Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good.Wicked: For Good may be one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time, but it’s also riddled with head-scratching moments that make little to no sense. The sequel to Jon M. Chu’s 2024 blockbuster Wicked: Part One, For Good explores what happens after Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) flees the Emerald City via broomstick after being dubbed the Wicked Witch of the West by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Allegedly taking place a year after its predecessor (one of many things that isn’t clarified), For Good sees Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande) now working as The Wizard of Oz’s public spokesperson, a role that’s made her even more popular with the Ozian people. Elphaba, meanwhile, lives in a treehouse in the woods and is believed to be susceptible to death by water.
The characters’ problems, however, have nothing on the ones plaguing For Good — an unfortunate reality given that the stage musical was adapted into two films specifically so Wicked could be told as thoroughly as possible. With more screen time to play with, one would think director Chu would have enough time to answer every question and tie up every loose end, especially after taking such care with Part One’s brilliant world-building.
Alas, that’s not the case in part two (or Act II of the musical, if we’re honest), which has resulted in a slew of confusing moments and lingering questions. Some undermine For Good’s story logic while others simply deny Wicked fans the closure they’ve been seeking since the musical first opened on Broadway in 2003. Though many would agree that the film stuck the landing anyway, Wicked: For Good could have ascended to even greater heights had it ironed out these glaring ripples.
10
The Frozen Confetti (and Unfrozen Morrible) in ‘I Couldn’t Be Happier’
There’s a moment in Glinda’s song “I Couldn’t Be Happier” when time seems to freeze, and the confetti floating around her slows down as she has a private moment with herself. This makes sense, given that it’s her first time acknowledging the emotional cost lying about Elphaba’s alleged wickedness has had on her. What doesn’t make sense is that behind her, Madame Morrible is moving around normally, as if time hasn’t stopped at all.
Was this an oversight in post-production, or is there a deeper meaning to be found in Glinda’s inability to have a moment between just herself and the audience? The confusing nature of this scene diverts the audience’s attention from what they should be focusing on — Glinda’s inner monologue — and, because it happens so early in the film, it gives the impression that For Good begins on a rockier footing than its confident predecessor.
9
How Do Animals Lose Their Ability To Speak?
In Wicked: Part One, the audience learns from Elphaba’s professor, Dr. Dillamond, that certain animals across Oz have begun to lose their ability to speak. A goat himself, Dr. Dillamond bleats in front of Elphaba during “Something Bad,” a sign that his own voice is starting to go. The title of the song begs the question: what, exactly, is causing this “bad” thing to happen in Oz? Why are animals losing their ability to speak, and how does it happen, especially if the Wizard isn’t powered (as we later learn)? It’s understood, via the Wizard’s campaign against the animals, that they’re being ostracized and oppressed, but For Good has over two hours to answer the question of how their voices magically disappear — and doesn’t.
When Elphaba reunites with her childhood nurse, Dulcibear, in front of the animals’ secret escape route out of Oz, Dulcibear can still talk. The caged Dr. Dillamond, however, cannot. Why, with nearly five hours of combined screen time, do neither of the Wicked films answer the question of why some animals can speak and others can’t? The audience even sees Dr. Dillamond’s triumphant return to Shiz at the end of For Good, but they’re never told whether he has regained his ability to speak. This all adds unnecessary confusion to an already messy plot, which is baaaad news from a storytelling perspective.
8
Nessa Becomes Evil in 10 Minutes and Then Dies
Though Nessarose Thropp has long been a polarizing Wicked character, For Good does her pretty dirty. The sequel introduces her as the new Governor of Munchkinland following her father’s untimely death at the end of Part One. Though again, the film has plenty of time to show audiences how and why she becomes a selfish dictator, For Good glosses over the particulars, offering one scene to demonstrate her desire to entrap Boq after learning that he wants to leave her.
The next time we see Nessa, she loses her ever-loving mind, somehow reading directly from Elphaba’s Grimmerie (despite not showing even a morsel of magical ability) and shrinking Boq’s heart to the point that Elphaba needs to step in and save him. When Boq is heartbroken by his new appearance and sudden lack of a four-chambered blood pumper, Nessa puts the blame on Elphaba and declares herself the Wicked Witch of the East.
Let’s not forget that 10 minutes later, when Madame Morrible is doing her tornado dance, Nessa wanders through the streets of Oz shouting Boq’s name like it’s any other Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Ozians around her are boarding up their windows and trying not to get sucked away by the life-threatening winds. The audience is thus led to believe that Nessa’s love for Boq is stronger than her desire to save herself, as Dorothy’s house then falls on her, ending her life.
This entire plot point of Nessa’s selfishness and ambition triggering her own demise could have been a lot less ridiculous had For Good (and honestly, the Broadway source material) taken its time justifying why she becomes such a wicked presence. In the film, it all just kind of happens out of nowhere, muddying Nessa’s arc and making viewers wonder if they missed something.
7
Toto Looks Nothing Like the Dog From ‘The Wizard of Oz’
It’s accepted throughout Wicked: For Good that some things will look different from the last time viewers saw them. The Cowardly Lion, for example, walks on all four legs rather than standing upright, and Nessa’s ruby slippers have been replaced with silver shoes, matching the ones in L. Frank Baum’s original novel. These changes are understandable, but one that’s considerably more confusing is Dorothy’s dog, Toto, being a completely different breed than he was in The Wizard of Oz. Toto is known for being pitch-black because the dog in the 1939 classic was a Cairn Terrier. So why is he a brown Border Terrier in For Good?
The movie never tells us, which, combined with all the other unanswered questions, only adds to the growing list of annoyances. Some viewers were equally irritated by Toto being leashed in the film, while others argue that it was a clever deviation from Oz, as it gives Elphaba an instant reason to dislike Dorothy. In the vast scheme of things, Toto’s new appearance doesn’t drastically change anything, but the lack of an explanation distances For Good from its true source material, adding further confusion to a plot that relies heavily on audience members’ knowledge of The Wizard of Oz.
6
Fiyero Hatches a Banger Plan… With No Brain?
The Wizard of Oz viewers have long been sold on the idea that the Scarecrow doesn’t have a brain. Throughout Wicked, numerous breadcrumbs foreshadow Fiyero’s eventual transformation into the beloved character. When he first arrives at Shiz, he sings the notable line, “Life’s more painless for the brainless / Why think too hard when it’s so soothing dancing through life?” During his steamy duet with Elphaba in For Good, he sings, “Maybe I’m brainless, maybe I’m wise / But you’ve got me seeing through different eyes.”
These Easter eggs lead viewers to believe that Wicked’s Fiyero is as clueless as the song-and-dance man Dorothy meets on the Yellow Brick Road. And yet, by the end of the second film, he single-handedly masterminds one of the most infamous endings in musical theater history. Something isn’t adding up here.
The only explanation is that Fiyero is way smarter than anyone in Wicked ever acknowledges. After Elphaba unknowingly turns him into the Scarecrow during “No Good Deed,” he joins forces with Dorothy, returns to Emerald City, remembers Elphaba, concocts a plan that involves faking her death, sends her a message via Chistery to his family’s castle (which he also remembers), convinces Dorothy that Elphaba can be melted by water, and returns to Kiamo Ko knowing exactly where Elphaba is hiding, having told her to hide there in the first place.
None of this happened after the guy allegedly parted ways with his frontal lobe; Fiyero has clearly had his brain the entire time and openly lied to Dorothy about not having one to execute his master plan. Unfortunately, none of this is mentioned in For Good, leaving new Wicked viewers to ponder how on earth an allegedly brainless man made of burlap and straw managed to save the day.
5
How Long Can Tornado Whisperer Madame Morrible Possibly Stay Imprisoned?
Madame Morrible doesn’t just possess magical powers — she summons a twister that picks up Dorothy’s house, carries it all the way to Oz, and drops it on Nessarose, killing her instantly. When Ozian guards flank Glinda during Part One’s “Defying Gravity,” a single wave of her hand makes them retreat, and when Elphaba spells out “OUR WIZARD LIES” in the clouds in For Good, Morrible manipulates the letters so they read “OZ DIES” instead. The woman is a manipulative sorceress who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, so why is she totally cool with being arrested at the end of For Good?
When Glinda returns to Oz following Elphaba’s “melting” and announces that Morrible will be imprisoned, Morrible looks at Glinda in terror despite Glinda still being the equivalent of a Muggle (as far as we know). Sure, Glinda has a certain amount of power as a public figure, but the only actual weapon she has at her disposal at that point is flying monkeys, which promptly carry Madame Morrible to her new jail cell.
Madame Morrible, meanwhile, still possesses magic. What stops her from summoning another wind that whisks Glinda further away than any bubble ever could? Also, unless those monkeys are standing guard 24/7, how long will this incredibly dangerous woman remain contained? The likely answer is not long, dearie, making this moment one of the more puzzling ones in both the film and the stage show.
4
The Wizard Leaves Oz Way Too Easily — And Elphaba Never Finds Out He’s Her Dad
Universal Pictures
This one’s a double-whammy, as it diminishes what could have been an even wilder arc for The Wizard of Oz. After discovering that the green bottle Elphaba kept under her pillow at Shiz matches the one the Wizard carries around, Glinda deduces that he’s Elphaba’s biological father. For reasons unknown, Elphaba never explicitly learns this information, which would have revealed how she received her powers and green skin in the first place. Instead, she’s left not knowing that she’s “a child of both worlds,” AKA has one human parent and one from Oz.
Not only that, but when Glinda decides to banish the Wizard from Oz, he hops into a hot-air balloon and flies away without another word. Excuse me? The man lives in a palace, and has been for Oz knows how long. He has unlimited power in the eyes of the Ozians. Sure, after realizing how easily Glinda can publicly reveal that he spawned the Wicked Witch, it makes sense why he’d be so quick to flee, but let’s not forget that his bestie is a powerful sorceress. What stops him from prompting Madame Morrible to use her magic against Glinda? Instead, he leaves with no explanation for the Ozian people. While this does match his speedy departure at the end of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked’s audience is left wondering how a man living the ultimate life of luxury could so easily leave it all behind.
3
Does Dorothy Get Home, Or…?
After all the flashes of those pigtails and that gingham dress we get throughout For Good, there’s one thing we don’t get: a clear indication of whether Dorothy actually gets back to Kansas. We assume she does, as everything else that pans out in The Wizard of Oz seems to pan out in For Good, but the last we see of Dorothy, she’s calling out to the departing Wizard and wondering how the heck to get home now that she’s done what he asked. It’s an unfortunate, if humorous, end to her storyline, but For Good definitely had time to confirm that the water-wielding menace made it back to Auntie Em’s farm safely.
If we’re to assume that Glinda lets Dorothy in on the three-heel-click trick, then it begs another question: how do the shoes, previously enchanted by Elphaba to make Nessarose fly, get Dorothy home? Does she fly as Nessa does? And how would Glinda know that the shoes are enchanted when she wasn’t present when Elphaba cast the spell? The end of Dorothy’s story thus remains somewhere over the rainbow, and while it’s not the biggest deal in the world, the lack of confirmation that she returns home only adds to For Good’s lack of total clarity.
2
What Happens to Boq, Pfannee, and Shenshen?
Wicked‘s supporting characters get plenty of screen time across the two films, so why doesn’t For Good give viewers any indication of what happens to them after the Wicked Witch is declared dead? Boq, who arguably experiences the harshest character arc this side of Nessarose, is an entirely different person after Elphaba casts the spell that saves his life. To be fair, the stage musical doesn’t give any indication of what becomes of him, either, but after witnessing everything from his arrival at Shiz to his unwanted courting of Nessa, doesn’t the audience deserve to know what he does next?
The same can be said of Bowen Yang’s Pfannee and Bronwyn James’s Shenshen, whose comedic timing stole more than a few scenes in Wicked: Part One. Though they’re nowhere near as important to the story as Elphaba and Glinda, the audience is left wondering whether they ever learn the error of their ways. Are they changed for good, or do they remain just as judgmental and cruel as they were in the first film? They do look distressed by the mob of witch hunters preparing to kill Elphaba, but Chu’s decision not to have them help Glinda escape the Emerald City (as was the original plan) diminishes their character arcs and discards a valuable fan-service opportunity.
1
Glinda Believes That Elphaba Can Be Melted by Water
The biggest head-scratcher in Wicked: For Good is Glinda’s belief that her powerful bestie can actually be melted by two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. It would be one thing if Glinda embodied the unfortunate “dumb blonde” stereotype, but she doesn’t. Yes, in Part One, she’s selfish, materialistic, and more focused on being popular than kind, but Glinda is also able to seamlessly manipulate the people around her in all sorts of ways.
She woos Fiyero the second he arrives at Shiz, convinces Boq to pursue Nessa instead of her, and maintains a public image that totally fools her schoolmates and Ozian citizens alike. Glinda knows exactly what she’s doing, which is why it makes no sense that she would actually believe a bucket of water can melt a human being — even one with green skin.
There are a few explanations for this, but For Good doesn’t take the time to delve into any of them. One interpretation is that, at this point in the story, Glinda is still technically human herself and, therefore, as gullible as any other Ozian. Another is that she is smart enough to know that Elphaba couldn’t possibly die by water and is thus internally mourning her inability to see her friend again, despite Elphaba still being alive.
Regardless, viewers see Glinda cry after Dorothy does the deed, leading them to believe she has accepted Elphaba’s death for what it is. It’s confusifying that someone who goes on to become Oz’s leader wouldn’t know a hare-brained scheme when she saw one, but then again, she has spent a great deal of time living in a bubble.
- Release Date
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November 21, 2025
- Runtime
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137 Minutes
- Writers
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Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire
- Producers
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Marc Platt, David Stone