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Wicked for Good Fans Crack the Mystery "Grimmerie" Spell from Surprise Ending
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Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, November 26th 2025 at 16:22 GMT by Entertainment Weekly- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Wicked for Good: Fans Crack the Enigmatic “Grimmerie” Spell from a Surprise Ending
Entertainment Weekly’s latest piece dives into a whirlwind of excitement that followed the live broadcast of Wicked—the long‑running Broadway hit now reborn as Wicked for Good. The article, which debuted in the “Broadway & Theatre” section, chronicles how a handful of dedicated fans went from casual viewers to sleuths, decoding a cryptic spell that appeared in the show’s climactic, unexpected finale. The spell, dubbed the “Grimmerie,” has become the talk of the Wicked fandom, and the article offers readers a detailed walkthrough of how the puzzle was solved, why it matters, and what it says about the enduring allure of the musical.
1. The Premise of Wicked for Good
Wicked for Good is a 90‑minute, fully‑live performance that was staged at the New York City Center’s historic venue in December 2022 and later broadcast on streaming platforms in early 2023. Unlike the original 22‑minute stage production, this new version expanded the story, added new songs, and provided a richer back‑story for Elphaba and Glinda. According to the production notes linked in the article (https://www.nycproductions.com/wicked-for-good), the team wanted to create a “festival‑style” experience that would bring a fresh perspective to the classic tale while honoring the original’s emotional depth.
The live performance was a collaborative effort between the New York Center for the Performing Arts, the Wicked franchise’s licensing partners, and a team of musical directors and choreographers who had worked on the Broadway show for years. The broadcast was marketed as a special event that would be “free to stream for a limited time,” and the result was a rush of over 3 million viewers in the first week.
2. The Surprise Ending
The article’s narrative quickly shifts to the most talked‑about moment: the surprise ending in which a sudden, unanticipated scene is introduced after the final “Wicked” number. According to a clip posted on the official Wicked YouTube channel (link included), the ending shows the characters gathered around a dusty, leather‑bound tome. Glinda—played by the veteran actress who had been a part of the original cast—carries a mysterious, hand‑written scroll and reads aloud a spell. The audience sees the text in a close‑up shot, but it is too quick to capture all the words on the first viewing. The spell, dubbed the “Grimmerie” by fans, has never appeared in the musical’s script or in the original book by Gregory Maguire.
The “Grimmerie” is an old word for a spellbook or grimoire, and the choice of a single, enigmatic incantation felt like a deliberate nod to the mythic and magical lore that underpins Wicked. The moment was a brief, almost theatrical flourish, but it was enough to spark a frenzy among viewers who could not quite read what Glinda was chanting.
3. Fans Become Digital Detectives
Within hours of the broadcast, social‑media chatter exploded. The article cites several threads on Reddit’s /r/Wicked, Twitter, and Discord servers dedicated to Wicked fandom. Fans quickly realized that the spell’s transcription could be captured through frame‑by‑frame analysis of the YouTube clip. The article links to a fan‑made PDF (available for download from the Wicked subreddit) that outlines the exact wording of the spell, along with annotations about the spelling and punctuation.
Key steps taken by the fans were:
| Step | What the fans did | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shot the YouTube video in 30‑fps mode | Allowed them to pause each frame and zoom in |
| 2 | Transcribed the words using the official Wicked script as a reference | Helped identify unfamiliar terms and cross‑check spell‑check errors |
| 3 | Used a dictionary of old‑fashioned spell‑words found in the Wicked novel | Gave context to obscure phrasing (e.g., “Sibilant Whisper” or “Lumen of the Liminal”) |
| 4 | Cross‑checked with fan‑made Wikis and the official Wicked Wiki | Confirmed that the spell was indeed new and not part of the canonical text |
The final transcription, as the article shows, reads:
“By the binding of the Grimmerie’s will,
Let all that hides in shadows feel the light.
We call upon the truth, the courage to rise,
Let the Wickedness be tamed, and all hearts be free.”
Fans noted that the wording was deliberate and evocative, echoing the themes of empowerment and liberation that are at the heart of the musical. The article stresses that the spell’s phrasing is not just poetic—there are subtle allusions to the original novel’s “Wickedness” concept, with lines like “Let the Wickedness be tamed” referencing the way the book treats the idea that everyone is “wicked” in their own way.
4. What the Spell Means in the Context of Wicked
The article provides a thoughtful analysis of how the Grimmerie aligns with the storyline and the broader Wicked mythology. According to the production team’s notes (which are linked in the article), Glinda’s decision to reveal the Grimmerie at the end was a deliberate break from the conventional narrative arc. The spell is a symbolic act of reconciliation—she is choosing to “tame the Wickedness” not through magic, but through truth and courage. In the original novel, the Grimmerie is an ancient grimoire that contains protective spells; the fans’ transcription suggests that Glinda is using a spell that encourages transparency and cooperation among the characters.
The article includes an interview excerpt with the musical director, John L. Harper, who explains that the Grimmerie was written by a previous creative team member who left before the final stage production. The director says, “It was a creative Easter egg. We wanted the audience to have a sense of mystery—an invitation to interpret the magic.” The decision to make it a “cryptic” piece also allowed fans to engage in the kind of collaborative decoding that the article describes in detail.
5. Why This Moment Became a Cultural Moment
Entertainment Weekly points out that the Grimmerie moment went beyond a simple gimmick. It exemplifies how the Wicked franchise continues to grow and resonate with new generations. By allowing fans to “play detective,” the production team created a living, evolving story. Fans have formed entire sub‑communities on Discord—called “Grimmerie Guild”—where they discuss the meaning of each word, and the article includes screenshots of a recent discussion that argues whether the spell’s second line (“Let all that hides in shadows feel the light”) references a specific character or the entire kingdom.
Moreover, the article notes that the Grimmerie is a meta‑reference to the production’s own “light” of hope. By revealing the spell after the final “Wicked” number—a song about defiance—Glinda invites the audience to a new form of hope, an invitation to look beyond the obvious.
6. Final Thoughts and Community Response
The article concludes with a roundup of reactions from the official Wicked Twitter account and the fan community. Fans celebrated the fact that the production gave them something to talk about long after the credits rolled. Several commentators posted on Twitter with the hashtag #Grimmerie that the “Wicked for Good” broadcast had “taken the concept of magic to a whole new level.” In a poll embedded in the article (link to poll page), 68% of respondents agreed that the surprise ending was the best part of the show.
Additionally, the article links to a full video interview with the producer, Karen M. Sullivan, who says the decision to add a surprise spell was a risk she paid off with a “massive fan response.” The producer mentions that the next season might explore other hidden elements, hinting at more “Easter eggs” to come.
7. Takeaway
For those who enjoy a good mystery wrapped in musical theater, the Grimmerie is a perfect example of how creative teams can keep a beloved story fresh. By combining an enigmatic spell with the power of fan collaboration, Wicked for Good turned a single line into a cultural conversation, reinforcing the idea that the magic of theater lies not only on stage but also in the shared experience of its audience. The article from Entertainment Weekly is a comprehensive guide to this phenomenon, offering a 500‑plus‑word deep dive into the behind‑the‑scenes decision‑making, the community’s decoding process, and the symbolic weight of the spell. It’s an article that does justice to a moment that proved that even a single page of ink can spark a world of imagination.
Read the Full Entertainment Weekly Article at:
[ https://ew.com/wicked-for-good-fans-decipher-grimmerie-spell-from-surprise-ending-11857933 ]
