Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Wicked stage musical.
Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked will continue with Wicked: For Good in November, but there is actually one detail from the musical that the movie should change. Wicked centers on the story of Elphaba Thropp, a young woman with green skin who is ostracized by her peers for her appearance and magical abilities. At the beginning of the first movie, Elphaba begins attending Shiz University and eventually befriends Glinda. Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship is the heart of Wicked and the key to understanding the movie’s themes.
As Wicked progresses, it becomes clear that Elphaba is kindhearted and wants to make Oz a better place, but by Wicked‘s ending, she is forced to flee after Madame Morrible brands her the Wicked Witch of the West. This incoming darkness has been reinforced by Wicked: For Good‘s poster, which sees Elphaba and Glinda split by a mᴀssive chasm between them, which highlights the separate directions they have chosen. This hints at the difficulties ahead for the women, but there is one dark detail that the movie could still alter.
Wicked: For Good Could End With Glinda Knowing Elphaba & Fiyero Are Alive
The Movie Could End On A Slightly Happier Note Without Changing Too Much Else
In the original Broadway version of Wicked, Glinda and Elphaba say their goodbyes with the song “For Good.” The two women had by then been on different sides for a long time, but they never forgot about their relationship. During the second half of the stage musical, the two women are separated most of the time, with Elphaba continuing her quest to free the animals of Oz and Glinda working with Madame Morrible and the Wizard. However, when Dorothy arrives in Oz and eventually defeats the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda looks on in tears.
Elphaba and Glinda’s bond is what makes Wicked work, so it has always seemed so devastating that Glinda ends the musical on such a sad note.
Wicked Part I does a great job of establishing Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship thanks to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s phenomenal performances. The two women start out with so many differences, but over time, they learn they are much more alike than they are different. Their friendship is the biggest strength of the film, but that friendship will be tested more than ever in Wicked: For Good. Elphaba and Glinda’s bond is what makes Wicked work, so it has always seemed so devastating that Glinda ends the musical on such a sad note.
The ending of the Broadway musical reveals that Elphaba survived by hiding under a trap door, allowing her to reunite with Fiyero. This means the two of them get a happy(ish) ending, but Glinda is left out of that equation. Given that the most important relationship of the movie is actually Elphaba and Glinda’s, it could be a positive change to give Glinda that extra bit of closure. Even if the two cannot fully reunite and become friends in the way they had been, Wicked: For Good could at least end with Glinda knowing Elphaba is alive.
Ariana Grande’s “No One Mourns The Wicked” Performance Still Suggests Glinda Is Mourning
Glinda Is Clearly Upset Over The Loss Of Her Friend
Wicked opens with Glinda’s song with the Munchkins, “No One Mourns the Wicked”, during which she explains that the Wicked Witch of the West is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. While all those around her begin celebrating immediately, Ariana Grande gives a very layered performance in the scene that shows that Glinda is truly upset about her friend’s death. She maintains her grace and happiness in front of the people of Oz, but she clearly has other views about the events, indicating that she does not believe that Elphaba survived.
Even if Glinda did know the truth and was simply trying to protect Elphaba, she would be purely happy rather than displaying a more complicated mix of emotions. Since this is what the first movie established, it seems unlikely that Wicked: For Good would attempt to change what Glinda knows about Elphaba’s demise. However, if Wicked: For Good does end up giving Glinda a happier ending, it could still happen after that scene.
How Glinda Could Find Out That Elphaba Survived Later
Without The Wizard, Elphaba Might Be Safe To See Glinda Again
Wicked‘s ending is very bittersweet, with many of the characters getting what they wanted in the worst way possible. Elphaba ends up with Fiyero, but he is transformed into a scarecrow, and she is hated by all of Oz. Likewise, Glinda gains the authority and love she always wanted, but it feels empty without her friend. The one true positive of Wicked is that Oz does become safer after the Wizard leaves and Glinda arrests Madame Morrible, and it is this part of the ending that could allow Elphaba to finally let her friend know that she is alive.
The best possible way for Wicked to let Glinda find out Elphaba is alive is by creating either a flash-forward scene or a secret meeting that would allow the two of them to interact safely. Though it seems unlikely that Elphaba will ever truly be welcomed back into Oz, with the Wizard gone, she may be able to finally meet with her old friend. There are a few points that the movie has either expanded or changed from the musical, and reuniting Elphaba and Glinda one last time could give Wicked a slightly happier ending.
