Top 10 Most Emotional Moments in Wicked: For Good
#10: “The Girl in the Bubble”
Following “The March of the Witch Hunters,” Glinda is finally forced to truly look at herself in the mirror. Is “Good” just a title she wears as an accessory, like her bubble? Or is it something she actually wants to be? The way the scene is shot is gorgeous, with the audience repeatedly glimpsing Glinda through her reflection, mirroring her performance of goodness for her adoring public and her true self, which feels almost lost in this house of mirrors. Still, we see she’s always held onto some of who she was, even if it’s hidden away. Ariana Grande sings it with such sincerity that you can’t help but feel moved.
#9: Elphaba Finds Doctor Dillamond
After Glinda and the Wizard almost convince Elphaba to join them in being “Wonderful,” Chistery points her toward a secret passage where the Wizard has been keeping Animals in cages. Elphaba had a premonition of this in Part One, but that doesn’t soften the blow. She spots her old professor among the imprisoned Animals and learns he’s lost his ability to speak, despite his promise to never stop speaking out. It’s heartbreaking to see Doctor Dillamond stripped of everything that made him who he was. Seeing her former mentor this way breaks Elphaba, sharpening her resolve against the Wizard. We might’ve known it was coming, but that didn’t stop it from hurting us, too.
#8: The Wizard Always Wanted to Be a Father…
Perhaps the one thing the Wizard ever said that might hold any truth is that he always wanted to be a father. And the only reason we believe that is his reaction when he learns that chance had been in front of him all along, and he had it doused with a bucket of water. Turns out that drinking green elixirs results in green babies. You can almost see every reckless decision he ever made, fueled by greed and ambition, flash before his eyes as he considers the ultimate cost of it all. The Wizard is hardly a sympathetic character, but in this moment, his grief feels very real.
#7: “No Place Like Home”
Many of us can relate to not feeling like we belong somewhere that should feel like home, but perhaps no one knows that ache like Elphaba and the Animals, who now feel they have no choice but to flee Oz. Dulcibear, perhaps the only one who ever made Elphaba feel like she belongs, is among them, a heartbreaking reminder of everything she’s lost. In this song about belonging, Elphaba questions why she’s fighting so hard for a place that has always othered her. “No Place Like Home” becomes a powerful call to fight for a world we can all live in. Cynthia Erivo shared that everyone was in tears filming it, and honestly, us too.
#6: “I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)”
Fiyero and Elphaba are reunited after an Animal stampede crashes his and Glinda’s wedding. After some tension, Elphaba learns that, thankfully, Fiyero isn’t as easily brainwashed as the rest of Oz. When Glinda walks in, she’s dealt a devastating blow. What she believed would be the happiest day of her life becomes one of her worst. She realizes she never truly had Fiyero’s heart and now believes the two people she loves most have betrayed her. As she walks through the setting that should’ve marked the start of her happily ever after, Glinda’s heartache feels so authentic that we have to believe Grande was pulling from something very real and very painful, and we feel it all.
#5: The Faceoff in Munchkinland
This time, it’s Elphaba’s turn to feel betrayed, thinking Glinda orchestrated Nessa’s death to capture her. Fortunately, Fiyero shows up just in time, demanding they “let the green girl go” by threatening Glinda’s life. She’s devastated, of course, but trusts he would never actually hurt her, proving it by moving so that the barrel of his gun is aimed at her face. It’s almost like she’s testing whether his love for Elphaba is more real than the love he ever claimed to have for her. For Glinda, this is a brutal reality check, shattering the illusion of whatever she believed she and Fiyero shared. Even so, she clearly hasn’t stopped caring for him.
#4: “No Good Deed”
We all had high hopes for this showstopper, and wow, did Erivo deliver. “No Good Deed” picks up right after the scene we just discussed, with Elphaba thinking about how her attempts to do good somehow ended up hurting the people she cares about. We know that’s not totally true, but the emotion in every lyric gave us chills from the first “Eleka nahmen nahmen” to the very last note. Between the flashbacks and shots of Fiyero in the field, the words hit even harder. She sings with so much power, hurt, and frustration that if she’d been in the room, we would’ve given her a standing ovation to rival the total movie run time.
#3: “As Long as You’re Mine”
On stage, this is probably the show’s… steamiest moment. But in the movie, they slow things down, with Elphaba still needing a little time to let her guard down. Apparently, Jonathan Bailey improvised that moment where he takes off her cape to show her she’s safe with him. The whole scene becomes this slow, careful peeling back of emotional layers, letting the audience really feel Elphaba’s hesitation, her longing, and finally her euphoria. Since she says she can’t believe Fiyero chose her, it makes sense that she needs time to let that sink in. The levitation is a sign that Elphie has finally accepted the joy of being truly seen and loved, and it’s beautiful.
#2: The Finale
We thought we’d single-handedly cause a global tissue shortage watching the finale. Seeing Glinda fulfill Elphaba’s heart’s desire was beautifully satisfying. Then seeing familiar faces from the Sugar Glider to Doctor Dillamond broke us. Then there was Glinda walking up the stairs with the Grimmerie to the same place where she and Elphaba made their choices all that time ago. Seeing the Grimmerie open for her after she vowed to truly live up to the name Good was the next moment that took us down. Finally, that closing shot, recreating the show poster, was the final straw. It was a good thing the movie ended there, because we probably couldn’t see or hear anything more after that anyway.
#1: “For Good”
It’s no secret that our leading ladies formed a tight bond behind the scenes. When they sing what’s already the emotional heart of the soundtrack, it really feels like Cynthia and Ari are sharing the moment just as much as Elphaba and Glinda. They filmed multiple versions, and Jon M. Chu ended up choosing the quietest, most honest one, stripping away all the bells and whistles so the audience can experience every emotion with them. And just when we thought we might never recover, we get that final, heartbreaking “I love you” as they become separated by the door, a moment they apparently improvised. It’s a farewell that’s sure to stay with the audience “For Good.”
Which “Wicked: For Good” moment will stay with you like a handprint on your heart? Let us know in the comments.
