Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
As Tip continues to try to find a cure to their sudden femininity, Dorothy makes her way to the Witch of the East’s castle and learns a bit about her mother’s past.
Topic 1: The Three Girls Suicide (The Wizard of Oz, Anna, and The Witch of the West)
With The Beast’s appearance on the horizon, an estimated 8 days, it makes three girls climbing a giant and killing themselves by magic startling. Though what is stranger is the discovery they are girls who belong to the Witch of the West’s brothel. However, she is discovered to have nothing to do with the incident. In fact, she hates magic due to some form of survivor’s guilt.
But, perhaps real thing to focus on is Anna, The Wizard’s new assistant. She is a daughter of someone who used to work in the brothel, and the wizard slept with, but he isn’t her father. What is known though is she is quite talented, perhaps beyond the talents of the current head councilwoman Elizabeth (Roxy Sternberg). However, she also knows too much. Nevermind the Wizard opening up to her and revealing his true name, Frank Morgan, but with her revealing she knows he never had power over the giants, such a reveal lands her in prison. Even if she is much more useful by his side.
Commentary
Perhaps the main takeaway from this topic is the wizard not having control over the giants and the reveal in topic 3 dealing with who likely did. Outside of that, does anyone else feel that the Witch of the West, and even the Wizard, are probably written better than they are performed? I see the witch and I think 90s Tim Burton eccentric, though more miserable, yet her actress I think only scrapes the surface. Same goes for the actor playing The Wizard. I just can’t shake him being Wilson Fisk on Daredevil. So even though he looks the part, vocally sounds like this role is good for him, it feels like something is missing. Making it where, even with their backstories, guilt, and their characters being fleshed out, you are left strangely wanting more from the actor than the character itself.
Topic 2: I Want To Be A Real Boy (Tip)
Tip was born a girl yet, for reasons unknown, was made and raised a boy. This complicates things, in a multitude of ways, especially since the elixir the witch made is not something anyone would be willing to reproduce. With that, it seems Tip has to accept his new gender though tragedy strikes when, after his best friend falls in love with his female form, he pushes him away to his death. Accidently of course.
Commentary
Something about this story screams “The life of trans people.” The idea of being born in the wrong body, a trans boy developing breasts, feminine features, guys liking them when they are into girls, and the various other complications. Which, who knows if that is the point of all this, but I can’t be the only one picking up on that vibe right?
Topic 3: The New Witch of the East?/ The True Wielder of the Stone Men (Dorothy)
It seems rather than just inheriting ruby slippers, as we saw in the Judy Garland version, Dorothy has inherited The Witch of the East’s gauntlet and her powers. However, these powers seemingly don’t just come from killing the witch but also her mother Karen. It’s implied in the episode that The Wizard may have brought Karen to their world and she may have very well been the one who controlled the stone men. Something which future previews make seem that Dorothy can do as well.
Commentary
Honestly, at this point, my interest in this show are primarily on Tip. For while I appreciate the creators making Dorothy Hispanic and the changes they have made with her now being some kind of witch are fine, I get the same vibe from her and Lucas as I do 95% of the character on here. The characters and story seem good, but the actors don’t have that ability to turn words on paper into something entrancing. That is, except Jordan Loughran who plays Tip.
Now, I don’t know if it is because her character is original and has a less traveled story, the actress herself, or what? But I do feel like this is going to become another NBC type show where it starts off very strong and interesting, but can only survive if it gets a strong cult following. For with it starting at just 4 million viewers for the first episode, I fear the drop that will come when the numbers come out for this episode.
Collected Quote(s)
Someone took me, someone stole me, and the worst part is, I’m still here!
— “Mistress – New – Mistress.” Emerald City
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Good to know. I think, like quite a few people, my sole knowledge of The Wizard of Oz comes from the original movie and not much else.
Tip is an integral character in Frank Baum’s Oz series. Familiarity with Ozma of Oz might just be the ultimate spoiler if the writers chose to follow the same transformation as originally written by Baum.