#oz crossover

First off, I'd like to start of by saying I am more often than not referencing fanfiction interpretations of Nick and Boq's personalities and mindsets rather than their canonical and officials books/films.

Such as these fics inspiring me to write this post:

Alexithymia by RandomArtistPerson/thegameartist03

til we know what the sediment knows by theabsolutelybest789

The Evolution of Boq by igiveup101

bite the hand (series) by youeitherseeitoryoudont

I still love you, i'm sorry. by Devilpet

she's the death you chose (you're in terrible danger) by kazberries

Informal Essay Start:

I write this little analysis as an argument against Wicked 2025 Boq's interpretation that he led Nessarose Thropp on and was an incel towards Glinda. And I write this little analysis about how Nick Chopper, if upon meating tinboq, would eventually realise and acknowledge how their love for Nimmie Amee and Nessarose Thropp was in fact as pure they could be, but it was Boq who had been trapped in a situation where is love was taken advantage of and twisted.

Nick Chopper agreed to marrying Nimmie Amee because:

Unknowingly Queer Nick simply believed that everyone had to get married eventually, thus he might as well marry Nimmie Amee who he knows, gets along with and is happy to marry him back.

They had know eachother fairly well from childhood and adulthood, living in the same oppressive MunchkinLand ruled by the Wicked Witch of the East.

Nick's had a fear of being alone as his parents may or may not have just recently died.

Marrying Nimmie provided the young woman and Nick's dear friend freedom from her servitude/servant slavery under the Wicked Witch of the East or the mean/lazy/abusive old woman in the canonical oz book series. (And thus, Nimmie Amee may have been a romantic believing a knight would sweep her off her feet and save her from her servitude).

Nick figured he and Nimmie Amee could find companionship in each other if they were to take up the postions of married couple together.

Boq Woodsman agreed to date/enter a romantic relationship with Nessarose Thropp because:

At first to impress Glinda just as Glinda had directed him toward Nessarose.

He saw and recognised at the OzDust that he had no chance with Glinda and Glinda was with Fiyero. Thus, turning back to Nessarose, who had obvious affection for him, tried to return that affection back.

He didn't want to hurt Nessa's feeling.

He figured he could make himself fall in love with Nessarose since from a surface level inspection, she'd be everything Boq/anyone could want in a girl. Self-assured, witty, sweet, loving and from Boq's family's perspective, she'd grant some upwards social mobility due to being the Governor's daughter.

Did you catch that?

Nick/Boq believed that they could learn to romantically love Nimmie Amee/Nessarose Thropp.

Nick/Boq tried to being the devoted partners they were meant to be.

Nick/Boq did not pity Nimmie Amee's servitude/Nessa's disability and stayed by their sides for more than simple obligations and for love that they did hold for their partners.

The difference is revealed with how Nimmie Amee and Nessarose Thropp response to Nick and Boq's love and devotion.

For Nick, Nimmie Amee had to eventually beg Nick to stop building the house he swore to build for them to prove to the East Witch that his love was true, as his cursed axe had already taken all his limps.

For Boq, Nessarose, with her new trauma of being abandoned (despite the fact that she took her sister love for granted anyway), called for Boq to come to her aid after her father's death (which he did come because he cared for her and eas worried for her) but than would not let him go despite the long amount of time he already stayed by her side and simple wished to leave to attend to other matters such as seeing his family.

I'll repeat myself - Nick and Boq did not pity their partner and their hearts truly cared and loved them. It simply was not romantic love as much as they tried to love them romantically.

But-

Nick had freely given all of himself, his love and devotion, that he could give to Nimmie Amee - and freely made his own decision to continue his challenge until he was fully made into the Tin Man. He sacrificed himself, freely made himself the price/cost of Nimmie Amee's freedom from servitude and I fully believe he as no regrets in his decision beside having a temporary period of anger and grief as one would naturally after losing their old body.

Boq had given as much as his love and devotion as he could, but Nessarose Thropp took more from him. Nessarose Thropp took Boq's heart before she took his heart literally as she changed from his partner to his delusional/obsessive warden. Remember, Glinda's wedding is a blip if you consider all the other people Nessarose kept Boq isolated from.

You can try and argue about Boq leading Nessa on, but you cannot say Boq had any control over the situation as soon as Nessarose (now the governor of MunchkinLand (power abuse) and someone Boq did care for) sent message for him to come to her aid and sent message to no one else. Only Boq, not her other two friends Fiyero or Glinda. At most they should have had a dysfunctional marriage and a messy divorce, Boq should not have suffered slavery (depending if the film gape was 1 or 5 years.)

In conclusion, when people wonder why Nick and Boq as so different, despite supposedly being people with so much heart and empathy remember:

Nick and Boq's partners were two very different people.

Nick and Nimmie Amee were on equal power, a Woodsman and a (trapped) servant.

Nick's heart and empathy had him choose to sacrifice his own body for Nimmie Amee even if he wasn’t romantically in love with her.

Boq's love and empathy was taken advantage of by Nessarose until he was almost a willing prisoner in her house. And soon forced to give more of himself than he could offer honestly.

Boq's autonomy was stripped from him before, during, and after he was tin man (especially with so much of his metal coming from the utensils he served Nessarose while he was her servant.)

Thus, Nick could keep his heart and empathy as the Tin Man while more or less having an identity crisis with his new body. While Boq experienced a traumatic event and just recently escaped from abusive relationship leading him down his path of vengeance and his arguably psychotic break that drives him to want to kill Elphaba.