MOMENT 2: "Frustrating!" Fiyero declares to Morrible's question, catching Glinda's eye as he keeps talking. Glinda nods in affirmation before an exasperated Morrible derails him by announcing the engagement. Glinda responds with ecstatic shock, while Fiyero does a "haha big joke" laugh before double taking at the congratulotions banner.
this point kind of feeds into the first by highlighting that PR has been Fiyero's job (at least part-time) for the past five years, too. Ryan does a good job of showing that it has been five years; you expect Glinda to be polished no matter what, but FIYERO being this well trained is something else. the sulky little face he makes right after Morrible interrupts him is just like...he's used to this. this is typical Madame. (Nancy's fed up look right after "frustrating!" implies she's used to him too.) it's a pretty rare take on Fiyero in TG, and i don't think it's mandatory--most Fiyeros unknowingly or knowingly contrast with Glinda and Morrible on the podium by being less smooth and practiced, and i've liked many of them.
this version does feel pretty special though, because it subtly underscores what Glinda and Fiyero's relationship has been like during the act break. Fiyero had been instinctively attuned to Galinda's feelings as early as the Ozdust, and now that's matured into them...well. working in tandem. he's clearly been doing enough of this stuff with her to know the workings; he checks in as she moves aside so he can take over, and she trusts him enough to back him even though his comment was clearly not scripted. they're a team.
once again i don't think every Glinda and Fiyero need to have this precise dynamic at Act Two's outset. tbh it's better if they don't; even Katie and Ryan are kinda straining credulity here by the time of the surprise engagement drop, because i'm left wondering what could compel Glinda to both a) knowingly acquiesce to the entrapment, and b) hide it from Fiyero for any amount of time. did Morrible just slide the ring on her finger five minutes before they went on and tell Glinda not to worry about it? anyway. for a lot of TGs i have no sense of what Fiyero and Glinda's relationship has been like for the past five years, or why either of them wanted to stay together that entire time. and i do think it's mandatory that the show answers these two questions, because Fiyero's outburst later in the number doesn't mean as much when we don't know what status quo he's disturbing. he has to be present enough that we see why Glinda both depends on his presence and takes it for granted, so it's all the more devastating when he's not present anymore.
