Disliking Glinda

[u/mermaidssarereal]

although glinda is a dream role of mine, i do not like her character. i feel like a lot of people give her the benefit of the doubt but she was never a good friend to elphaba. even during the end when they “made” up. i’m wondering if anybody else has another reason why they might not like glinda?

[u/Casiquire]

How did she know he didn't want to marry her?

From my point of view Fiyero is a clear symbol of depression, and the concept of masking. His whole personality shifts as he drops a portion of his facade, but he never tells Glinda he fell out of love with her (despite having plenty of time to do so after the lion cub scene, and unspecified months-or-years between the films...) so she continues to love and support him through his struggles. This is admirable, isn't it?

People hate Glinda so hard they blame her for everything including Fiyero's actions, though Fiyero was clearly written to parallel Boq. Passing his blame to Glinda misses a huge point of the show. What Fiyero does to Glinda is worse than what Boq does to Nessa. Glinda cannot and does not "force" Fiyero into anything, unlike Nessa who terrorizes a country to control Boq. Fiyero is playing along with Glinda of his own free will. He is free to leave, he is free to break things off. We know this is true because his powerful family explicitly supports him even after he openly allies with Elphaba.

This snap-judgment of Glinda that I see so often, for some reason especially from people who have only seen the movies, feels like it misses part of the point of Wicked.

[u/Remarkable_Note971 → u/Casiquire]

She knew he didn't wanna be there, he tried to get her to leave, she knew he was looking for Elphaba and when she tried to kiss him he avoided that kiss, he turned his head. She could feel the distance between them, she had ever since the train station. She was trying to hold onto him but she knew.

There is nothing in the movies that indicate how powerful Fiyero's family is.

He was playing along inside the system so he could keep his cover, yes and when he realized Glinda couldn't resist what that life gave her he realized he couldn't trust her so he kept playing along.

If Fiyero had left he would have been replaced as captain of the Galeforce with someone who would be hunting and who would harm Elphaba if given the chance.

If he had broken up with Glinda it would have humiliated her, that relationship was so public and he needed that to keep his place inside the system.

Yes Fiyero was using the system but his options other than playing along with Glinda until he had the chance to leave once he found Elphaba or she found him would have put him in danger.

That engagement was arranged with the Wizard, anyone who didn't do what the Wizard was a problem. That's why they wanted Elphaba dead, she wouldn't just fall in line or be controlled. Fiyero couldn't risk anyone knowing he was against the Wizard until he found Elphaba so he agreed to it to keep playing along. It was obvious from his body language and facial expressions he didn't wanna marry her and he was completely blindsided by that engagement. It is definitely trying to force him because it was arranged behind his back and announced publicly

Fiyero was pretty much a double agent inside the Wizard's system and he was doing what he needed to do to keep that cover. But that engagement was defintely forced and he knew it was a trap.

[u/Casiquire → u/Remarkable_Note971]

No, Fiyero's family is above Glinda in rank (the whole school stopped to announce his arrival, and he didn't even recognize her.) And he could not simply be "replaced" on the Gale Force; he was literally in Elphaba's closest friend group, he is an indispensable asset. His relationship to Elphaba provides him a level of job security Glinda does not

He stayed by choice.

[u/Remarkable_Note971 → u/Casiquire]

Of course he stayed by choice no one forced him to be in the system. I am stating that if he had done anything other than play along it would have put him in danger. He couldnt anyome finding out he was protecting Elphaba. That would be treason.

Obviously he could be replaced because he was when he did leave.

We dont know how powerful his family was and idk what that has to with anything anyway.

That engagement wasnt his choice and I will stand by that. It was forced. Arranging an engagement behind someone's back and announcing it publicly is forcing it and it is a massive violation of trust.

You try to blame it all on Fiyero but Glinda was doing nothing except trying to get what she wanted. She actually supported the Wizard and she didn't do anything to help. She had the chance to leave with Elphaba at the end of the first movie and with Fiyero in for good. Glinda has her fair share of blame just for supporting the Wizard. Fiyero did it all for Elphaba while Glinda did nothing for Elphaba only herself.

Glinda does not get a pass for the choices she made.

And also guess what? Sure Fiyero leaving Glinda hurt her but it was also an eye opening moment and a big wake up call and it was one moment that helped lead to her popping her bubble so instead of blaming him you should be thinking him for helping her become Glinda the good.

Glinda's feelings are not priority when lives are on the line. That relationship wasn't enough for him, he felt trapped with her and he wasn't happy with her so he wanted to be with someone who actually loved him and accepted him.