In the newest installment of Jane the Virgin, “Chapter Forty-One,” Michael got sacked so Jane picked up some extra shifts, and in her efforts to earn more money, she would up sacrificing some of her personal morals and time with Mateo.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

“Chapter Forty-One” did not pass the Russo test but it did pass the Bechdel and race test.

“Chapter Forty-One” did not pass the Russo test, and the episode did not pass this test because there were no LGBTI characters in “Chapter Forty-One.” The episode did, however, pass the Bechdel and race test.

There were numerous named women and non-White individuals in “Chapter Forty-One,” and because there were several occasions where some of the named women in the episode 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, the episode passed the Bechdel and race test.

*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.