Top 10 Devastating Callbacks in Wicked: For Good
#10: The Desert Foreshadowing
“The Wizard and I” includes several moments of foreshadowing, including lyrics like “I’d be so happy I could melt” and “when people see me they will scream.” Elphaba also has a prophecy that sure is a little hazy because when she saw “a celebration throughout Oz that’s all to do with me” it’s not quite the celebration she may have been hoping for. However, we do get a clearer foreshadowing toward the end of the number. As Elphaba runs through the field, it’s almost as if she’s running straight toward her future. Why, you ask? Well, take a look at that view. Not only is she staring out at a vast desert, but there’s even a rainbow off in the distance. Little did we know back then how much meaning this visual would hold.
#9: “You Have No Real Power”
In “The Wizard of Oz,” Glinda wards off the Wicked Witch of the West by saying, “You have no power here. Begone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!” Yikes, Glinda, too soon, way too soon! However, “Wicked” shows us what happened after Glinda sends Dorothy skipping down the Yellow Brick Road. In this confrontation, Elphaba says, “you can wave that wand… you have no real power.” Now, where have we heard that before? It’s more than just a clever nod to the movie. She’s calling Glinda out for playing along with the Wizard’s whole Emerald-Coveredillusion spectacle. That wand, much like her bubble, is basically one of his props, and Glinda’s benefiting from his bag of tricks. She knows that Glinda still doesn’t have an ounce of real magic. Well, not yet...
#8: The Waterfall in “No Good Deed”
“No Good Deed” is easily the climactic peak of the movie, and it more than earns that spot, all stormlight and fury swirling around Elphaba as her world rips open once again. There’s plenty of intense imagery throughout, and we even get glimpses of Fiyero getting beaten out in the field. However, there’s a detail you might have missed: a waterfall in the background. Could it be a callback to that same waterfall Jon M. Chu fought to include during the scene where Fiyero and Elphaba free the Lion Cub? You know that first time they realized their feelings for each other? As if it wasn’t all already heart-wrenching enough (sorry, Boq).
#7: “Unlimited” / “I'm Limited”
If Glinda’s story is a sunrise, Elphaba’s is a sunset. At first, Elphaba’s sun is high, bright, and full of promise. She believes her future is “unlimited,” especially with Glinda by her side. But slowly, shadows creep in, and the sun starts to dip. Her possibilities fade as darkness settles, while for Glinda, the dawn is just beginning. But it’s not like Glinda’s path is all golden light either. In Part One, Elphaba longs for Fiyero in “I’m Not That Girl.” In “For Good,” it’s Glinda’s turn as it dawns on her that perhaps a picture-perfect life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be if none of it is actually real.
#6: The Wizard Hiding Animals
In “For Good,” after Elphaba frees the monkeys, Chistery leads her to a secret passage hidden behind a portrait of the Wizard. Moving it aside, she discovers a room full of caged Animals, whom she frees. As one observant fan noticed, this moment may have been foreshadowed back in Part One. During Shiz’s orientation, Elphaba tries to protect Nessrose from Miss Coddle’s over-coddling, only to lose control of her powers and make a spectacular mess. One thing caught in the crossfire is a mural of the Wizard, which smashes and reveals the artwork underneath. The Wizard’s trachea comes alarmingly close to the same fate as the mural in “For Good”, too.
#5: “Blended In with the Foliage”
Elphaba is knocked off her feet when she first meets Fiyero. Literally. But in his defense: “We didn’t see you there. You must’ve… blended with the foliage.” His attempts to charm his way through this less-than-conventional meet-cute are largely met with contempt. Elphaba delivers her usual spiel while he tries to cut through the frost with a little humor. While that might be the scene-stealing interaction, it’s that first comment that’s worth remembering going into “For Good.” With the Gale Force led by Fiyero hot on her trail, where does Elphaba hide? That’s right, she blends herself in with the foliage. And that’s not even the only remark made in that scene to follow us into the second movie.
#4: OzDust Memories
One of the best stage-to-screen updates has to be adding Glinda to “Wonderful.” It gives us a sweet throwback to the OzDust Ballroom, where their friendship first took root, reminding us of how “wonderful” things once were. But fun fact: it’s not the only moment that echoes that night. Cinematographer Alice Brooks revealed that the blue moonlight and orange torchlight at Kiamo Ko were designed to mirror the Ballroom’s glow. “For Good” is also shot in a similar style to both the OzDust Ballroom and “Defying Gravity,” using that same sweeping, full-circle camera movement. We even see them hold hands just as they did in that moment that truly cemented their newfound friendship.
#3: The Closing Shot
You can absolutely tell these films were made by fans of the stage show for fans of the stage show. And we could all rejoycify knowing Ariana Grande was on set reminding everyone what the fans consider “bible.” With all the callbacks, from dialogue to songs to cameos, there was one moment none of us saw coming. Right before the story closes, fans are treated to an image that’s been with us like a handprint on our hearts ever since we first discovered the show. Reportedly, it was the team’s way of thanking everyone who has loved and championed “Wicked” since day one. Who knew one single visual could make us ugly-cry this hard?
#2: Full Circle Endings
Anyone familiar with the musical knows that the story starts and ends at the same point, with Glinda addressing her “fellow Ozians” after the “melting.” However, “For Good” stepped that up a notch. After leaving Munchkinland, Glinda heads back to the very same spot where she and Elphaba made those decisions that changed their trajectories “For Good.” Only this time, she has the Grimmerie, which opens up for her. Back then, she was powerless and submitted herself to the Wizard’s regime because it promised her the life she thought she wanted. This time, the Grimmerie seemingly has deemed her worthy of its magic, leaving her empowered to truly “make good” in Oz.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Changing the Pop-Up Book
Proof That History Is Often Determined by Those Who Write It, but Poor Little Elphie! That Book Was Her North Star!
G(a)linda
Glinda Gets the Occasional Reminder of Who She Truly Is
Elphaba Throwing Rocks
A Tried & True Method in Moments of Pain & Anger
A Returning Friend
Where Have We Seen This Little Critter Before?
Elphaba’s Hand on Fiyero’s Face
It Really Is About Looking at Things Another Way
#1: The Door
It’s amazing to know that one of the most emotional moments of the movie was improvised by its leads, especially when you think about how significant this moment truly is. Just like Elphaba creating a crack in Glinda’s window, much like she did when they first became roomies, doors become almost like a significant motif in their story. You’ll recall that in the scene before “What Is This Feeling?” Galinda eyes up her new roommate through a peephole. At this point, Elphaba is the last person she wants to be around. Now, once again, Glinda watches Elphie behind a door, only this time she believes she’s losing her best friend forever.
Which callback hit you like a house falling from the sky? Let us know in the comments
