Noelle Connell Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test, TV

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: The Originals, “Beautiful Mistake” – Season 3, Episode 6

The Originals -- "Beautiful Mistake" -- Image Number: OG306a_0142.jpg -- Pictured (L-R): Leah Pipes as Cami and Andrew Lees as Lucien -- Photo: Annette Brown/The CW -- © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
All kinds of drama went down in The Originals, “Beautiful Mistake.” Namely, the Mikaelsons learned that Tristan and Lucien were working together; a Strix stalked Hayley; Cami was kidnapped by Lucien and forced to work for him; Rebekah was close to finding a spell that would bring back Cole when she was suddenly captured by the Strix; and Klaus could not decipher which side Aurora was on.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

“Beautiful Mistake” did not pass the Bechdel, Russo or race test, and the episode did not pass any of these diversity tests because whenever named women talked to each other, men were always (directly or indirectly) mentioned; because there were no LGBTI characters in the episode; and because the one or two times that non-White individuals talked to each other, White people were mentioned.

*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.