‘Wicked: For Good’ is one of the most political films of the year

Cynthia Erivo in "Wicked: For Good." Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

For anyone who loves “ Wicked ,” it’s easy to get swept up in the magic, the music and the sisterhood between the central pair of star-crossed friends at the heart of the story.

But it was also hard to ignore the first film’s political underpinnings, which shine even brighter in the follow up “Wicked: For Good,” in theaters now.

In the first part of the cinematic adaptation by director Jon M. Chu, which was nominated for best picture at last year’s Oscars, themes of racial tension were the backdrop to the story – which imagines an origin for the Wicked Witch of the West made famous in the 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” and explores her relationship with Glinda the Good. Woven into the premise are question