Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked.Director Jon M. Chu’s Wicked follows the journey of Elphaba Thropp as she attends Shiz University and hopes to meet the Wizard, making friends and uncovering secrets about Oz along the way. Elphaba’s relationship with Glinda in Wicked is one of the best aspects of the blockbuster movie due to their enemies-to-friends arc. Leading Wicked‘s cast, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande give masterful performances as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, depicting an unlikely friendship that audiences can’t help but root for, leading into Wicked‘s ending and the set-up for Wicked: For Good.
Along with the digital release of the movie, special features including cast interviews and Wicked deleted scenes were also released, which frame certain beats in a completely new way. One such moment is Glinda and Elphaba’s song “What Is This Feeling,” which sees the two characters air their grievances about each other. While the song helps outline the animosity that the two women feel towards each other, Grande’s own take on the sequence provides a closer look at the underlying reasons why Elphaba and Glinda go from annoyance to friendship.
How Ariana Grande Describes Glinda & Elphaba’s Connection During Wicked’s “What Is This Feeling?”
Elphaba & Glinda See Similarities In Each Other, & It Bothers Them
Wicked‘s special features see Ariana Grande reflecting on Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship and how it progresses throughout the film. Particularly as the characters sing “What Is This Feeling,” Grande shared that the number is actually a great way to gauge their true feelings because it hints at their similarities. Grande explains: “You get to see us at our worst, and the things that we don’t like about each other are also the things that we have in common.” While the two characters may seem different at first, in their hearts they actually are a lot alike.
In some sense, Glinda and Elphaba can’t stand that they could be so similar, but it is also these similarities that ultimately draw them together as friends.
“It’s kind of like looking in a mirror, they both identify these weird pieces of themselves that are similar, and they can’t stand it”, Grande shares. This statement seems true when considering some of the values and traits that Elphaba and Glinda both possess, such as their kind hearts, good natures, and stubbornness. While these traits may come across outwardly in different ways, they are able to identify them in each other. In some sense, Glinda and Elphaba can’t stand that they could be so similar, but it is also these similarities that ultimately draw them together as friends.
Why Ariana Grande’s Comments About Glinda & Elphaba Being Similar In Wicked Makes Sense
Elphaba & Glinda’s Similar Traits Actually Make Them The Perfect Pair
Grande’s take on Glinda and Elphaba being similar makes much sense for their relationship because it highlights how their similarities end up making them the perfect pair as the film continues. Both characters have very strong personalities, both confident and outspoken, which is what makes them clash when they first meet each other. Additionally, each of their strong suits are things that the other dreams of possessing, as Elphaba secretly wants to be accepted in the way that Glinda is and Glinda wishes that she was as magically powerful as Elphaba.
While they are not the exactly same, once they realize that they can do more when they work together, Wicked‘s main friendship really shines. After they stop attempting to compete with each other and lift each other up instead, they both benefit, as Elphaba is able to get Glinda into her sorcery class and Glinda provides the friendship that Elphaba has never truly had before. While the two eventually have to go their separate ways in Wicked‘s ending, “Defying Gravity” makes it clear that they will remain best friends forever.
