The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test: W – Two Worlds – Season 1, Episode 11

Yeon-Joo returned to W on W – Two Worlds, episode 11, but by the time she did so, a month had passed by in W and Chul had rediscovered both the truth behind W and Yeon-Joo.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Episode 11 passed the race test but it did not pass the Bechdel or Russo test.

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When Yeon-Joo attempts to aid Chul from her world, the villain strikes back against her.

The entire cast of episode 11 and none of the characters ever mentioned White individuals. As such, there were many instances where non-White individuals talked to each other without mentioning anyone White so the episode easily passed the race test. However, while episode 11 managed to pass this one diversity test, it passed none of the others (i.e., it did not pass the Bechdel or Russo test).

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Chul is no longer the main character of W, and as such, he is beginning to disappear.

Episode 11 did not pass the Bechdel test because while there were two named women (Yeon-Joo and So-Hee) in the episode, there was never an occasion where these two women talked to each other. The episode did not pass the Russo test because there were no LGBTI characters in episode 11.

*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.