“Wicked: for Good” confronts our own moral ambiguity

I didn’t expect to enjoy Wicked: for Good, the sequel to the original Wicked. I was skeptical about the need for yet another origin story of a misunderstood villain.

Both musicals tell the backstory of Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz. Wicked is set in an Oz where talking animals are oppressed and lose the ability to speak. In the first film, Elphaba, marginalized because of her green skin and magical powers, learns that the Wizard is behind the oppression of animals. Trying to make a difference, she is labelled “wicked” because she stands up for the animals.

Fighting injustice

In Wicked: for Good, set some time later, things have gotten worse. Enslaved animals are now caged and Elphaba is still alone in her fight. Elphaba’s optimism crumbles. She struggles to gain support for her cause and loses people she loves. She tells Glinda, “We can’t let good be just a word. It has to mean something.” Glinda’s power and influence needs to be used towards helping others.

Oz citizens follow what everyone else tells them to believe. It’s easier to consume the Wizard’s flashy lies than to critique. It’s easier to be angry at the Wicked Witch for disrupting comfortable lies than to look at their own indifference about the plight of the animals.

‘I hope you’re happy’

Some Christians criticize Wicked for lacking moral clarity – as Elphaba and Glinda sing to each other at the end of the first movie, “I hope you’re happy in the end.” Does this suggest you should simply follow your heart and trust your instincts? But in Wicked: For Good, neither Elphaba nor Glinda are happy.

Wicked movies are morally complex and delve into how those with power and influence shape our perceptions. They remind us that being “good” is more than just saying nice things or doing what makes us happy – it means standing up for what is right even when that is difficult. They show us that friendship and community are key to staying strong in hard times and making lasting change.

While the story’s end is bittersweet, Oz is nevertheless changed for the better because of Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, and the film closes with hope for the future.

And it does so with fantastic music.