blake-Bahama platform subsided, sedimentation kept pace with subsidence on the banks, but not in the basins.


document_title: American Horror Story: Cult

question_text: who played pastor charles on american horror story

text: American Horror Story: Cult

text: Plot[edit]

text: The fictional city of Brookfield Heights, Michigan is left divided by the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Local restaurant owner Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson) is utterly distraught by Donald Trump's victory and several of her longstanding phobias, including coulrophobia, hemophobia, and trypophobia, flare up as a result. Similarly devastated is fellow Brookfield Heights resident Winter Anderson (Billie Lourd), a liberal college dropout. Contrarily, Kai Anderson (Evan Peters), Winter's estranged and manipulative brother, rejoices at the election results and is enticed to pursue political power. Kai recruits a disillusioned Winter and frustrated newscast reporter Beverly Hope (Adina Porter).

text: Ally finds herself relentlessly terrorized by masked clowns. Those close to her, including her psychiatrist Dr. Rudy Vincent (Cheyenne Jackson), question whether the attacks are real or merely anxiety-fueled hallucinations. Ally's paranoia, escalated by suspicious activities perpetrated by new neighbors Harrison (Billy Eichner) and Meadow Wilton (Leslie Grossman), hinders her relationships with her wife Ivy (Alison Pill) and their son Oz (Cooper Dodson).

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Sarah Paulson as Ally Mayfair-Richards and Susan Atkins
Evan Peters as Kai Anderson, Andy Warhol, Marshall Applewhite, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Jesus, and Charles Manson
Cheyenne Jackson as Dr. Rudy Vincent
Billie Lourd as Winter Anderson and Linda Kasabian
Alison Pill as Ivy Mayfair-Richards

tag: ul

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Adina Porter as Beverly Hope
Colton Haynes as Detective Jack Samuels
Billy Eichner as Harrison Wilton and Charles "Tex" Watson
Leslie Grossman as Meadow Wilton and Patricia Krenwinkel
Chaz Bono as Gary Longstreet
Cooper Dodson as Ozymandias "Oz" Mayfair-Richards
Dermot Mulroney as Bob Thompson
Cameron Cowperthwaite as Speedwagon

text: Guest stars[edit]

text:
Emma Roberts as Serena Belinda
Mare Winningham as Sally Keffler
Lena Dunham as Valerie Solanas
Frances Conroy as Bebe Babbitt
Tim Kang as Tom Chang
John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown
Jorge-Luis Pallo as Pedro Morales
Zack Ward as Roger
Laura Allen as Rosie
Ron Melendez as Mark
James Morosini as R.J.
Dot-Marie Jones as Butchy May
Jamie Brewer as Hedda
Rick Springfield as Pastor Charles
Rachel Roberts as Sharon Tate
Dennis Cockrum as Herbert Jackson
Annie Ilonzeh as Erika

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.overallNo. inseasonTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.codeUS viewers(millions)741"Election Night"Bradley BueckerRyan Murphy & Brad FalchukSeptember 5, 2017 (2017-09-05)7ATS013.93[1]
Ally and Ivy are a married couple who have a son named Oz. Ally suffers from several phobias which intensify after learning that Donald Trump has won the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Rudy Vincent, recommends a medicine to calm her phobia-induced anxiety. Clowns soon start to stalk Ally. Meanwhile, Kai and Winter are two siblings who make a mysterious pact after Trump becomes president. Winter becomes Oz's nanny and attempts to desensitize him to violence. Kai entices a group of Hispanic men to beat him up. Ally and Ivy's neighbors, the Changs, are slaughtered by a group of clowns. The police erroneously rule the incident as a murder–suicide.
752"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"Liza JohnsonTim MinearSeptember 12, 2017 (2017-09-12)7ATS022.38[2]
Mr. Chang's death leaves a city council seat vacant. Kai campaigns for the vacant seat. Ally distrusts the new occupants of the Chang's former home, Harrison and Meadow Wilton. At Ally and Ivy's restaurant, the Butchery on Main, tensions fuel between the sous-chef, Roger, and a Hispanic employee, Pedro. Later, the restaurant's security system trips and Ally investigates. She finds Roger hanging on a hook in the meat locker. Detective Samuels singles out Pedro as the most likely suspect. Ally obtains a gun from the Wiltons. Later on, there is an alleged power shortage in the city and Ally is terrorized by clowns. Ivy sends Pedro to deliver supplies to the house and he is accidentally shot and killed by Ally.
763"Neighbors from Hell"Gwyneth Horder-PaytonJames WongSeptember 19, 2017 (2017-09-19)7ATS032.25[3]
Clowns break into a couple's home and entomb them in coffins. Picketers protest Pedro's death outside of the Butchery on Main. Kai promises Ally that he will dissuade them and he delivers. The Wiltons berate Ally for Pedro's death and gift Oz a guinea pig. A truck, dispersing a mysterious green gas throughout the neighborhood, disturbs Ally. Oz's guinea pig is microwaved and killed. Ally suspects the Wiltons to be the perpetrators. She assaults Harrison and threatens Meadow. Footage of Ally being seduced by Winter is posted online, devastating Ivy. The Wiltons are individually interrogated by Kai. Harrison expresses his desire for Meadow's death. Afterwards, Meadow disappears and Harrison blames Ally.
774"11/9"Gwyneth Horder-PaytonJohn J. GraySeptember 26, 2017 (2017-09-26)7ATS042.13[4]
The day before the election, Ivy attends a political rally where she is groped by a man named Gary. Winter comes to Ivy's defense and the two have lunch together. That night, Ivy and Winter kidnap Gary and chain him to a pole in an abandoned building to prevent him from voting the next day. Kai comes to Gary's aid one hour before the polls close and offers him a saw. Gary severs his chained hand. The day after the election, Harrison becomes Kai's personal trainer. Kai takes Harrison under his wing and eventually convinces him to murder his degrading boss. Later, Kai takes a special interest in a news reporter named Beverly Hope and offers her "equal power" in his quest for domination. He instigates the murder of her rival, Serena Belinda, as proof of his dedication to her.
785"Holes"Maggie KileyCrystal LiuOctober 3, 2017 (2017-10-03)7ATS052.20[5]
Beverly informs Kai that her boss, Bob, is compromising news coverage of the clown murders and thereby hindering Kai's campaign. Kai, Beverly, Winter, Harrison, Detective Samuels, Ivy, Gary, and Beverly's cameraman, RJ, don clown masks, break into Bob's house, and film his murder. Beverly later advises Kai to cut ties with RJ whom she views as a weak link. Each cult member shoots a tied-up RJ in the head with a nail gun before Kai finishes him off. Meadow pleads to Ally for safety from the cult and lets it slip that Ivy is a member. Beverly probes Kai about the whereabouts of his parents and Kai divulges that his mom shot his dad and then herself in a murder–suicide. Kai's brother, Dr. Rudy Vincent, insisted that they cover up their deaths in order to protect his career and continue receiving their mom's pension and their dad's disability checks.
796"Mid-Western Assassin"Bradley BueckerTodd KubrakOctober 10, 2017 (2017-10-10)7ATS062.15[6]
Meadow reveals to Ally that she had fallen in love with Kai and decided to desert the cult when her feelings were not reciprocated. Meadow also tells Ally that the cult has made strides to drive her insane so that Ivy would gain sole custody of Oz. Ally plans to use Meadow's testimony to expose Kai and pays an opposing candidate of his, Sally Keffler, a visit to ask for her help. In the midst of their conversation, the cult breaks into Sally's house and Kai shoots her in the chest. He stages her murder as a suicide. The next day, at a political rally, Meadow shoots several people, including Kai. Ally attempts to wrestle the gun out of Meadow's hands and Meadow shoots herself in the mouth. Ally is arrested after a SWAT team arrives to the scene and finds her with the gun in her hands. Kai had ordered Meadow to attempt to assassinate him so that his figure would be elevated to a national level. In addition, Meadow was instructed to bear witness to Ally on the grounds that no one would believe a "crazy woman".
807"Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins: Scumbag"Rachel GoldbergCrystal LiuOctober 17, 2017 (2017-10-17)7ATS072.07[7]
Ally is sent to a psychiatric hospital. Kai wins the vacant seat on city council. His presence in the national media attracts an underground following of misogynistic militiamen. Beverly, Winter, and Ivy are warned by Bebe Babbitt, the former lover of radical feminist Valerie Solanas, about the danger of putting their trust in Kai. Bebe asserts that men in power always push women aside. She divulges to them that Solanas orchestrated the murders accredited to the Zodiac Killer. Solanas died haunted by the fact that her legacy would be tied with her shooting of Andy Warhol. Later, Beverly, Winter, and Ivy murder Harrison for making a sexist comment. Kai and Bebe watch Beverly report on Harrison's death together.
818"Winter of Our Discontent"Barbara BrownJoshua GreenOctober 24, 2017 (2017-10-24)7ATS082.06[8]
Winter assures Beverly and Ivy that Kai is dependable and recounts an occasion in which they saved tortured captives of a deranged pastor. Kai's proposal that Winter be impregnated with the "messiah" by Samuels does not go as planned, and Samuels later attempts to rape Winter. She shoots him in the head. In the meantime, Ally is released from the psychiatric hospital and, in an effort to get her son back, informs Kai that Vincent is seeking to get him committed. Kai kills Vincent and confines Beverly, having been blamed for the death of Samuels by Winter, to an isolation chamber. Ally joins the cult, much to the dismay of Ivy.
829"Drink the Kool-Aid"Angela BassettAdam PennOctober 31, 2017 (2017-10-31)7ATS091.48[9]
Kai declares his intention to run for Senate. Later, he requires each cult member to drink presumably poisoned Kool-Aid to test their loyalty. Afterwards, he reveals that the drinks were untainted. Meanwhile, Ally serves Ivy pasta and wine laced with arsenic, and Ivy drops dead. As a means to protect Oz from harm, Ally presents to Kai doctored evidence that his sperm inseminated her when she became pregnant.
8310"Charles (Manson) in Charge"Bradley BueckerRyan Murphy & Brad FalchukNovember 7, 2017 (2017-11-07)7ATS101.82[10]
Kai recounts the Tate murders to the militiamen. Afterwards, he begins to suspect that a mole has infiltrated the cult and slips into a state of manic paranoia which plagues him with visions of Charles Manson. Meanwhile, Bebe Babbitt is incensed by Kai's failing to implement their master plan: to unleash female rage with an inflammatory political platform. Ally shoots Bebe in the head after she pulls a gun on Kai. After reporting on the murder of Gary, enacted by the cult at a local Planned Parenthood, a broken Beverly is urged by Winter to run away. Beverly insists that she remain loyal to Kai. Kai later tearfully strangles Winter to death after Ally singles her out as the mole. Ally takes notice of the real mole, militiaman Speedwagon.
8411"Great Again"Jennifer LynchTim MinearNovember 14, 2017 (2017-11-14)7ATS111.97[11]
A SWAT team storms the Anderson basement on the night that the cult intends to massacre one-hundred pregnant women. Months later, Ally divulges to Beverly that the FBI recruited her as an informant. Beverly becomes a key advisor to Ally's Michigan Senate campaign. Kai escapes from a maximum security prison and infiltrates a televised political debate between Ally and her opponent. After spewing a misogynistic tirade, Kai points a gun to Ally's head and pulls the trigger, but discovers that the gun is not loaded, having been sabotaged earlier. Beverly then shoots him dead. Ally obtains the vast majority of the female vote and wins a Senate seat. Later, Ally dons a cloak similar to Valerie Solanas' group cloak, and departs to attend a meeting with a group of "empowered women who want to change the system".

tag: table

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: On October 4, 2016, the series was renewed for a seventh cycle, which premiered on September 5, 2017.[12][13][14] Ryan Murphy confirmed that the season will be connected to Freak Show, but will be set in modern day.[15] In February 2017, on Watch What Happens Live, Murphy announced that the season would revolve around the 2016 U.S. election and suggested that it may feature a character based on President Donald Trump.[16] Murphy has said that the season will be representative of both sides of the political divide. He also said that he will be "illuminating and highlighting" groups of people he believes to be "ignored by the current [Trump] administration and who are afraid and feel terrorized that their lives are going to be taken away."[17]

text: It was later confirmed that the season would be set in the aftermath of the presidential election, with the first episode taking place on election night.[18][19] Murphy explained it will be about "the fallout of that night, which to many people, from all sides of the camps is a horror story."[20] He also revealed the season would not feature Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, stating "Horror Story is always about allegory, so the election is allegory."[20] In April 2017, Murphy confirmed that archive footage of the election night would be used in the season premiere.[21]

text: Murphy revealed via Twitter that the details of the seventh season, including the title, would be revealed on July 20.[22] He also teased that the opening sequence of the series would return in this season, following its absence in Roanoke.[23]

text: On July 20, 2017, it was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con that the title of the season would be Cult. Murphy also revealed it would be set in Michigan, and confirmed it would consist of a total of 11 episodes, premiering on September 5, 2017. For the first time, the series did not air on Wednesdays but rather on Tuesdays. On August 3, 2017, online posters revealed the names of multiple characters of the season.[24] On August 21, 2017, the opening title sequence of the season was revealed, following its absence in the previous season.[25] That same month, Murphy confirmed that, contrary to the past seasons, Cult would not feature supernatural elements.[26]

text: Casting[edit]

text: During the Winter 2017 TCA Press Tour, series mainstays Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters were reported to be starring as the leads in the season.[15][14] In March 2017, Billy on the Street host Billy Eichner was announced to be cast in the series, playing a role in the life of Paulson's character.[19][27] His character is slated for appearing in "six or seven" episodes.[19] The next month, it was reported that Scream Queens alum Billie Lourd will also star in the seventh installment of the series.[18][20] In May 2017, Leslie Grossman, who starred in Murphy's series Popular, joined the cast of the series,[28] and Angela Bassett hinted she may return in a recurring role.[29] Despite this, Bassett didn't appear. Later that month, it was confirmed via set pictures that Adina Porter and Cheyenne Jackson were also returning.[30][31] In June 2017, Murphy confirmed via his Instagram account that Colton Haynes, whom Murphy worked with previously on second season of Scream Queens, was joining the casting for the seventh season.[32] Later that month, set pictures revealed that Alison Pill was joining the cast of the season, seemingly portraying the partner of Sarah Paulson's character.[33] In July 2017, Murphy revealed via his Twitter account that Lena Dunham was joining the season.[34] She is set to play Valerie Solanas, author of the SCUM Manifesto and attempted murder of Andy Warhol, via flashbacks.[35] Murphy also confirmed the returns of Frances Conroy and Mare Winningham. Conroy has appeared in all the seasons except Hotel, while Winningham has appeared in Coven, Freak Show and Hotel.[36] In August 2017, Murphy confirmed the return of Emma Roberts, who appeared in Coven and Freak Show,[37] while Roanoke actors Chaz Bono and James Morosini also confirmed their returns.[38] In the seventh episode, Murder House, Coven and Freak Show actress alum Jamie Brewer returned to the show.

text: On June 26, 2017, it was confirmed that Lady Gaga would not return for the seventh season due to other projects.[39] Despite rumors, Entertainment Weekly reported on July 7, 2017, that Vera Farmiga, sister of American Horror Story alum Taissa Farmiga, would not appear in the season.[40] Later that month, it was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter that Kathy Bates will not appear in Cult, after four seasons of regular appearances.[41]

text: Murphy also revealed via his Instagram account that Freak Show character Twisty the Clown would return in the seventh season, indicating that John Carroll Lynch would reprise his role.[42]

text: Filming[edit]

text: In February 2017, it was announced the season would begin principal photography in June 2017.[16] By the next month, filming was moved to May 2017.[19] On May 24, 2017, writer and producer John J. Gray confirmed the show started filming.[43]

text: Edits[edit]

text: On October 7, 2017, it was confirmed that the sixth episode of the season would be edited as a direct result of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting that occurred on October 1, 2017. The episode originally featured a scene lasting 2 minutes and 16 seconds where Leslie Grossman's character Meadow Wilton begins to fire at Evan Peters' character, as well as a crowd, during a campaign speech. The episode was edited to de-emphasize the violence and to mostly have it featured completely off-screen[44] - as a result the opening sequence of the episode was cut in half, several on-screen deaths were removed and two separate close-up shots of the handgun firing were removed.[45]

text: While only the edited episode was broadcast on FX, the original uncut episode was released via VOD, FXNOW and FX+.[45]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: American Horror Story: Cult received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the season a 73% approval rating, with an average rating of 7.05/10, based on 47 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "American Horror Story: Cult intrigues with timely, over-the-top creepiness - and lots of clowns - despite being hampered by broad political generalizations and occasional holes in the narrative's logic."[46] On Metacritic, the season was given a score of 66 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally positive reviews".[47]

text:
American Horror Story (season 7): Critical reception by episode

Season 7 (2017): Percentage of positive reviews tracked by the website Rotten Tomatoes[48]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: In its seventh season, the series has been nominated for 22 awards, 3 of them were won.

text:
Year

Association

Category

Nominee(s)

Result

2018

8th Critics' Choice TV Awards[49]

Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series

Evan Peters

Nominated

70th Writers Guild of America Awards[50]

Long Form – Original

Brad Falchuk, John J. Gray, Joshua Green, Todd Kubrak, Crystal Liu, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Adam Penn and James Wong

Nominated

22nd Art Directors Guild Awards[51]

Television Movie or Mini-Series

Jeffrey Mossa (for "Election Night" and "Winter of Our Discontent")

Nominated

20th Costume Designers Guild Awards[52]

Excellence in Contemporary Television

Sarah Evelyn Bram

Nominated

Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards 2018[53]

TV Miniseries or Movie Made For TV: Best Contemporary Makeup

Eryn Krueger Mekash, Kim Ayers, Silvina Knight

Nominated

TV Miniseries or Movie Made For TV: Best Contemporary Hair Styling

Michelle Ceglia, Samantha Wade, Brittany Madrigal

Nominated

TV Miniseries or Movie Made For TV: Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling

Michelle Ceglia, Samantha Wade, Julie Rael

Nominated

TV Miniseries or Movie Made For TV: Best Special Makeup Effects

Eryn Krueger Mekash, Michael Mekash, David Anderson

Won

Commercials and Music Videos: Best Makeup

Kerry Herta, Jason Collins, Christina Waltz

Won

Commercials and Music Videos: Best Hair Styling

Nicki Alkire, Fernando Navarro, Stephanie Rives

Won

Saturn Awards

Best Horror Television Series

American Horror Story: Cult

Nominated

Best Actress on Television

Sarah Paulson

Nominated

Best Supporting Actor on Television

Evan Peters

Nominated

Best Supporting Actress on Television

Adina Porter

Nominated

29th GLAAD Media Awards[54]

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series

American Horror Story: Cult

Nominated

70th Primetime Emmy Awards

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Sarah Paulson

Nominated

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Adina Porter

Nominated

70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie

Michelle Ceglia, Samantha Wade, Brittany Madrigal, Julie Rael, Valerie Jackson, Joanne Onorio

Nominated

Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or Movie (Non-Prosthetic)

Eryn Krueger Mekash, Kim Ayers, Michael Mekash, Silvina Knight, Carleigh Herbert

Nominated

Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)

Jeff Mossa, Rachel Robb Kondrath, Claire Kaufman

Nominated

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special

Eryn Krueger Mekash, Michael Mekash, Kim Ayers, Silvina Knight, Christopher Nelson, Carleigh Herbert, Glen Eisner, David Leroy Anderson

Nominated

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special

Gary Megregian, Naaman Haynes, Steve M. Stuhr, Timothy A. Cleveland, Paul Diller, Mitchell Lestner, Sam Munoz, David Klotz, Noel Vought (for "Great Again")

Nominated

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
No.

Title

Air date
Rating(18–49)
Viewers(millions)
DVR(18–49)
DVR viewers(millions)
Total(18–49)
Total viewers(millions)

1

"Election Night"

September 5, 2017
2.0
3.93[1]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

2

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"

September 12, 2017
1.2
2.38[2]
1.7
3.05
2.9
5.43[55]

3

"Neighbors from Hell"

September 19, 2017
1.2
2.25[3]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

4

"11/9"

September 26, 2017
1.1
2.13[4]
1.5
2.87
2.7
5.00[56]

5

"Holes"

October 3, 2017
1.1
2.20[5]
1.5
2.82
2.6
5.02[57]

6

"Mid-Western Assassin"

October 10, 2017
1.0
2.15[6]
1.2
2.28
2.2
4.43[58]

7

"Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins: Scumbag"

October 17, 2017
1.0
2.07[7]
1.5
2.74
2.5
4.81[59]

8

"Winter of Our Discontent"

October 24, 2017
1.0
2.06[8]
1.4
2.56
2.4
4.62[60]

9

"Drink the Kool-Aid"

October 31, 2017
0.7
1.48[9]
1.4
2.56
2.1
4.04[61]

10

"Charles (Manson) in Charge"

November 7, 2017
0.8
1.82[10]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

11

"Great Again"

November 14, 2017
1.0
1.97[11]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD


document_title: Nittany Lion

question_text: what is the definition of a nittany lion

text: Nittany Lion

text:
Nittany Lion

The Nittany Lion mascot at the 2007 season opener

University
Pennsylvania State University

Conference
Big Ten

Description
Nittany Lion

First seen
1904

text: The Nittany Lion is the mascot of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, USA and its athletic teams. There is a song played during sporting events on campus entitled "The Nittany Lion." Fans know this song as Hail to the Lion, even though that is not technically the name of the song.

text: The mascot was the creation of Penn State senior H. D. "Joe" Mason in 1907 since the Nittany Lion is not a real animal. While on a 1904 trip to Princeton University, Mason had been embarrassed that Penn State did not have a mascot. Mason did not let that deter him: he fabricated the Nittany Lion on the spot and proclaimed that it would easily defeat the Princeton Bengal tiger.[1] The Lion's primary means of attack against the Tiger would be its strong right arm, capable of slaying any foes (this is now traditionally exemplified through one-armed push-ups after the team scores a touchdown). Upon returning to campus, he set about making his invention a reality. In 1907, he wrote in the student publication The Lemon:

text:
“
Every college the world over of any consequence has a college emblem of some kind—all but The Pennsylvania State College . . .. Why not select for ours the king of beasts—the Lion!! Dignified, courageous, magnificent, the Lion allegorically represents all that our College Spirit should be, so why not 'the Nittany Mountain Lion'? Why cannot State have a kingly, all-conquering Lion as the eternal sentinel?
”

text: Mountain lions had roamed on nearby Mount Nittany until the 1880s.[2] The origin of the name "Mount Nittany" is obscure, the most commonly accepted explanation being that it is derived of Native American words (loosely pronounced as "neet-a-nee") named after the cougars that roamed the mountain or "single mountain" - a protective barrier against the elements.[citation needed]. The "original" nittany lion can be seen in the Penn State All-Sports Museum as the only known mounted eastern mountain lion. It was killed in Susquehanna County by Samuel Brush in 1856.[3] According to a July 1992 article in National Geographic by Maurice Hornocker titled "Learning to Live with Mountain Lions", "Courthouse records from Centre County, Pennsylvania, show that one local hunter killed 64 lions between 1820 and 1845. During those 25 years an estimated 600 cats were killed in that county alone."


question_text: who was head of the fbi in 2016

question_tokens: who was head of the fbi in 2016

text: Term of office[edit]

text: The FBI Director is appointed by the President and, since 1972, subject to confirmation by the Senate.[2][3][7] J. Edgar Hoover, appointed by President Calvin Coolidge to the predecessor office of Director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924, was by far the longest-serving Director, holding the position from its establishment under the current title in 1935 until his death in 1972. In 1976, in response to Hoover's lengthy tenure and during the Watergate era, by an amendment to the 1968 Omnibus Crime Control Act,[8][9] Congress limited the term of future FBI directors to ten years, "an unusually long tenure that Congress established to insulate the director from political pressure."[10] This rule was waived by the Senate for Robert Mueller on July 27, 2011 due to serious security concerns at that time.[11] Since 1976, Directors serve a ten-year term unless they resign, die, or are removed, but in practice, since Hoover, none have served a full ten years, except Mueller who served twelve years with the leave of Congress.

text: The Director can be removed from office by the President.[6] After removal until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, the Deputy Director automatically acts in the role. The appointment of the Deputy Director is not a presidential appointment and does not require Senate confirmation. The President can appoint an Interim Director pending Senate confirmation[12] or nomination of permanent Director.[13]

text: Responsibilities[edit]

text: Along with the Deputy Director, the Director is responsible for ensuring that cases and operations are handled correctly. The Director also is in charge of staffing the leadership in any one of the FBI field offices with qualified agents.

text: Lists of officeholders[edit]

text: Bureau of Investigation chiefs and directors (1908–1935)[edit]

text: When the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was established in 1908, its head was called the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation.[14] It was changed to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation in the term of William J. Flynn (1919–1921), and to its current name when the BOI was renamed FBI in 1935.

text:
N°

Portrait

Name

Term[14]

Length

Notes

President(s)*

1

Stanley  Finch

July 26, 1908 – April 30, 1912

3 years, 279 days

Theodore Roosevelt; William H. Taft

2

A. Bruce  Bielaski

April 30, 1912 – February 10, 1919

6 years, 286 days

William H. Taft; Woodrow Wilson

—

William E. Allen

February 10, 1919 – June 30, 1919

140 days

Acting Director

Woodrow Wilson

3

William J. Flynn

July 1, 1919 – August 21, 1921

2 years, 51 days

Woodrow Wilson;  Warren Harding

4

William J. Burns

August 22, 1921 – May 10, 1924

2 years, 262 days

Resigned

Warren Harding;   Calvin Coolidge

5

J. Edgar Hoover

May 10, 1924 – June 30, 1935

11 years, 51 days

Director of the BOI

Calvin Coolidge; Herbert Hoover; Franklin D. Roosevelt

text: Federal Bureau of Investigation directors (1935–present)[edit]

text: The FBI became an independent service within the Department of Justice in 1935.[15] In the same year, its name was officially changed to the present-day Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, with J. Edgar Hoover receiving the current title of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since 1972, Senate confirmation of nominee has been required.

text:
N°

Portrait

Name

Term[14]

Length

Notes

President(s)*

1

J. Edgar Hoover

July 1, 1935 – May 2, 1972

36 years, 306 days

Director of the FBI; died from a heart attack at his Washington, D.C., home on May 2, 1972; Only FBI director to have died in office

Franklin D. Roosevelt; Harry S. Truman; Dwight D. Eisenhower; John F. Kennedy; Lyndon Johnson; Richard Nixon

—

Clyde Tolson  (Acting)

May 2, 1972 – May 3, 1972

1 day

Acting Director of the FBI
Richard Nixon

—

L. Patrick Gray  (Acting)

May 3, 1972 – April 27, 1973

359 days

—

William Ruckelshaus  (Acting)

April 30, 1973 – July 9, 1973

70 days

2

Clarence M. Kelley

July 9, 1973 – February 15, 1978

4 years, 221 days
Retired

Richard Nixon; Gerald Ford; Jimmy Carter

—

James B. Adams  (Acting)

February 15, 1978 – February 23, 1978

8 days

Associate Director of the FBI; Acting Director

Jimmy Carter

3

William H. Webster

February 23, 1978 – May 25, 1987

9 years, 91 days

Left FBI to become Director of Central Intelligence; only person to have held both positions

Jimmy Carter; Ronald Reagan

—

John E. Otto  (Acting)

May 26, 1987 – November 2, 1987

160 days

Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director

Ronald Reagan

4

William S. Sessions

November 2, 1987 – July 19, 1993

5 years, 259 days

Dismissed by President Bill Clinton

Ronald Reagan; George H. W. Bush; Bill Clinton

—

Floyd I. Clarke  (Acting)

July 19, 1993 – September 1, 1993

44 days

Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director

Bill Clinton

5

Louis Freeh

September 1, 1993 – June 25, 2001

7 years, 297 days
Resigned

Bill Clinton; George W. Bush

—

Thomas J. Pickard  (Acting)

June 25, 2001 – September 4, 2001

71 days

Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director

George W. Bush

6

Robert Mueller

September 4, 2001 – September 4, 2013

12 years, 0 days

George W. Bush; Barack Obama

7

James Comey

September 4, 2013 – May 9, 2017

3 years, 247 days

Dismissed by President Donald Trump

Barack Obama; Donald Trump

—

Andrew McCabe  (Acting)

May 9, 2017 – August 2, 2017

85 days

Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director

Donald Trump

8

Christopher A. Wray

August 2, 2017 – Present

1 year, 85 days

text: Line of succession[edit]

text: The line of succession for the Director of the FBI is as follows:[16]

text:
Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch
Executive Assistant Director for Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services
Assistant Director of Counterterrorism Division
Assistant Director of Criminal Investigative Division
Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Division
Assistant Director, Washington Field Office
Assistant Director, New York Field Office
Assistant Director, Los Angeles Field Office

tag: ol

text: Dismissals[edit]

text: Since the office's inception, only two Directors have been dismissed: William S. Sessions by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and James Comey by President Donald Trump in 2017. It is accepted that the holder of this post serves at the pleasure of the President.[17]

text: William S. Sessions[edit]

text: Just before Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993, allegations of ethical improprieties were made against Sessions. A report by outgoing Attorney General William P. Barr presented to the Justice Department that month by the Office of Professional Responsibility included criticisms that he had used an FBI plane to travel to visit his daughter on several occasions, and had a security system installed in his home at government expense.[18] Janet Reno, the 78th Attorney General of the United States, announced that Sessions had exhibited "serious deficiencies in judgment."[19]

text: Although Sessions denied that he had acted improperly, he was pressured to resign in early July, with some suggesting that President Clinton was giving Sessions the chance to step down in a dignified manner. Sessions refused, saying that he had done nothing wrong, and insisted on staying in office until his successor was confirmed. As a result, President Clinton dismissed Sessions on July 19, 1993, five and a half years into a ten-year term. Clinton’s public explanation was that there had been a loss of confidence in Sessions’ leadership, and then-Attorney General Reno recommended the dismissal.[20]

text: Ronald Kessler's book, The FBI: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency, led to the dismissal by President Clinton of Sessions as FBI director over his abuses. According to The Washington Post, "A Justice Department official...noted that the original charges against Sessions came not from FBI agents but from a journalist, Ronald Kessler [who uncovered the abuses while writing a book about the FBI, leading to Sessions' dismissal by President Clinton]..."[21] The New York Times said Kessler's FBI book "did indeed trigger bureau and Justice Department investigations into alleged travel and expense abuses [by FBI Director William Sessions, leading to his departure]...[22]

text: Clinton nominated Louis Freeh to be FBI Director on July 20. Then–FBI Deputy Director, Floyd I. Clarke, who Sessions suggested had led a coup to force his removal, served as Acting Director until September 1, 1993, when Freeh was sworn in.[23]

text: James Comey[edit]

text: On May 9, 2017, President Trump dismissed Comey after the recommendation of United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.[24]  Rosenstein's memorandum to Sessions objected to Comey's conduct in the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.[25] This was contradicted by multiple unnamed sources to news outlets, who said that Trump and high-level officials personally asked for Comey to be fired.[26][27] Comey was fired after he asked for more money for the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.[28] Many members of Congress, mostly Democrats, expressed concern over the firing and argued that it would put the integrity of the investigation into jeopardy.[29]

text: Comey's termination was immediately controversial, even being characterized as corrupt by news commentators. It was compared, by the aforementioned news outlets, to the Saturday Night Massacre, President Richard Nixon's termination of special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who had been investigating the Watergate scandal,[30][31] and to the firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Yates in January 2017.

text: In the dismissal letter Trump stated that Comey had asserted “on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation" which was later confirmed by Comey to the Senate while under oath.[32] This is disputed by reporting from multiple news agencies with multiple sources. According to the reporting, Trump had been openly talking about firing Mr. Comey for at least a week before his dismissal. Trump and Democratic leaders had long questioned Comey’s judgment. Moreover, Trump was angry that Comey would not support his  claim that President Barack Obama had his campaign offices wiretapped, frustrated when Comey revealed in Senate testimony the breadth of the counterintelligence investigation into Russia’s effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election and that Comey was giving too much attention to the Russia probe and not to internal leaks within the government. On May 8, 2017, he gave Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein a directive to explain in writing a case against Comey. That directive was forwarded to Trump as a recommendation to dismiss Comey the following day, which Trump did.[33][34][35]

text: Comey first learned of his termination from television news reports that flashed on screen while he was delivering a speech to agents at the Los Angeles Field Office.[36]  Sources said he was surprised and caught off guard by the termination. Comey immediately departed for Washington, D.C., and was forced to cancel his scheduled speech that night at an FBI recruitment event at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood, California.[37]

text: In the absence of a Senate-confirmed FBI Director, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe automatically became the Acting Director.[38]