Noelle Connell Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test, TV

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Jane the Virgin, “Chapter Twenty-Eight” – Season 2, Episode 6

Petra worked on getting rid of Milos on Jane the Virgin, “Chapter Twenty-Eight,” and Jane struggled with juggling school work and taking care of her child.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

“Chapter Twenty-Eight” passed the Bechdel, Russo and race test.

The Villanueva women fawn over Mateo.

There were numerous named women and non-White individuals in “Chapter Twenty-Eight,” and occasionally, some of these named women talked to each other without mentioning men and some of the non-White individuals in the episode talked to each other without mentioning White people so the episode passed the Bechdel and race test. “Chapter Twenty-Eight” also passed the Russo test, and the episode passed this test because there was a LGBTI character in the episode, Wesley, and he was not solely defined by his sexual orientation (e.g., he was also defined as being a writer and a student) and his removal from the episode would have significantly affected the plot as his character generated a new storyline (e.g., at the end, it was revealed to the audience that he was investigating the Solanos).

*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.