As a long-time fan of musical theater and all things Wicked, I can’t help but be intrigued by this enigmatic horseback rider that appears at the start of the film adaptation. Having grown up with the original Broadway cast recording blasting through my headphones, I must admit that the stage show has been etched into my memory like a beloved childhood tale.
A bewitching plot twist may be very subtly teased in one of the opening shots Jon M. Chu’s wildly successful Wicked: Part 1. Of course, Wicked is based on the stage show of the same name. The 2024 film iteration, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has broken box office records and racked up considerable award show nominations. Notably, the creative team decided to split the films into two parts where the act break usually is in the stage musical.
In essence, it implies that enthusiasts of the stage production have likely anticipated the events in Part 2, given their prior knowledge. This also offers a wealth of pre-existing information for speculation regarding the sequel and potential hidden references from Part 1 to fans of the musical and readers of Gregory Maguire’s original sourcebook, who are officially known as “Ozians.
There is one particular moment during Wicked: Part 1‘s opening sequence that seems to have caught the attention of internet sleuths: when an undisclosed rider is seen on horseback during the overture to “No One Mourns the Wicked.” Who do the “Ozians” of the world think this faceless rider might be, and what does the rider’s identity reveal about the plot of Wicked: Part 2?
A Brief Recap of ‘Wicked: Part 1’
In simpler terms, “Wicked” is a musical that serves as a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” focusing on the unusual camaraderie between Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch) who are roommates and classmates at Shiz University, learning sorcery. Elphaba faces isolation due to her green skin, but she possesses an exceptional ability in magic that Glinda envies. A renowned professor presents Elphaba with a chance to meet the Wizard, which she perceives as her chance to be free from her green color and finally gain respect.
As the belle of my high-school scene, I initially harbored ill feelings towards Elphaba, even going as far as to bestow upon her an awkward hat for a school party (little did I know this would later become her signature Witch Hat).
In time, although initially resenting her, Glinda realizes that Elphaba had intervened on her behalf with Madame Morrible, leading them to form a strong bond. They venture together to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard. However, it’s there where Elphaba uncovers the Wizard as the instigator of the hardships endured by Oz’s animals. With the unique ability to read the Grimerie, a mystical text owned by the Wizard, she chooses to rise against him, flee on a broomstick, and perform the powerful “Defying Gravity.” Glinda elects to remain behind, serving as Morrible’s apprentice and the Wizard’s new protégé, expressing her hope that Elphaba finds happiness.
To tie in with the theories discussed in this piece, the movie initiates with a song titled “No One Mourns the Wicked,” where Glinda, now Glinda the Good, is present and recounts her past dealings with the “Wicked Witch.” She reveals they were once friends. As the musical sequence unfolds prior to this scene, we observe someone riding a horse along a mountain ridge while monkeys fly overhead. It seems as though this person is hastily fleeing or rushing towards something, while Glinda, narrating the story of the past, appears to be leading up to this very moment.
Who Might the Rider Be?
In the musical Wicked, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, pretends to die and is melted in Act 2. However, according to Gregory Maguire’s book and the stage show, it’s suggested that she orchestrated this as a clever ruse to stage her own death and flee with Fiyero, who later becomes her lover and ultimately transforms into the Scarecrow. Thus, the character on his way to reunite with Elphaba could also be Fiyero.
During the performance, it’s believed that Elphaba’s “death” illusion is achieved through a hidden trap door. After her “meltdown”, Fiyero taps on the door, and they share an emotional reunion while the chorus sings the finale. However, another popular theory suggests that Glinda is the one on the horse. In the play, Glinda is part of the trick, and she’s there during Elphaba’s “meltdown”. It seems logical that she wouldn’t travel by bubble (a rather attention-grabbing method) and would instead be in disguise instead.
It’s widely believed among fans that the rider scene in Part 2 of Wicked hints at something significant related to Elphaba’s ultimate melting. Given Chu and his team’s meticulous adherence to the original storyline, it’s reasonable to assume that the rider’s identity will be crucial for understanding where and when Elphaba faked her death (differing possibly from the stage show), who else is present at that time, and how these events fit into the overall timeline. Wicked: Part 2 is scheduled for release on November 21, 2025.
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2024-12-16 03:02