How It All Goes Down
- The Munchkinlanders are pretty happy about Nessa's death. They're calling her a dictator.
- Shell has disappeared again on political business, and Frex is crushed by the loss of his daughter.
- Elphaba shows her father a page from the Grimmerie in the hopes that he can read it, but he says it's in a foreign language.
- Elphaba can read it sometimes, but sometimes she can't.
- Frex then tells Elphaba that she was born to curse him.
- Then Glinda arrives. Time for an epic reunion.
- The two old friends are happy to see each other but instantly start sniping.
- Elphaba laughs at Glinda's poufy dress (movie shout-out!) and Glinda notes that Elphaba hasn't changed at all, which might be a backhanded compliment.
- Glinda then tells her story – she was in Munchkinland during the tornado, so she headed over to see about Dorothy.
- Glinda decided to get her out of there quickly, since the Munchkinlanders were restless after Nessa's death. In fact, a civil war is brewing now.
- The Witch is suspicious of Dorothy, but Glinda tells her to leave the kid alone.
- Elphaba then randomly asks Glinda if she ever had an affair with Fiyero, since Sarima suspected it.
- Glinda thinks the idea is beyond dumb and says so.
- She reveals some of her old snotty attitude though:
And the Witch realized, sinkingly, that this was of course true; the ugly skill at snobbery had returned to Glinda in her middle years. (5.3.62) - Elphaba tries to talk to Glinda about Madame Morrible's spell, but, like Nessa, Glinda thinks this is stupid.
- Elphaba confesses, "I have always felt like a pawn" (5.3.78).
- Glinda says Elphaba is no pawn, she's being paranoid.
- Glinda sent Dorothy to the Emerald City for help, which Elphaba said was cruel.
- But Glinda says she gave Dorothy Nessa's shoes for protection.
- Elphaba freaks out at this.
- The two old friends get into a big argument. Elphaba carries on about how she's trying to keep the shoes away from the Wizard.
- But Glinda finally calls her out on her real motive: "They won't make your father love you any better" (5.3.100).
- The two friends part without resolving their argument.