Headscratchers / Return to Oz

• As powerful as he is, why would the Nome King want to become human?
  • Solely to be able to wear the shoes, because the shoes are even more powerful.
  • Because he'd still be the Nome King and able to command his people, but he also wouldn't be able to be killed by a plate of scrambled eggs anymore.
  • And it doesn't mean he'd lose all his powers. In the Oz universe, a magic-user is powerful because of their knowledge. So he'd still have all his knowledge of magic and not be vulnerable to any of the weaknesses he normally has.
• How was it possible for Dorothy to get to the Emerald City in what seemed like a few hours when her original journey took days?
  • Maybe because she didn't stop to rest or get harassed by apple trees this time?
  • Murch took delight in playing around with the "Oz is a dream reflection of Dorothy's psyche" explanation from the MGM film. In a dream, locations are as close or as far as the dream's own internal illogical logic dictates.
  • And did her journey in the first film really take several days? We don't actually see night passing in Oz during the movie (in the book it does take days). The wicked witch sent a few obstacles that held her up in the first film, but maybe she travels faster now that she knows the way.
• All mirrors may serve as a gateway into Oz. Mombi thought she had trapped Ozma within a mirror but instead pushed her into Dorothy's Kansas. Upon arriving, Ozma would have been seen as mentally ill and placed into the hospital. Once Dorothy arrived, Ozma escaped with her and ran directly to the river, the surface of which could also be used as a mirror (which is how Dorothy and Billina arrived in Oz). When Dorothy disposed of the Nome King and Mombi, she then drew Ozma through the "mirror" of the river and back into Oz. Thus Ozma would disappear entirely from our world and give the impression that she had drowned. The only real question is why she didn't just jump in the river and return to Oz with Dorothy.
  • Well Ozma was still imprisoned in the mirror by Mombi. It's like her dungeon has two doors - one to Oz and the other to Kansas. The door to Oz is locked, so she can travel through the mirrors to Kansas - but when she goes back, she's still blocked by Mombi's spell. It's only until after Mombi is defeated and her powers stripped, that Ozma can leave the mirror.
  • Alternately Ozma is limited by the enchantment that keeps her trapped in the mirror. She can use her magic to get to Kansas but only for short periods of time. So she doesn't jump into the river with Dorothy because she knows she'll get poofed back to Oz anyway.
    • Ozma appearing in Kansas night only be possible when there’s a mirror nearby, such as in the two windows Dorothy sees her in at first — in a sense, it’s as if the “reflection” seen by Dorothy is the real Ozma all along, while the girl who appears in Kansas is the real reflection, and that’s why she disappears without a trace whenever she moves away from the window, and why she’s in such a hurry to get Dorothy away from the hospital because without a mirror to reflect off of, she doesn’t have a ton of time that she can remain to help her.
• How the heck did Billina get to Oz, anyway?
  • Maybe there were scenes in the early script that explains her presence before it was left out in rewrites.
  • Maybe the animals got loose in the chaos of the storm and Billina just happened across Dorothy in the river.
• If Ozma was raised as Mombi's slave, why is she wearing such a nice dress when she's freed from the mirror?
  • Maybe Mombi gave it to her? Some historical slave owners did dress favored slaves well as a gift and to boast of their wealth — "I'm so rich, even my slaves dress like nobles!"
• When talking to the Nome King about the challenge he's presented Dorothy with, Mombi asks what will happen if she finds out about Ozma. Why is that supposed to be a concern? Ozma is trapped inside a mirror back in the Emerald City, and there's never an indication that the Scarecrow (or anyone else besides Mombi and Jack) knew about her. So why worry that Dorothy rescuing him would lead to her finding out about Ozma?
  • The Nome King seems to derive his power from people's memories—"Soon, there'll be no one left who remembers Oz"—so the very knowledge that the rightful princess exists is a threat to him. Plus he knows that Dorothy has Chronic Hero Syndrome and would likely do whatever it took to free Ozma from her prison. The less people knew about her, the better.
  • Also remember that the Scarecrow only rules the Emerald City; presumably he used to answer to Ozma, just like how the mayor of a town answers to the governor of a territory. He probably knew who she was, but didn't have time to tell Dorothy about her because of the pure chaos going on during his rescue.
• How exactly are the wheelers supposed to be dangerous? They can't hold weapons or even make a fist.
  • They do have teeth.
    • Human teeth. They're not even sharp. And I'm fairly certain you'd need more than that to be considered a major threat.
  • High velocity and inorganic extremities, that's how.