On Liar Game, “Smuggling Game II,” players kept betraying each other left and right, but in the end, everyone prevailed except for Do-Young who lost not only his cool, but the game as well.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

“Smuggling Game II” passed the Bechdel and race test but did not pass the Russo test.

There were a couple of named women in “Smuggling Game II” and there were two instances where named women talked to each other without mentioning men (e.g. Da-Jung confronted Jaime on her treacherous behavior and Da-Jung talked to Sung-Ja about the show) so the episode passed the Bechdel test.

“Smuggling Game II” also passed the race test, and the episode passed this test because all of the characters were Asian and White people were never mentioned by the characters. “Smuggling Game II” did not, however, pass the Russo test since there were no LGBTI characters in the episode.

*The Bechdel test entails three requirements:
1. It has to have at least two (named) women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

**The Vito Russo test entails three requirements:
1. The show contains a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and/or transgender
2. The character must not be solely or predominately defined by her sexual orientation, gender identity and/or as being intersex
3.The character must be tied into the plot in such a way that her removal would have a significant effect

***The race or people of color (POC) test has three requirements:
1. It has two people of color in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something other than a White person

****Just because a show passes the Bechdel, Russo and race test does not mean that it is not sexist, heterosexist, racist and/or cissexist, etc. The Bechdel, Russo and race test is only a bare minimum qualifier for the representation of LGBTI individuals, women and people of color in television. The failure to pass these tests also does not identify whether the central character was a woman, a person of color or a LGBTQI individual and it does not dictate the quality of the show.