Emerald City Takes on Science and Magic at a Most Opportune Moment
No matter where one's political allegiances lie at this moment in America, there's no dispute that we're, uh, caught in a tornado of fundamentally opposing beliefs; science vs magic is one of the oldest ideological duels on the books.
[...] while writers would have to be witches to know this episode would air with this president in this climate on on Inauguration Day 2017, its relevance here and now is hard to ignore.
Tip (Jordan Loughran), struggling mightily with her newfound womanhood, is delivered to the orphanage run by the "good" witch Glinda (Joely Richardson) -- whose manipulative ways are masqueraded by her all-white get-up, pristine air and marble lair that's home to young ladies.
Despite being guardians of an amazing gift that can take life, bring it back and summon nature, Oz's women are subject to the inconsistent, ego-driven whims of the head guy in charge.
Somehow, decades of consistent research from the world's leading experts on topics including climate change, human sexuality, reproductive rights, gender, criminal justice, income disparities and on and on can be legitimately refuted by people who...just don't believe that.
Back in the day, before Enlightenment turned science into a discipline grounded in facts, observation and study, everything could be explained through magic -- or religion.