Watching The Wizard of Oz after experiencing the backstory in Wicked is an entirely different—and hilarious—experience. Glinda, once the bubbly and complex figure we sympathize with, becomes almost comically dismissive of Dorothy. Her facial expressions whenever Dorothy speaks are a rollercoaster of 🙂😒😐, as if she’s barely tolerating the girl’s presence. It’s a stark contrast to the warmth you’d expect from the “Good Witch” and makes her interactions with Dorothy feel unintentionally funny.
What really takes the cake is the journey Glinda sends Dorothy on. Instead of helping her directly, Glinda cheerfully instructs her to follow the Yellow Brick Road all the way to the Emerald City, essentially outsourcing the entire problem to the Wizard. Along the way, Dorothy faces terrifying obstacles: a tornado-struck land, creepy flying monkeys, a Wicked Witch out for revenge, and the emotional turmoil of leaving her home. Meanwhile, Glinda floats away in her bubble, fully aware that the ruby slippers on Dorothy’s feet hold the power to send her home the whole time. The fact that she doesn’t bother to mention this crucial detail until the end adds a layer of ridiculousness that’s impossible to ignore.
This newfound perspective, thanks to Wicked, makes Glinda’s choices seem less like acts of kindness and more like a test—or even a bit of trolling. Was it a lesson about self-discovery and inner strength? Or was Glinda just over Dorothy and her Kansas woes? Either way, the humor of rewatching The Wizard of Oz with this context is undeniable. The whole scenario feels less like a heartwarming adventure and more like a cosmic joke at Dorothy’s expense. 😅
