Magenta-Starlight

Sol LeWitt, Double Negative Pyramid, 1997,

Europos Parkas (Park of Europe), Vilnius, Lithuania,

Built from concrete blocks,

Wicked For Good

This is sort of a continuation of this post.

1. Glinda's note

Shortly after fighting off the Yellow Brick Road guards, Elphaba flies back to her lair and just sits there staring at Glinda’s note for a while, which really raises the question of how often she does this.

She could’ve picked up the flower Fiyero gave her and used that as some kind of emotional support item. She could’ve taken Dr. Dillamond’s glasses as a reminder of what she’s fighting for. But no. Instead, she chooses to sit there gazing at Glinda’s handwriting.

2. Thank Goodness

The lyrics in Thank Goodness already tell us a lot about Glinda’s actual feelings here. She’s realizing that what she has now may not be the dream she always imagined it would be, especially with lines like “and when that joy, that thrill doesn’t thrill like you think it will.”

I also think it’s noteworthy that the glitter around her seems to stop moving and freezes in time the moment she starts opening up about how she really feels. It could suggest that this is meant to be a private, introspective moment rather than something she’s fully performing out loud for the crowd. But it could also be a hint that pain, sorrow, or genuine emotional honesty is what unlocks her magic. Maybe she’s subconsciously affecting the glitter with magic already before the Grimmerie ever opens for her later.

3. Fiyero, even you...?

In the scene after Elphaba escapes the Gale Force, Fiyero included, she’s back in her lair looking sad and disappointed while once again going through trinkets from the past. She says, “Fiyero, even you” and then the movie cuts to a flashback.

You’d think this flashback would show us how much Elphaba cared about him or something. Instead, it gives us her and Glinda sharing an intimate little moment where they just look at each other and smile like two complete idiots in love while everyone else is busy staring off into the distance.

So call me a stupid dyke, but I really don’t know what about this flashback is supposed to convince me that Elphaba was into Fiyero that much. Especially since in this last shot she looks positively smug. That’s the face of someone who knows she’s winning tonight.

Also, Glinda still finds a way to be touchy with Elphaba even while she’s busy pushing Nessarose’s wheelchair. A little possessive, if you ask me.

4. Friendship montage

These are deleted scenes, but they’re far too gay good not to be included here.

The first thing this makes you wonder is whether Glinda will ever let go of Elphaba.

Even Fiyero here is probably thinking, “Holy shit, still?”

Glinda, your boyfriend is like over there, by the way. No, but seriously, this level of clinginess is such blatant crush behavior that the second thing it makes you wonder is whether everyone in the charmed circle knew there was something going on between Elphaba and Glinda and simply chose not to comment on it.

It also says a lot that both of them would rather go back to looking at each other than at shirtless Fiyero. But kudos to him for trying.

I mean, just look at their stupid happy faces. And you know how sports activities are the perfect excuse to get a little touchy with your crush? I know because my crush and I have absolutely done that lol. Anyway, this is exactly what this looks like to me.

And finally, after Elphaba gives Glinda her boots (which she packed because she knew her roomie would never survive the day in heels) we get this shot that once again places Gelphie in a little space of their own.

It also gives us Boq probably wishing he were Elphaba right now, Nessarose trying to drag his attention away from the lesbians, and Fiyero down there looking like, “Seriously? Again?”

5. Visiting Glinda

The fact that Elphaba flies to see Glinda, even though it’s objectively risky to show up in the middle of the Emerald City and right after Nessarose had assumed she’d go see Fiyero, is… very interesting to me.

And then it’s Elphaba’s turn to serve the saddest, most painfully soft deer-eyed look imaginable.

They share so many looks in this scene already, and then Elphaba just comes out with “I just wanted to see you,” which is a very casual, completely non-romantic thing to say to someone.

6. Magic broomstick ride

I think we can all agree that one of the peak Gelphie moments is Glinda inviting Elphaba to join her on the love tunnel ride she and the Wizard built for… reasons.

It really does feel like they both knew Elphaba would show up sooner or later and decided they’d better have something convincing ready to make her stay. And so the obvious solution was a love tunnel with scissoring broomsticks.

So off they go on the extremely heterosexual swingy thingy, giving strong magic-carpet-ride energy all the way through.

Featuring the looks of love...

... pink and green sparkles...

... and Glinda leveling up her handholding game by pressing Elphie’s hand to her bare cleavage for good measure.

At this point one might think, surely it can’t get any gayer than this.

But then we see the Wizard’s creepy head room got transformed into a gay dance club with rainbow disco walls, and Elphaba and Glinda use the occasion to do the Rose-and-Jack-Titantic-dance. And frankly, I don’t think they’ve ever looked happier or more in love.

This is Elphaba’s face right after Fiyero says he’ll go with her, by the way.

I’m sorry, but even she looks confused by the sudden F*yeraba agenda here.

7. The catfight

I actually have somewhat conflicted feelings about the catfight.

On the one hand, I find it deeply silly that they’re fighting over a man when there are more pressing things to fight about, such as a dead sister or Glinda actively working for a fascist regime.

On the other hand, it doesn’t really feel like a serious fight so much as a chance to let off steam. Elphaba in particular seems to be having a fairly good time with it.

And then the whole thing gets so ridiculous that we end up with a Toplinda 1 : 0 Elphabottom moment, which is, admittedly, the main reason why this made it onto the list.

All while Nessa’s body is still buried under the house a few feet away, smh.

8. Glinda’s coming out song and the Ride to See Elphie

Girl in the Bubble is only one word away from being Girl in the Closet, and honestly, the song is already halfway there.

Glinda finally admits to herself that she’s been living a fake life, and on top of that we learn that she kept the boots Elphaba gave her back in their Shiz days and somehow also has both the gear and the skill set to become a mysterious hooded horse rider by night.

Also, the soundtrack cue here being called Ride to See Elphie isn’t exactly beating any allegations.

9. Changed for good

When Glinda tells Elphaba that she’s going to tell everyone the truth, that she’s not who the Wizard said she is, Elphaba immediately says, “No, you can’t. They’ll just turn against you.” And Glinda answers with, “I don’t care!”

I love this so much, because this is someone who used to thrive on admiration and approval, who built her whole life around being liked, and now she’s standing there saying she doesn’t care about any of that anymore because Elphaba matters more. ❤️

Then there's the moment Elphaba whispers “for both of us” and leans into what is very much kissing range with Glinda, which has to be one of the most insane shots in the entire movie.

The way Glinda’s eyes flick down to Elphaba’s lips, and Elphaba’s do the exact same thing right back… I’m sorry, but who didn’t spend at least one delusional second thinking they were actually about to kiss there? Nothing about that moment required them to behave like that, and yet they did. It gives the whole scene an intimacy that feels distinctly romantic.

There’s also that little hair-nuzzle thing Glinda does after they finish singing their love duet to each other.

And then they finally say “I love you,” which no other characters before or after them do. That gives the words extra weight and makes the moment feel even more meaningful.

The tragedy, of course, is that it comes a little too late, especially on Glinda’s side. If she’d come out of her closet bubble sooner, who knows how differently everything might’ve turned out?

10. No One Mourns the Wicked Reprise

The two of them singing together one last time while looking in each other’s direction, as if they can still feel each other through time and space, says a lot about how deep that connection runs (maybe even beyond death in Glinda’s mind). That’s very much the kind of trope usually reserved for romantic soulmates.

And then, just in case the symbolism wasn’t obvious enough, we get Elphaba framed against a pinkish background and Glinda against a greenish one. Like, okay. We get it. They belong together. You can relax with the loaded imagery now.

11. The Final Shot