I was wrong about WICKED

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Holding space with Incogni and using code AMANDA to get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/amanda

[@MM-jf1me]

​@@danieltobin4498 This is a completely legitimate way to advertise a product -- it's above-board: entirely legal and ethical. As with anything, consumers should look into products or services before they part with their money.

[@jobymanuel1353]

I don't want to push more musicals on you, but if you want a funny musical you should watch Starkid's Twisted. it's a what if story of Jaffar as the hero of the Movie Aladdin, not the titular character.

[@HattiePeck-gp1rx]

yes, also entire hatchetfield series

[@castironpan7967]

Also the fact everyone is forgetting is that Elphaba was probably all but raised by her Bear Nanny so of course thats also contributing to her reactions. AND Fiyero's mentioned friendship with the literal horse he rode in on.

[@LittleMissLion]

That's something they changed in the movie that I thought was a wonderful inclusion. There isn't a bear nanny in the stage show.

[@xrrgr]

@@LittleMissLion ig the lady who delivered with the animal prosthetics is a bear, and then they fleshed out her character to be a nanny

[@danielzhou2972]

@@xrrgri always thought the midwife was a goat or something 😭

[@xrrgr]

@@danielzhou2972 yeah i watched it again earlier today and she doesn’t look bear-like so my mistake 😭 i think she was maybe a deer type animal, i have no clue lol.

[@carrained]

this comment made me realise I can't watch this video without having seen this movie, it sounds absolutely incomprehensible lmao, thank you!

[@DKS_Saturn]

You are not wrong. Wicked (the musical) is one of the most sapphic non sapphic stories out there

[@gingergrant1057]

Galinda in the books: “We went on a vacation and the only thing I remember is her sleeping beside me.”

[@michelcomenta]

the musical yes, but in the book it's very real

[@andysmith5806]

Yep but the book is so gay

[@violetlavi2207]

@@gingergrant1057 they also kissed in the books!

[@OhNoBohNo]

NON sapphic???? Lmao

[@itswattsfl]

Glinda's whole identity is shown in the song No One Mourns The Wicked, as her cowardice in not supporting Elphaba is what makes HER Wicked. The whole song of No One Mourns The Wicked is actually Glinda singing about herself, and how because she backed the very government that she KNOWS is corrupt because she was too weak to stand up with Elphaba will make her "die alone" because she abandoned her friend.

[@GrinningLikeaDelicateJamesDean]

Elphaba is the one who told her to keep the facade going lol

[@itswattsfl]

@ While this is true, it does still highlight even MORE that knowing she’ll have to continue the facade of her friend being evil and dead, burning a statue of her, and villainising her she STILL cannot stand up for herself and what she believes.

[@Meanie74]

@@GrinningLikeaDelicateJamesDean I thought so?

[@philipmaruri5714]

It’s important to be aware of how the play ends. In the end, because of Elphaba, everyone realizes the Wizard is a fraud. Glinda, who stayed in the government despite hating it is then able to banish him and morrible and undo their actions. While Elphaba brought forth the movement, Glinda was the one who was able to change the system itself

[@itswattsfl]

@ But it’s still her cowardice though. She was never able to do anything herself. The only reason she CAN banish him is because of Elphaba. She lets things happen, she doesn’t DO things.

[@molly-katebritton9414]

My genuine theory RE Fiyero and the poppies is that he's such a party boy that he's accidentally built up a tolerance to them

[@gingergrant1057]

That’s brilliant.

[@chadkent327]

lol. The implication is supposed to be that Elpheba instinctively trusts Fireyo so even when she loses control she doesn’t hurt him/protects him. But your thing is my new head cannon now.

[@jdrobertson42]

That was my take.

[@eileensnow6153]

@@chadkent327yeah, she was already super into him. But I love the idea that he’s tolerant to opiates lmao

[@emmybm15]

That's hilarious! Absolutely love that headcanon 😂 Like i know what the reason is supposed to be but that's truly brilliant 😂

[@lillyr9295]

I don’t want to get too spoilery about Glinda’s attitude at the beginning of the movie, but it is important to note she is telling the munchkins (people who treated Elphaba horribly) about her former best friend’s death and they are screaming “NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED.” She has to stay bright and bubbly for her image but you can safely assume she doesn’t like these people 😂

[@petrastedman669]

Recently saw a video pointing out that during the 'ding dong the Witch is dead' song from 1939, she would've had to keep it together knowing who was under the house.

[@munchiekins]

I loved that scene because if you pay close attention she isn't happy at all but has to pretend she is

[@jennamore6925]

Also I love how she seems to almost choke when see sings “ she died alone”

[@munchiekins]

@@jennamore6925 I agree!! 😭 And how quickly she set fire to the effigy, as if to get it over with. I thought her hasty departure was because she was losing composure and didn't want the Munchkins to see it.

[@sarahbrown3966]

When the “for good score” played during that scene, I teared up

[@meganb4821]

I’ve been holding space waiting for this one

[@kibbleandquibble1732]

I didn't know that was happening. I'm speechless.

[@danieltobin4498]

Don't buy products advertised by youtubers, the companies are really scummy and they spend more money on ads than making a decent product.

[@stefaniedc1128]

i just bit my tongue laughing at this comment.

[@Mareewashere]

I didn’t know that was happening🥲

[@Meanie74]

💅🏻 🤏

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

All I can say is that as someone who's been a fan of the musical since middle school, I love your normie revelations. You will discover that this musical goes deep. And yeah, Glinda and Elphaba are shipped like Amazon packages on Black Friday.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

I appreciate your kindness because I had a lot of fun going into this blind and just explaining what I'm picking up and not trying to learn every little detail so part two can feel like a surprise too

[@rachelespiritu4215]

Lmao, I’ve never heard “shipped like Amazon packages” before ❤

[@thatfuzzypotato1877]

That ship joke made me laugh 😂 and yes, I am on that shipping truck too

[@markling5058]

I don't feel the need to force a ship between them they clearly both have feelings for fiyero so they want to ship

[@Kiki-fs1mv]

​@markling5058 lmao it's not "forcing a ship" between them. I'm so tired of this argument, first of all shipping occurs regardless of canon. Most of the time shipping is just for fun. Secondly, if you know anything about queer coding then the subtext in this musical is so plain to see a blind person could see it. Thirdly, the source material this musical is based off of quite literally has the two kiss. And lastly, to reiterate, no one is forcing you personally to ship it but people will ship it nonetheless because that's how fandom works. If it bothers you that much, just swipe past the content instead of being weird about it.

[@shouldbewritig]

Wicked/Oz expert here! Galinda shouldn’t have been wearing all pink at Shiz imo, in the musical the school has uniform colors even though the styles differ (blue & white) so Galinda just chooses an all white uniform that conforms to the rule while standing out. I’m a little salty about the pink uniforms. Also fans interpret the musical frequently as very gay. The book canonically is but the musical is all subtext

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Good to know thank you!!

[@dan_38]

Small point to add, the attire she has is meant to show that she's essentially on par with the high born of Oz, so certain things were given to her out of privilege. Interestingly, her outfit is following the uniform by using a muted gray-pink, so while it flagrantly skirting the lines, its not enough to get her kicked out, but enough for the Dean not to come anywhere near her despite her wanting it to be

[@fromthelostdays]

It's not really any more canon in the book (unless you just mean there's canon gay characters in general, which is true). In the sequel Elphaba's son meets Glinda and gets the feeling her feelings for Elphaba were more than friendship, but that's the most we get.

[@Ashbrash1998]

​@fromthelostdays You also forget that her son also is bisexuality, he has relationship with another guy and a woman in that book.

[@sassyvelociraptor5625]

​@@fromthelostdays You can't tell me that the goodbye kiss they share when Elphie sends Glinda back to Shizz with Nessarose wasn't incredibly gay.

[@caffeinatedquill]

"Maybe there's a lot more to Fiyero" No one tell her PLEASE. I want her to see part two not having a clue about anything 😭

[@AmandaTheJedi]

👀

[@DeborahJones1321Rose]

Please don't read the book until you've watched the second half of the musical. You'll realize that the musical is like sprinkles of the book😅 ​@@AmandaTheJedi

[@a.songb1rd]

re no one mourns the wicked; glinda is pretty much hiding her pain behind a smile. elphaba was her best friend, so to have to go to munchkinland & see them celebrating the death of her best friend hurts. as well as her having to burn the giant statue of elphaba, of course she’d want to just leave as soon as she can.

[@aarien_of_aurolyth]

Yes, came here for this. It's a song celebrating the death of someone she loves and rehashing how awful a person she was...all of which of course was a giant lie that Glinda has had to repeat for years. I'm sure having to pretend that her best friend is evil for so long has also weighed on her significantly. Yeah, I'd want to get out there as quick as possible too.

[@munchiekins]

as well as having to pretend her best friend is totally evil when she knows it isnt true

[@jennamore6925]

Yes!!! And so relevant in today’s news like how it’s easier to spread fear and misinformation to make one thing the enemy to bring everyone together to attack it for all their problems!

[@caseyw.6550]

​@munchiekins lol god forbid she actually speak up. Reminds me of a bunch of yt folks.

[@caseyw.6550]

​@@aarien_of_aurolythHAD to repeat. Did she HAVE to though?

[@stuffingtonjfluffypantsiii]

I loved Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard because that's how I've always seen him. Intimidating at first then after a while your like "is this it? Just this guy?"

[@zoejnobaptiste3332]

In the Wicked novels (and the sequels) it is alluded that Glinda is a lesbian who only married a man for status and has no relations with him. She spends the rest of her life thinking and dreaming of Elphaba after they part ways.

[@erinfrazier1439]

That’s very ‘good luck babe’ of her

[@Diana-fg2vy]

Um no did you read it or project your self upon it . Because she was always into the prince because both of them were different

[@Diana-fg2vy]

No friends aloud only fckas

[@zoejnobaptiste3332]

@@Diana-fg2vy Glinda was never into Fiyero in the books. She was 'into' a guy named Averic who had status. She married a different older guy for status and does not love him. The books pretty much beats it over your head that the only relationships with men she's had were to further her status and ambitions. It states plainly that she dreams of Elphaba and that the only thing she remembers about their adventure to the emerald city was them sharing a bed on the journey. The series literally ends with her dying in prison and hallucinating Elphaba coming to save her in her last moments. (Though I suppose whether it's a death hallucination or not us debatable). And if it's not a hallucination then they literally go and live happily ever after together. If it is a hallucination then her dying thought of comfort us being taken away by 'her Elphie' as she calls her. The author Gregory Maguire, literally confirms that there's something 'more than friendship' between them.

[@invadernav3422]

Glinda's insincere bubbly nature at the start IS intentional. She's putting on a happy face, meanwhile she's breaking inside. No One Mourns The Wicked could be argued about how SHE is wicked. She will die alone with her best friend, and she's destined to lead a lonely life due to choices she has to live with making.

[@laylascott6096]

Man I did some reading up before I saw it and now reading these I feel like I didn’t understand any of it. I need to find a good break down somewhere

[@caseyw.6550]

@@invadernav3422 In other words, FAFO. Oh well!

[@allisonmoon2536]

The ensemble singing “Goodness knows, we know what goodness is” hits so hard, man. Like it’s clear that they don’t know but they decided or were told… and Glinda just sings over them with her masked pain of “she died alone” 😢

[@treyden]

Popular on stage is not a musical number. it's an snl sketch where glinda tries to get elpheba to break character. I'm so glad the movie carried some of that

[@pandaking9000]

This is the best explanation of the energy every cast brings to popular I’ve ever seen 😂 it’s the one time in the show the g(a)linda’s get to just PLAY and it’s wonderful

[@xrrgr]

LMAO

[@azurzelle]

My Elphaba in London did break character. The audience was already laughing, the actress playing Galinda was that good and hilarious! We laughed and gave the actress playing Elphaba a minute to get back into the role after she broke character and laughed. It was so good and funny! 😆

[@MandyRoeske]

I didn’t know people were complaining about the lighting. I liked it because I could actually see what was going on in a modern movie for once.

[@chadkent327]

It’s a bit washed out which means things appear flat, shapes and colors don’t stand out as much as they could and you don’t get a feeling for the space they are in. It’s a minor complaint, but one nonetheless. The thing is Oz is supposed to be this fantasy land where everything pops, and the Wizard of Oz did that very well in the 1930’s so it’s just odd to see a modern movie stumble on something simple like that. The first avengers movie also kind of has flat washed out lighting.

[@stefaniedc1128]

@@chadkent327 i enjoyed the lighting because it felt more like an antique illustrated childrens book, like the stories Grimm. That said, i'm glad it wasnt as sickly sweet in terms of color grading as the original Wizard of Oz, because this movie essentially explains that the story we know from Oz is a diluted/cleansed version of the actual events ( i mean, dorothy steals the shoes off a dead woman, for gods sake). So this color grading feels more "real". THOUGH i will agree that the lack of directional lighting was odd and i never knew where the light source was coming from.

[@onza1317]

@@chadkent327 i think it works because oz is a con man he made this normal magic world and turned it into a fancy circus

[@BeeKee404]

I agree. I thought the lighting wasn't all that bad. I will say though I do wish the lighting was a little different in the Defying Gravity number. More so when Elphaba and Glinda are singing together after Elphaba asks Glinda to join her. I kinda wish at that time, it was night and there was a big spotlight similar to how it looked in the stage production only in the movie it was maybe the guards shining a huge signal light to track them.

[@raylinguanotti]

i need sunglasses for sancing through life, sometimes I want to see JB's face and just can't because of the light.

[@ulayusequaluk]

As an extreme Wicked fan, I had super high expectations and this movie met them. I was so hesitant about Ariana being cast as Glinda, but omg, I couldn't imagine anyone else in the role. I will say, when you started this video with "I knew nothing about wicked" I knew I was in for a ride haha

[@shyranhilaw4352]

She did a phenomenal job. I’m not even a fan of hers, but she was meant for the role.

[@LittleMissLion]

I don't know much about her, as I'm a bit older than her fan base. I personally loved her. I adore how they are amazing friends now, too. The chemistry is insane.

[@Ariel-uj3kk]

I feel like people forget that Ariana is a funny actress.

[@thylionheart]

literally within the first 10 minutes I forgot I was watching Ariana Grande lol, she just became Glinda so beautifully

[@Dunybrook]

I think you missed it that Glinda isn't singing about Elphaba so much in the opening song as herself. Not only is she kind of the bad guy, she knows it and hasn't forgiven herself. Arguably the defying gravity moment is one scene where the movie actually justified its existence since it did things that have never been done on stage and might be impossible to do quite so powerfully on stage, like Elphaba looking at a reflection of her younger self as she fell.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Makes sense!

[@jennamore6925]

Omg!! Yes exactly!! That made me cry that made it so much more epic that same feeling I had when I saw the musical!

[@marrog]

Yeah I feel like if you were watching knowing what comes later it was very obvious that Glinda was incredibly conflicted about the stuff happening in that scene, especially the effigy, and that she was trying to leave because she was struggling to hold it together, but it's hard to know if that's just protection.

[@almagomez6689]

Also, in the stage version Glinda uses the blue and white uniform (just with a different pattern), so her wearing pink here is a decision

[@marrog]

@@almagomez6689 I dunno, that felt to me more like the film felt like they needed to keep the colour story simple for the audience. But maybe!

[@jennafer2327]

I loved Ariana in the openning number, maybe bc im familiar with the musical and the book but she does some great subtle acting of her face falling and sadness coming through when nobody is looking at her. Everybody is so joyous and to keep up her "goodness" facade she has to join but thats her best friend everybody is celebrating being dead.

[@seemsfishy23]

Yes but of course she isn’t dead. She is sad because she is reflecting on how alone she herself is and will be due to her choice in the state and the status quo

[@storiesinthedust]

i for one cannot WAIT for people who dont know the show to find out what happens in part 2. there are so many fun easter eggs in part 1 that will become super apparent in part 2 and make for a really entertaining double-feature-rewatch!

[@petrastedman669]

[Hears line about Fiyero prolly being more important in Part 2, chokes on iced mocha] 😲 Omg guys, she doesn't know! NOBODY TELL HER! Spoilers not allowed.

[@MoThanLessThan3]

I love hearing speculations about this 11 year old musical from someone who's never seen it! I seriously hope she remains unspoiled!!

[@okmeowokmeow]

Very appropriate hoodie choice. This movie is a bi panic love triangle closed on all sides (and the book goes into it even more 👀)

[@Diana-fg2vy]

But does it ......

[@curiousnonsense6015]

As a Wicked the Musical fan….idk I just love Amanda’s pure reactions to the film as well as the overall plot and songs 😂

[@artsygal112]

Same!

[@SmilingJack100]

It is extremely funny to me to hear you describe these things as like "am I the only one noticing this?!" when it was 100% the thing that the media was trying to get across, specifically "Loathing"/"What is this Feeling?" is written really explicitly as "what if a love song was about hating eachother instead" so the fact that it 1000% sounds like a love song is intentional.

[@SchizoFish]

Just a fun little note about the story that people might not be aware of: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum. L-F-B. Elphaba. Just Gregory Maguire giving a little nod to the originator of it all. :)

[@Sharpe1502]

Watching doubters turn around and go, “Heeeey. That’s pretty good.” Has been delightful.

[@licidy1]

Echoing others, listen to "No One Mourns the Wicked" with the context of Glinda calling herself wicked, and it is gut-wrenching. She is mourning, having to put on a PR face, and having an internal realization about herself all at the same time. Also, you are in for a RIDE come part 2! 🎉 welcome to fandom! 😊

[@caseyw.6550]

@@licidy1 part 2 blows

[@gem.g1b]

Let’s be serious it’s a love triangle of Glinda, Elphaba and Fiyero where all sides touch. Get them in a challengers situation asap

[@spicyfroggie]

it's not a love triangle its a straight line lol

[@yuvalamrami2444]

It's 2024. Love triangles should make way for love trouples 😉

[@OhNoBohNo]

This was the fucking blueprint

[@hanonondricek411]

Glinda does wear the school uniform - during "What is this Feeling?" when they're fighting over chairs in the classroom. My favorite Glinda line is "Dear Momsy and Popsicle. Guess what? I can't hear your guesses...because this is a letter..."

[@jennamore6925]

The part where she sings “she died alone” pkg I felt the heart break she really gave so much the musical just couldn’t it’s the unspoken dialogue the movie really took advantage of and I love it more

[@grecia3146]

Most Wicked fans can confirm the absolute sapphic vibes this two witches have.

[@DaniGreenfairy]

Oh you went in BLIND blind huh? As a fan of the play, I can attest to the big feelings at the Defying Gravity scene.

[@ralph.aguinaldomd]

As someone who would rather watch Gladiator II over Wicked, I'm glad my wife forced me to watch this first. The music and choreography were just on another level, and the grand scale felt overwhelming in a fantastic way. I'm looking forward to the second part.

[@AkaneCelesHiko]

The best way to describe Wicked the book vs Wicked the musical is that the book is like a darker fairy tale, while the musical is the Disney version of the book. Please go over the books!

[@himbology100]

I was new to Wicked too and saw it with my boyfriend who is a super fan and afterward I was like "If this story ended with Glinda and Elphaba getting together it would be one of the best gay romances ever written"

[@BrandonJames2016]

I didn’t know what to expect from this movie as someone who’s never seen the musical. All I knew it was gonna give a diff perspective of the wicked witch and paint Glenda in a different light. Saw it and came out loving it it’s fantastic. My favorite scene was the ball dancing scene it was so powerful and nothing much was being said it was all in the facial expressions.

[@citylemon7832]

Same

[@jennamore6925]

See they didn’t do that in the musical there’s so much more non dialogue scenes that you can’t really do on stage that they took advantage here and it’s absolutely wonderful

[@chadkent327]

@@jennamore6925 the moment is there in the musical, where Glinda joins Elpheba in her dance, but it’s shorter, and it’s less powerful because you can’t highlight their facial expressions during that moment.

[@LittleMissLion]

Glad you liked it!

[@thylionheart]

I really loved how much they lingered on that scene. It felt necessary for us to feel all the humiliation, pain, guilt, vulnerability that the characters were going through. When Elphaba started crying and Glinda put her hand on her cheek and whispered, "It's okay," I broke inside

[@hibiscuspetals02]

This movie is my Roman empire, I went to the premier and loved it so much I came back the very next day to watch it again. Glinda and Elphaba were like baby's first sapphic ship, so they're very important to me

[@ainsleygulden8463]

I just gotta say, you should definitely watch the second part and come back to the comments you made here. As someone who knows the whole story as I have seen the play, it’s interesting to see someone who is going in blind. I do wonder if your opinions about certain things will change after seeing the second act. I can’t wait to watch that video!

[@jennamore6925]

Omg right! I love this! It’s like reliving when I fell in love with this musical

[@rebeccas265]

I didn't think this movie was subtle. I loved it but it wasn't subtle. A villainous professor with a sad caged baby lion literally explained that a "benefit" of caging from a young age was the animals never developing the ability to speak. We are shown adult monkeys that never speak but do understand linguistically unique commands and threats to their families. It is not a giant leap to understanding the symbolism that forcing people from a young age to conform to a societal cage, "knowing their place", results in unhappy adults that can't even verbalize or otherwise express what is actually wrong. That captain of the monkeys didn't watch the birds because he was envious of the birds wings; he was envious that the bird existed free of the wizard. The wizard explicitly told Elphaba that he rose to power by blaming the animals, a completely innocent group, for all the problems of Oz and that by creating an enemy, a group of people to collectively hate, he was able to unite all the humans under him even though he had no ability to or real intent to solve any of the problems. And he continued his campaign of bigotry because that was how he maintained his power. About the only way to be less subtle would be having a fourth wall break with the actors literally saying "Hey, forcing people to conform to your ideal and refusing to listen to them doesn't make a healthy society. It just makes marginalized people miserable. Racism is bad. Systemic racism is bad. Trans lives matter. Also, if some one has told you that all your problems will be solved if you put them in power and make the lives of marginalized people worse, that person is the bad guy. And if you actively support or vote for such a person, that makes you one of the bad guys. Now back to the show."

[@amandabaker4678]

Unfortunately, the people who most need that lesson - are the least likely to understand it!

[@vanguardiris3232]

Oh, definitely. Subtlety is not a bad thing but not every film needs it. Imagine how rubbish something like The Substance would be if it was trying to be subtle about its points. Sometimes you want a whisper but there is a time and place for a shout

[@witch_in_a_wheelchair3050]

16:31 "Honey, you've got a big storm coming." 😅

[@sarahhudson7108]

She is gonna love the “thinking more” comment even more in a year

[@equusheart3344]

​@sarahhudson7108 Oh yes, I definitely wish I could be a fly on the wall when she puts 2 and 2 together lol.

[@alexandriahoskins8445]

No spoilers here, but definitely watch Wicked again, and a bit closer, just before watching part 2. A LOT will be explained and make more sense. I like that a lot of what we see in the film was built and performed practically, I love how the leads basically campaigned for their roles and bettered themselves for it, and I like that the stage play was basically given the “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” treatment in its adaptation. Both books are way, WAY darker.

[@jaernihiltheus7817]

I would recommend watching the wizard of oz (1939) before a wicked rewatch, it's not the same continuity, but there are a lot of references from the score, to set designs & costumes, to certain character teases and plot points.

[@NowhereKing-c7v]

18:35 My favourite part is how her cape grows seeeeveral feet to fly all around her 😂

[@LittleMissLion]

Oh girl, Fiyero has a HUGE role to play in part two. I can't wait for you to see it.

[@giftedboi]

I love knowing that Universal was like, “we have to add an animal or no one will understand why Elphaba relates to animals!” - Dulcibear doesn’t exist in the musical, cuz the musical assumes that you can infer.

[@pandaking9000]

She has a goat nanny in the musical… dulcibear sings the exact lines. All they did was change it so that the Animal isn’t also repulsed by elphaba. Which makes more sense anyways.

[@MrAronymous]

In the book the animal rights topic was a big deal, in the stage musical it was reduced to a background tidbit. In the movie it's given more prominence to explain Elphaba more (as there is more time to so do as it is split in two).

[@goodmanticore]

The thing missing is during the Ozdust ball sequence, they cut out a line from the stage show where a character asks, “What’s in the punch?” and are answered with, “Lemons and melons and pears, oh my!” And I cannot forgive them for not including it!

[@raylinguanotti]

what does it mean?

[@anners8892]

​@@raylinguanottiit's a play on "lions and tigers and bears oh my!"

[@Vegan32]

They also didn't say "Whats the most swankified place in town" 😮

[@goodmanticore]

@ That’s because Fiyero already knew where to have the party. I liked that they mixed it with the Philosophy Club (what with it being illegal for students to attend and all that, but not including the tiger…stuff).

[@raylinguanotti]

@@anners8892 thaaaanks

[@hyperswag506]

My girlfriend in the seat next to me muttered “just kiss already” at multiple points during the movie 😭

[@invadernav3422]

Trust me, those 'are they, y'know?' moments are intentional. They straight up kiss in the books as I recall.

[@thejenmath]

It‘s around this time I wonder how my theater-obsessed friends from high school are doing. The number of hours I had to listen to them debate whether Galinda or Elphaba was better…

[@annabananabones08]

I know we're joking but you kind of should hold space for defying gravity. I cried through the whole thing. I cried in the parking lot. I cried later that evening. Cynthia is a beautiful Elphaba and her chemistry with Ariana was gripping. I felt the magic like i did in 2008 when i saw the show in Chicago

[@KittyCatThang]

Literally there is nothing missing from the stage play - they added MORE. As a long time Wicked fan and theater nerd in general, I absolutely loved the movie. I thought they translated the story to the screen really well.

[@M.M.Y.B]

Do you think they will add more songs to the second act? I predict an added song for Nessa and possible Boq.

[@KittyCatThang]

@@M.M.Y.B I would absolutely love it if they added more Nessa/Boq screentime!! Thier story could definitely use some fleshing out (uh...no pun intended?). I'm pretty sure it's been confirmed by the film's tema that there will be new songs in Part 2. I'm hoping for some Wizard/Morrible manipulating Glinda, some Glinda introspection, more Nessa, and maybe an extension on March of the Witchhunters.

[@cristenkray5192]

This and The Color Purple, I’ll go as far as to say are bringing back movie musicals in the quality we’re really wanting (and deserve)!! Like, this is what happens when you put TRAINED PERFORMERS with a genuine passion for the project and their craft on a set and let the camera roll. And the directing, cinematography, choreography and music just eats so severely.

[@caffeinatedquill]

As someone who has loved this musical for 15 of its 20 year run, It's SOOOO nice seeing someone's reaction to the story who has no idea what it's about.

[@graymorality]

I hate that people are just so ok with deceptive marketing these days. Like, this movie isn't wicked...it is Wicked Part 1. They are getting people to pay for half a movie and not disclosing that in any of the marketing.

[@quenepacrossing4675]

I agree about defying gravity! Cynthia’s voice is unreal but they start and stop the song one too many times which sucks the tension and heightened emotion out of the room. I agree with all your thoughts actually, even as someone who’s seen the show several time. It was good, but it could’ve been shorter and less phoned in by some characters, and the coloring/lighting was shit. They made me like Fiyero as a a character tho! i usually don’t like him on stage so i’ll give them that.

[@oglatnik]

THIS!!!

[@sarahbrown3966]

I can agree with this. I did keep feeling like I was getting pulled out of it, but she brought it in the end. The songs I really connected to were the ones that had their full run without stopping.

[@AlizaAyers-g8s]

I love the musical so much and I agree in defying gravity!

[@kinokochan]

As a fan of the stage musical: the movie is an AMAZING adaptation! it's clear that the filmmakers and actors took great care with capturing the tone of the show, and I love how both Cynthia and Ariana balance their performances by staying true to the character while adding flair of their own. Oddly, I got fewer sapphic vibes from the film than I ever did from any version of the stage play I've seen, FWIW. Most actors in the play tend to lean in harder to those vibes. If you liked the movie, I highly recommend checking the play out some day, should you have the opportunity.

[@A1exBOfficial]

I LOVE you going in with no prior knowledge. It's great seeing what hints to the arcs in the second half comes across because storytelling

[@shadowpuppet0312]

I am a huge fan of the book and of the musical but they're not that similar. So the idea of incorporating more of the book into the musical via the movie had me geeking out 😅

[@somegirl30]

As an absolutely terrified person of the wizard of oz, I actually think that this was one of the most cinema watching worthy movies of the year, and although I m not a fan of musicals this was the first time I actually enjoyed the singing parts and I really cant wait for act 2 ( and also ari’s delivery was spot on and made me giggle a lot during the movie)

[@petrastedman669]

Proof I'm a little out of the new mainstream: I've been thinking people 'holding space' for the lyrics meant they were trying to find the best placement for a tattoo. Yeah.

[@maggierappa417]

After seeing the film, I think the lighting had a strong effect when it had been so bright through all of the movie and then during the climax and ending of the film it gets so much darker. I don’t know, I thought that was a cool effect

[@jaernihiltheus7817]

Without spoiling it, yes there's a reason fiyero wasn't effected by the poppy sleeping spell and yes he becomes much more important in part 2. Also keep that scared baby lion in the dark forest in mind for later... And Bock Woodsman.

[@babitferreira]

As an internacional fan I never had the slight chance to catch this on stage, even the adaptations 😢 so this movie was great to me and as a former Arianator, I’m so happy for Ariana. She did a great job and really exceeded expectations

[@twentywordsorlessYT]

Fun fact: in 2013, Ariana Grande collaborated with Mika on a single of his that sampled "Popular". Foreshadowing is a liter--

[@LittleMan27]

In the opening number, Glinda is actually singing about herself in how “the wicked will die alone”, because she was the one who was actually wicked and lost Elphaba & Fiero.

[@kilian-one-l]

tbh my only experiences with anything even tangentially related to The Wizard of Oz are: The parts of Once Upon a Time that have their take own take on it. The movie Oz: The Great and Powerful The musical Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier by StarKid, which basically took the premise of Wicked and applied it to Aladdin

[@thememedungeonkeeper]

My sapphic theatre kid bestie screeched "SUBTEXT" whenever the leads were being fruity onscreen. If you ever saw the meta episode of Supernatural where the kids are putting on a Supernatural stage play, my bestie is the director of that play. 😂😂 I am not a theatre kid, I never read Wicked but I grew up with the OG movie and novels. With that in mind: This movie was fun! I think that's all it needed to be as well. I had a better time here than in most Broadway to screen adaptations. I am that guy that was waiting for a Kat quote from Ariana the entire time though... 😂

[@ST-ry7lr]

I surprised myself by really enjoying the play when saw it years ago. There were parts that I did not love, but generally the music was great and the story interesting. I could not imagine this being made into a good movie, but it surprised me. While remaining quite true to the play (so far), the filmmakers were able to do things that aren't really possible in a stage play. And I'm not talking about the visuals and effects. Being able to "force" focus on the actresses faces as their relationship progresses, and having spectacular performances by the lead actresses, you get a much more personal understanding of the characters history and how they evolve from enemies into best (and only) friends. In the play, it's just a plot device, but in the movie you can see the emotional shift and connection of the characters.

[@DanielleAustin-kf5mv]

I'd definitely recommend reading the book it's based on. The themes are definitely darker, and the Sapphic undertones are much more overt. Book Elphie has strong feelings for Galinda, while Galinda is more ambiguous on the whole, to the point where they actually share a kiss. Beyond that, though, most definitely worth the read if you have the time.

[@mariavanessairineo8106]

I cannot wait till you see part 2 hahaha... it is going to be a fun ride. Also yes, elphie and glinda in what is this feeling is tension at its finest hahaha

[@kamatz83]

I've loved Wicked for as long as the musical has existed, I've been waiting the movie adaptation because I live too far from any theater presenting the musical. The fact that on of the themese is "Anything different is bad" felt really important when I watched on opening night because sadly it is still is a very real world thought. There was a little kid about 6 and after the movie I heard her talking to her mom about the "2 princesses", and it melt my heart. I'm so happy that little girl isn't growing up with different = bad mindset.

[@hectorserna7950]

I’ve seen the show on stage many times and I was blown away! I sobbed during Defying Gravity lol Glad you liked it!

[@AmandaTheJedi]

I really would have loved to catch that original run because I love Idina's voice but hope to catch it someday!

[@tulip7903]

glinda being a comedic character was the biggest surprise to me (i knew nothing about wicked before seeing it). i had to go see it a second time 😅

[@Leo-v6n5l]

I loved this movie! Galinda's goofiness was amazing!! Haha And ugly cried with the ball dance scene... I was not expecting that!

[@MK-gv1wd]

I really enjoyed this movie. I found it EXTREMELY funny that the actors were clearly too old to be "in school" unless they were all there for their Masters or PhD's. But I really did enjoy their performances, songs, special effects, and sets, etc. I'm looking forward to Part 2.....

[@vanguardiris3232]

In fairness it is Shiz University, not Shiz School

[@MK-gv1wd]

@@vanguardiris3232yeah. That’s why I went “okay sure” even though I found it really funny. Clearly they were all back after their undergrad for their Masters degrees. 😂

[@Robloxlegend49]

😂40 in high school 😂

[@vanguardiris3232]

I don't know if this is a "cultural difference" thing but are there mature students at universities where you all live? Like, I get that most university students are in their late teens and twenties but when I was in undergrad there were dozens of people in their forties, fifties, and even sixties taking the same undergrad course. One of my best uni friends had a daughter who was doing her GCSEs. She would bring her daughter to the uni library so we could all work on our essays together. Perhaps Oz has a robust public-funded higher education system 😂

[@pandaking9000]

I think people will be a lot more at peace with the lighting when part 2 comes out. I actually really agree with Jon Chu that the lighting needed to be more naturalistic. That and the again more naturalistic performances are what ground act 1 as a film. A level of grounding I think is needed to pay respects to the larger themes of the story and the much darker tone of act 2/ part 2. The imbalance of those tones is like the musicals one fatal flaw imho. I think this lighting provides us a better transition into what makes this story a bittersweet tragedy. If it has been as saturated as folks would like I think it would honestly make everything feel more fake and broadway and altogether too happy for what this story is. Act 1 is funny and goofy and heartfelt but it is also setting the stage for the heartbreak of act 2. Where I think a technicolor style spectacle would be completely out of place emotionally. This Oz isn’t supposed to be as perky and perfect, it’s a vaneer for fascism and brutal oppressive social structures.

[@jennaheiser625]

The first part had a real "filmed during the day" vibe, and I'm hoping the second part is "filmed at night." You're absolutely right about the tone shift. I personally kind of like it, but I'm also a big fan of Into the Woods and how they do the exact same thing. It could have been possible to slip in some more darkness into the first act/part, but I don't think much else could have been done to bring them closer tonally.

[@hi_there1239]

7:12 maybe you get to this point later, but glinda has improved but she’s still faking here. everyone’s celebrating the death of her best friend and she has to go along with it! i loved the satisfied look she gave burning the statue bc it felt like “glinda the good” was burning the witch, but glinda was burning a mockery of elphie

[@crissyjayfae]

7:05 yeah it’s totally on purpose. Even in the Wizard of Oz movie, I didn’t like Glinda. Those Ruby slippers BELONGED TO THE WICKED WITCH’S SISTER. And she totally just played off the fact that Dorothy could have home at the beginning. I like that the musical showed more of her insincerity and character flaws.

[@thehouseofoverthinking]

I'm on the other end of the spectrum - first movie I saw was The Wizard of Oz at age 4 and I've been obsessed with Oz for four decades now. I didn't even want this adaptation to happen because I didn't think it would be possible to nail it this impressively. I've seen Wicked on the stage 7 times, including once with Idina Menzel. I've met Gregory Maguire. So when I say this is the most reverential and emotionally gratifying musical adaptation I've ever seen in my life, that should be a strong statement! I love that you noticed the animal founders hidden behind the panel of human paintings in Shiz. That was very Thor Ragnarok. I've got a few Wicked vids on my channel, and in the next few days I'll be doing a 101 details, easter eggs and changes video!

[@jro2765]

I cried….SO MANY TIMES during this film and cannot wait for part 2. To me it was a masterpiece and the first actually good adaptation/movie I’ve seen in such a long time.

[@Sarah-kk8cl]

After diving headfirst into the book and broadway, because of this movie. Really looking forward to you learning all the plots of these characters. Avoid spoilers

[@trinaq]

I've seen the movie last week, and I plan to see it several more times, while it's still in theatres. It's a shame that we have to wait an entire year for Part 2, but it should be well worth it. Plus, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's cameo was amazing.

[@jennaheiser625]

Hey! Picky moviegoer and general musical-hater here. I've been delighted to see that people who weren't established fans came out of the movie with generally positive impressions. As you alluded to, it was absolutely a different experience for a Wicked fan. A lot of movie musicals neuter what made the stage show great without adding enough of what movies can do differently. Into the Woods cut entire songs and dulled down the sound of what remained, without adding enough of the cinematic transitions or effects that would have been impossible on stage. Cats lost the entire "wink-wink" self-awareness and gained nightmare fuel. What made Wicked special to me was a deep, gritty story between evolving characters living in a bright, shiny world. None of that was lost in the movie. More development was actually given to certain things, like Elphaba's connection to animals and her sister. The music is bright and beautiful without feeling shoved in. I actually loved the lighting and color grading, but perhaps that's just because I'm photo-sensitive and the real world feels quite bright a lot of the time. Being a movie gave it a chance to include slick effects, dynamic camera angles and movement, complex set pieces, and transitions that boost the scenes they convey. As mentioned, I'm extremely picky and prone to being critical. I DID have two gripes with the movie. 1. I think they needed to have Michelle Yeoh attend a few more rounds of singing lessons. I don't agree with your statement that she was phoning it in (I'll explain later), but her one song was fairly weak and could have had more polish. 2. The cameos from Idina and Kristin were a bit much. I love that they were included, and the moment where they directly interacted with the new leads was darling. But the whole thing was a tad too long and tonally off. People who watch long-running shows know that each person who takes on a famous role has to find a way to distinguish their performance. Wicked has been on and off Broadway for a very long time, and many people have filled these roles. The difference here is that now there's a camera that can be anywhere, including close to your face. There have been plenty of Wizards of Oz who go for the big, showboating magician vibe because that plays well on a stage. I think Goldblum was going for the vibe of a man who knows he's both idolized and a fraud, but needs to convince a very powerful person to join him. The charisma came from being down-to-earth and funny in a dad joke sort of way, and his song reflects that. Madame Morrible is easy to play as haughty and loud on stage where so many people are more than 50 feet away. Yeoh played her as more calculating, with most of her thoughts staying behind her eyes and not being shared with Elphaba or us. To me, that made a lot more sense given her role in the ploy. To make a long story much shorter, Wicked was translated into a fantastic movie musical that also stands as a good movie. Congratulations on slogging through *some* of my thoughts on the matter.

[@shayzcactus]

I'm someone who has loved the Wizard of Oz film since I was a tiny tot, so it honestly never occurred to me that anyone could hate it. I did also read Wicked in my teens (I'm in my thirties now) and I've only heard some of the songs from the musical and I greatly enjoyed the Wicked film. I do remember most of the story from the book, so I do know where some of the story is going (plus I've seen some spoilers for the musical prior to the film) so I'm excited for part 2. I'll probably go see part 1 again this weekend.

[@username-unavailable]

I saw wicked on stage and this movie is perfect I was super worried about grande but she IS glinda No better casting exists

[@abigailflyer8552]

Amanda not knowing the plot of the second act… honey, you’ve got a big storm coming!

[@amaprime7225]

Tangentially related - are you going to do an Agatha All Along video? We binged it last night and as soon as we were done I had to double check I hadn’t missed a video from you on it! 😅

[@lead6186]

Yes, Where's the gagatha video?

[@rethie]

"58 seconds ago" hell yeah

[@apollolewis]

Wicked was one of the only Broadway plays I watched live and I adore it so much. This musical is so sapphic despite not actually being sapphic. I do also need to read the books when I get the time/motivation to

[@MM-jf1me]

Eh, look at a sample of the book online or borrow it from the library before investing money into it -- many people love it, and hopefully you will, too, but I'm one of the not inconsiderable minority who absolutely _loathe_ the writing style, and you may be, too.

[@apollolewis]

⁠​⁠@@MM-jf1meI’ll see if my school library has it or go to my local library before buying it

[@sugarm1860]

Oh Glinda…her book counterpart was very, VERY much in the closet until the last book of the series.

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

I've seen the play 3 times with different casts as the show has come through Melbourne, Australia - and it's been immaculate each time. Even though this is clearly drawn on when you look at the run time - it didn't feel that way at all to me watching it. The additional sections didn't stand out as cheap add-ons. The only thing that you're like "oh yeah, that wasn't in the show!" Was the amazing cameos that were unexpected - but a delight.

[@storiesinthedust]

glinda is basically a walking metaphor for the rich and powerful entitled class who can do whatever they want without consequence which is why she is the only one who wears a different uniform. no one stops her because she (and her family are)/is untouchable and they all want to be in her good graces.

[@emmybm15]

The fact I have shipped all sides of the love triangle and as a throuple (what can I tell you? I am a multishipper for a reason 😅) the full 8 years I have loved "Wicked", it's fun to see new people see it too 😅 *edit* Also yes I did indeed sob both times I saw this in the cinema 😅

[@jamiekrhea]

I also came in knowing nothing and loved it. It was just so entertaining. I did not notice the overexposure but I saw it in 3D. I found the whole thing stunning.

[@AngelofGrace96]

I'm a huge wicked stage fan, it was the first musical I saw on stage, so I'm very happy it sounds like it was done justice. Can't wait to watch the film!

[@atora481]

Funnily enough, while the book goes heavily into lgbt themes, Elphaba and Galinda weren't particularly shipped. Also, Elphaba's origins were more messed up. Her mom was a drug addict who slept around and it was thought she was the daughter of some kind of wild elf or wood sprite or something and it might not have been consensual. Afterwards, they took in a wanderer who started having affairs with both parents and might be the father of Elphaba's sister. He died, and her father favors Elphaba's sister because she might be the daughter of the man he loved while Elphaba was just the daughter of his unfaithful wife. Also, a lot of the details of the politics of Oz aren't just from Wicked, but from the original Oz book series. It was a very, very messed up series and the Wizard caused all kinds of tragedies.

[@TheUltimateScorpio]

Amanda I love that you had that experience with Wicked after not being a fan of the OG. I started crying the first 30 seconds of the movie, I always felt a close connection to Elfeba and seeing the movie in theaters (twice, and I'm not a cinema goer) was such a treat. I saw the show on broadway when I was in high school Chorus class and we got to do One short day with the cast prior to the show. Wicked has been an inspiring and heartfilling work for most of my life, and I'm so excited for part 2.

[@lovesplus3879]

I went in blind af into this movie too, girl SAME. This entire movie damn same, that shit was heavy af. Thanks to the entire fandom for not spoiling anything, yall real for that.

[@BrittonS.]

As someone who never read or saw Wicked and knew nothing of the story I really enjoyed the Dorothy Must Die book series and am now seeing a lot of similarities. I wonder if L. Frank Baum ever imagined so many people would take his fun fantasy world and turn it into such a secretly twisted and dark place💀💀

[@ShimmyShimmyK8]

I've seen the play 3 times and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I feel like it brought the first act of the play to life in a movie which more people can see for way less than seeing it on stage. I was skeptical of Ariana Grande, but she played Galinda so well, the emotions, comedy and singing were top shelf! Cynthia Erivo made me cry twice...