Glinda & Elphaba’s Enemies-To-Best Friends Relationship In Wicked Movie Broken Down By Psychologist

A licensed psychologist breaks down Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) and Elphaba’s (Cynthia Enviro) relationship in Wicked. The 2024 movie adaptation of the Broadway musical follows Elphaba’s journey as she’s set on a path to becoming The Wizard of Oz‘s Wicked Witch of the West, during which she also develops a friendship with Glinda, who’s later known as the Good Witch. The dynamic between Elphaba and Glinda has long been a fan-favorite and received renewed attention and praise upon the release of Wicked last November.

In a video by Cinema Therapy, licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright unpack the psychology behind Glinda and Elphaba’s enemies-to-besties relationship. Decker explained that Glinda loathes Elphaba at first because Elphaba doesn’t worship her like the rest of her friends, and Elphaba finds it unfair that Glinda gets everything she wants. The psychologist also highlights the mutual jealousy between the two at the start. However, their relationship changes in the dance scene, where Glinda takes accountability for causing Elphaba’s pain and puts herself in her shoes, and Elphaba shows vulnerability for the first time. Check out their comments in the video below:

Wicked Excels At Depicting Elphaba And Glinda’s Journey

Since Wicked hit the theaters last year, Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship has been at the center of movie discussions. Both Erivo and Grande-Butera’s performances have received high praise. Breaking down the powerful moments and the psychology behind their differences, the comments highlight how director Jon M. Chu has successfully told a nuanced and relatable story about two women who become friends despite their differences.

I’ve Watched Wicked 4 Times & This Is Still The Movie’s Best Scene

I’ve seen Wicked on the stage and screen, but there’s one scene in the movie that made me appreciate Elphaba & Galinda’s story in a whole new way.

Wicked not only introduces Elphaba’s friendship with Glinda, but also captures the journey the two went on together. In the same video, Becker explains that the first thing Glinda did after they became friends was try to fix everything about Elphaba to make her socially presentable, only to realize that Elphaba is perfectly beautiful at the end of “Popular,” which shows acceptance and unconditional love. He compares the two’s “introvert-extrovert besties” chemistry in Wicked to Wednesday Adam’s relationship with Enid in the Netflix series Wednesday and shares that at the core of these relationships is mutual respect.

Our Take On Elphaba And Glinda’s Friendship In Wicked

Elphaba And Glinda’s Relationship Is One Of Cinema’s Best

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda looking surprised upon seeing the Royal Palace of Oz in Wicked

Glinda and Elphaba are a powerful duo in Wicked. They push each other out of their comfort zone and challenge each other’s view of the world, but what’s truly beautiful about their friendship is how they arrive at the place where they respect each other’s decisions even though they don’t necessarily agree with them. Wicked, which was a major presence at the 2025 Oscars, takes great care of their friendship, having built it from the ground up, and Becker’s comments offer great insight into what makes the movie so successful.

Wicked was nominated for 10 Oscars and won two, for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Glinda and Elphaba shared many powerful moments in the first movie, and as Becker pointed out, the end of Wicked is similar to a college graduation, where people part ways and make different choices in their lives. Because they have built such a beautiful friendship in the first movie, the stakes are higher than ever when Elphaba declares her position against the Wizard of Oz and Madame Morrible, making her eventual reunion with Glinda in the forthcoming Wicked: For Good even more exciting.

Source: Cinema Therapy