The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: Come Back, Mister – Season 1, Episode 15

Young-Soo continued living on Come Back, Mister, episode 15 thanks to a sacrifice made by Gi-Tak, and it was revealed that Suk-Chul had been the one who murdered Gi-Tak.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 15 did not pass the Russo test but it did pass the Bechdel and race test.

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Young-Soo rushes to Da-Hye’s side.

Episode 15 did not pass the Russo test, and the episode did not pass this test because there were no LGBTI characters in episode 15. The episode did, however, pass the Bechdel and race test.

Named women (of which there were very few in episode 15) rarely talked to each other in episode 15, but because on one of those few occasions named women talked to each other without mentioning men (e.g., Yi-Yeon told Da-Hye that she would shop later), the episode passed the Bechdel test.

Episode 15 passed the race test (and easily so) because there were numerous instances where non-White individuals talked to each other without mentioning White people as the entire cast was Asian and none of the characters ever mentioned White people.

*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.