WICKED (2024) Dir. Jon M. Chu

Feature Commentary with Ariana Grande

What I love so much about this song, No One Mourns the Wicked, is how hard it is for Glinda to be there saying these things to these people and celebrating and rejoicifying with them when she's grieving her friend in real time. She's obviously having to do a hard thing here by celebrating what she's singing about while the lyrics are also her trying to spoon feed them the idea that wickedness happened to her. Give her a chance. Even though she's there doing this thing she knows she's supposed to do, rejoicify with them and celebrate this news, the lyrics...she's actually still fighting for her friend, for them to understand. She's giving them a chance. She's holding out a hand saying, but give her a chance...She's actually asking them to humanize her. It kind of is an impossible position to be in for her at this moment...This was really hard to look at. This was not a fun moment to film...Grief can feel different, and it can show up in many different ways. Sometimes it's really emotional. Sometimes it makes you angry. Sometimes it makes you feel numb. But either way, setting your best friend on fire...not good. Not preferred.

Loid, Yor, Anya & Bond Forger [Spy x Family] by TsuyaNoUchi

https://tsuyanouchi.etsy.com

Jonathan Bailey on the set of 'Wicked' as Fiyero Tigelaar [x]

Originally posted on Twitter

I know for a lot of people the relationship between Elphaba and Fiyero feels rushed and underdeveloped, but, I don't know, I happen to like the fact that she had such a strong impact on his life in such a short amount of time... like, yes! of course she altered his brain chemistry and whole philosophy of life after a grand total of 3 encounters, she really is THAT girl (I just realized what I did there as soon as I finished typing it, I swear the pun was not intended).

I think they gravitated towards each other because they were exactly what the other needed in their lives.

In the beginning Fiyero was a person that felt comfortable reducing his entire existence and purpose to just being a "hot prince with a scandalacious reputation". But then he meets Elphaba, and she is different than anyone else he'd ever met in all those schools he went to, in more ways than one. She is Not Impressed by his looks or his title. She challenges him because she's able to look past his "nothing matters" bullshit and see that he's actually a really kind, caring person. She looks at him like she knows that he can do better, be better ("no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be..."). She inspired him to become the best version of himself.

Fiyero needed that, someone to push him to take control of his life and act upon his wants and beliefs. Without Elphaba he would've had a content but unfulfilled life.

And Elphaba needed someone to stand by her, to not leave her alone, to not be ashamed of her, to fight for her, to prioritize her, and to love her unapologetically. That person is Fiyero (and yes, Glinda could've been that person too, but ultimately she made her choice, and by the time she realized she chose wrong it was already too late).

Elphaba spent her whole life feeling unwanted. She needed someone that would spend years looking for her!!! Someone that would risk everything for her!!! Fiyero did that!!! That man was devoted!!! And that's exactly what she deserved!!!

She was alone her whole life until Glinda (except for Nessa, I guess, but even in that relationship Elphaba was always the one that had to take care of her sister), and she is so strong, but in the end she didn't have to be alone anymore, and she didn't have to be strong, she could just let herself be held and loved, and I love that for her 😭❤️

In conclusion: fiyeraba they could never make me hate you

My favourite thing that I love about Elphaba and Fiyero ending up together in Wicked is that you have Elphaba, who has spent her entire life believing that she's too different, sometimes too intense, too much to be loved because she is not this 'perfect' example of society's standards, and Fiyero, who hides behind detachment and his performative charm because he's only ever really been seen as a prize, a prince to be won, where he's internalised this view that to him love isn't real because he's never felt it, in the way he now does with Elphaba ("the boy who was certain, love isn't real" - Jonathan Bailey ALSO said something similar).

In these two people, they both see each other under the defensive barriers they have born learned to put up. Neither of them have turned away from each other because of their imperfections, they're drawn to each other because of them.

"I see you exactly as you are, with all the parts you've tried to hide for so long, and I'm staying anyway."

I do think some of their relationship has to be imagined, it's not the main focus of the musical of course, but it's so important to both characters. There has to be some level of imagination, remembering that they would clearly spend time together, inside and outside of classes (looking at you, film friendship montage).

Aside from the tragedy that happens, around them and to them, I guess my point here is that it gives me a lot of hope (in some weird way I guess haha). Their relationship is not perfect, it's not supposed to be, but for someone to love you exactly as you are, to see you for who you are and love you wholeheartedly anyway, is a gift, and I hope I can find that too one day.

WICKED (Part 1)

the german version of as long as you’re mine is so much more direct than the english one tho

the english version has some subtle implications whereas the german one is basically like ‘yeah let’s have some hot sex lmao’

CYNTHIA ERIVO as ELPHABA THROPP Wicked (2024) dir. John M. Chu