The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Come Back, Mister – Season 1, Episode 6

Yi-Yeon was absolutely humiliated on Come Back, Mister, episode 6, when she was unknowingly replaced by another actress for a big lead role, and Young-Soo and Gi-Tak unwittingly became runway models.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 6 did not pass the Russo test but it did pass the Bechdel and race test.

photo700547
Countless debacles occur in episode 6 from Yi-Yeon being publicly humiliated to Gi-Tak and Young-Soo kissing to Young-Soo harassing his wife.

Episode 6 did not pass the Russo test, and the episode did not pass this test because there were no LGBTI characters in episode 6. The episode did, though, pass the Bechdel and race test.

There were a couple of named women in episode 6 and there were a few instances where some of these named women talked to one another. Episode 6 passed the Bechdel test because out of the couple of times that named women talked to one another, there was one instance where they did not mention men (e.g., a named female actress told Yi-Yeon to smile). The episode passed the race test (and easily so) because there were many instances where non-White individuals talked each other without mentioning White people as the entire cast was Asian and none of the characters ever mentioned anyone White.

*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.