92: Two Best Friends pt.2: THAT Girl

The story of Wicked is a beautiful, complicated tale about love, regret, power, and friendship. If your only exposure comes from the Broadway stage, prepare to step through a far heavier door. In this episode Maia reconstructs Gregory Maguire’s novel in vivid detail, explaining how its plot veers into brutal territory such as the Philosophy Club and a very final fate for Fiyero. She traces the book’s birth to a spur-of-the-moment snorkeling trip in Hawai‘i, then follows its ideas through Matilda Gage’s feminism, the politics of Oz, and the moral knot at the center of Elphaba’s green skin. We untangle clashing timelines, hidden musical motifs, and Maguire’s unanswered riddles about good, evil, and forgiveness. By the closing credits you will hear the word “Unlimited” with new ears, you will view silver slippers as fraught icons, and you will understand why Wicked on the page is as heartbreaking as it is necessary. This week, we dig into the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West!  00:00:00 Catch-up 00:09:09 THAT Girl 00:22:40 GM background 00:51:03 Wizard of Oz Lore 01:04:40 Wicked Lore 01:24:43 Overview begins 01:40:06 Wicked: Gilikin 02:07:29 Wicked: CoE 02:13:06 Wicked: ItV 02:33:00 Wicked: TMA 03:06:16 Back to Gregory 03:10:54 Linking it all together   Connect with Us Love a good laugh? Stay in the loop with the Well, I Laughed Podcast! Hit up wellilaughed.com for all the fun, throw some love our way on Patreon at https://patreon.com/WellILaughedPodcast, and send us your wildest listener stories at wellilaughedpod@gmail.com—because let’s be real, we know you’ve got some!   Listener stories, topic ideas, or anything else you think belongs on the show—drop it all at wellilaughed.com/contact. We’re all ears—and laughs!   Follow Us On Social Media Instagram: @wellilaughed Tiktok: @wellilaughed Facebook: Well, I Laughed Podcast YouTube: Well, I laughed