Women and the Best Picture Race

There have been a number of conversations about diversity at the Oscars this year, and while I was going to write an article on the subject, Nathaniel Rogers over at the Film Experience beat me to it, and did it so well that I feel that linking is the best way to add to the conversation (though please read through it if you want to have a conversation to improve diversity in Hollywood and not just want to complain about the Oscars).  As a result of this, but still wanting to contribute to the conversation, I decided to comment on something that actually got better this year than last year, though it's not where we want it to be yet (optimism is out-of-vogue on the internet, but I figured I'd give it a shot) and that is the amount of women that are in the Best Picture field.

As you may recall from last year, only one of the eight nominees for Best Picture featured a woman in a leading role (The Theory of Evrything's Felicity Jones), and only half of the films managed to pass the Bechdel Test.  This year we actually have a rosier picture, even if movies like Carol didn't manage to make it into the conversation, as nearly half of the films feature a female lead in their picture.  The rest of the field may have had some room for improvement, but let's take a rundown of the eight Best Pictures and the roles that women played in each of them (Spoilers Ahead for all eight films so if you haven't seen one, skip, only read the rest, and bookmark for a later date)

Film: The Big Short
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1? (I hate the IMDB method of only going with first person onscreen-list by order in the cast credits!).  As a result, I don't know if it was Finn Wittrock or in fact Marisa Tomei or Melissa Leo in the fifth position.  Let's go benefit of the doubt and assume it's Marisa Tomei even though screen-time wise it's not remotely her.
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character? Wife
What Role Does She Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: Absolutely nothing-she becomes a bit of a sounding board for Steve Carell, but really there's little she has to do with the film's resolution.
Does She Have a Her Own Life Outside the Main Character?: No, she doesn't-we never see Tomei outside of her life that involves her husband.
Does it Pass the Bechdel Test?: No, it does not.

Film: Bridge of Spies
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1 (Amy Ryan)
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: Wife
What Role Does She Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: She's in the final scene of the movie if I recall correctly (or at least near it), but she's mostly just there to remind James Donovan of what normalcy is in his world.  Her life has little bearing on the outcome of the picture.
Does She Have Her Own Life Outside the Main Character?: No, she does not.  Amy's Mary is little more than window dressing in this film, someone who is there to support, occasionally cajole, but ultimately I don't know that she even has any scenes that don't feature her husband (she definitely doesn't have any scenes that don't center upon him).
Does it Pass the Bechdel Test?: No, it does not.

Film: Brooklyn
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 2 (Saoirse Ronan and Julie Walters)
What Is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: With Ronan, she's actually the main character as this is one of the steps in the right direction in this category.  For Walters, she plays Ronan's landlord.
What Role Does She Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: Ronan is an integral part of the ending of the film, and actually shapes her own narrative even if it is ultimately about deciding on a man (still, it's on deciding specifically which man she wants to be with which is very empowering).  For Walters, she really only features into the first half of the film, so she has no bearing on the ending.
Does She Have Her Own Life Outside the Main Character?: Again, Ronan is the main character and most definitely has an evolution of her own, even outside of the main character.  For Walters, she does as well-she's been a landlord for years, has scenes interacting with her other female tenants, and while she rarely (if ever?) appears in a scene without Ronan's Eilis, it's clear she has other relationships in the film.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Constantly-the film's first half in particular is all about the relationships women have with each other and the common struggle of female immigrants in particular.

Film: Mad Max: Fury Road
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 2 (Charlize Theron and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley)
What Is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: While Tom Hardy's Mad Max may get top-billing and the film uses his character for the title, this is all about the Imperator Furiosa, so this is another case where one of the women is in fact the main character.  In the case of Huntington-Whiteley's Splendid Angharad, she is one of the women that Furiosa is trying to save.
What Role Does She Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: In the end Furiosa ends up the savior of the Citadel, riding in as their new leader and essentially taking over.  Huntington-Whiteley has little bearing on the ending, but she too manages to at least live until the end and is welcomed back into the Citadel.
Does She Have Her Own Life Outside the Main Character?: This is true of both women.  Furiosa has been pining to get to her home of the Green Place and Max is incidental to this goal, while The Splendid Angharad has had a pretty crappy life up until this point, but it's clearly established and gets a personality distinct from the other wives.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes-it's a little hard to follow on this front because names aren't often given out and when they are they don't sound like names, but I'm fairly confident that the wives and the Vuvalini all get names at some point, and they have multiple discussions about their journey and the Green Place, so I'm going with a pass.

Film: The Martian
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 2 (Jessica Chastain and Kate Mara)
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: In the case of Chastain's Commander Melissa Lewis, she's his boss and in the case of Kate Mara's Beth, she's a fellow crew mate on his ship.
What Role Does She have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: While both women are involved in Mark's rescue, in the case of Chastain in particular she plays a pretty integral role as she has to suspend and risk her life in order to save Mark from Mars.
Does She Have Her Own Life Outside the Main Character?: Again, with Chastain this isn't really well-established.  We see her having interactions with other characters, and her job is clearly important to her, but Mark Watney is her focus for almost the entire film and she doesn't really get a side story.  Mara, on the other hand, gets a romantic interest (and it's Sebastian Stan, no less), and so I'd say yes for her getting a life outside of Mark since she has relationships established outside of his world.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes-I had to look this one up as I couldn't remember an instance of this happening, but it does appear that Chastain and Mara discuss decompressing the ship, so this is pass.

Film: The Revenant
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: None-this is the only film (The Big Short is a question mark) where we can unequivocally state that there are no women in the top billed stars.  Grace Dove is the top billed actress for the movie as far as I can tell even though she doesn't have a line, though Melaw Nakehk'o gets a character with a line and a name, it's worth noting.  For the purposes of this exercise we'll stick with the higher-billed Dove as that's who the film spends more time upon.
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: Dead wife
What Role Does She have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: While she is in some ways a driving force in the film, that role more accurately falls upon her son, in which case absolutely none.
Does She Have a Role Outside the Main Character?: Literally none-she's dead the entire movie, and as a result only exists in his own flashbacks and premonitions, so this isn't really an option for her.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Not even close.  Nakehk'o has the only named female character, and she gets one line that is used toward a man.

Film: Room
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 2 (Brie Larson and Joan Allen)
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: For the third time this year, we have a film where a female character (in this case Larson's Joy) is the main character.  Joan Allen plays her mother.
What Role Does She have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: Joy's a central part of the conclusion, and the final moments of the film actually return to her narrative, even if we always see the film through Jack's eyes (except in the last moment where Joy has to contemplate what Room was to her).  Allen's role is largely ancillary to the final conclusion of the film.
Does She Have a Role Outside the Main Character?: This is a complicated question, especially since by limits of geography Joy doesn't have a role outside the main character but she frequently has to deal with troubles that don't involve Jack, and has to sort through her own mental issues after her breakdown during the interview.  Joan Allen's character also has a boyfriend and has dealt with relationships apart from Joy and Jack, so I'd also count her as a yes here.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes, the film has multiple scenes between Joy and Joan Allen's Nancy, including discussions of their relationship and the trauma of the kidnapping.

Film: Spotlight
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1 (Rachel McAdams)
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: I'm going to assume here that Keaton is considered the main character, even though he's not top-billed, in which case her relationship is employee of him.  This is more of an ensemble piece, though, so it's hard to say.
What Role Does She Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: She's definitely a part of the finale, waiting and answering calls and playing a crucial role in the writing of the Catholic priest/pedophile story.
Does She Have a Role Outside the Main Character?: A lot has been made about McAdams' Oscar nomination and how the role she's playing feels pretty lackadaisical or that she's merely playing "the girl," but it's worth noting that she does have a life outside of the main characters, as her home life and relationship with her family/faith is also discussed in the picture, so I'd say this is a definitive "yes."
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: It's questionable.  McAdams' Sacha does have a conversation with her grandmother about her story, but her grandmother is never given a name other than "Nana" so I don't know that that counts under the rules of the Bechdel Test.  You can decide in the comments below.

And speaking of, there are the eight Best Pictures.  All-in-all, probably not where we'd need to go (it's still be nice to hit 50/50 and to have all passes for the Bechdel Test) but a decided improvement over last year.  Share your thoughts on the Best Picture race and favorite female character moments in them below!

Bechdel Test: 30 Rock, Season 4

I cannot believe we haven't done one of these in so long, but I decided to trudge one of the most popular series we've ever done at the blog, which is the TV Bechdel Test, and what better way to do so than with Tina Fey's critically-acclaimed 30 Rock.  Though the series is off-the-air now, Fey has become sort of the poster-child for women-in-comedy, a producer/writer/actor who saw, say, the potential of Ellie Kemper and decided to build a show around her or continually has supported women like Hillary Clinton for president.  Her years on Saturday Night Live ushered in an era where the show has become dominated (pop culturally) by young female comedians ranging from Kristin Wiig to Kate McKinnon.  As a result, I was curious if her iconic Liz Lemon was able to pass the Bechdel Test.

I went with Season 4 principally because in the early days of the show, there was less focus on some of the characters' personal lives and the show was more confined to the workspace.  As a result, Liz (who does work in a male-dominated environment) rarely got out and was less likely to interact with other women aside from Jenna.  By Season 4, though, Cerie, Sue, and Jack's many female love interests had started to take up more of the timeline, and so I figured 30 Rock would have a fighting chance.  Take bets now on what our final score is, and let's dive in to see if Tina Fey's 30 Rock manages to get our second passing grade of this project.  Before we begin I will state that every episode of the show ended up passing the reverse Bechdel Test.

As a reminder, these are the criteria for passing the Bechdel Test:

1. The show needs to have two named, female characters.

2. The two characters need to talk to each other.

3. The conversation needs to last thirty seconds and be about something other than a man.  This thirty second rule is something that has been added specifically at the Many Rantings of John to ensure that a simple “hello”/”hello back” conversation doesn’t get a show an accidental pass.

Season 4 (#4.1)

While the opener of the season starts with a meta wink at the viewers (the name of the restaurant is Season 4), the episode is a FAIL for the test.  There are some female conversations, but none weren't about a man or were long enough.  Paula and Liz discuss having a threesome with Pete, and Jenna chastises Liz, but the conversation quickly turns to Jack.

Into the Crevasse (#4.2)

This is an interestingly gender-focused episode, as Liz's recent bestseller Dealbreakers has made all of the men in her life save Jack extremely angry at her for using their personal foibles as fodder for her book (particularly Tracy).  However, the episode does get a PASS as Jenna, still mad about a new cast member being hired, discusses her ridiculous sounding Icelandic vampire movie with Liz.

Stone Mountain (#4.3)

I always thought this one was a little bit cloying (anything involving Kenneth and his ridiculously murky past always seemed a bit stupid as it made the show more cartoonish than it was even attempting to be at this point during the run).  The episode is also a FAIL, as Liz heads to Stone Mountain with Jack and Jenna hangs out with her gay male pals in the meantime.

Audition Day (#4.4)

A considerably stronger episode, one where almost every character gets two seconds to shine (and we get the best of Brian Williams' multiple cameos on the series), we still don't get a hit on the Bechdel Test, as the only discussions between women are Jenna and Liz discussing Jenna's feud with Jayden. FAIL

The Problem Solvers (#4.5)

Another FAIL for the show.  The episode is good (gotta love Jenna/Tracy-themed episodes), but the only conversations between women are either Cerie and Liz chatting (but for too short of a time) or Jenna/Liz discussing how Jack is taking advantage of he and Liz's friendship.

Sun Tea (#4.6)

Am I the only person who watches this episode and secretly wants to pull Nate Corddry's gay hipster cop out of the screen and make him my husband?  No?  Crickets?  Anyway, this is another FAIL, as the only discussions between Liz and Jenna are surrounding the crushable Brian.

Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001 (#4.7)

I have a complicated relationship with this episode for two reasons.  One, I hate that Liz finally gets a chance at happiness and success in her career and totally blows it even though she's been fine before (remember when she went on that talk show and gave out relationship advice, and how she never gets stage fright in any other situation?), and the entire panicky performer line seemed like a convenient plot point to keep 30 Rock in Studio 6H rather than a new setting.  I also don't like the way that they treated Tracy's EGOT story as he just randomly gets them without at least a couple of episodes where Tracy has to compete with A-listers (considering the guest stars on the show you know they could have gotten a Machiavellian Tom Hanks or George Clooney to guest star as someone trying to beat Tracy at the Oscars).  Either way, Jenna and Liz discuss performance anxiety, so PASS.

Secret Santa (#4.8)

A slightly better episode, even if most predictable when Danny has to stunt his gorgeous singing voice to make sure Jenna feels better (this is the classic "rage stroke" episode).  The Bechdel Test is a FAIL though since the only conversation between women is Cerie, Nancy, and Liz, but they're all talking about Jack.

Klaus and Greta (#4.9)

Again, James Franco is also an A-lister who could have made a play for Tracy's Oscar.  Instead we got him in love with a random Japanese body pillow.  Still, though, this episode (the Liz parts, anyway, not the lovelorn Jack portion) is superbly funny, even if we FAIL once again (the only conversations between women are Jenna and Liz discussing James Franco).

Black Light Attack! (#4.10)

Jack is exposed once again as a hypocrite (a recurring theme as the series would continue), as Liz starts an affair with Danny, but this is a definite PASS since Liz and Jenna discuss Jenna's role on Gossip Girl as well as Liz's "Tom Selleck"

Winter Madness (#4.11)

For the first time in this writeup, we have not only a PASS, but a pass that doesn't involve Liz.  Jenna, Cerie, and Sue all discuss rooming together and talking behind each other's backs as the team heads to Boston.

Verna (#4.12)

I miss Jan Hooks.  The SNL veteran showed up as Jenna's mother Verna, a woman who somehow finds a way to work the phrase "jacuzzi water" into a business pitch.  This is actually the first case this season where the show PASSed the Bechdel Test during the cold open, with Liz and Jenna discussing Verna.  The rest of the episode is a series of Verna and Jenna talking about their relationship.

Anna Howard Shaw Day (#4.13)

It would have been nice if during the episode where Liz claims she didn't need a man and then suddenly she has to have one (hit one for feminism) that we at least would get a star on the Bechdel Test, but no dice: Liz's conversations with Jack and Avery centered around Jack and Jenna's stalker. FAIL

Future Husband (#4.14)

For an episode that is about Liz's alleged "future husband," this episode seems to be the Jack-and-Tracy show, with Don Geiss having died (amidst Rip Torn's scandal involving breaking into a bank) and Tracy trying to get a Tony. FAIL

Don Geiss, America and Hope (#4.15)

Avery is nowhere to be seen, and Liz and Jenna are on opposite plotlines here, so while Jack has a funny scene where he tries to pitch the idea of porn for women, there's no pass for the cast here. FAIL

Floyd (#4.16)

Jenna and Liz discuss a sex dream about Kenneth and Katelyn/Liz briefly discuss Katelyn's wedding, but not for long enough so another FAIL as we once again go four-in-a-row.

Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter (#4.17)

One of my all-time favorite episodes, we get the weird face-off between Nancy and Avery and the ways that they bring out a different side of Jack.  I particularly adore the Avery story, and Elizabeth Banks' wonderful comic timing during her phone call to Jack.  The episode also has Nancy and Liz discussing singles dating and Liz's poor attitude, so PASS.

Khonani (#4.18)

We get another PASS, with Cerie, Jenna, and Liz discussing Cerie's wedding shower, but easily the best part of the show was an NBC program having the chutzpah to make their parent company look like a fool during the whole Jay/Conan debacle.

Argus (#4.19)

I was never wild about Will Forte's character-I felt like he pulled Jenna, who was already off-kilter, into a cartoonish area that even she couldn't sell.  This episode introduces him, but since all of the discussions between Liz and Jenna are about Paul, this is a FAIL.

The Moms (#4.20)

Considering we bring on a half-dozen female guest stars, it's impossible that this would fail, and indeed Verna and Jenna discuss their relationship late in the half hour for a PASS.  Still, the best part of this episode is Liz and her mom and the flashback where Liz, eternally pining for Astronaut Mike Dexter, finds out that her mom could have married Buzz Aldrin.

Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land (#4.21)

Once again we get a FAIL, as Liz and Cerie discuss Wesley, but that's the only female conversation in the episode.

I Do Do (#4.22)

We finish off, though, with a PASS as Nancy and Avery discuss Avery's career and pregnancy in their only scene together in the series.

Final Scorecard
Bechdel Test: 8/22 (36%)
Bechdel Grade: F

I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed in this.  Frequently I write about how rare passing the Bechdel Test is, but a show written by a woman, created by a woman, and starring a woman, one who has become famous for her stances in favor of more women in entertainment should be able to pass the Bechdel Test at least enough to get a passing grade, but it didn't.  As always, every episode passes from a male perspective, but somehow 30 Rock couldn't even get to half for the ladies.

Women and the Best Picture Race

Felicity Jones, the only lead actress in a Best Picture nominee this year

I am constantly fascinated by the subject of film when it comes to gender, and particularly whether gender is fully represented at the movies.  The stark reality is that every year we re-learn a more and more a resounding truth: that women are wildly underrepresented onscreen, particularly in mainstream Hollywood films, despite being 50% of the population.  This has become a cliche to complain about, but it's a problem that never seems to get any better, and no matter what angle you take with it, the reality is that the problem always rears its ugly head (I become incensed with people who roll their eyes when people complain about perpetual problems, because cynicism is an answer to nothing).

This year, I thought it would be worthwhile to look at the Best Picture races, and in particular the way that they treat female characters and stories.  Despite the year having a number of strong films starring women (Under the Skin and Wild spring instantly to mind), only one of the eight Best Picture nominees has what could be genuinely considered a female lead (Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything) and none of them have only female leads.  As a result of this, we're going to look more at the ways that supporting roles by women are treated in the eight films nominated for Best Picture instead.  Below I will be dissecting the eight films nominated for Best Picture, and look at the women who feature amongst the top five billed stars of each motion picture, and how they relate to the overall plot and, most importantly, the ultimate message of the film.  This is a grey area, so please join in the comments if you concur or disagree, and we'll start out alphabetically with American Sniper. (Spoilers regarding all eight films so if you haven't seen one, skip, only read the rest, and bookmark for a later date)

Film: American Sniper
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1 (Sienna Miller); you have to go outside the top ten to find the next highest-billed female character, which would be Bradley Cooper's first girlfriend Sarah (Marnette Patterson), who is essentially billed as a slut.
What is Her Relationship to the Main Character?: Wife
What Role Does She have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: She's probably what you'd consider the catalyst for Bradley Cooper's Chris Kyle trying to find his way back to civilization, but she doesn't actually contribute to him doing so (he does most of that growing on his own).
Does She Have Her Own Life Outside the Main Character: No, she does not.  The entirety of Sienna Miller's role in this film is based on her being charmed by Chris Kyle, then constantly calling him to come home-there's absolutely no indication of her wants other than those in relation to her husband.
Does it Pass the Bechdel Test?: No, it does not.

Film: Birdman
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 2 (Emma Stone and Naomi Watts)
What is Their Relationship to the Main Character?: Daughter and Costar, respectively
What Role Do They Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: Stone's character actually gets the final shot in the movie, as she's lured into her father's world of make-believe.  She's also a large part of his driving force, or at least the idea of family is, so she's not just a family member here.  Watts' character has little to do with the overall resolution of the movie.
Do They Have a Life Outsider the Main Character?: Yes.  Stone is frequently talking to other characters, including her father's costars, and is trying to find herself throughout the movie, and Watts is a struggling actress trying to make it on Broadway and crash her nerves against the new big break that she's experiencing.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes, it does (Andrea Riseborough and Naomi Watts discuss Watts' career and work in the play).

Film: Boyhood
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 3 (Patricia Arquette, Lorelai Linklater, and Libby Villari)
What is Their Relationship to the Main Character?: Mother, Daughter, and grandmother, respectively
What Role Do They Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: None-despite the film occasionally checking in on both Arquette's Olivia and Linklater's Samantha, the film is mostly about Mason, Jr., and the eventual end of the film and the bulk of the film is based on his journey.
Do They Have a Life Outside the Main Character?: Yes, they do.  Despite the film being entirely from Mason Jr's point of view, we see Olivia experience multiple relationships and a change in career, and to a lesser extent we see Samantha blossom into a young woman independent of her brother.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes-Olivia and Samantha discuss Samantha's homework and other aspects of her life throughout the movie.

Film: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 0 (to be fair part of the cast list is alphabetical though, so we'll include Tilda Swinton and Saoirse Ronan for the sake of argument as they are both billed above the line)
What Relationship Do They Have to the Main Characters (it's a dual-lead film)?: They are their respective love interests
What Role Do They Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: In actuality, very little.  Both women play a crux in the plot (one gives a main character the hotel, the other is the reason that he keeps it), but both have very little screentime and ultimately the film's plot is based on Zero and Monsieur Gustave, rather than either of their female companions.
Do They Have a Life Outside of the Main Character?: No, they don't-we learn a bit about Madame Celine (Swinton) in the end, but at that point she's been dead for the bulk of the movie and Ronan's Agatha is only a reflection of Zero.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: No-no named woman ever talks to another woman in the film.

Film: The Imitation Game
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1 (Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke)
What Relationship Does She Have to the Main Character? Coworker and eventually fiance
What Role Do They Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: Hard to tell-the problem with The Imitation Game is proving what the reason for the film is.  If it's to prove the cruelty to Alan Turing as a gay person, then nothing.  If it's his discoveries as a code-breaker, then somewhat-she's the reason he eventually works with his team and she keeps him grounded.
Do They Have a Life Outside of the Main Character?: Not in any significant way-she's always talking about Alan when she's onscreen, and even when she does get married, this is not a point-of-interest of her character.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: No-the only time women speak to each other (Joan and her friend at the bar), it is in regard to Joan's male coworkers.

Film: Selma
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1 (Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King)
What Relationship Does She Have to the Main Character?: Wife
What Role Do They Have to to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: Very little, to be honest.  This is a film about the masses moving toward a cause, and about one man's crusade to reach that cause-Coretta Scott King is an important historical figure, but here she's relegated to domestic scenes only and having concerns over the safety of her family.
Do They Have a Life Outside of the Main Character?: No, not really.  The entirety of her plot is based on her relationship with MLK.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes-there's a scene about halfway through where Coretta and Lorraine Toussaint's Amelia Boynton Robinson discuss Coretta's role in the movement.

Film: The Theory of Everything
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 2 (Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking and Maxine Peake as Elaine Mason)
What Relationship Do They Have to the Main Character?: To be fair, Jones is a main character of this film.  To be more fair, though, no one refers to this as "that movie about Jane Hawking," so she's not the main character, in which case she plays his wife, as does Peake.
What Role Do They Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: While Peake's part is pretty ancillary, Jones has something of a drive in the eventual conclusion of the film, with Dr. Hawking realizing the importance of his love for his wife in relation to his work, and how reliant he was upon her for his success.
Do They Have a Life Outside of the Main Character?: Yes, in the case of Jones (not in the case of Peake).  Jones has a relationship with another man, struggles with giving up her career, and has an affair.
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: Yes-Jones and her mother Beryl discuss her joining the church choir.

Film: Whiplash
Number of Females in the Top-5 Billed Stars: 1 (Melissa Benoist as Nicole)
What Relationhip Do They Have to the Main Character?: Girlfriend
What Role Do They Have to the Eventual Conclusion of the Film?: None-the entire film is about Andrew and Fletcher's rivalry coming to a head, and at that point Nicole has just been a casualty of his drive to succeed.
Do They Have a Life Outside of the Main Character?: Nope-the only thing we know about her other than her infatuation with Andrew is that she works at a movie theater.  Otherwise her role is simply to be "the girlfriend."
Does It Pass the Bechdel Test?: No

And there you have it-a pretty damning indictment of the films nominated this past year.  I mean-look at the evidence.  Only Boyhood has more female actors in the Top-5 billed than males.  Only half pass the Bechdel Test.  Only in The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, and Birdman does the female character play any significant role in finalizing the plot.  And only one film has a principle female role that isn't romantic or familial (Naomi Watts in Birdman).

Compare that to the male roles in these films-all eight main male characters have male friends or enemies, and have lives outside of the female characters.  All eight easily pass the reverse-Bechdel Test, and all eight are critical to the eventual conclusion of the film.  This is a pretty damning indictment on the way the cinema treats women as a whole; when the supposed best of the best can't even find room for women, what can we expect from the rest of the cinema?

Bechdel Test: Modern Family (Season 3)

Considering that the show recently won the top Emmy for Best Comedy, I thought it would be appropriate to make our next television series in the Bechdel Test Modern Family.  Because I actually hadn't seen all of the episodes in Season 3, I figured that I would take a look at that season.  This is fortuitous from a Bechdel Test perspective, because the show made the jump from four main speaking female characters to five (we add Lily this year, in addition to Alex, Haley, Claire, and Gloria).

I also thought it would be interesting to look at Season Three, because this is when the show started to grate a little bit for me.  Don't get me wrong-there's still a lot to love about the Emmy-winning series, but it's run into one of those ruts that television sitcoms hit when they aren't about twentysomethings: it doesn't allow room to grow.  With the exception of Haley, there's no character that can change their romantic status (I cannot fathom the writers doing something like separating one of the couples), and we now frequently see the same plots episode-after-episode.  This can cause some loss of love (at least for me), so I figured reviewing all of the episodes will decide if I'm just letting a couple of episodes poison my judgment or if the show truly has been headed downhill.

As a reminder, these are the criteria for passing the Bechdel Test:

1. The show needs to have two named characters.

2. The two characters need to talk to each other.

3. The conversation needs to last thirty seconds and be about something other than a man.  This thirty second rule is something that has been added specifically at the Many Rantings of John to ensure that a simple “hello”/”hello back” conversation doesn’t get a show an accidental pass.

Dude Ranch (#3.1)

So we have our first episode, and in what is always a bad sign, it is a Bechdel Test FAIL.  Claire, Haley, and Gloria all talk, but primarily about Dylan (the portions of Haley and Claire’s argument in the woods don’t add up to thirty seconds).  Overall, though, this is a solid start to the season-the continued “growing” up of the four kids, Cam and Mitchell deciding to have a second child, and Phil being Phil.

When Good Kids Go Bad (#3.2)

That’s more like it-we have our first PASS of the season, with Haley and Alex both discussing their living arrangement and fighting over Haley’s laughing.  The episode had a few great moments for Julie Bowen, but overall was pretty forgettable, as is the M.O. for the second episode of a season for a television series.

Phil on Wire (#3.3)

We get another PASS, and I’m actually pretty excited for this season and its potential to be our first passing grade.  Alex, Haley, and Claire on multiple occasions discuss math class and Alex-and-Haley’s relationship.  The rest of the episode had a pretty hilarious series of moments for Jesse Tyler Ferguson (reacting to Cam’s erratic dieting behavior…a feeling I can relate to at the moment).

Door to Door (#3.4)

The Cam and Gloria story was so cute-Blanche, Stanley, Stella-though I was disappointed no one pointed out that Mitchell would have finished off the quartet.  And the offensive line football joke from Alex was hilarious.  Overall, this was a funny and strong episode, and thanks to a cold open with Alex, Claire, and Haley discussing traffic, a girl named Carly, and makeup, it was a Bechdel PASS.

Hit and Run (#3.5)

One of my biggest issues with this show (I have several, despite being a fan overall) is that they repeat the same plot over-and-over again.  This has worked for years, I suppose, for shows like The Golden Girls, but haven’t we made it a little bit further in the world of sitcoms since then (I heart TGG, perhaps the only show that may have never passed the reverse Bechdel, but shouldn’t a show as filled with promise as Modern Family grow a little bit)?  We at least got a Bechdel Test PASS (many of them), with various conversations about politics, money, and fake driver’s licenses.

Go Bullfrogs! (#3.6)

This is more what I’m talking about-Claire accidentally hits on a straight guy, Cam and Mitchell find they’ve become far too old, and Jay becomes addicted to a Spanish soap opera.  Overall, this was a super episode, the best of the season.  We even got a PASS with Bethany, Holly, and Claire in Julie Bowen’s best scene in the series so far.

Treehouse (#3.7)

Six in a row!  Darlene and Gloria discuss salsa dancing, and Haley/Claire have multiple man-free conversations while discussing Haley’s college essays.  PASS!  Manny does get the best line of the episode (“you’re dancing, not invading Poland”).  And we got a great Bullets Over Broadway reunion with Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly playing a couple.  That said, the most interesting thing about the episode was the heteronormative conversation between Cam and Mitchell-I cannot say that this was a straight writer trying to pigeonhole gay people, as I’ve had the “I act straighter” conversation with many of my friends through the years.

After the Fire (#3.8)

The relationship between Jay and Phil is always a good source for laughs-it’s obvious that Jay likes the guy, but Phil’s constant need for approval is still funny (Ty Burrell was one of the best finds from this series).  Otherwise, a relatively forgettable episode, though we have a PASS with Alex and Haley discussing Alex’s wardrobe and Gloria and Claire discuss their testy relationship.

Punkin Chunkin (#3.9)

This episode is one of the best illustrations of one of the main reasons that I run hot-and-cold with this show.  Cam, Phil, and Gloria always win the arguments, particularly Cam.  There is almost never an argument that Cam engages in with Mitchell where Cam ends up the bad guy.  Claire has her Halloween and Jay has his Stella, but Mitchell is always the stick-in-the-mud.  It makes me mad also because in real life, while Gloria/Jay would work and Phil/Claire would work (they both are similar in odd ways), Cam and Mitchell would have never stayed together this long.  Diatribe done, and another PASS, with Alex, Haley, and Claire discussing college visits and Claire’s car.

Express Christmas (#3.10)

“Express Christmas” did one of my favorite things that a long-running sitcom can do: it mixed up the traditional pairings of the characters and gave us new chemistry and fresh stories.  Seriously, with a cast as full as Modern Family (eleven major characters strong), the possibilities are endless, even though they rarely take advantage: here we had Jay/Cam, Mitchell/Alex, Gloria/Luke, and Phil/Manny all giving one of the best episodes of the season.  And with some highly attractive product placement, Haley and Claire’s Target run got us yet another PASS.

Lifetime Supply (#3.11)

The hypochondriac in me adored this episode, with Phil fretting about a call from the doctor that boiled down to absolutely no major issue.  The rest of the episode was pretty disappointing, though; we didn’t get enough of Gloria trying to teach Haley Spanish (genius, and also PASS!), and yet another Cam/Mitchell fight where Mitchell comes out the loser.

Egg Drop (#3.12)

We were actually touch-and-go on the Bechdel Test up until the closer to the episode, when Haley and Alex (kind of) discussed their relationship with Claire.  PASS.  The rest of the episode got into a weird area with Phil/Gloria-he clearly has a crush on her, which seems wildly inappropriate even though it’s totally innocent.

Little Bo Bleep (#3.13)

I really wish that Claire had ended up winning the election.  I loved seeing her in a different environment, and the debate was classic Modern Family, as was the profane Lily (I adore that Lily is kind of a brat, and that they are now embracing this).  We also got perhaps the strongest message yet from a Bechdel Test PASS in any of our episodes, with Alex cheering on her mom’s campaign for public office.

Me? Jealous? (#3.14)

I just remembered that my TiVo didn’t work a bit during this season, so this was a new-to-me episode, so I’m instantly going to be a bit kinder.  I thought the story about Luke (err…Betty Luke) being jealous of his two sisters because Haley was being a Big Sister to a girl named Annie (PASS on their homework discussion) was too precious for words.  And Gloria and Cameron fighting in the kitchen was equally delightful.  Less so was the story about Mitchell (always the brunt, always apologizing) and his dad arguing about Jay being a fan of Mitchell’s celebrity client.

Aunt Mommy (#3.15)

Another new to me episode, and I have to say, I’m not on the side of the show’s writers here.  I know a number of gay couples who have done the sister donating the egg so that both sides are represented biologically.  I won’t be able to do it (thank you Mom for having all boys), but it’s a nice thought anyway.  We did get a Bechdel PASS, though I almost missed it (Claire, Haley, and Alex talk about how they were able to clean the house with Claire away).

Virgin Territory (#3.16)

Watching Modern Family I am so stunned how bizarre it is that we’ve taken so long to get to a Bechdel passing grade in our web series.  I lost count during this episode how frequently we passed (I think it was at least three times, include one with Lily and Alex discussing dolls, marking what might be our first Bechdel PASS with Lily).

Also, I have to give credit where it’s due, and this episode was a home run for Eric Stonestreet, by far my favorite episode of his so far this season-it was funny, clever, a little diva-ish without descending into camp.  If this is the episode he submitted for the Emmy Awards, I may forgive them slightly for giving him the trophy over Ed O’Neill’s stellar work.

Leap Day (#3.17)

After what is certainly our longest streak ever in our Bechdel series, I have to give this episode a FAIL.  The show does have women talking around each other for more than thirty seconds, but Haley, Alex, and Claire, while discussing their periods (also, really-an episode making women look irrational during the periods?  Is this 1991?), always were directing their conversations toward men (primarily Luke and Phil).  So it’s a no go.  Overall this was an episode I disliked quite a bit-it showed what I hate most about the show: repetitive storylines (Claire is irrational-how original!), lack of character growth (how many times does Gloria need to learn that Jay is better for her than Javier?), and the same people always losing arguments (Mitchell spent weeks planning a beautiful party for Cam, and yet he still ends up having to learn the “lesson”).

Send Out the Clowns (#3.18)

We’re back on track, Bechdel-wise: Claire, Alex, and Haley discuss Facebook and Claire’s (unanswered) Facebook request, so PASS.  We also got the return of Fizbo (yawn) and a story about one of Manny’s friends having a thing for Gloria (yawn…and duh).  And for those who have been missing The New Normal, Ellen Barkin oddly played a real estate agent in this episode too.

Election Day (#3.19)

This episode posed an interesting dilemma for me.  On the one hand, Claire losing is fairly realistic-she was a longshot candidate and had made a number of mistakes on the campaign trail.  On the other hand, the show is in desperate need of some character growth, and this would have given it.  Either way, Haley and Claire’s discussion about their mutual failures gives us another PASS.

The Last Walt (#3.20)

I liked this episode quite a bit, again because the show mixed up the regular formula and had multiple people interacting with each other that don’t normally.  Gloria and Haley got us our Bechdel Test PASS with a discussion about a party that Haley was throwing (otherwise we were pretty tight on the Bechdel Test-I had to go and double check but we barely made it).  The best part of the episode was their two interactions-the last scene, with Sofia Vergara scolding Haley for not following the rules and Manny for following the rules was a solid way of showing off her comedic chops-I couldn’t stop laughing.  Her equal was oddly Ed O’Neill (the show’s MVP), who had a surprisingly realistic conversation with Cam’s father about the struggles of having a gay son.  It was pretty revealing, and in a television environment that stresses high tolerance, a solid and honest moment between two men.

Planes, Trains, and Cars (#3.21)

In what was a rather lovely episode all around, everyone stuck strictly to their family units, and so as a result we had only our third FAIL of the season.  The best part of the episode was Claire, taking a hike up the coast in a sports car and doing gymnastics at the most beautiful deserted beach on the planet (seriously, either ABC bribed the parks officials to clear the area or Californians need to get out and enjoy life more).

Disneyland (#3.22)

Another FAIL (our first back-to-back one), with Alex, Haley, and Claire all talking, but only about Dylan and Ethan.  Otherwise, this is one of those episodes that technically worked, even though it was basically a 22-minute commercial for Disneyland.  But I like Disneyland, so I’m good.

Tableau Vivant (#3.23)

We definitely got a PASS during the living art exhibit, where all five of the MF women discussed their respective dilemmas.  The rest of the episode seemed pretty petty and repetitive, and so like the series seemed to do with this episode, let’s just jump to the finale.

Baby on Board (#3.24)

And we’ll end with, well, a letdown.  We got a PASS with Haley and Claire discussing Haley’s future (as well as some discussions between Claire and Alex about Prom), but overall I really didn’t like this ending.  Sure, we got some progression (Gloria being pregnant is probably the biggest change the series has made throughout its run so far), but I felt like the Cam/Mitch adoption thing was a cop-out.  I didn’t feel as bad for them because the adoption story kind of got short-shift throughout the season (it hadn’t been mentioned in such a long time).

Final Scorecard
Bechdel Test: 20/24 (83%)
Bechdel Grade: B

Hooray!  I'm so excited that we finally passed the Bechdel Test!  While I stand by my claims that this was an uneven season, I am really glad that we were able to pass the test for the first time.  This is particularly vindicating because like most of the shows that we have looked at, this is an ensemble of both genders-there are equal amounts of men and women, and yet they still had little trouble getting our first passing grade.

Bechdel Test: The Big Bang Theory (Season 6)

Kaley Cuoco, Melissa Rauch, and Mayim Bialik

We’ve had a lot of fun this week with Emmy predictions, so I figured we’d close the Emmy Week with a Bechdel Test examination of one of the frontrunners for a number of the trophies: The Big Bang Theory. For those who have been with it since the beginning, The Big Bang Theory started as the Bechdel Test’s worst nightmare-four guys, one girl, and our female lead Penny (Kaley Cuoco) never seemed to get her own plotlines or even a last name (she still hasn’t gotten the latter).

But thankfully through the years they’ve added Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) and Amy (Mayim Bialik), which gives us a fighting chance on the Bechdel Test.  In fact, one could argue they made the show infinitely better-the show was able to expand Howard, Penny, and Sheldon far more with these actresses to bring out different sides of them, and the two ladies should get a chunk of that credit (fittingly, they are both now in the credits).  But did it help with the Bechdel Test?

As a reminder, these are the criteria for passing the Bechdel Test:

1. The show needs to have two named characters.

2. The two characters need to talk to each other.

3. The conversation needs to last thirty seconds and be about something other than a man.  This thirty second rule is something that has been added specifically at the Many Rantings of John to ensure that a simple “hello”/”hello back” conversation doesn’t get a show an accidental pass.

The Date Night Variable (#6.1)

A tight call, but I’m going with a FAIL.  Penny and Amy briefly discussed their beauty regiments, but the subject quickly turned to Sheldon and Leonard and their respective relationships, so it’s a toss.  Otherwise, we got some ugly stereotyping late in the episode (Leonard was the “girl” in the relationship since he wanted to discuss it and didn’t like sports) and a fairly enjoyable anniversary dinner between Sheldon and Amy (I love the way that Mayim Bialik has grown that character through the years).

The Decoupling Fluctuation (#6.2)

We easily hit a PASS in the opening scene of the show, with Bernadette, Amy, and Penny all discussing wedding presents and where Amy would want to register (the cadaver lab, natch).  After a fairly rudimentary premiere, we get a considerably stronger second episode, with Sheldon and Penny having a heart-to-heart about her conflicted feelings about staying with Leonard (Sheldon and Penny episodes are always the best).  And Howard’s interactions with Mike Massimino are always hilarious (for those who don’t know, he’s an actual astronaut in real life).

The Higgs Boson Observation (#6.3)

This episode brought us another recurring female role, though not a main character in Alex, Sheldon’s stunningly patient grad assistant (played by Margo Harshman).  She didn’t get us a Bechdel Pass (instead, we got that PASS from Amy and Penny discussing Amy’s beauty regiment), but it’s nice to have another female presence at the University, since Sara Gilbert has disappeared without any sort of plot explanation.

The Re-Entry Minimization (#6.4)

Sometimes the Bechdel Test pass or fail is very debatable.  It’s arguable that Penny and Amy’s interactions during the Pictionary game fails, since their conversation is being driven by Sheldon, but I’m giving it a PASS, since they’re technically discussing the game.  The episode was Howard-driven, which usually is a bit of a pass for me (Howard’s character always seemed a bit much for me).

The Holographic Excitation (#6.5)

It’s incredible the amount of guest stars (and always connected to the characters) that the show can get now that it is such a massive hit.  Buzz Aldrin’s cameo as a man who can’t stop talking about being an astronaut was such a stroke of genius, it made up for what was a relatively routine episode, with Amy and Sheldon fighting about the speed of their relationship and Howard and Bernadette quarrelling over Howard’s constant chatter about his space expedition.  The episode also FAILS the Bechdel, as the only brief interaction between female characters is Bernadette and Penny chatting about their costumes at the comic book store, but it doesn’t hit thirty seconds.

The Extract Obliteration (#6.6)

Like Aldrin in the last episode, the re-appearance of Stephen Hawking as one of Sheldon’s Words with Friends competitors is a great wink to the Celebrity World of the Geeks.  This episode is a PASS for our female characters, as Penny, Amy, and Bernadette discuss Penny’s recent interest in going back to community college and their help with her term paper.

The Habitation Configuration (#6.7)

One of the best recurring bits on this series is Sheldon’s complicated relationship with Wil Wheaton.  Random factoid about me-Wil Wheaton was my first celebrity crush.  I used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation with my dad, and would hope every time we watched that it would be an episode with dreamy Wesley Crusher.

But while this episode was terrific in that sense (Parsons wisely chose this episode as his Emmy episode submission), we get a FAIL on the Bechdel Test-the ladies only share a scene together at the Cheesecake Factory, which consists of Penny and Bernadette talking about Howard and his failure to move out of his mother’s house.

The 43 Peculiarity (#6.8)

The most estrogen-lacking episode so far this season, I don’t believe Amy or Bernadette even show up during the episode, leaving us with just Penny, who finally admits she loves Leonard in this episode, and Alex, who flirts with Leonard, though he doesn’t pick up on it. The two women never share the screen, though, so FAIL

The Parking Spot Escalation (#6.9)

As a series, particularly an ensemble series, gets on in years, the absolute best way for it to remain fresh is to explore relationships on the show that don’t always get their due.  It’s a weirdly underutilized tool at the writers’ disposal.  Case in Point: I loved that this episode had more of an interaction between Bernadette and Amy (who clearly spend boatloads of time together, even though the focus of the women’s scenes is always Penny), as they fought their own version of a Howard vs. Sheldon fight over a parking space.  The feud also resulted in an easy Bechdel PASS (in multiple scenes), as they discussed Amy’s bikini wax and Bernadette towing Amy’s car.  Here’s to hoping that we get some Bernadette/Sheldon or Amy/Howard scenes in the future-mix up the chemistry people!

The Fish Guts Displacement (#6.10)

In a particularly silly episode, Mayim Bialik got her chance to shine (this was her Emmy submission episode).  The episode has Sheldon particularly naïve to the ways of Amy and her lust for him (she tricks him into, amongst other things, giving her a bath and spanking her), but Bialik sells it wholeheartedly.  We also got a PASS, with Amy and Bernadette discussing Amy’s illness.

The Santa Simulation (#6.11)

Ugh, after two great passes, we got a depressing FAIL this week, even though the ladies were out for a girls’ night.  The point of a girls night, not that Hollywood writers seem to know this, is not just to go out and pick up men, but for some reason since all three of these ladies are romantically involved, they had to add Raj to keep the conversation alive (and to hijack them discussing anything other than his love life).

The Egg Salad Equivalency (#6.12)

Let’s start with the good-Regina King is always a welcome addition to anything she does and, thanks to a discussion about Alex between Penny, Bernadette, and Amy, we got a Bechdel Test PASS.  But the rest of the episode was a low point for the series.  Sheldon has been many things, but a clueless racist and misogynist isn’t usually one of them, but this episode had him being both.  I don’t know that I laughed once during this episode, and all four of the guys should have been fired.  This was cheap humor, and this show should know better.

The Bakersfield Expedition (#6.13)

One of the great oddities of television is the fact that some of the worst episodes of a series can be followed with a genuine best episode of the series, and this is one of them.  While the guys trek through the desert was relatively standard fare, the women got a home run this episode.  From their brunch discussions of the guys’ fascination with comic books, to their subsequent discussions about comic books, we got to see great, hilarious character work for all three women-Melissa Rauch, Kaley Cuoco, and Mayim Bialik should all be extremely proud, as should the writers, as this was probably the most and longest PASS the series has ever had on the Bechdel Test.

The Cooper/Kripke Inversion (#6.14)

We got a return of one of the series more annoying creations, Barry Kripke, a walking sexual harassment lawsuit (he makes early season Howard look positively gallant), and we get no interaction between the female characters-Amy is sidelined and basically just talked about, Bernadette is in a tussle with Howard over money, and Penny is just stunned that Sheldon may want to have sex someday.  FAIL

The Spoiler Alert Segmentation (#6.15)

Another FAIL, though not for a lack of female characters-Bernadette, Amy, and Penny all appear throughout the episode, the latter two pretty significantly, but the only interaction between female characters is at the very end of the episode, when Penny and Amy are talking about Sheldon and Leonard and their inability to comprehend their diverse feelings about moving in together (Amy being pro for moving in with Sheldon, Penny against moving in with Leonard).

The Tangible Affection Proof (#6.16)

Our third FAIL in a row (bummer), though we had five speaking female characters in the episode, and one non-speaking one (Kaley Cuoco’s sister Briana played her ex-best friend).  The episode had a pretty significant interaction between Bernadette and Penny, but the bulk of it was spent discussing Penny’s ex and Leonard, so that caused the fail.  In other news, Sheldon and Amy continue to see their relationship progress (I have a feeling that next season’s finale cliffhanger will finally mean they’ve had sex).

Th Monster Isolation (#6.17)

The FAIL streak continues, though we again got a significant portion of the episode given to our female characters.  Penny, in particular, saw a lot of growth, showing that all of those acting classes have not been in vain and that she can actually pull off a strong Blanche DuBois (though she completely abandoned the Southern accent).  In other venues, we also learned a bit more about Raj’s potential girlfriend Lucy, who is just as disturbed as he is.

The Contractual Obligation Implementation (#6.18)

We’re back, and in an episode that was about trying to get more women in science, it was heartening to know that the Bechdel Test was a major PASS.  The girls spent the day playing hooky at Disneyland (with everyone dressing as their favorite Disney Princess…well Bernadette at least).  I’m so glad that Sheldon remembered the fact that he did know two successful female scientists toward the end of the episode, so that their endeavor to get women into the sciences wasn’t totally in vain.

The Closet Reconfiguration (#6.19)

This was such a beautiful episode, I almost want to give it a pass as it showed how far Howard has come through the series in such a positive way, and it may have been the first time ever that The Big Bang Theory (an oddly unsentimental show) made me cry.  The girls shared a couple of scenes, but like most of the episode, it focused on their discussion of the letter from Howard’s father’s letter, so FAIL, but that scene where they all read what might have been in the letter was wonderful.

The Tenure Turbulence (#6.20)

Perhaps Sheldon is just racist.  Once again we had a series of cheap racial jokes with the fabulous Regina King for some reason being the brunt of them (is this all Chuck Lorre can do with a talented actress of color?  Really?), though we got a PASS on the Bechdel Test (Amy and Penny discussed the ways that they would be a better asset in flirting with the tenure staff).

The Closure Alternative (#6.21)

We got a fascinating topic worth investigating (shows that get cancelled and never have resolution, in this case SyFy’s Alphas), and even a Bechdel PASS, with Bernadette and Penny discussing Penny’s lack of passions (though I thought it was a major cop-out that her passions ended up being her friends).

The Proton Resurgence (#6.22)

Bob Newhart recently won an Emmy Award for this episode, and he’s by far the biggest draw here, in what was a fairly “throwback” style episode for Big Bang, with Penny, Leonard, and Sheldon all staying within their own story and Raj, Bernadette, and Howard in theirs (no sign of Amy anywhere).  This led to a Bechdel FAIL, though, of course.

The Love Spell Potential (#6.23)

A great episode, one that I personally think should have been the season finale (we’ll get to a complaint I had about the season finale in a moment): the gang all play Dungeons and Dragons together.  Since all seven of the main characters were there, in some fashion (Raj left rather early), we got a Bechdel PASS amongst the women, and we also got a truly solid piece of acting from Mayim Bialik (she could have just as easily have submitted this episode for Emmy consideration).

The Bon Voyage Reaction (#6.24)

I know that the whole point of this finale was to focus on Raj, who, in hindsight, had quite the character journey this past year (writing about all of these characters, you see that for him, as well as for basically everyone except Leonard and Bernadette, this was a transformative year), so his ability to now talk to women probably makes sense, but I think that’s going to take away a lot from his character.  I hope that what this means is that he still can’t talk to women, but can talk to Bernadette, Penny, and Amy since they are his “family” (as was pushed through most of the episode’s narrative, and since he’s always been able to talk to his mother and sister).  Oh, and Bechdel Test FAIL to close the season.

Final Scorecard

Bechdel Test: 12/24 (50%)

Bechdel Grade: F

Another season where we hit 50%, but we just come up short of a passing grade.  Overall, watching all of these episodes with a closer eye (rather than just having it on in the background during TBS), you get to see a bit more of the dialogue for being racist, sexist, and homophobic (I still like the show, but it shouldn’t quite get the free pass that it does from some critics, as the jokes come from a baser place than we’d hope despite the strong cast).  The show of course passed the reverse Bechdel in every single episode, and with stories about Penny not really having interests and the sexual harassment storyline, at least the writers seem to be becoming aware of their shortfalls in political correctness.