A flurry of pink and green fabric floated in my room as my friend and I picked out our outfits that would transform us into the famous duo, Glinda and Elphaba. By the time we arrived at our seats, I was wrapped in pink attire as she sat in her green sweatshirt and pajamas. After watching the original Wicked movie together last year, we sat in hopeful anticipation that the magic would continue in its sequel Wicked: For Good.

After being swept away by the first movie, Wicked (2024), I had high expectations for the finale, Wicked: For Good, the second of Director Jon M. Chu’s reimagined Wicked remakes. The movies are adaptations of the Broadway musical, Wicked, which was based off of Gregory Maguire’s book of the same name, according to goodhousekeeping.com.

I appreciate how the movie mostly stayed true to the original play, however, the sequel took a disappointing decline from its predecessor’s peak. The magical whimsy was squelched as a darker magic took hold. Instead of the stories’ complexities and plot twists adding to the film, the plot got stuck in the dreary nuances.

Wicked: For Good portrayed the more complex second act of the play Wicked. This act’s convoluted storyline and quick pacing worked well on a stage but translated poorly onto the movie screen. The frequent, short scenes in which Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) encountered each other were hard to keep track of.

Additionally, by splitting Wicked and Wicked: For Good by acts of the musical, the first movie lucked out with the more popular and colorful songs. This movie bored me with songs like “Thank Goodness/Couldn’t be Happier” and “Wonderful”. “The Girl in the Bubble” was a new song that Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz wrote for the movie adaptation, according to elle.com. In an effort to add depth to Glinda’s character, the song forced a storyline to add empathy to Glinda. The song paused the movie’s pacing and did not add much to Glinda’s character arc.

Even though the music was not as powerful for the majority of the movie, the song “As Long as You’re Mine” was an exception. The fiery ballad between Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba delivered the same tangible passion that was present in the original play. Bailey and Erivo were both magnetic in their choreography and vocals, adding color back to an otherwise drab plotline. This song provided a respite from the doom and gloom, while still matching the grittier tone of the movie.

Furthermore, Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship brought much needed warmth to the movie and saved it from being a tragedy. The heart wrenching duet “For Good” was the saving grace of the movie because Erivo and Grande’s voices together are truly what brings magic to the movie.

But, the lack of interactions they had in Wicked: For Good affected the pathos of the movie, as their bond is the heart of the story. Erivo and Grande’s on and off screen chemistry contributes to their connection that pours out of the film. As they say their goodbye, it feels like the audience, too, is saying goodbye to their beloved characters. The actresses were able to convey farewells and letting someone go as a universal, bittersweet feeling.

Even though the second movie was not as pleasant to watch as the first, it was able to touch on more serious issues, such as ignorance and corruption, which permeate society today. By portraying Elphaba as evil, and including the reactions of the Munchkins, Chu relays how some people are united in hate, instead of good. By including the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda, he effectively portrays the power of love in combat with the power of hate.

Every anthemic orchestral chord that played as Elphaba entered a scene, every pensive piano note during a goodbye, blended together into an experience that resonated with me on an emotional level.

The actors did a phenomenal job of getting me to fall in love with their world and be invested in their stories. Chu artfully let Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship guide the movie at the end.

As I sat next to one of my best friends, I felt so full of loss when the movie ended, but also full of gratitude and appreciation for the friend in green I got to leave with.

Wicked: For Good was not an epic finale, but it meaningfully wrapped up the Wicked duology and changed me for the better.