Ever since Wicked: For Good hit theaters in November, the ending has been up for debate, as fans try to figure out whether Ariana Grande’s Glinda knows her BFF Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is still alive after faking her death. During a recent Q&A in Los Angeles, Grande set the record straight.
As seen in viral Instagram videos, the interviewer asked about the Wicked sequel’s ambiguous ending, and Grande was ready to make her case, warning, “Oh, I’m gonna ruin that for you.” She confirmed that Glinda doesn’t know Elphaba is alive, even though it seems like they reconnect through magic in the final scene of the film.
“She can’t. Well, they don’t see each other,” she said. “You see us, but we don’t see each other. She’s far as hell.” Grande went on to explain why the film’s final scenes were actually a happy ending for every character.
“No, no. It’s better for everyone,” she said. “Really, it’s the best case scenario. [Elphaba] got what she wanted. She has love, she has freedom. Glinda has what she has wanted, which is power in a good way. She has learned what her actual purpose is. She doesn’t have to pretend to be magical anymore because she has earned magic, which is truly what her heart’s desire was the whole time.”
However, Grande did acknowledge that Glinda still has to process some devastating developments as a result of her and Elphaba’s actions. “Did she want her friendship with Elphaba? Of course she did. Did she want her love with Fiyero? Of course she did. But hey, sh*t happens,” she said. “And you know what? She grew, and she’s got her magic, her childhood dream.”
Elphaba, Fiyero, & Everyone Else’s Future
Grande went on to speculate about Elphaba’s future with her new lover, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), after leaving Oz together, stating that “they’re gonna have their happily ever after, and have beautiful… green straw babies.”
“They’re gonna be stunning and gorgeous, and Elphaba’s gonna have her animals make them some sort of custom pajama Vera Wang situation, capes and cloaks and cardigans and what have you,” she said. “They’ll have magic too, and they’ll have a fabulous nest that looks like Architectural Digest is gonna come through any minute.”
That said, not everyone gets their happy ending. “Everything works out. Except Boq and the lion. I don’t know what happens to them. They’re like on Twitter mad about something,” she speculated, before realizing she’s gone too far and telling the audience, “I should go.”
