Wicked
Plot
A vivid reimagining of the classic The Wizard of Oz, Wicked spotlights the untold stories of Oz's most famous (or infamous) characters, namely the Wicked Witch of the West and her unlikely friend, Glinda the Good Witch. The show follows green-skinned star Elphaba from birth to college and through the life-changing events which eventually label her "wicked," introducing spoiled rich girl Glinda, local prince and heartthrob Fiyero and even the Wizard of Oz himself, a troubled man very unlike the one you may remember. As Elphaba, a passionate political activist if there ever was one, fights injustice and seeks to undo the mistakes of the past, dark secrets and personal tragedies shape the history of Oz, paying homage to the classic Wizard of Oz story while simultaneously changing fans' understanding of it forever. A cautionary tale about love, friendship and trust, Wicked effortlessly reveals that there are indeed two sides to every story.
Overall Series Review
Categorical Breakdown
The plot heavily relies on Elphaba's immutable characteristic, her green skin, which is a clear stand-in for racial difference and the experience of the marginalized "Other". The narrative establishes a system of prejudice and systemic oppression in Oz, where Elphaba faces discrimination from birth and throughout her life at school. The persecution of the talking Animals serves as a central allegory for the disenfranchisement and silencing of minority groups. The primary villain, The Wizard, is a white male leader who manipulates the populace and systemically oppresses the vulnerable.
The film fundamentally frames the home culture, the Land of Oz, as being ruled by a charlatan and built on lies and propaganda. The Wizard of Oz, the figurehead of the civilization, is exposed as a power-hungry, manipulative fraud. Elphaba's heroism is defined by her refusal to uphold this established system, and she is celebrated for becoming a disruptive figure who actively fights the dominant status quo of her world.
The story centers on a deep, female-driven friendship that is positioned as a primary love story, with the male love interest being secondary to the central relationship between Elphaba and Glinda. Elphaba is a formidable, political activist character whose power is used to fight oppression. The most powerful male character, The Wizard, is systematically emasculated by being revealed as a fraud and oppressor who is ultimately defeated by the female protagonists.
The core relationship between the two female leads, Elphaba and Glinda, is widely interpreted by cultural critics as having strong queer subtext, and the bond is described as an intense love story. The film's signature song is embraced as a queer anthem. The cast includes numerous openly queer actors. A minor male character is noted to explicitly flirt with both men and women, overtly inserting bisexuality into the story without being central to the plot.
The Wizard, who is treated as a God-like figure of authority in the world of Oz, is revealed to be a fraudulent and manipulative villain. This narrative device serves to expose established authority and 'religious mythology' as a means of control and perpetuating power. Elphaba’s defining moment is the declaration to abandon all external rules and reject higher moral authority in favor of her own subjective moral compass, which is described as a 'post-Christian messianic hero' narrative and a move from 'sin' to 'brokenness'.