Okay, so you’ve seen Wicked: For Good – or maybe you’ve just heard all the buzz, spoiler warnings be damned, because let’s be honest, who can resist a little peek behind the emerald curtain? Everyone’s been talking, and rightly so, about that incredibly intimate, deeply felt scene between Elphaba and Fiyero. It was, for lack of a better word, everything we hoped for, right? That tender moment, the connection, the absolute undeniable pull between them. Phew.

But here’s the thing- that wasn’t the only ‘moment’ Fiyero nearly had on screen. In a move that’s got everyone, including me, basically gasping, we’ve learned there was an entirely cut scene featuring Fiyero and Glinda. And get this- it involved a kiss. Not just any kiss, mind you, but one described as “romantic and beautiful but a little too passionate.” I know, right? My jaw just about hit the floor when I read it.

Screenwriter Dana Fox- and this came out in an interview with Deadline on Friday, November 21st, so it’s fresh hot news- spilled the beans. She outright said, “There was a scene between Fiyero and Glinda that we cut in which they kissed; it was romantic and beautiful but a little too passionate.” It really makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What kind of passion are we talking about here? Enough passion to alter the entire fabric of our understanding of these characters? Well, apparently, yeah. Pretty much.

The Kiss That Could Not Be: Why Passion Was Problematic

So, the big question, the one that’s probably been nagging at you since I dropped that bombshell, is why cut it? I mean, who doesn’t love a good, passionate screen kiss? Apparently, the filmmakers. And, to be fair, they had a pretty solid reason, according to Fox. She elaborated, “Seeing that made it too hard to watch him make the choice he makes to be with Elphaba and made it too hard to make it OK that Elphaba ran off with him. It was too real that he and Glinda were actually feeling something together.”

When Chemistry Clashes with Canon

Think about that for a second. “Too real that he and Glinda were actually feeling something together.” That’s a powerful statement, isn’t it? It implies the chemistry between Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero was just so undeniable, so compelling, that it threatened to unravel the core romance of the film. Because if Fiyero and Glinda were truly, madly, deeply into each other- even if just for a moment- then his eventual choice to be with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, in case anyone just landed on Oz) would feel… well, less like destiny and more like, what, a sudden whim? A rebound? A betrayal, even?

• Point: The cut scene establishes significant mutual attraction between Glinda and Fiyero.
• Insight: This strong connection complicates Fiyero’s later romantic choices, potentially making his bond with Elphaba seem less authentic or earned. It basically creates a big ol’ love triangle problem where there shouldn’t really be one, at least not that kind.

I mean, we know Glinda has a thing for Fiyero. Her whole arc in the first part of Wicked, and even into For Good, is steeped in her complicated feelings for him. But Fiyero? We, the audience, are meant to see him as a charmer, a bit of a rake perhaps, but ultimately and definitively drawn to Elphaba’s unique spirit. A passionate kiss with Glinda, especially one that felt “too real,” could have really thrown a wrench in that narrative. It could have made audiences doubt his motivations, doubt his character, and ultimately, doubt the very foundation of the Elphaba-Fiyero romance, which is, you know, the whole point.

“It was too real that he and Glinda were actually feeling something together.” – Dana Fox, screenwriter for Wicked: For Good.

The Art of the Edit: Sometimes Less is More

Fox maintained that everything cut from the film was done so “for exactly the right reasons.” And while, as a fan, part of me is always like, “Show me everything! Give me the director’s cut! The ten-hour epic with every single frame!” I also- begrudgingly- get it. Storytelling, especially in a two-part blockbuster like Wicked, is a delicate balance. You have a huge narrative to cover, iconic songs to deliver, and character arcs to develop in a way that resonates with both long-time fans and newcomers.

The Ripple Effect of a Single Kiss

One small moment, one seemingly innocent kiss, can have massive ripple effects. If Fiyero and Glinda had that intense kiss, it changes so much. It changes how you perceive Glinda’s feelings of loneliness. It changes how you see Fiyero’s journey from superficial prince to devoted protector. And it definitely changes Elphaba’s perception of her own relationship, especially knowing the history between her friend and her man. That’s a lot of emotional baggage to unpack from one scene, isn’t it?

• Point: Editing decisions often prioritize narrative clarity and character consistency over including every filmed moment.
• Insight: The choice to omit the kiss reinforces Fiyero’s singular devotion to Elphaba, ensuring the audience fully invests in their love story without ambiguity from his past romantic entanglements. It keeps the emotional through-line clean, which, let’s be honest, is probably for the best.

It’s like when you’re writing an essay, you know? You might have some amazing sentences or paragraphs that you absolutely love, but if they don’t serve the central argument, you’ve gotta cut ’em. It hurts, but it makes the whole piece stronger. This sounds like that kind of strategic, albeit painful, decision. They had to protect the integrity of the main love story, which, for Wicked, is paramount.

So, even though the thought of witnessing that Glinda-Fiyero passion is incredibly intriguing and, dare I say, a little bit tantalizing- like an alternate universe fanfiction waiting to happen- the logic behind its excision makes a lot of sense. It speaks to the commitment of the creative team to tell the story they set out to tell, without unnecessary emotional clutter. It’s a testament to good editing, really. A bold choice, but probably the right one, to keep our hearts focused exactly where they need to be.