Time For Some Art Dump! (and Oh Boy You Can Really See The Progression)

this friend group has it all hah

On the characterisation of Fiyero

Fiyero’s characterisation relies a lot on the actors that portray him, particularly in Act I. Bearing in mind the limited stage time, the emphasis on lines such as ‘life’s more painless for the brainless’ and ‘those who don’t try never look foolish’ in Dancing Through Life is, at least to me, crucial in conveying the fact that despite his seemingly perfect life, he is honestly unhappy. I think the same goes for 'well, I’ll say this, she doesn’t give a twig what anyone else thinks’ - he says it jokingly, a throwaway comment on the school outcast, but he admires her for being strong enough to stand on her own two feet without using a facade as a crutch, for fashioning her own weapons out of insults and determination and aloof sarcasm to fight back against the endless harassment, and is a little jealous, too. He’s not brave enough to weather the storm on his own; he cares too much what people think of him, even though it’s damaging.

And he kind of has to. He’s a Prince, after all, and the level of scrutiny paid to royals is ridiculous, especially here in Britain. For example, Kate was recently in the news for - shock horror - getting stuck in a traffic jam, on her way to picking George up from school. Also hitting major newspapers were Charles and Camilla’s bedrooms, William’s new haircut, and the royal mince pie recipe. Truly brilliant journalism, right?

Fiyero was raised a royal, which in my mind is part of the reason why he acted out. Being born into such a huge responsibility would never be easy, especially if he didn’t want to rule in the first place, and this was part of his life over which he had some control. He didn’t ask to be in this position, and he probably would’ve been expected to act as an adult at a young age. The responsibilities would have smothered him, leaving him to search for an escape.

(This happens with celebrities in real life, even teenagers, and more so with the rise of callout culture.)

Being royalty would’ve distanced him from most people his age, and there would’ve been the inevitable gold-diggers and sellouts, whether they were friends or lovers. He grew up ironically lonely. As well as royalty, he was also raised as a politician, well-versed in the arts of negotiation, lying, and masking true emotions. He was never able to truly be himself, to let go of formalities or expectations. His 'scandalacious reputation’ preceded him like a red carpet, and with money, alcohol, parties, and the plethora of women at his beck and call, a great deal of people would’ve expected him to love the attention it gave him - and wouldn’t have understood in the slightest if he said it was incredibly stifling, that he hasn’t eaten a vegetable in a year, that he’d really like to sit down and read a book or finish that sketch he started a long while ago. It was a vicious cycle, one he would break if only he knew how.

It’s also likely that as the reigning monarchs - that aren’t the figureheads the British Royal Family have become through the years - his parents would have had a staggering amount of duties and engagements, which could’ve distanced them from their son whether they meant it to or not. In times of tragedy, of insecurity, of dramatic upheaval, where would Fiyero turn?

As I said, he’s not as strong as Elphaba in that he can’t just not care what people think of him, and after flunking out of numerous schools, his parents would’ve been disappointed in him, to say the least. They would have doubted his ability to rule, and after a while, so would he. He would look at the complete mess he’d made of his life, and wonder how the fuck he could get it together enough to lead an entire country. He believed he was too far gone to be saved, to break the endless chain. He’s adored by the public, and it’s a victory, even if the victory is hollow.

Royal status doesn’t mean he had the best life. Money doesn’t mean he had all he could ever want. Power doesn’t mean he had a voice that can be heard. After all, a comfortable life doesn’t provide immunity from tragedy, from strife, from the trials and tribulations that others face. A comfortable life can still be empty.

These little glimpses into his true feelings and personality don’t have to be glaringly obvious - to be honest, they’re better when partially concealed, as if the facade slipped for a mere few seconds before settling back into place. Over the course of the musical, they grow more and more obvious, until everything is on the line and the facade finally falls to the floor.

I think part of the reason that he falls for Elphaba is that she can see through this facade like it’s made of glass - and what’s more, she accepts who he is underneath. She knows he isn’t happy with his life, she knows he’s more than what he pretends to be, and isn’t afraid to tell him so. Besides that, she knows what it’s like to be lonely, to have to pretend like you don’t care. To have to protect yourself from falling apart, if not for yourself then for the sake of others. Over the years, she hardened herself to the tirades of harassment, of bullying, of abuse, but her heart isn’t made of stone. She has green skin; the remarks and actions from others about that wouldn’t have slid like water from a duck’s back.

There was a reason why Elphaba’s famous line of ‘no, you’re not, or you wouldn’t be so unhappy’ was emphasised. That exchange in the Lion cub scene is basically Fiyero trying to prove to both Elphaba and himself that he is nothing more than what meets the eye, that life is truly nothing more than parties and sex and drinking. His 'genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow’ line is a very obvious lie, and Elphaba doesn’t hesitate to call him out on it. Underneath the light, funny words, he’s clearly tired of keeping up the pretense, but somehow Elphaba is the only one to have seen through it, and he’s taken off guard. She’s the only one that cares enough to do so.

Even later, in Act II, he couldn’t let down the facade. He was trapped in a gilded cage, bound by the expectations of the intolerant, cruel, and manipulative society in which he lived, used as a pawn by Morrible, and made the leader of an organisation whose primary aim was to capture the woman he was in love with and kill her - or worse. Definitely a lot worse. What’s more, he had to do it with a smile on his face. He wasn’t happy - not when he was painting a picture of himself as the perfect prince, and not when he was on the balcony in Thank Goodness - but he had to solidify his old facade, the very one that Elphaba saw though without even trying, and make it a reality. If anyone noticed the cracks in the foundation, then there would be serious consequences.

It’s not until the pivotal Throne Room scene that Fiyero is at long last able to stop pretending. Though perhaps able is the wrong word; it’s not like he’s left with an easy option to take. He’s presented with an inevitably disastrous situation - and he follows his heart, does what he knows is right, even against the imminent backlash. He could’ve pretended that he didn’t remember Elphaba, that he never had feelings for her, that he believed that she was wicked - even if he broke both of their hearts in the process. Not to mention that if he did, it’s unlikely Elphaba would’ve lived.

But he didn’t, and breaking years of metaphorical shackles can’t have been easy, especially with so much at stake. He found the strength to not care what the public thinks, to find this strength and solace in the woman he loves. In As Long As You’re Mine he looks so much more comfortable than he ever did before, thrown under the spotlight with every move scrutinised. The difference from Thank Goodness, where he was obviously uncomfortable and unhappy, is massive. The line 'you’ve got me seeing through different eyes’ is more than loving her past her non-conventional beauty, but that she’s opened his eyes to a new way of living. He doesn’t have to put his happiness last, he doesn’t have to pretend, he doesn’t have to live for everyone except himself. For the first time, he’s allowed to be Fiyero, rather than His Royal Highness Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, or the arm candy of Glinda the Good.

It hurts him to see Elphaba in pain, and hurts him to have to let her go again. So he doesn’t. He doesn’t, and ends up saving her life. Somehow, I think he’s happier with his sacrifice in the cornfield scene than he ever was in the Emerald Palace. He did what he knew was right, even while knowing that he gave his life to do so. Arguably, this is Fiyero’s moment of glory; the point where he shines brighter than the moonlight from the previous scene. Had Elphaba been caught, it would’ve been game over - for everyone. It would’ve dealt a massive blow to the Animals and the Revolution as a whole, it would’ve ensured Morrible remained the puppet-master of Oz, and it would’ve had a disastrous effect on both Glinda and Fiyero. In sacrificing himself, he saved Elphaba, and as a result, saved the Revolution and the hope it inspired.

He was no longer afraid to stand against the dissent of those he used to bend over backwards to keep happy, and the old facade, having been dropped in the Throne Room, was never replaced.

The mirroring of the 'it’s not lying, it’s looking at things another way’ exchange in the Finale is very important to me (as is the first appearance of said exchange, in all honesty), and marks a new era in their lives, one where they can learn to be themselves, to not put on a show for the sake of someone else.

At last, they were unlimited.

Trio of Rat Kings

Sean: As ya best friend...

Arthur: You're not my best friend, Charles is my best fri-

Sean: AS YOUR BEST FRIEND

I think we need to normalize more aroace Daring headcanons and QPR Daring ships

no one gafs but like the jason is boring argument genuinely pisses me off. like yeah when i first read HoO at like 11 i was all booo not my protagonist booo he has no personality booo he's a blank slate but after reading the burning maze a year or two later i was sad when he died because i had only just realized how much he contributed to the series. JASON BEING "BORING" WAS LITERALLY THE POINT. mf was raised by WOLVES. he'd been at camp jupiter p much his whole life and a strict rule follower because that's all he's known. he's supposed to be the antithesis of percy, the entire point of jason was learning how to be human in a sense. jason was told how to act and feel his entire life and his character arc is learning that it's okay to not be perfect. he had been living out this robotic life of things he's supposed to do because of what his lineage is and what that's supposed to mean for someone like him. jason being able to choose is the thing that makes his so called blank slate character interesting, he's no longer a blank slate but a /person/ with feelings and emotions. like genuinely why do you think it's JASON who tells apollo to "REMEMBER WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE HUMAN" if/when he gets back to olympus.

eventually elphaba will die. glinda will die. everybody that fiyero and boq ever cared about or loved will die. but they won’t. they’re straw and metal. they will eventually be the only ones still standing. but at least they’ll always be able to return to each other. at least two of them are cursed with immortality, and they don’t have to brave it alone.

who up thinking about how arthur john and Javier were all nothing but scared hungry strays when dutch picked them up. idk. all three of them, all they had was fear until dutch held out his hand to them. theyre all the same in the end. they were all scared. they bear the same wounds, caused by the same hands. ate out of those same hands and leaned into the hot slick blood that coats those palms. each looking at each other with pity, pity for the clueless kid that gets strung along, pity for the bitter previous cradled one now thrown aside for the new younger follower. kicks a rock.

I’m thinking about Wicked tonight, specifically why Elphaba ends up with Fiyero instead of Glinda in the musical despite Elphaba and Glinda having the more well-rounded relationship.

You could chalk it up to the writers wanting a heteronormative ending (and I’m certain that’s part of it) or the fact that Elphaba and Fiyero had a love affair in the book. But I think there’s a bit more nuance to it.

The whole point of Glinda’s character is that she upholds the status quo of Oz. No matter how much she loves Elphaba or sympathizes with the plight of the Animals, she will always align herself with the current system and those in power. And as long as that remains the case, a relationship between her and Elphaba is futile because Elphaba will not give up her cause.

Elphaba and Glinda represent to different ends of a spectrum. Elphaba resists the oppressive forces in Oz, while Glinda upholds them. But Fiyero is somewhere in the middle. He starts out privileged and carefree like Glinda, but quickly turns to Elphaba’s side. He does become Captain of the Guard, but only to find Elphaba and help her evade arrest.

And therein lies the difference between Glinda and Fiyero as love interests to Elphaba. Glinda would never sacrifice her title as “the Good Witch” and all her power granted from the Wizard, even if it meant helping Elphaba. Fiyero, on the other hand, does give up his privilege, his title, and even his human form for Elphaba. Glinda clings to what the status quo gives her, while Fiyero ultimately rejects it.

Yes, the writing around Elphaba and Fiyero’s romance is a bit rushed and doesn’t have the same gradual development that Elphaba and Glinda have. And yes, I have no doubt heteronormativity played a role in giving Elphaba a male love interest in the end. But I see a lot of people write off Fiyero and his relationship with Elphaba and I just don’t agree.

Why does Elphaba end up with Fiyero instead of Glinda? Because Fiyero makes the sacrifices that Glinda wasn’t willing to.