Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked, the Broadway musical, and potentially 2025’s movie Wicked: For Good.Wicked: For Goodwill showcase the second half of theWickedBroadway soundtrack — plus some original songs written for the movie — including the tune that is the emotional pathos of the entire story. The recently releasedWicked: For Goodtrailerteases the next stage inElphaba and Glinda’s journey, where they are pitted against each other more than ever.
Oscar nominees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to these lead roles, asElphaba is relentlessly tarnished by the regime as she alone fights the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) rule, while Glinda is used as a counterimageand spokesperson. Though many imagine these two as enemies, they started on a different arc long ago.
Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship is damaged not only by the political situationbut also by Glinda’s fiancé Fiyero’s (Jonathan Bailey) confession that he is actually in love with Elphaba. However, the moment where Elphaba and Glinda reconcile inWicked’s ultimate endingis arguably the most thematically important scene in the whole production.
“For Good” Is Wicked’s Most Emotionally Important Song
Elphaba & Glinda Reflect On Their Relationship & Say Goodbye
InWicked’s final act (per the Broadway show), Glinda goes to tell Elphaba that she needs to free Dorothy and flee because a violent mob is coming for her. When they receive word that Fiyero is dead moments later,Elphaba agrees to surrender and turns over the Grimmerie to Glinda, leading to the song that is their farewell to each other.
Neither knows if Elphaba will survive nor if she will ever be able to safely see Glinda again, so they are assuming that this is it, and expressing how much they have shaped each other. It is a deeply cathartic moment, and the entire show hinges on it when the friendship is at the center of the story.
The song “For Good” is one of Stephen Schwartz’s masterpieces,and the trailer has already revealed some sections of Erivo and Grande masterfully performing it. We were also treated to snippets of the beautifully-acted bittersweet humor at that moment, indicating that it is going to be an essentially perfect scene in full.
Wicked: For Good Can Disprove A Common Musical Criticism
People Are Expecting Wicked 2 To Be A Bit Of A Let-Down Musically
Wicked: For Goodwould seem to be at a disadvantagewhen many of the show’s most popular songs are in the first half; at least, there are more ensemble numbers in the first act. However,the parts we have heard of Erivo and Grande’s “For Good” are a reminderthat multiple strong contenders for some ofWicked’s best songs are to come.
“Defying Gravity” is the best song in the show, butthe nuance and layering of “For Good” is a close second.“No Good Deed” is also a showstopper, and “Wonderful” playfully contemplates the show’s biggest moral dilemmas. There are also Glinda and Elphaba’s new solos to look forward to.
Wicked: For Goodmight inherently be less spectacle than its predecessor, but it still has some very bombastic moments and pivots the story into something darker and more character-driven. Ultimately, the lyrical work is just as good, and no one should assume that it will be the lesser half.
Wicked: For Good
Cast
Wicked: For Good concludes the two-part film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical.
Wicked
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
